Everybody's Broken, But I'm Still Here Chapter 5: Shake It, a kingdom hearts fanfic

Chapter Five:

Shake It

Three days after telling his family about his falling out with Roxas, he, Marluxia, Demyx and Zexion met up with Riku and discussed the specifics of their plan.

The 'how', 'where', 'who', 'when' and 'why'. As Demyx had put it.

The 'why' was obvious, and 'who' was quickly figured out, but everything after that was questionable. 'How' couldn't be answered until they worked out the 'where' and 'when'. There were so many places they could play this out. Demyx claimed dibs on the beach, Marluxia wanted them to kidnap Roxas and make him listen to the song in the woods, surrounded by beachy palm trees, Zexion dully suggested the club and Axel disagreed with all of them. Riku suggested they figure out when, which no one could answer, but they all agreed that it had to be before the end of summer.

"This sucks! It shouldn't be this hard!" Demyx griped, throwing his hands down to slap at his legs.

"Control yourself, Demyx." Zexion said coolly.

Demyx gave the other teen the finger and stood up. "I can't take this shit anymore. I'm going for a walk." He addressed the other occupants in the room, avoiding looking at Zexion. "I'll be back-" He glanced at the emotionless boy and looked away quickly as he walked toward the door. "Later. See ya."

As soon as they heard the front door shut Axel and Marluxia jumped down Zexion's throat.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you treat him like that?"

"Demyx is fragile, Zexion. He's the only person I've ever met that is so hyperactive, happy-go-lucky, positive and just so god damn personable. And you won't give him the light of day!"

"Or night."

"Obviously." Axel rolled his eyes and turned back to the short bookworm. "You're the last person I would pick for Demyx, but he chose you and if you don't like him, tell him so he can move on, but stop being such a cold son of a bitch for once in your life and let someone in."

Zexion got to his feet and walked out of the door and a few moments later the front door clicked shut again, much more quietly this time around.

Marluxia tugged on a strand of light pink hair. "God, he couldn't even work up enough anger to slam the door."

"I know." Axel groaned and fell back on his bed. "I'm so sick of his shit, though."

It was silent for a few minutes while they were lost in their own thoughts until Riku broke the silence.

"Look, Axel, I was thinking and maybe it's not the best idea to just rush into this, headfirst. Maybe let Roxas get use to the idea of you being back in town."

Axel sighed deeply, "I've been back in town every summer, Riku."

"I know, but you avoided Roxas every summer. This summer you should be where he is, run into him a bit so he realizes you're ready to be mature and face this and get this all out. If it goes well, great! But if it doesn't..."

Marluxia picked up where Riku dropped off, "You'll both get the closure you need. Then you'll heal faster and be ready to maybe meet, date and fall in love with other people."

"You guys just don't understand." Axel murmured miserably. "I don't want anyone else. I only want Roxas. It's always been Roxas."

"That's because you haven't gotten the closure you need!" Marluxia argued, waving his hand around to emphasize his point.

Riku shook his head and sat down on the mattress next to Axel. "We'll take it step by step and no matter what, Ax, we'll be here for you."

"That's sweet and all, Riku, really, I'm touched. But I'd trade y'all in for Roxas."

"True love sucks."

Riku made a face and threw a pillow at the pinkette while he pushed the moping redhead off the bed. "God, what the hell did they teach you at that fucked up prep school?"

Marluxia and Axel exchanged sly grins. They jumped to their feet and stood up straight, with their feet together, backs straight, shoulders back and chest out with their arms at their sides and chins in the air. Riku raised an eyebrow as they recited, "As students of Hollow Bastion Academy we are: Honored, Original, Loyal, Loved, Obedient, Worldly, Brave, Academic, Serviceable, Talented, Inspiring, Outstanding and Noble. We hold and defend our own within our hallowed home."

"You guys forgot 'Self-Centered' and 'Full Of Shit'." Riku corrected.

" You're just jealous." Marluxia sniffed and with a flip of his hair.

Riku snorted in disagreement and locked eyes with Axel. "I thought you liked Destiny Preparatory." He sneered at the pink haired teenager. "At least our school slogan wasn't conceited."

"Ours is historical and proud." Marluxia boasted. "What was yours? Some quote from a chick flick or adult store commercial?"

Axel's eyes glazed over and he smiled. "No way. Their slogan is, 'There are many worlds, but they share the same sky – One sky, one destiny'."

"That is a really good slogan. Deep and powerful." Marluxia nodded.

"Just likes it's students." Axel chuckled, punching Riku playfully on the shoulder. Riku grinned. "Damn straight."

They quieted down again and this time Axel broke the silence. "We still need to figure this out."

Marluxia groaned. "I don't want to. I'm too pent up on energy to actually figure anything out. We still haven't showed these islanders what we can do."

Riku tilted his head to the side. "You know, I heard Roxas was planning on performing at the club tonight. I'm not sure how true it is because there was word that Sora would be performing, too."

"Why wouldn't he perform? Aren't he and Roxas brothers?"

Axel nodded. "Twins, but Roxas is more musical than Sora. Sora doesn't like the spotlight. He doesn't have a hard time expressing himself, but his brothers do so they're always performing. Sora's loves them, but he thinks his brothers love music more than they love him."

"Which isn't true." Riku interrupted. "But Sora's naïve and takes family matters personally."

"Ah, so he must be having a hard time getting his point across if he's performing, right?"

Axel and Riku exchanged a look. "More than likely." "It's possible." They shrugged.

Marluxia rolled his eyes. "Well, should we go?"

"I say you do." Riku advised. "And you guys should perform, but not the song you wrote for Roxas, Ax. We need to think out how to play this out before we bring in the big guns."

"Alright..." A grin slowly spread across Axel's face.

"Uh-oh." Riku and Marluxia groaned.

"Guys, I have a great idea." Axel rubbed his hands together. "But we need to find Demyx and Zexion first."

SRAR

"Is this place always crowded?" Demyx complained as he was shoved yet again, but at least this time he stayed upright. So far, Zexion hadn't apologized to Demyx and Demyx had just shrugged it off because Zexion was just cool and detached, but that didn't mean his feelings weren't hurt. However, there were more important distractions. Finding a way to win the guy of Axel's dreams was enough to get his mind off of his own failing attempts of getting closer to Zexion.

"Usually." Riku grinned as Axel nudged the spacey blond, whose mind seemed to have wandered. "We have really great bands here and locals and tourists just soak it up."

Axel poked Riku's chest. "Yeah, and he's not just saying that 'cause he plays here. And so does his brother, and his sister, more relatives, his best friends and his girlfriend."

"Shut up." Riku pushed the redhead. "You play here, too."

"Yeah, now, but not as long as you have."

"Whose fault is that?" The silver haired teenager asked in a sing-song voice.

"A bitch ass boy with girly granny hair." Axel replied in the same voice.

"I feel my IQ level dropping as we speak." Zexion interjected while rubbing his temples.

Demyx threw his arm over the academic's shoulders. "Lighten up, Zex. We're here to have fun."

"Make music." Riku smiled at Axel knowingly.

"AND ROCK N' ROLL! WHOO!" Axel shouted at the top of his lungs and those in the vicinity began clapping and cheering.

Axel beamed. "They love me, they really, really love me!"

Riku shoved him. "Man, you are such a girl."

"Well, that was an oxymoron."

"You're on oxymoron."

"No, I'm a moron who likes Oxyclean, dumbass. Got it memorized?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "I so hoped you'd gotten over the catchphrase phrase. I mean, phrase. Erg! PHASE!"

Axel clutched his stomach as he laughed hard at Riku's red face, the teenager's left eye twitching randomly made it even funnier.

"Shut up, asshole." Riku muttered, folding his arms over his chest and ignoring the redhead, choosing to look around the club until Axel controlled himself.

"WHAT IS UP, PARTY PEOPLE?" Axel groaned and covered his ears as his cousin's voice filled the room. "I AM TIDUS HIGHWIND, RESIDENT STAR BLITZBALL PLAYER AND DRUMMER OF DROWNING IN SHADOWS!"

The club-goers cheered and stomped their feet. Tidus jumped on top of an amp and waved his hands. "ALRIGHT, SHHH, I GOT TSUFF TO SAY, SO SHUT IT!" He waited for the crowd to calm down before continuing.

"Tonight, we've got FOUR bands playing for you, so feel special." The crowd roared with their approval.

"First up is RESURRECTION WARRIORS! Followed by DROWNING IN SHADOWS , then a duet with DESTINY'S KINGDOM and finally, the mysterious, ever elusive...shit. Okay, I forgot their name, but they know who they are. At least, I hope they do..."

It was Riku's turn to laugh as Axel's jaw dropped in shock. "How the fuck does my own fucking cousin forget the name of my band?!" Riku laughed harder when Axel glared at him. "It's not funny, asshole."

"I'm lau-laugh-laughing."

Axel pushed him. "You're gonna get your ass ki-kick-kicked, too."

Riku promptly stood up straight and flipped him off.

"Can I go smack that stupid child over the head with my scythe now?" Marluxia interrupted the quarreling friends.

"What stupid child?"

"The one who forgot the name of our band!"

"Oh, that stupid child." Axel grinned. "Nah, I'll just have Rikku and Kairi kidnap him and give him a makeover again."

Marluxia's face brightened. "Really? Can I help?"

Axel exchanged a look with Riku before turning back to the pinkette and shrugging. "Sure."

"Yay!" Marluxia skipped away.

"I swear that guy-"

"Is gayer than Neil Patrick Harris at an Elton John concert?"

Riku gave Axel a 'what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-you' look. "Sure. Let's go with that."

"HEY EVERYONE!" Zack Fair's voice boomed from the loudspeakers and Axel jumped. While he and Riku had argued, the Resurrection Warriors had set up their equipment and were ready to play. "Tonight I'm sharing the spotlight with the Wolf!"

Several islanders howled in response, Axel and Riku sounding loudest of all.

"Yeah, yeah, ya damn fangirls." Zack joked, shaking the contents of his water bottle over a couple of girls in front who were making ga-ga eyes at the leather-clad blonde. "Take it away, Cloud!"

Cloud Strife took his place behind the microphone stand and a bright blue spotlight shone down on him, causing his earring to glint. Axel shivered in giddy excitement. Cloud rarely sang and when he did it was because he was feeling, well, frisky. And the blonde's tight, well-worn jeans that hugged his ass just right and his unzipped leather vest left his well-contoured six pack in full view. The blonde's eight pack just visible between the flaps of leather.

"This is gonna get interesting." Riku murmured. Before Axel could reply, Aerith began to play on the keyboard as Leon and Zack began to strum their guitars. Then, Cloud began to sing.

"Let's drop!

Yeah, come on

Shake, shake!

I'll take you home

If you don't leave me at the front door

(Leave me at the front door!)

Your body's cold

But girl, we're getting so warm

And I was thinking of ways that I could get inside

(Get inside!)

Tonight you're falling in love

(Let me go now!)

This feeling's tearing me up

(Here we go now!)"

Axel and Riku were singing along and dancing to the beat, along with the rest of the club. Leon sang the repeats and his husky voice sent waves of heat through Axel's body. He'd always thought the Tenshi twin's older brothers were hot, but now they were downright fuckable and fuck he was starting to get hard. Axel tried to act casual as he sang the chorus along with the band and the rest of the crowd.

"Now, if she does it like this

Will you do it like that?

Now, if she touches like this

Will you touch her right back?

Now, if she moves like this

Will you move like that?

Come on

Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it

Your lips tremble

But your eyes are in a straight stare

(In a straight stare!)

We're on the bed

But your clothes are laying right there

And I was thinking of places that I could hide

(I could hide!)"

As Cloud sang 'but your clothes are laying right there' he took off his leather vest and Axel was sure he heard Leon's voice get breathier as he sang along to the chorus. However, they got through the chorus without any further flaws, so Axel thought he imagined it. Until they got to the next verse.

"I saw you dancing there

I couldn't get you off my mind

But I could tell, that you could tell

That I was taking my time

But I was thinking of ways

To get you staying the night

Your body's shaking

Turn me on, so I can turn off the lights!"

Hearing things he could let go, but seeing things were another story. Cloud had removed the microphone from it's stand and had shimmied and shook his way over to where his half-brother stood behind his microphone stand, playing the bass. As Cloud sang the chorus he stood slightly in Leon's shadow as he thrusted and rolled his hips into Leon's backside, not batting an eyelash when the brunette messed up the next few chords. By the time Cloud left Leon to finish the song Axel was sure the muscular man was hiding a hard-on under his bass guitar.

"Thanks everyone, you were great." Cloud chuckled huskily into the microphone before replacing it in it's holder. Leon was walking away, with his guitar still strapped to his chest and Cloud darted after him without another word.

Axel turned to Riku with wide eyes, but his friend was gone. He searched the surrounding area, but when he still couldn't find him he gave up and shoved his way closer to the stage. By the time he got there, Riku was standing right in front of him on stage.

"Hello occupants of Club Aftershock! We don't just rock you, we shock you!" Tidus gave him the ba-da-da-daaa on the drums at the lead singer's joke. "Alright, lame rhymes aside..." He paused. "Oh, come on, no drum tap for that?" Riku laughed. "I'm on a roll tonight!"

"Shut up and play!" Axel yelled through cupped hands.

Riku glared down at him. "Shut the fuck up, porcupine. I'm getting there!" He looked over his shoulder to make sure his bandmates were ready before giving a sly thumb's up and the lights dimmed. He began to strum his guitar as he sang,

"I know you're scared,

Everybody gets a little bit of stage fright.

But we're prepared and the mood is set

And it's coming together just right.

What should we do now

That we're caught in the middle of the spotlight?

I can feel your butterflies.

If we kiss will they fly away?

We had our whole life scripted,

But we tossed it to the side!

Those words can't tell us nothing!

Come on, baby, let's improvise!"

Riku opened his eyes and began to shake his hips from side to side lightly as he strummed his guitar and sang the chorus, with Tidus backing him up on the vocals.

"Whoa-oh!

Do you trust me enough if we become two rebels?

Whoa-oh!

We're just like outlaws on the run all we have is each other!

Whoa-oh

We're gonna eat, sleep, breathe our love

Would you become a rebel with me?"

Riku's eyes looked faraway as he sang the next verse and Axel knew why. But he snapped out of it after a few lines and began to put his all into it, closing his eyes and opening his mouth wider to let the lyrics out, his hands a blur across the fretboard and strings.

"The night is young and when everybody's

Fast asleep we're still rehearsing.

The sun comes up and I see you in the dark,

But you look even better in the morning!

Yeah!

What should we do now

That we're caught in the middle of the sunlight?

You might even wanna hide,

But together we can run away just you and me!

We had our whole life scripted,

But we tossed it to the side!

Those words can't tell us nothing!

Come on, baby, let's improvise!"

By now Axel could sing through the chorus with the band and picked up the next verse as well and finished singing the song in time with Riku.

"Whoa-oh!

Baby, we're two rebels!

Whoa-oh!

In this black and white, black and white world!

Whoa-oh!

Baby, we're two rebels!

Whoa-oh!

In this black and white, black and white world!

Whoa-oh!

Baby, we're two rebels!

Whoa-oh!

In this black and white, black and white world

Whoa-oh!

Baby, we're two rebels!

Whoa-oh!

In this black and white, black and white world!

Whoa-oh!

Do you trust me enough if we become two rebels?

Whoa-oh!

Just like outlaws on the run all we have is each other!

Whoa-oh!

We're gonna eat, sleep, breathe our love!

Would you become a rebel with me?

Would you become a rebel with me?"

The applause thundered throughout the club and Riku took off his guitar, handed it to his sister and wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand. When the crowd calmed down, he smiled and said, "Thanks, you guys are an awesome audience." He was cut off by more cheers and catcalls. "Thank you. Now, please welcome Destiny's Kingdom to the stage!" Riku began to clap and the audience mirrored his actions as he made his way off the stage.

Cloud and Leon made their way back on stage, looking slightly disheveled, followed by Aerith, Tifa and Kairi. Cloud sat down at behind the drum set for the first time that night and Aerith resumed her place at the keyboard while Leon and Tifa tuned their guitars and tested the microphones. Kairi stood at the right of the stage behind a microphone. Axel's jaw dropped when Sora stepped on stage.

The eldest of the Tenshi twins was wearing skinny jeans that were bedazzled around the pockets and clung to his bubble butt even more than Cloud's leather pants did. He wore a light blue midriff top that looked like it was made of crushed velvet with spaghetti straps. Sora also had silver bangles around his wrists, diamond earrings and silver high-heeled sandals. To complete the look, Sora wore eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow and lip gloss. Axel couldn't tell if he was wearing blush or if the pink tint spread across his face was natural.

"Hey everyone." Sora's angelic voice greeted the dumbstruck crowd through the microphone. "I don't do this often. Singing, I mean. Or anything like this." He tugged nervously at a diamond on his skinny jeans. "Anyway, I'm Kingdom of Destiny's Kingdom." He looked over his shoulder and gave a brief nod and as soon as he faced forward, the band began to play and he started to sing.

"I was looking in the mirror,

Trying to find a new reflection.

Wanna take the road,

Less traveled in a different direction.

Make some new mistakes, forget the ones I made.

Cry some tears of joy, and dress more like a boy!"

Axel thought his jaw literally hit the floor as Roxas jumped onto the stage from right beside him and joined his twin and sang,

"And come back as a blonde,

Try a different lipstick on!

As a blonde, will I get whatever I want?

I'll be ever so enticing, cake a lot of icing, never have to watch my weight!

Yeah, when I'm gone, I'm gonna come back as a blonde!"

Roxas wore a pair of loose khaki shorts, white Pumas and a tight purple hoodie that hugged his small, yet muscular arms and formed to his abs and back. He also wore eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss, but he was missing the sparkles and jewelry that his twin donned.

"I wanna meet myself as someone else, just to see what it feels like.

Take a walk on the other side, cause you know that I just might:

Break some different hearts, finish what I start.

I'm not gonna wait and mess around with fate!

And come back as a blonde,

Try a different lipstick on!

As a blonde, will I get whatever I want?

I'll be ever so enticing, cake a lot of icing, never have to watch my weight!

Oh, when I'm gone, I'm gonna come back as a-"

The music slowed down as Sora sang solo,

"I'm tainted, I'm tired of being the same, yeah.

I'm desperate, I'm bored, I'm begging for change.

What if you're normal and wanna be strange?

Come back, come back, come back.

I wanna

Come back, come back, come back..."

The music picked back up, this time faster than before and Sora and Roxas grabbed their microphones from their stands and began to dance together across the stage, shaking and rolling their hips to the music, spinning and hopping and pumping their fists as they went crazy.

"As a blonde,

Try a different lipstick on!

As a blonde, will I get whatever I want?

I'll be ever so enticing, cake a lot of icing, never have to watch my weight!

Oh...when I'm gone, I'm gonna come back as a blonde!

Wave my magic wand, as a blonde, will I get whatever I want?

I'll be ever so enticing, down a lot of ice cream, never need to wash my face!

Yeah, when I'm gone, I'm gonna...

Come back, come back, come back!

(I'm gonna come back!)

Come back, come back, come back!

(I'm gonna come back!)

Come back, come back, come back!

As a blonde!"

Sora sagged against Roxas, his twin's arm around his shoulder and looped under his arm and gripping his side showed how tired Sora truly was as he let his twin support him. Roxas raised his microphone to his mouth as Sora handed his off to Kairi, whom replaced it in it's stand for him as Roxas spoke.

"In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm Destiny of Destiny's Kingdom." He made a face. "It was Sora's idea, I swear. I wanted to be the Sea Salt Shakers, but he called heads so here we are."

Sora grasped Roxas' hand and pulled the microphone to his mouth. "But he's the one who suggested that we wear make up and dress up." He stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

"Yeah, but you still ended up looking like the girl." Sora untangled himself from Roxas and stomped off stage. Axel heard him faintly shouting Riku's name over the din of the crowd.

"Hey, cutie, why don't you come down here and prove to me that blondes have more fun?" Someone shouted.

Axel clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth as blood rushed through his body faster than usual, making his body heat rise. He felt his palms get hotter, but he didn't attempt to cool off. He wanted to burn a hole right through the bastard that dared to taint his best-

In an instant his body became limp and he rested his forearms on the stage and put his head down on the hard surface. Roxas wasn't his best friend anymore. Not his best friend, not his friend, not his acquaintance and definitely not his boyfriend. He had no control over what the blonde did or who he did it with. He could only sit back and watch the best thing he'd never had walk right past him without a passing glance.

A cool hand on his shoulder jolted Axel and he stood upright, flexing his fingers and cracking his neck. He turned to his side, expecting to see Marluxia, Demyx, Zexion or Riku, but he never would've guessed -

"Roxas?"

"Hey ya, Axel. Are you alright?"

ARARAR

I know it has been forever (um, five years) since I updated this fic and I can't promise I'll be updating it regularly or anything because I have no idea what the future holds, but I recently re-read it and realized that the least I could do is finish at least one fic I've started, so I picked this one, the most recent one I started and really had high hopes for. Times have changed since I started posting my fics on this site. I began reading on Fanfiction in 2007, published my first story around then and my mom found out (I was 17) and she grounded me and made me delete all my stories and commandeered my laptop. Now I'm almost 23 and kinda getting my life back together and I've just ghosted around this site, not really posting anything, but reading several fics on a monthly basis. I know WattPad and AO3 is huge now, but until someone takes down another of my stories, I'll continue to post here. A little encouragement from just one person would seriously make me so happy.

And, this much hasn't changed, so, please review and let me know what you think. Is it worth coming back to this story? (I'll probably do it no matter what anyone says, but still), do you like what you've read or would like to make some comments or constructive criticism what I can make better? I know I want to go back and maybe rewrite the scene where Axel reveals what happened, as well as delve further into the past, explore Cloud and Leon's relationship more, get Riku and Sora's to develop, make some headway on Zexion and Demyx's relationship and more interaction and less songs per chapter. And then we'll get to my favorite part...the sex scenes.

Thank you all for even taking the time to read this fic. I appreciate all of you for doing so.

This chapter is named after Metro Station's song Shake It, which was also one of the songs performed in this chapter. The other songs were As A Blonde by Selena Gomez & The Scene and Two Rebels by Honor Society.