001 // icing on the cake

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[They say that home is where the heart is, right? Appropriate then that one searching for a heart would end up dreaming of the place he had felt most at home.

You'll find yourself on the steps of a clocktower, mere metres away from the perfect place to sit and enjoy the view. The sunset's as beautiful as it always is in this place, the weather perfect and the atmosphere one of comfortable familiarity.

However, your seat is already occupied- a young man in a black coat sits at the edge of the tower, feet dangling. There's an ice cream bar in one of his hands and the other is splayed out against the bricks, holding him up as he leans back slightly, taking it all in.

You gonna join him? He is waiting for someone- after all, this is where they always meet after missions. Why should today be any different?]

Comments

/POPS YER OPN CHERRY LIKE A BOSS

[vacationisalie.livejournal.com]

[His throat feels really tight.]

[Its like a run back in time, when things were simple and he'd rush through his missions to get back first, before Axel could. Because then he could take the best spot, maybe even tease the redhead for being so slow, and then they could eat ice cream and talk about important things, or stupid things-]

[Just talk. Its only seeing him now that Roxas realizes how much he's missed Axel, despite the heavy hand of apprehension on his shoulders. It looks like Axel's expecting him, however, so what else can he do? He walks over and sits down, cloak in place as he looks over- up. He's always going to be looking up- at his friend and opens his mouth hesitantly.]

Hey, Axel.

/CHERRY IS POPPED?!

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[The moment he hears the voice he was expecting, a grin worms it's way over Axel's face. Turning to face Roxas, he waves the hand holding his ice cream in greeting.]

Hey, Roxas. Beatcha this time, didn't I?

[He sits up properly to free his other hand, using it to ruffle the boy's hair. It's a well-worn gesture, one that will never grow old to him.

It really is a gorgeous day. Yes, it always is here, but- for some reason, Axel almost feels as though he hasn't seen one like it in a while. Maybe he was just in a good mood.]

YES, YES IT IS |3

[vacationisalie.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't even notice anything is wrong. It's just so-- cruel, to have to sit here and look back at him, have Axel ruffle his hair like everything's okay, like it always has been.]

[An ice cream simply appears in his hand, but Roxas doubts Axel will notice the apparent oddity. Right now Roxas could be sucking on sandpaper, and Axel's subconscious would likely twist it into being the norm.]

Yeah, you beat me...

[Just not really. He gazes off into the horizon, mind awash with thoughts of what to say, or do. He doesn't know the right way to take this situation- it hurts more now that his emotions are consolidated with Sora's presence. He doesn't want to hurt Axel.]

[But there's things that have to be said, questions to ask.]

Hey...

If something happened- if-

What would you do if-

[He bites his lip, frustrated. How to phrase this.]

If I left the Organization, to travel with someone important... and I was happy. [Happy...] What would you do?

;A; 1/2

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Axel doesn't pay any heed to Roxas' stuttering- it's not like anything major could be wrong. Everything's too nice here for that. Routine. Normal.

So he waits for Roxas to get his words right, expression one of relaxed patience.]

Damn it, Roxas. B|

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[But what the heck kind of question is that? Axel narrows his eyes slightly, drawing up one knee to rest his arm on.

It's odd; all of a sudden he's getting a slight chill up his spine. Like maybe he does have something to worry about.]

What are you talking about, Roxas?

sorry brosis

[vacationisalie.livejournal.com]

I'm talking about-

[He has time to change this around- to step aside and take it all back and enjoy the afternoon with Axel, and he could do that. He knows he could. Roxas frowns, and let the ice cream slip through his fingers, down to the ground below.]

[He doesn't want it like this. Not another lie.]

Sora. I'm talking about Sora.

[Roxas sits upright, demeanor stiff, perhaps a little cold. He doesn't know enough about what had gone through Axel's head in that week of virtual injustice to expect the reaction Axel may have.]

y-you better be OTL

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Of course, it wasn't as though Axel could remember that week- no, that wasn't right. He could remember it. His subconscious was just choosing to pretend he didn't.

But Axel knows about Sora. Roxas knowing about Sora? Is new information entirely. His expression tightens, demeanour shifting to that of someone suddenly entirely on edge, and his nearly finished ice cream joins Roxas' in it's fall to the pavement.

This isn't how today was supposed to go. This isn't going right.]

You shouldn't know his name.

[It's not right.]

bb!Ami for theme-ness HI THAR <3

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[There is a little girl! She is staring. In fact, she is staring very hard, not at the ice cream (although it looks very delicious!) but at Axel. She shyly peeps at him when she thinks he's not looking, and then quickly makes it look as though she's focusing on the book in her lap instead.

Finally, she fails at keeping up the facade.]

Your hair is really pretty red.

EEE BB AMI! HEY <3

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[It's not who he's expecting to see at all, but that's okay. For some reason he can't quite pinpoint, Axel knows it's okay for this girl to be here.

Instead of ruining her little act for her, Axel waits patiently for her to speak up, occasionally taking small bites of his ice cream.]

Heh, thanks. You want one?

[And there's another ice cream in his hand, one he holds out towards Ami. Who knows where that came from.]

<3!

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She perks up immediately, because what kid doesn't love ice cream? But she holds back from reaching out for it, at first.]

I'd really like it, if it's alright. But I don't have money with me.

[Which sadly, she assumes means she can't have the ice cream. People don't just hand it out, you know!]

SO ADORABLE. *A*

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Instead of drawing the hand back, he continues to hold the treat out towards her, smiling gently.]

That's alright. I wasn't expecting to get money back for it.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Ami puzzles this out for a moment. It doesn't seem fair, or likely, to get ice cream for nothing.]

I can share my sandwiches with you, too.

[This, evidently, totally makes it better, because she takes the ice cream carefully in her hand.]

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Axel doesn't mind kids. Actually, he quite likes them. It's nice to have someone sitting next to him, anyway- this view isn't really something to be appreciated alone.

Maybe this girl was who he'd been waiting for? Axel wasn't sure anymore.]

Sure, kid, whatever you say.

[He's not touching any sandwiches- this ice cream was bought for the purpose of sharing, Ami.]

[drknss-bnd-lght.livejournal.com]

[Ven'll just be hanging back, after the last week of dreams, he's not that sure of himself right now, and not that eager to approach a stranger least the dream turn into a nightmare. Plus, the light hurts his eye's a bit, and the shadows off a familiar comfort for the boy now.

Axel's more than welcome to mistake him for Roxas on first glance, but a second one will show how withdrawn Ven is.]

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[He smiles widely when he spots the boy out of the corner of his eye, patting the ground next to him. It was a little odd that Roxas wasn't wearing his cloak, but Axel took no note, eyes sliding past the material and resting on Ventus' face as if all was normal.]

Hey, Roxas. What's up? You have a tough mission today?

[drknss-bnd-lght.livejournal.com]

..W-who's R-Roxas...? [Hell, Ven even sounds like Roxas, but he's not as monotone, though not as animated as he'd otherwise be. And he's not really meeting Axel's eyes, seeming to hug the shadows even more at the sudden attention.]

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Well. Needless to say, that gets an eyebrow raise. Roxas, asking 'who's Roxas'? Axel stands quickly, his ice cream still in one hand and dripping onto the tower brick.]

What are you talking about? You're Roxas.

[A fact so obvious that Axel can't help but snort and grin a little. Maybe this is just a really poor joke or something.]

[drknss-bnd-lght.livejournal.com]

[And Venshrinks back a little, but stands his ground. He's gaining something of a spine in the dreamscape, but if Axel presses. the boy will cave and go along with whoever he thinks he is.] N-No I'm not. I.. I'm Ventus.

[S-Sob. And this Ventus never meet Lea sp there's no - you look like Lea ot even mistaking Axel for Lea.]

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Axel frowns a little and ceases stepping forward any further- this was starting to freak him out a little. Roxas was afraid of him?

If this was Roxas. Kid certainly didn't seem to think that was who he was. And he should know best of all, right?

He decides to play along for now.]

Uhh.. sure, whatever you say. Now are you gonna come sit down, or what?

/doesn't know he's dreaming in this oneeee o/

[lockandkeyblade.livejournal.com]

[Sora's been here only a few times before, but he's never found his way up to the clocktower. Not until now, anyway. He has to say, the view is absolutely spectacular. It's worlds away from what he's used to, and Sora's seen quite a few worlds.]

[Still, he won't spend long gawking at the view because there is somebody waiting for him around the corner. Someone who Sora doesn't remember ever meeting before, but here, in this dream, he certainly thinks he has.]

[He approaches the redhead from behind, eyes sliding right past the coat and going straight to his face. Sora gives him a little wave as he turns to look.]

Axel!

THEY ARE TWO PEAS IN A POD.

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

[Axel waves back, a spot of ice cream jumping off of the stick to fly down over the edge of the clocktower.

Sora. It was who he'd been waiting for, of course it was. Axel's determination to believe this was so strong it almost seemed to permeate the dream, ever fibre of the place humming- Sora belonged here, this was meant to be happening, everything was as it was meant to be.]

Sora! What took you so long? I was starting to think you weren't coming today.

[He chuckles a little, eyes turning back to the sunset.]

[lockandkeyblade.livejournal.com]

I got here soon as I could.

[Sora eyes that piece of ice cream and hopes no one's there at the bottom to catch that.]

[He sits down on the ledge and lets his feet hang over the side.]

Not like I can just slack off all day, like somebody else I know.

... the fake bromance is killing me ;A;

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

Me? Slack off? Looks like you're getting your information from all the wrong sources.

[He leans over to bop the kid lightly on the head, messing up those spikes even further.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Axel produces another ice cream, holding it out towards Sora. This was their ritual, after all. Right?]

You gonna take it out of my hands before it melts?

T_T m too. allreadyyyy

[lockandkeyblade.livejournal.com]

How else do you always get here before I do?

[He laughs, trying to move Axel's hands away as he ruffles Sora's hair with a "Hey! No!" Once he's finished, Sora's face lights up at the prospect of ice cream. He's quick to snag the treat. Sweet ending to a hard day.]

Next time's my turn, right?

;; /CLINGS

[burnamotherdown.livejournal.com]

Easy; I'm faster. Haven't you got any harder questions, Sora?

[The laughter's entirely contagious and Axel can't suppress the little snicker that escapes his lips at the boy's poor escape attempt.]

Naaah, don't worry about it. [He enjoys the time spent here too much to really care about who's paying.]