4some/Gravi X-over: chapter 2
The next morning was a painful one for Axel. This had to be the worst hangover by far he had ever had. He growled when sunlight glared evilly in his green eyes. A shift in the sheets and a low groan signalled to him he wasn't alone. He looked to his left and found two blondes, Roxas and Demyx, then to his right and found Zexion. Except for the occasional tossing and turning, his boys were fast asleep.
Axel crawled as carefully as he could from his blanket of men and pulled on a pair of pajama pants before heading downstairs. He lived in an apartment just above the bar. He found it conveiniant because he could bring his guests upstairs, have some fun, and send them on their way, just like that. Of course, the only people he had ever brought up there were his boys, and that didn't really count because they lived in the spare rooms when they weren't sleeping with Axel in his own room.
He padded down the dark wood stairs, his bare feet chilled at the touch of the flooring. He scratched the mass of spikes lightly and looked at his club. It was amazing how peaceful it actually seemed when there weren't drunk fools and talents making the place worth coming to. He wandered behind the bar and opened a small fridge near the center of all the alcohol. After rummaging through numerous doggie-bags from various breakfast places, he found what he was looking for. Axel pulled the gallon of milk from it's cold sanctuary and examined the experation date, March 28th. What was today's date? He looked at a small calendar that had beer spilled on it in large quantities. He looked through the dates until he found the one that seemed to fit.
April 1st. April Fools Day.
Axel laughed to himself mentally. Tonight was going to be an intresting night to say the least about it all, though he doubt that this year could top last year's prank on Roxas. Poor kid ended up completly naked in front of thousands, just because some chick told him Demyx would leave him otherwise. Now, Roxas wasn't a gullible person per se, but when he felt his territory was violated, he did everything he could to defend it. Axel had to admit, he felt bad for his little blonde baby, but the memory of his Roxas naked in front of everyone and lightly touching himself did nothing short of turning him on .
He opened the milk and sniffed it cautiously. It didn't smell as though it could kill a giant, so he risked a a sip from the bottle. Surprisingly, it tasted about as bad as it smelled. He took another swig from the gallon and set back on the counter.
"You shouldn't do that you know. If the customers found out, they'd be pretty pissed."
Axel recognized the voice to be Zexion's and he turned his head slightly to look at him. Zexion was not a morning person in the slightest definition of the term. His hair looked as though someone stuck clumps of gel in it and let in dry in odd shapes, his purple eyes held dark cirlces underneath them, and his morning breath was not a force to reckon with, though Axel couldn't imagine his was any better.
"If you start giving my milk to customers I'm docking your pay." Axel retorted, more awake than his appearance let him seem.
"You don't pay me that much anyway." Zexion stood next to Axel and pulled a glass from under the counter before pouring himself his own glass of milk.
"I was talking about the sex." Axel said slyly as he took the gallon from him and drinking from it again. He watched as a frown formed on his emo boy's face, though he wasn't sure if it was because of the milk or the sex. Just in case, he handed the milk back to the shorter male, and smiled lightly before he held his arm out to him, hoping he'd take the gesture. Sure enough, the milk was momentarily forgotten, and Zexion wrapped his arms around Axel's waist, snuggling his head into the space under Axel's chin. Axel placed his other arm around the slightly older male and they stood there in an embrace for what seemed an eternity.
"Axel?" Axel 'hmmed' in response and Zexion shifted to look in the other's eyes. "Do you have a favorite of all of us?"
'What a stupid question.' Axel thought, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Did he have a favorite of the three of them. He liked and disliked things about all of them. Roxas's ignorance, though it really wasn't his fault, he was still young, but he was the best listener of them all. Demyx always sang purposely to annoy everyone around him, but when Axel was down, Demyx was the best person to go to just to be held, and once in a while, Demyx would sing him to sleep. Zexion was almost always grumpy unless he was drunk, but Axel needed someone to look to as a sort of older figure, whether he had the experience or not, Zexion was always there to try and help. In an intimate relationship, it was the same, he had his quirks about each of them.
But when it came down to it, Axel really didn't have a favorite. To him, somewhere along the line of leaving the orphanage, and now, their relationship was no longer as something he would want do for the rest of his life. Instead, it was more that they were his brothers, and they all happend to sleep together, passionatly.
He could see where Zexion came up with the question. As of late, Roxas and Demyx had become their own little duo, both who stived for Axel's undying attention, but nonetheless, they were for each other than anything else, and Zexion felt pushed away.
'Do I tell him that he's my favorite to make him feel better?'
After careful consideration, Axel simply replied "No." Zexion looked onto him trying to pry for more, but realized quickly it was futile. He cuddled closer to Axel, as if trying to feel his heartbeat in his own chest. Axel smoothed his hair from his face gently looked into his eyes.
"Zex," Axel started. "I don't know if I can do this anymore." He placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed circles across it. "I don't know if I want to be with men I consider brothers for the rest of my life. I don't feel the same as I did over a year ago. I've changed."
Axel had changed. Once upon a time, he was much more forceful and demanding. He was a pain in the ass, moreso than he was now, he didn't want to settle down for anything.
Somehow, Zexion knew that this was bound to happen sooner or later. He nodded, not really wanting to accept what he was hearing, because ultimatly, he was alone now. Axel was breaking up with them.
But he would do the big brother thing that he had grown up doing after so long, and kissed his brother's cheek, holding his hand to his cheek and holding the other in his own. "Even if we find someone new, I'll always be there for you, you know?"
Axel nodded. He wasn't sure where all of this had come from. Something inside him was ready to burst, like a horrible volcanic eruption. It burned him, but he wasn't sure what hurt more, not knowing his own motives, or hurting the only people he had kept close to him for the last eight years.
"Should I tell them to pack too?" Zexion asked as he slowly drifted away from Axel. Axel shook his head. "You can all stay here."
Zexion nodded and went back upstairs, to do what, Axel wasn't sure he wanted to know. Zexion dealt with pain in ways one should never have to, but even as orphans, he was never able to talk him out of cutting.
Axel looked about the bar solumnly. His eyes landed on the glass of milk Zexion never touched, then to the gallon. He noticed that both of them were half empty, or half full. Which ever it was, he hoped it was for the best. He set the cap back on the milk and put in it's rightful place in the refridgerator, then dumped the undrank milk in a nearby sink, washed the glass, and set it back under the bar.
If played out right, this could still work in his favor. It was just a matter of explaining everything to Roxas and Demyx. Axel sighed. It was now or never. He trudged his way up the stairs, the stairs of his new destiny.
III
"One Fuzzy Naval for you, a sex on the beach for you, and chocolate milk for you." Zexion handed Demyx, Axel, and Roxas their respective drinks, then took a sip of his own Rum and Dr. Pepper mix. "I'm glad we got the decorations up in time. For a while there I thought we were fucked."
Axel took a second to look around his bar. In a matter of hours it had transformed from upscale club to even more upscale club with streamers, banners, balloons, and catering tables. He felt proud of his little place, even if he had to beg the others to help him. Honestly, how could he forget Touma made reservations for Ryuichi's birthday? He took a swig of his Sex on the Beach, and turned to his brothers. Despite Zexion's tendency to cut when depressed and Roxas's constant questions, and Demyx's sad songs, things turned out better than expected. They understood him completly, or maybe they were just humoring him to get on with their own lives. Either way, it was working for him.
"Yeah, I couldn't have done it without you guys though." He replied, looking at each of them thankfully.
"You can't do anything without us." Roxas said teasingly. Axel punched him lightly in the arm in good manner, but something in the young teenager's words was probably true.
"How many people will be here tonight?" Demyx asked through sips of his drink.
Axel shrugged. "I assume it's the whole damn town. Touma knows everyone, and everyone knows Touma, and the everyone that knows Touma has another set of everyone that know Ryuichi. It's possible we'll have to shut down after so many people."
The group nodded and they fell silent. The tension was so thick it would take a saw to cut through it. It wasn't really a bad tension, more of an uncomfortable silence that was ultimatly Axel's fault. Had he not broken everything off this morning, things wouldn't be so sorrowful now.
Leave it to a group of bands to cut into the silence.
The four of them looked toward the door upon hearing the ruckuss coming from outside it. The first one to enter was Tatchi Aizawa, lead singer of ASK, one of the local talents, along with his band mates, Ken and Maa. Next in line were K and Mika Uesegi-Winchester, followed by Yuki Eiri and Noriko Ukai, but not as a couple, Touma and Ryuichi, of course, and finally the group almost everyone came to see. Why? Because they were a bunch of pains in the ass and everyone loved it, plus they could sing. Shuichi Shindo, Hiro Nakano, and Suguru Fujisaki, the members of Bad Luck, the hottest act these days at the club, followed by two people they had never seen before, and . . .
Axel nearly fell over in his chair when his eyes fell on the girl from the night before. How did she know the groups? Surely last night was her first time at his club, because if he had seen her sooner, well, Axel didn't quite know, but something would have changed.
Arina looked absolutely amazing. She wore a black long-sleeved frilly belly shirt identical to the white one Ryuichi was wearing, curve hugging blue jeans with sparkles laced within the denim, and thin black heals. Her dark hair was pulled back in the front and held together with a simple silver clip, and the rest fell in and around her face in elegant waves. She looked like an angel.
The people piled in and said their greetings with everyone, except for Arina, who was standing off to the side speaking to Touma. She looked a bit anxious, then a bit hurt, then put a smile on her face when Touma embraced her. One of the people Axel didn't know skipped over to the two, smacking Touma lightly. She looked as though she was scolding him, and Axel found this mildly funny. Touma rolled his eyes then flicked the girl's nose as he walked away, and towards Axel.
"Thanks for letting us use the place tonight. I really wanted to have something special for Ryu this year." Touma stood at the bar next to Axel's seat and Zexion took his order.
"Not a problem, man. No reason for me to turn you down." Axel replied.
"Ah, good. Then you wouldn't mind meeting the two I spoke of last night." Touma implied.
Axel nodded and Touma snapped his fingers. On cue, Arina, and the girl who had been with her earlier appeared before him, and then Ryuichi appeared just as magically as the girls behind Touma.
Touma nodded to the blonde girl with fantastically purple eyes, simplistic pigtails, a long sleeve white shirt, and a red jumper. "This is my younger sister, Marin. She plays keyboard just as I do." He paused as Axel shook hands with Marin and intrduced himself. Axel made a mental note that she dressed nothing like her brother, just for reference later on. "And this is Arina." At this time, Ryuichi popped out from behind Touma and behind Arina and wrapped her in a hug. "She's my little sis!" He declared, and things began to click with Axel. The hair, the eyes, the basic frame, it was all the same. That's what made her seem so familiar to him.
Arina smiled at her brother and hugged him back as best she could. Axel was amazed that she didn't just throw him off, she had some tolerance. That was good.
"Ryu, let your poor sister breathe!" Touma exclaimed and pulled the birthday boy from her back. Ryuichi smiled sheepishly at his sister. "Sorry, Arina. Do you hate me now?" The seeming adult looked on the verge of tears. Arina shook her head and kissed the top his head.
"I could never hate you, Ryu."
With an exclaimed "YAY!", Ryu ran off to mingle with Shuichi and Hiro, who always seemed to be glad in his company.
"As I was saying," Touma continued, "This is Arina. She is Ryuichi's younger sister, and like a sister to me. She does vocals and guitar. She's quite the talent.
"I'll say." Axel agreed and he looked at her, holding his hand out to her. "I'm Axel, the owner here. We dance together last night."
Arina quirked an eyebrow and turned away a bit. "You must be mistaken. I wasn't here last night."
Axel, for the second time that night, nearly fell out of his stool. There was no way he was wrong. She was defiantly the same Arina he danced with last night. He had to ask. "Are you sure?"
She nodded convincingly, and shrugged. "Mayhaps you were dreaming?"
Axel had to hold his mouth shut in fear of saying "Yes, I was dreaming of you all night because of that damn dance."
Touma snapped his fingers and drew Axel's attention. Honestly, how did he do that?
"So what do you think? Can they have a shot?"
Axel didn't see why they shouldn't, and he nodded. "I'd love to have them on the squad."
"It's settled then." Touma said as he shook Axel's hand. As soon as he turned his back and Marin was gone, Arina grabbed his hand and took him aside.
"I'm sorry I had to pretend I didn't remember. I wasn't supposed to be out last night. If Touma had found out, my head would be detatched painfully from my body."
Axel couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't sure if it was from relief that she really did remember, or the fact that she had to take orders from Touma and she just totally gave him the slip.
"It's alright. But next time, warn me will ya?" He asked, and she nodded, giggling softly.
"Thanks for giving Marin and I a chance. It's hard to find a place that will do duos these days. It's a solo, trio or nothing."
Axel agreed. "You're welcome. If Touma's talking you up, that's pretty big, in my eyes anyway." He smiled as a blush crossed her features. She was modest, something else to like.
"Do you write your own lyrics then?" he asked. He was brimming with things he wanted to ask her. He wanted to know everything about Arina.
Arina nodded. "Yeah, I write the lyrics, and Marin and I share the duty of writing the music to go with it."
Axel looked towars the stage. This was his chance to give her a head start. "Why don't you sing for us?"
Arina registerd the question, and shook her head. I couldn't. I mean, I don't have a microphone, and Marin didn't bring equipment, and . . ." She was thinking of every excuse not to sing, he gathered. Luckily, he had a counter for each of them.
"Equipment is in the back, and besides, this party could use some decent beats." He added for touch. She considered the offer, and finally agreed. "Great," Axel said, "I'll get things set up, you go get your friend. By the time you get back it'll be show time!"
Arina smiled excitedly. "Okay, you're on!" And she went off to find Marin.
Axel was right. By the time she had found Marin and convinced her to go on stage, everything was set up. The two girls took their proper places, and Axel turned on the microphone.
"Hey, heads and eyes over here!" Immediatly, everyone turned their heads and faced the stage. "I've agreed to let these two start singing regularly at the club, but I think I need to test them first. What do you say?" Cheers and howls echoed off the walls and Axel laughed in to mic. "Alright then, give it up for-wait, what do you call yourselves?" This got a small round of laughter, mainly from Demyx, Roxas and Zexion, who had taken up the center of the bar. Axel made sure to glare at them, but that only made them laugh harder. Arina leaned over and whispered something in his ear and Axel laughed. She hit him lightly on the arm and he stopped, only to start as soon as he tried to keep talking.
"You got a better one, genious?" she asked him, her hands on her hips.
Axel pondered for a moment, then smirked. "Actually, I do."
"Ahem, let's hear it for Porcelin Element!" The audiance roared, and Axel noted that it come mostly from Ryuichi and the back corner of the club where Bad Luck and the other guy he still didn't know yet where set.
Axel handed Arina the micrphone and smirked. She glared half-heartedly at him for the name and he shrugged. "It's better than Crooked Teeth." He hopped off the stage and took a standing place near the stairs, just in parallel view to where they could see each other.
Arina rolled her eyes at him, then nodded to Marin. Synths filled the room with an almost celestial sound, and Arina began a beat on her guitar. It lasted for about fifteen seconds before Arina took a deep breath and sang.
"Scented flowers fill the air,
as fake as the love we made.
Snow falls, and you're not here.
I wonder who will keep me warm?
Wish I could transcend time
and leave this life behind
I look to the guiding stars
and come up empty-handed.
The beat picked up slightly and the synths blared enchantingly, like a plee dying to be heard/
Thrilling lights fill the city
brilliant darkness floods the night
And the only thing missing is you
Dancing wildly along the streets
Singing a happy lullaby
And the only thing missing
is you.
The beat turned back to it's normal pace. Axel made several mental notes to have this girl recoreded immediatly.
Without an exit, the road
comes to a bruising end.
Emotion that never existed
flees from the scene
like a robbery.
Wish I could transcend time
and leave this world behind
There's nothing left to steal
I'm still empty-handed.
Thrilling lights fill the city
brilliant darkness floods the night
And the only thing missing is you
Dancing wildly along the streets
Singing a happy lullaby
And the only thing missing
is you.
The beat slowed and became calmer, like an undisturbed stream.
One more song, one more tradgic ending.
No more wishes, my genie gave up on me.
Amongst the noise I see your face
just like before, you whispered to me
lies of a tale older than us.
The synths cut out completly, and all that was heard was a stready strum of Arina's guitar.
I transcended time, and left it all behind.
I wonder if my silouette will stain you.
The beat picked up again slowly.
Hold my soul, keep it safe.
I am empty-handed.
The strong synths and beat were completly back now.
Thrilling lights fill the city
brilliant darkness floods the night
And the only thing missing is you
Dancing wildly along the streets
Singing a happy lullaby
And the only thing missing
is you.
The only thing missing is you."
The song ended on just the last steady note lingering in the air, and Arina sang the last line.
Axel had seen many acts in his life. This was by far the only one that's made him want to jump for joy and cry all at the same time. For the sake of his pride, he chose jumping for joy, along with the rest of the club. He heard Ryuichi distinctly going on about how that was his sister and Hiro and Shuichi's cat calls were fun to listen to. He noted that the unknown guy was cheering for her as well, and Touma stood with a bouncing Ryu in his arms smiling approvingly.
Arina was truly like her brother in the aspect of singing. Axel watched her as she hopped off stage with the mic, and scurried to where he was standing. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and spoke into the mic.
"So, Axel, what do you say? Do we have the gig?" The crowd cheered in her favor and her eyes pleaded playfully into his as she held the mic for him.
"Well . . ." he paused for dramatic effect. "I think you're the best talent to ever hit this bar, so yeah, you got the gig." An uproar of cheers filled the place, and Arina hugged him tightly. He almost didn't have time to react because it took him a moment to realize he was in her embrace. He hugged her whole-heartedly, an actual hug, two arms and everything, then released her.
"Arina! You're way cool!" Ryuichi hollared from the sidelines. Other cheers and praises radiated about Arina and Marin, and Axel took a moment to scan his bar. The unknown guy wasn't wear he was just moments ago. Where could he have gone?
"Axel, I want you to meet someone!" Arina told him, and he faced her. There he was, the unknown guy, and he was holding Arina, who was holding him back. He had dark hair, and dark eyes, and yet he was another person that he felt he should recognize.
"This is Tatsuha Uesegi, Eiri and Mika's younger brother." Axel made a quick note that he looked strikingly like Eiri. "He's my boyfriend."
Axel felt his insides implode. Arina, the most beautiful creature to ever grace him, was taken. Of couse she was taken. She was amazing. However, that didn't stop Axel from feeling a large amount of hatred and jealousy for this Tatsuha.
The writer's brother held a hand out, and Axel reluctantly took it, squeezng it harder than necessary.
"Nice to meet you man. And thanks for giving my girl and her friend a real chance."
"Not a problem, she's amazing." Axel managed without spitting in his face.
"Anyway, I gotta go talk to Touma. I'll see you around, Axel! C'mon Tatsuha."
He watched her as she walked away with Tatsuha Uesegi.
His girl. Arina was his girl.
How he wished someone would scream 'April Fools!'