Talk the Walk - Chapter 5
Title: Talk the Walk - pt5
Chapter: HELP ME OUT
Pairing: Axel/Roxas
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts...
o.O.o
CHAPTER 5: HELP ME OUT
o.O.o
I'd like to think that I'm not an awkward person.
Instead, I'm probably just your regular ol' guy who finds himself in awkward situations.
For example, growing up I had three best friends. When puberty hit, aforementioned three best friends decided to have a love triangle.
Like seriously, guys? Of all the girls you had to fall for, you just had to pick the same one? You know, the one we've all been hanging out with since forever ago and now you're just noticing her now?
And then she decides to tell me,
"Well Hayner is just gonna break my heart," and here she sighs like he's already done it, "And Pence is just…Pence, you know? They're both like brothers to me - I can't think of them any other way."
I pause before venturing,
"Oh well…does that mean you like me, Olette?"
She looks at me the same way you look at the person next to you, when you don't want to be their lab partner.
"No, Roxas, I just don't have any girl friends to talk to about this."
And then we reconciled over ice cream. But it was always kinda awkward still around them. I'm just the fourth wheel or something. Which should make sense, but it doesn't.
Awkward, right?
Then one day Kairi and Riku decided to take me out on a date before Sora's birthday.
"Roxas, what kind of stuff does Sora like?" asks Kairi, as she grabs my hand and tries to steer me into another store.
I spend the first half of the day alternating between holding her baggage as she tries on more clothes and commenting on knick-knacks she wants to buy. Well that sweater is cute, Kairi, but guys don't really wear sweaters anymore, you know? You can't make a fashion statement and be manly at the same time.
"Um, he likes…the color red?" I suggest.
She pauses for a second, then smiles as she twists a finger in her hair, "Oh, does he now?" And then she giggles.
I kinda just stare at her. What, are you going to give him your hair or something?
But shopping with Kairi is no where near as awkward as being in the same store as Riku. I don't even want to talk about it…he's just, an extremist when it comes to fashion.
Regardless, the point I'm trying to get at here is that despite being a fairly normal guy - I've had enough awkward situations in my life to not really be phased by things anymore. Yes, I'm always the bystander at affairs and unnecessary drama, but I've learned that that's actually the best position to be in!
Just go with the flow and everything will blow over soon enough.
So now I am currently standing at the cashier of a used bookstore, between a decently good looking guy who recently saved my life, and my stupid cock-blocking brother's boyfriend.
I am completely fine with it.
Seriously, I am.
Axel takes a book and swipes it under the scanner, he punches something into the machine next to it, then he places it in a bag. I'm watching him do this. Because I have nothing else to do, and I'd rather look at him then Riku - who is glaring at me right now.
That's right, bitches, I won the silly book contest.
"You cheated," he deadpans.
"I did not."
Riku indignantly crosses his arms and increases the intensity of his judgmental glare, silver eyebrows furrowing so deeply they appear gray.
"You cheated with him, I bet," he whispers.
And then it's my turn to stare at him. Did he really just-
"That'll be $365.20 please," says Axel a bit too loudly, making it's obvious that he can hear everything.
I give him my debit card, and shoot Riku a dirty look when Axel's facing the other way.
"Idiot, it's not like I asked him too, he just did it!"
Riku is still judging me.
"It's his job, he's supposed to help me. How is that cheaaaaaating?"
The silver-haired bastard is about to say something when-
"If you guys are finished with your lover's quarrel," interrupts Axel, holding out a bag with all my books in it, "I kinda have other costumers to attend to as well."
I look behind us and see a few other people, all politely ignoring the commotion Riku and I have caused. Well except for this one girl who is just blatantly staring at Riku like he's some godsend prince. I mentally stick my tongue out at her, sorry darling but he's currently banging my older brother.
After giving me my bag, Axel tells me that my receipt and card are inside, so I just nod.
And then I get the hell outta there.
o.O.o
I'm not even graced with an awkward car ride because the first thing Riku says after we strap in is "That fucking ginger called Sora an airhead."
o.O.o
Okay, flashback time.
I have just fallen off Mt. Bookshelf only to be caught by the walking stick who works here and the first impression he has of me is a clumsy, vertigo-induced brat who's just told him he's probably anorexic and needs to go see a doctor. I should win an award for this.
I do. It comes in the form of a conversation and a very helpful tour of the store via Axel.
Annnnnnnd I have no idea if he's hitting on me or not.
"You both have this cute oblivious aura around you," he chuckles.
I think I say something dumb like, "Oh..yeah?"
Actually, that's probably what I said.
What does that mean…wait, does that mean I'm oblivious to it? Whatever it is? Does this mean he's right? So I am probably oblivious….
Hey wait, did he just call that 'cute?'
I look up at him the same time he turns around to me, a sort of half grin and raised eyebrow expression on his face like "is this kid for real?" He probably thinks I'm naturally blond.
He probably wants to find out too.
Or is that just my nonsense brain talking? I'll blame it on my sex hotline job. But then he pulls a book out of nowhere (also known as 'place I cannot reach with my height') and starts telling me how he once took a class with Sora. It was something about economics and apparently Sora was really bad at it because he just wanted to give all the money to the poor. But that would screw up the economy.
"Haha, yeah that sounds like him!" I laugh and accept the offered textbook.
This continues on for some time until I've gotten pretty much everything I need - in addition to learning a hell of a lot about Axel. He seems like the type to talk to his customers as he's helping them out, but then I wonder if this is the sort of thing he tells all of them…surely not all of them know he's a junior majoring in graphic design and living off campus and-
And why is he telling me all of these things?
"So where's Sora now, huh?"
"Hmm?" Oh, so I guess it's my turn to talk about myself, "Oh, he's studying abroad in Rocket Town."
"What's so great about Rocket Town?"
"It's got rockets and stuff, I guess." That doesn't sound helpful, so I add "He's doing the space program there for the semester."
"Space?"
"He wants to be an astronaut."
"…."
"Hey!" Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one allowed to judge my brother like that, "He won the International ShinRa Space Project Exchange scholarship! He's qualified to be there!"
And then Axel kinda trips over himself, "He won the..the what? That airhead actually got something from ShinRa?"
Which was perfecting timing for Riku to walk by.
o.O.o
End of flashback.
"So how do you know Axel?"
"I just met him today, he was helping me get my books."
In my peripheral vision I can see Riku steal a glance at me as he's driving.
"What about you? Seems like you two know each other," I hope that sounds casual and not at all prying.
"He's in my year but we don't have any classes together," he pauses a bit like he's trying to think of the right words to say, but in the end all he tells me is "I just kinda know about him from other people."
And then the discussion dies.
"Hey, what do I win for finishing first?"
"Nothing, you cheated."
"I did not! I was using my resources! He was jus-"
"Fine, you get to cook dinner then."
"That's…actually better than having you cook dinner I guess."
"Touché."
The rest of the car ride is silent, but not so much the awkward kind. Riku hits the skip button until a song he knows we both like comes on and I'm drumming on the passenger door before I can even think about it. Without much of anything left to do, I let my mind wander over my day. Nothing exciting at work, interesting encounters in a bookstore, first day of classes looming closer…
I grab the bag pooled around my feet and search out the texts, checking their titles again just to have something to do. When I pull the first book out though, the store's business card falls into my lap. Staring up at me in fancy cursive reads "Merlin's Bookstore" and I think that's a…wizard hat?
Upon closer investigation I conclude that it is indeed one.
Then, out of habit, I flip the card over.
It takes me a while to realize that it's a phone number, scrawled in pen on the back.