The Beginning...

[not_ale]

Axel steps through a black portal that spreads open out of thin air. He raises a hand to push his hood back, revealing bright red, spiky hair before looking around warily and throwing the brown package containing Roxas' new robes onto the table. Grabbing a sea-salt ice cream bar from the freezer, he gracefully plops down on the couch. The couch

Comments

[auxiliary_key]

Roxas glances from the scrap of snow white paper to the steel number beside the door. He decides that yes, it is the right address, and crumbles up the said paper, tucking it away into a pocket.

Curling his fingers into a half-fist, he raps smartly on the door, wondering to himself what the invitation was for.

[not_ale]

Axel looks at the clock on the wall once he hears knocking on the door. Right on time. Nobody could accuse Roxas of not being punctual. He gets up and walks over to the door, making sure the ice cream isn't dripping on his robes before throwing the door open.

"Roxas!"

[auxiliary_key]

Roxas starts a bit at the sudden movement and rush of air, but otherwise stands his ground, arching an eyebrow skeptically. His eyes flicker to the sea-salt ice cream for a fleeting moment, before averting to meet Axel's again. He enunciates Axel's name carefully.

"Axel."

[not_ale]

Axel smirks. He could tell that Roxas was covering up some emotion with that standoffish nature.

"Ro-xas," Axel drawls.

[auxiliary_key]

"Axel." And before his red-haired friend could continue their lovely discussion, he presses on. "Why did you invite me here?"

[not_ale]

"For a little frisky fun?" Axel says half-teasingly.

[auxiliary_key]

Roxas laughs a bit, though dryly.

"Your handwriting. It was slowed and measured out." He sighs. "When people take their time writing something out, it means that it's important to them, right?"

He eyes Axel carefully.

[not_ale]

Axel smirks lopsidedly, a little impressed that Roxas picked that up.

"Yeah." He scoops the brown package off the table and tosses it to Roxas. "Try it on."

[auxiliary_key]

Roxas catches it easily, prodding it with a finger once or twice experimentally. After a moment, having decided that it was quite safe and definitely not alive, he rips off the brown paper like a child would do to a Christmas present, leaving the debris on the floor. He lets the robe unfold itself with a soft snap, holding it at the shoulders to examine it. Visually, it seemed to be his size.

He unzips it with mild difficulty, slipping the black garment over his head and street clothes, leaving the hood down. Roxas is mildly surprised that it fit well over his other clothes, still leaving his body free to move without any large restrictions.

Roxas takes a quick look down at himself, impressed with the leather and workmanship of the cloak. Something, however, was missing. He noticed this when he looked down at his red and black tennis shoes.

He looks up at Axel, now arching the other brow, prompting him with his eyes. Just in case Axel didn't get the message, though:

"Uh. Boots?"

[not_ale]

Axel's still staring at Roxas, satisfied that he had commissioned the correct size. He admired how well Roxas filled out the robe before raising an eyebrow at Roxas' action of leaving his street clothes on underneath.

"Won't it get hot under all those layers? It is leather, you know. Soft leather, yeah but still leather."

"Yeah. About those boots..."

[auxiliary_key]

Roxas gives Axel a strange look, the faintest hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Are you suggesting that I should be near-naked whenever I wear this cloak thing?"

Roxas gives Axel a questioning look, prompting him silently.

[not_ale]

Axel just smirks at Roxas, allowing him to fill in the answer for himself.

"Right. Boots. I kind of tossed them at a Heartless."

[auxiliary_key]

Roxas blinks, mouth open a bit in a silent 'o'. It takes him a moment to regain himself, as he shakes his head from side to side, narrowing his eyes and giving Axel a weird look.

"Y-You what? Those were my boots. My boots. Not yours. Mine. Why couldn't you just, I don't know, throw a fireball or something at it?"

[not_ale]

"The boots or the Heartless?"

[auxiliary_key]

"The HEARTLESS, Axel." Roxas swings his arms around wildly in exasperation. "Seriously. I just don't know about you sometimes."

[not_ale]

Axel snickers before answering Roxas. "Man, what was I supposed to do? I had my hands full, of your stuff I might add, and had to chuck something at them in my defense. You can't tell me my life is worth less than a pair of boots."