Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and kept track of me! I appreciate all of you and apologize (spl?) for being on hiatus for this story for so long. I've been wrapped up in my labyrinth story.
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Axel escorted Roxas to his room soon after everything was settled, placing Luxord as a sentry outside the door. (probably not the best idea since his recent drinking problems...)
"I'm getting into the bath- that is, just so you know, Roxas. Incase you need me... or something." Axel scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.
Roxas blushed when he heard the water start, imaging the goings on in the small tiled room. Shaking his head, he changed quickly into some loose pants and a light shirt to sleep in.
When Axel returned to the room, Roxas was laying on his bed with some candles lit, reading a book he'd read over and again.
Axel leaned against the door jamb, content watching the little blond get lost in the world in the pages.
Roxas looked up, sensing someone watching him, and jumped when his gaze collided with the brightly lit green ones of the red-head's.
Axel chuckled at the boy's startle, and walked over to the bed leaning over the boy with a sly grin on his face.
Blinking, Roxas pulled his head farther back into his pillow, confused and a bit frightened. A flash of that evenings happenings brought a blush to the blond's face, making him pull his book up to cover it, causing the older male's grin to broaden to full blown wolfishness.
Leaning down, the red-head whispered in Roxas' ears, "Now, what could bring such a beautiful blush to your cheeks, Roxas? Dare I hope it has something to do with this...?" Roxas felt a brush of long fingers travel down his stomach down to the one aching point in his body, surprising a groan out of the boy.
"Yes," Axel pulled away to close in on the blond's face, "I think it is." He chuckled then closed his lips over Roxas' at the same time his hand came over the boy, making his eyes roll back and his back arch into that big hand.
That was all it took for Axel's strained control to break, and he was all over Roxas, hands pulling at clothing, squeezing certain parts and generally making them both more hot and bothered.
When the red head began to pull the boys pants off, Roxas squeaked and pulled away. Axel followed, though, until the blond put a single foot on his chest forcefully.
Struggling to breathe, the blond gulped and, seeing the impatient and burning gaze of the older man, straightened up. "Axel... How can you be thinking of... of this when one of your people- poor Demyx!- is injured and a madman is on the loose? It's- now let go of my foot!- It's improper... and... and wrong for you to be so... disregarding of him- of your wonderful, caring staff like that! It's- It's childish Axel!"
Axel pulled away at that, looking stung. Were those not the same words used to describe him by his very own father so many years ago? No! No, he musn't think of that man as being like Roxas!
He was right, Axel thought sadly as he sat away from the blond, The only thing he had thought of until that moment where his memories rose was how he'd like to show Roxas how 'improper' improper could be. I am childish, he thought, I'm spoiled and was acting just like the animal I am during the day.
Roxas watched the man struggle with himself, and felt sorry for comparing the strong man to a child.
"...Axel? " When the man, who was lost in thought, didn't answer, he continued. "Axel, I'm sorry. It's just... I'm so worried about what's going to come... and poor Demyx, he must be-"
Axel rounded on the boy like lightning, "Poor Demyx! Poor Demyx? Well if you're so intent on poor Demyx, I suppose I should leave you to ponder your poor, poor man then! Adeiu, Monsiour Strife!"
With that, Axel left before Roxas could get a word out.
Roxas, angered, yelled down the hall through the still open door, "That's what I meant by CHILDISH, you MORON!" And slammed the door before slumping against it.
When Roxas felt a tear run down his cheek, he jumped up muttering, "I refuse to cry over such a selfish... such a selfish, immature, high-and-mighty...!Ohhh! That lusty moron!" And grabbed his cloak, lit a lantern kept in his room and blew out the candles before sneaking past the drunken, sleeping guard and away into the night.
Axel stomped down the long flight of stairs, intent on slamming anything and anyone in his way out of it.
Why don't you just scare the poor boy away, Idiot? His concious popped in.
Growling, Axel ignored it, until it went too far and began railing him about conforming to the boy's view of him.
"Ugh... Shut Up! Shut up, shut up, shut up, you stupid two-bit bugger!" He pulled his hair, as if he could pull out the inner voice.
He rounded the corner and threw open the door to his room before slamming it closed behind him. He had wanted the night- no that whole day!- to be perfect, and had ended up anything but! He had hoped to releive the poor boy when he knew he must be aching from earlier, but had been thwarted by his angelic little blond!
...Indeed angelic, He couldn't help but think, with those soft pink lips gasping for air in a perfect 'o' as he arched under the older man's hands, hair glistening gilded gold in the burning candlelight.
A shadow running across the lawn in the cloudy moonlight outside caught his attention. It was too short to be Xemnas, and at that moment, the hood fell, revealing familiar silvery-gold spiked hair.
"No!" Axel gasped, turning and tearing out of the room.
Sneaking through the rose garden, Roxas watched Marluxia leave after tending the great red rose in the very center. Why that rose above all others, he wondered, then shook his head.
I'm getting out, and they'll never know enough to stop me, he thought, but felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to say goodbye to those friends he'd made.
He treaded lightly in the shadows the roses provided, going around to the hole in the fence that had been there during the tour of the grounds. It was gone this time, and he cursed his bad luck.
"Damn!" He swore softly, and began crossing to another spot before hearing the raising noise coming from the castle. The door to the garden opened and the tall thin figure of the lord of the castle rushed out and began searching frantically.
Rustling from the nearby bush caught Roxas' attention, and then he realized he was out in the grouds, no one knowing where he was, and there was a madman on the loose, possibly on those very grounds.
His feet moved out of their own volition, taking him halfway to where the red head had been before he shouted as he was grabbed from the side, muscular arms pinning his own to his sides.
"Got you, little rabbit!" Xemnas sneered. "I've had a hell of a time trying to get your little self out into my reach, and here you are, out of your design!" He laughed out loud, before stopping abruptly.
"Put him down, Xemnas. Before I spill your blood into the grass at your feet." A deep voice growled menacingly.
Hands left him immediatly, only for Roxas to fall into a thinner, more familiar set. He looked up at Axel's intent face, then turned his attention to his savior. Saix stood behind the taller man, holding a wicked looking dagger against the silver haired man's neck.
His eyes assesed the boy's condition methodically before becoming colder as he answered Xemnas' gasp of "Saix!"
"Yes, Saix. Who else, you fool. I played you all along as you plotted against our lord- My lord, he has been hoping to dispose of you and take over, thinking the curse would let up at your death, and the others would be grateful and allow him lordship." He turned his attention again to the frozen man, "You just didn't expect me to be against you, did you? You know as well as I the only- Only!- way it can be broken!"
The silver haired man took that moment to break out of the bluenette's grasp and grab the wrists of him, making him drop the dagger.
"How could you!" he shouted, "I thought you loved me! I thought you loved me like I love you, you bastard!' And kissed the shorter man before their audience.
Axel stiffened at the obviously unknown factor before turning Roxas away from the violent pair as Xemnas was dragged off of Saix to be placed in the dungeon for later consideration.
Saix trembled slightly, but turned away when Xemnas looked back at him, pleads of mercy and love falling from his tongue.
Axel, still holding Roxas, approached the man, putting a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. Saix looked up at him as Axel told him, "I won't have him killed, my friend. I hope only that he can be cured as genlty as possible of his madness."
The bluenette nodded before turning away and walking back inside the castle, leaving Roxas with the red head.
"Wh... what does he mean, curse? Surely the entire castle is not cursed by some horrid deed?" Roxas watched the older man's face as Axel refused to look him in the eyes. He saw a glimmer of guit there.
"No horrid deed, but one of stupidity... and childishness." The last part was said so quietly, Roxas barely heard it.
Axel, out of the corner of his eyes, saw the boys' widen, then fill with , he finally looked at him fully.
"Do not sympathize for me, boy!" He waved a hand wildly, "I'm just a fool who must find- I was a child! A foolish, spoiled child!"
He sat abruptly, one hand on his face. "Do not feel for a fool and a cruel... child I have always been. Will always be."
Shaking his head, Roxas knelt beside the poor man. He placed a gentile hand on his shoulder. "Yes a fool, perhaps, but a fool with a kind, forgiving heart. An honorable fool, with a dashing smile and a beautiful twinkle in his eyes when he kisses me; as no one has kissed me, you foolish man."
Axel looked up at him, a wry twist to his lips. "You speak like a bard sings about his fair lady. More fool am I for the comparison." Angel.
Irony, withheld for now, curled Roxas' lips as well, before he lifted Axel's head again and kissed him softly.
"Come, Milord," He stood and held out a kind hand to the tall red head, "We have worn away the night, a daybreak is still a while away. Let us sleep on the resident madness of the castle, eh?"
Axel took his hand and followed him indoors.
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Now! PROMPT FOR REVIEWS!
Okies, has anyone read or seen Beastly? The movie that came out in march 2011? By Alex Flinn? If you have, you'll know she based that, of course, on Beauty and the beast. What "I" didn't know, was that there are multiple versions of this, and in one of them, the "beast" is a monster only during the day, and his human counterpart at night! Sound familiar?
Alright, on to the prompt:
The earliest known version of a "beauty and the Beast" tale is the Greek tale of Cupid and Phsyche (Sy-key), but the one most familiar to people is the one written by a woman named Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont (Heck of a name, eh?), which was adapted from an earlier french, long named woman I refuse to type. For my fingers' sake, you understand. In that version, the fairy, or witch(your preference), plays a constant role in the story, actively. (should I do something like that, I wonder?)
Alright so, although the "Beauty" of the tale is supposed to be loved by all, in many versions, she is traded by her father for his life (only in one or two does she choose this fate herself). So I can't help but wonder if maybe there is more to beauty? Maybe something that makes her father want to give her up, instead of sparing her her "horrible" fate?
So that's my prompt! Kind of stupid, but you can't help but wonder, right?
NO I DON'T not LIKE BEAUTY. SHE IS MY FAVORITE FIC. CHARECTOR. NO FLAMES, PLEASE.
Thanks to everyone reading this. I'll -attempt- to update soon!