From Me to You

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Square Enix.

Music: "Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp

A/N: It's been months! And I'm so sorry about the wait! ); I'm just going to jump right into this kay? Enjoy the long awaited chapter 10

o0o0o0o

Axel was reluctant to leave the safety of the empty conference room. He was almost afraid to face his assistant but he knew from experience that his father was an even greater force to be reckoned with compared to the short tempered blond. Axel had to face the music sooner or later regardless and with a heavy sigh, he trudged back to his office with hidden despair.

When Axel stepped back into the room, he was surprised to find Roxas and Lea seated at the couch waiting for him silently, their lunches still left untouched. As he headed straight towards the pair, he noted the contemplative look his son wore and arched a brow at him. Was he still upset about earlier he wondered?

Settling down right next to the four year old, Axel smiled softly at him, pushing his negative thoughts away into the back of his mind as best he could. "Hey, what's up kiddo? Why haven't you eaten your food yet?"

Peering up at the older man, Lea bit his bottom lip only to look back down at his lap nervously. "Well…" He started to say but the words suddenly became caught in his throat and he ended up leaving his sentence unfinished as he twiddled his thumbs and squirmed in place. Lea still felt guilty for his behavior; it had been wrong of him to act the way he did and though he was being given a chance to redeem himself—it was turning out to be a much harder task than he first realized.

To Axel, it was rather odd to watch his son fidget in his seat as he made a series of pouts and frowns. It almost reminded him of constipation and he made a slight noise of discomfort for him. When he looked over at Roxas, the blond was frowning as well for but a split second at the display however he seemed to have a much better grasp of their son's thoughts than Axel did. Eventually, Roxas shook his head, lips turning up into a faint smile and before Axel knew what he was doing, Roxas was already throwing an arm around the four year old and holding him close against his side.

"He didn't want to eat." Roxas said for him, seeing as how hesitant Lea was to talk. "He told me that he wanted to wait for you so that we could have lunch together." He added, his hand moving up to ruffle the boy's hair playfully.

"Really?" Axel perked up. "Well isn't that sweet."

"Daddy…" Lea pouted, resulting in another tousle of his red hair; this time from both of the older men.

"You know it's true Lea. Don't try to make up excuses." Roxas tapped the end of his nose gently before releasing a soft chuckle.

Watching the pair laugh, Lea realized then just how happy Roxas had truly become. He couldn't remember a time that he'd seen his father glow as brightly as he did now other than when they were together as a family. Seeing the way he had been interacting with Axel for the past week up until now made Lea begin to think twice about the two of them dating. It shouldn't be that bad, right?

Axel was really nice to him. He was funny and incredibly attentive as well. Even with Roxas, he had a playful air to him but it still had its differences as Lea compared it to the manner of which the redhead treated him. Although Lea witnessed the man tease his father from time to time, it never came out maliciously and even when Roxas showed a spark of annoyance, he saw the way he would smile coyly afterwards. It was incredibly subtle, almost unnoticeable but the change was as clear as day to the little boy no matter how his father's actions appeared like normal.

They looked relatively happy together, there was no mistake about that. Seeing the way the two adults' gazes flickered between each other and then back down at him, Lea couldn't help but imagine the three of them being together like this forever. He then remembered Roxas' assurance earlier—his place in the man's heart was already permanent and secured so the thought of sharing his father with the older redhead didn't seem as bad anymore so long as Axel treated them both with the upmost care. And space! Space would be greatly appreciated, he thought quickly.

As Lea laid his head against Roxas' waist again, he clenched his fists into the blonde's jacket and tugged lightly on the material. It was now or never. "Daddy? Axel?" He said, pressing his face harder into the blonde's side.

"Yes Lea?"

"I'm sorry for being mean today." Lea became flustered as the words left his mouth. He felt lucky that his face was hidden from their views because he wouldn't know what to do if they saw him in such a state.

"Hey, no need to apologize." Axel said. "We all have off days."

Suddenly looking up at the older redhead, Lea made a face at him. "I know but saying sorry is the right thing to do for what I did!" He objected. "That's what my daddy taught me!"

Axel stared at him silently, blinking once or twice. One stray glance towards Roxas was enough to set him straight, and he smiled softly at the boy's persistent behavior. "Your daddy taught you very well. If it makes you happy, I accept your apology Lea."

"G-good!" Lea replied with a chirp. When he turned to look up at his father again, he pawed his arm gently. "Daddy!"

"Yes Lea?" Roxas asked.

The boy hesitated at first, but once he was able to set his worries aside, he grinned proudly, surprising Roxas a little. "As long as I'm your number one then it's okay for you to date Axel!"

A defiant silence filled the room and suddenly, all Roxas could hear was white noise in the seconds that followed after Lea's declaration. The boy looked triumphant, positive in fact and he didn't know what to say so he kept his mouth shut as his face began to redden with embarrassment.

Axel was no better off either and though he too wore a rather flushed expression himself, it wasn't enough to deter him from releasing a short bit of laughter. "Well that's a shock, isn't it Roxas?" He joked but the blond remained silent, wide eyes casted downwards. "Still, thank you, thank you Lea." Axel said, trying to control the onslaught of giggles still tickling within him as a strange warmth filled his being.

Today was just full of surprises he concluded and it was hardly the end of the day. Barely an hour had passed since the thought of actually committing himself to Roxas crossed Axel's mind. Sure, it was an idea but he was still uncertain of how well the blond would perceive his advances now that Lea was giving him his approval. Still, his son's words were encouraging and if he could win him over just a little more then maybe, just maybe things could work out between them. "Thank you for your blessing, it really means a lot." He concluded, eyes softening at the four year old boy.

"W—wait a minute!" Roxas said, finally finding his voice. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"But you like Axel, don't you daddy?" Lea asked as he became perplexed by the blonde's reaction. He was being considerate, wasn't he? Roxas deserved to be happy after all.

"Of course I like Axel, but Lea!—"

"Then it's settled!" The redhead cut in unexpectedly. No way was he going to let his assistant try to talk his way out of this one.

"But I—!"

"Roxas." Axel said his name firmly this time, successfully shutting the blonde's mouth. "Are you blatantly forgetting our plans for tonight?"

"Of course not!" He hissed, cheeks glowing even brighter now.

"What about tonight?" Lea asked slowly, feeling even more confused than he did before.

That was right, they hadn't told Lea about dinner, Axel thought to himself. "Well, your dad, you and I are going to make dinner for the three of us and we're going to watch a movie together. Is that alright with you?"

"So, it's like a date?" Lea tilted his head.

Axel nodded. "Basically."

When Lea looked back up at his father again, he seemed a bit put off. "Why didn't you tell me we were all going to be on a date?"

"I uh…" Roxas blinked. "It was supposed to be a surprise for you!" He thought up quickly.

It took a bit of time, but Lea slowly began to smile after hearing that. "Really?"

"Yes!"

"So then, does that mean we're all dating now?" Lea questioned. He suddenly felt like he was in over his head now. Boy was the concept of dating puzzling!

"Well…" Axel was about to explain but Roxas shot him a glare.

'Like hell I'm going to let you corrupt his mind any further!' The blonde's conscious screamed. "Lea, sweetheart, let's just say that things are complicated right now okay?" He tried to smile.

"But eventually, we will!" Axel chimed. He completely threw Roxas off just by saying that and he smirked triumphantly as his assistant began to stutter.

"Really?!" Lea jumped.

"Really, really." Axel winked. Eying his assistant, he saw the way the blond practically shriveled up.

Lea did notice his father's reaction though and gave the older man a firm nod but he quickly replaced his cheerful grin with a warning glare. "Then you better be extra good to my daddy and me!" He pointed at him.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of being anything less." Axel assured him and he ruffled Lea's hair again.

Lea giggled softly, all the while Roxas kept to his silence. The twenty-four year old was at a complete loss for words to describe the thoughts swimming around in his mind; however he was more than certain that things were going to change even more than before. He wasn't sure how long he had to prepare until it happened, but it made him nervous as the thought of waiting for the impending events to occur stood at the forefront of his consciousness.

o0o0o0o

Axel and Roxas didn't push the topic of their ambiguous relationship after Lea gave them his approval. Although Axel in particular was happy to receive his son's permission, he was aware of Roxas' feelings on the subject and that it was a matter that had to be dealt with in private if they were to proceed any further.

With that conversation on the back burner until they could find the time to speak with each other alone, the two went about the rest of their time at work doing the usual workload until six and after that, it was a quick stop at the supermarket to pick up a few ingredients for dinner as well as stocking up the Strife household with some much needed necessities.

The moment they entered the apartment, Roxas was relieved to find that Cloud and Leon had indeed cleared out before they arrived. Trudging warily towards the kitchen after taking his shoes off, he placed a couple of grocery bags on the dining table. Axel locked the door behind them and Lea went straight to his bedroom to drop off his backpack before bolting out towards the living room and plopping himself down on the couch with the TV remote already in his clutches.

Axel trailed after his blond assistant who was already getting the kitchen set up for them to cook. A couple pots were pulled out and placed on the stove, a cutting board next to the sink, and a metal tray for them to bake their garlic bread all scattered about. Placing his own set of grocery bags down on the table next to Roxas' pile, Axel went up behind the blond who was busy sorting through the food in the fridge only to poke his side.

Roxas instantly yelped on contact and when he turned around to face the culprit, he glared fiercely at the offending redhead. "You!" He pointed. "Don't do that!"

"Hey, you left yourself wide open and it was an opportunity that I couldn't resist." Axel replied, his hands held up in defense despite the grin he wore.

"That doesn't give you permission to do that though." Roxas seethed, his finger jabbing against the other's chest. "Now will you move aside please?"

"Yes, dear." Axel rolled his eyes, giving the blond a bow before taking a step back to lean against the stove counter.

Roxas stared at the redhead for a moment, letting the other's words sink in. "Excuse me?"

"Oh." Axel blinked. "Well, I mean…"

"Axel called you dear!" Lea shouted from the living room. Despite the television being turned on, the four year old was still able to hear their conversation over one of his favorite programs, Timon and Pumbaa.

That of course didn't make Roxas feel any better and he gave the older redhead a slight frown.

"Look, I really didn't mean to. It just slipped out…" Axel tried to say but Roxas merely shook his head.

"Forget it, we'll talk about it later. Among other things…" Roxas said with a short sigh. "Let's just get dinner started okay? It's been a long day for all of us and I think relaxing is the best medicine right now." He added, making it clear that the topic was over whether the redhead liked it or not.

Axel watched how the blond gave him a brief smile afterwards. It looked forced and though he wanted to say something about it, pushing the younger male wasn't the most ideal thing to do so he let it slide. For now at least…

Behind the corner of the kitchen, Lea hid silently, his figure hunched low and pressed up against the wall so as not to be seen by Axel and Roxas. He didn't understand why his father was acting so melancholy all of a sudden. Was it because of what he said earlier he wondered? But that shouldn't be right, he thought frowning to himself. Didn't they like each other? They made it seem that way all week long after all! Lea instantly puffed out his cheeks in annoyance just thinking about it. He needed to investigate! And it was then that he resolved to stay in his hiding place whilst spying on the pair cooking in the kitchen.

"Lea?" Roxas looked over the counter top above the sink which gave him a clear view of the living room. The little redhead was strangely missing from the couch where he last saw him. Pouting a little, Roxas made his way around and stood at the edge of the kitchen. Tapping his foot against the carpet edge, he was about ready to search the entire apartment for his son until he suddenly found the four year old peering up at him from the ground with a cheeky smile.

The boy's spying days were over even before he got started.

Arching a brow at Lea, Roxas crossed his arms, releasing a curious 'hm'. "What exactly are you doing down there?"

"Umm…" Lea pursed his lips together.

"Lea?"

"I was looking for the remote?" He said slowly, making it a little too obvious for Roxas to conclude that he was lying.

"And why would the remote control be all the way over here when we usually just leave it on the couch where everyone can find it?" Roxas smiled knowingly. "Hm?"

Instantly Lea choked back, he'd been caught red handed.

Not wishing to make a fool out of himself even further, Lea made a beeline crawl towards the couch. Roxas watched on of course, chuckling softly to himself and once he saw to it that his son was settled down in front of the television again, he returned to the kitchen, feeling just a tiny bit lighter.

The preparation for spaghetti and meatballs started out rather awkward. Roxas did his very best to stay out of Axel's way as much as possible but because of how off putting it was, bumping shoulders and quite literally running into each other regardless since it was such a small space to cook in, the redhead grew restless. The tension didn't let up until Axel dropped a strand of spaghetti noodle in his hair while trying to taste test it and in retaliation for his mistake, Roxas traced his finger along the rim of an empty container of tomato sauce only to use the remnants to paint the other's face.

It was a small food fight but it was enough to bring a smile on both their faces as they returned to their tasks diligently.

With Roxas' back to him, Axel couldn't help the urge to embrace him from behind boiling within him. The opportunity was right there, he could do it, but how would the younger male perceive his actions? That was probably the one thing stopping Axel from doing what he wanted, among other things. With a heavy sigh, he did his very best to concentrate on washing the few kitchen utensils floating about in the sink. Maybe later, sometime soon he could hug him, but not right now. At least for the time being.

o0o0o0o

"Spaghetti and meatballs!" Lea cried. Inhaling the familiar scent that perforated from the kitchen, he jumped off the couch and scrambled over to watch as Axel began straining the noodles and Roxas gave the tomato sauce on the stove one last stir in the pot.

"And garlic bread too mind you!" Axel chimed.

"Yum!"

"Lea, wash your hands okay?" Roxas said as he began collecting three bowls and three forks and spoons.

"Yes sir!" The four year old saluted before disappearing back out into the living room towards the bathroom in the hallway. It probably would have been faster to wash his hands in the kitchen sink but with all the dishes littered in there, he didn't want to go through the trouble of navigating around the stacks of kitchen utensils.

When Lea came back to the dining table, the food was laid out and both Roxas and Axel sat together with an empty chair between them. The four year old immediately took the seat and dinner became more or less a complete mess filled with tomato sauce stains and laughter once the three settled down and began to eat.

Whilst Roxas sat back and picked lightly at the contents in his bowl, he watched on with amusement as both Axel and Lea gorged down into their fill. The two were truly a sight to see and he chuckled quietly to himself when Lea looked up at him with tomato sauce smeared all over his mouth. Axel had a bit of the same sauce hanging around the edge of his mouth as well, looking just as messy, but tamed in comparison to his four year old son. The two beamed happily at the twinkling blond.

Shaking his head at them, Roxas took a napkin that sat next to his bowl, using it to wipe the self-made food mess clean off both of their faces. Axel and Lea groaned in retaliation, of course but the older redhead couldn't help but smile softly at his assistant's kind gesture. As Roxas swept the pad of his thumb gently across the corner of Axel's lip, his breath hitched and the two stopped, eyes staring at each other in silence.

Lea made an uncomfortable noise to gain their attention, and it was only then that the two adults broke eye contact. Afterwards, dinner went relatively well, with a number of shy glances stolen in between. When the three finally finished their meal, Roxas took up all the left overs and stored them away in plastic containers while Axel collected the dishes and placed them in the dish washer along with the rest of the pots and pans in the sink after giving them a good rinse.

Seeing that there was nothing of great interest happening in the kitchen, Lea scampered away and a minute or two afterwards Roxas followed after him, if only to give him a quick bath while Axel waited in the living room. In less than fifteen minutes, Lea was found giggling loudly, dressed in his pajamas with a movie in hand as he ran into the room and threw himself on top of Axel's lap. Roxas emerged only seconds after, dressed down in an oversized t-shirt and sweats. He was practically drowning in his sleepwear but Axel found it endearing, oddly enough and if he wanted to be even more specific, the blond looked downright cute.

"This one! I want to watch this movie!" Lea said excitedly as he held up the DVD in front of Axel's face.

With the cover pressed close to his face, Axel leaned back into the couch and squinted his eyes in order to read the title. "Lady and the Tramp?"

Lea nodded. "Yeah!"

"Alright, settle down." Roxas said. "If you want to watch it, you better hand it over so I can pop it into the DVD player."

"I am! I am!" Lea exclaimed excitedly as he jumped off of Axel's lap. Shoving the movie into Roxas' awaiting hands, he then turned and scrambled back onto the couch next to the older redhead.

It took just moments for Roxas to get the movie into the machine and once he pressed play, everything was smooth sailing from there. When he settled down on the couch beside Lea, he ruffled the boy's damp redhead before gazing briefly up at his boss. It was just a glance, short and sweet but Axel caught him in the act and Roxas stiffened considerably, afraid to be reprimanded. Axel, however just smiled at him and though Roxas would have smiled back, he was still feeling much too embarrassed to do so and threw his gaze back towards the TV screen.

Axel frowned slightly at him but then he had a thought, one that he hoped would set the both of them at ease. With that idea in mind, he kept to himself and went about his business just the same, returning his attention to the movie being played on the screen. Thirty minutes into the film as Lady and Tramp arrived at the Italian restaurant, Axel finally made his move, his right hand maneuvering around Lea's back in order to reach other and grasp Roxas' left hand tightly in his own.

The action made Roxas flinch but he reciprocated the action just as quickly and in no time their fingers were laced tightly together. He didn't want to let go, the feeling too good to release so easily. As the minutes ticked away, Lea fell against his side sleepily and it was only then that Roxas pried his hand free from Axel's if only to adjust their son into a comfortable position on his lap, making it easier for the four year old to sleep if need be.

With a gap sitting between them, Roxas looked up at the redhead shyly, his cheeks a bit flustered from them holding hands earlier. When he heard Lea yawn, he looked back down at his lap, wearing a smile and Axel was glad because he wasn't trying to hide it this time.

"Getting a little sleepy there I see." Axel teased Lea and the boy shook his head in response.

"No I'm not." He protested.

"Hush." Roxas said pointedly at Axel as he stroked Lea's hair delicately. He was doing it to sooth the four year old to sleep. It was getting late after all and he didn't want Lea to develop any bad sleeping habits at such a young age.

"Sorry." Axel replied with a soft chuckle.

Instead of watching the movie, Axel kept his eyes locked on the boy falling asleep on the blonde's lap. It truly was a beautiful sight and even though it was cheesy, it really did take his breath away. It seemed to come natural to Roxas, being a father to Lea that is and although it warmed Axel's heart, it was still difficult for him not to dwell on the negative feelings he had about missing out on being a dad during the four year olds infancy.

Sighing loudly to himself, Axel laid his head against Roxas' shoulder. He was careful not to disturb the light slumber that had successfully overtaken Lea and as he peered up at the contemplative look Roxas wore, he shook his head lightly.

"You okay?" Roxas asked in a soft voice.

"I'm alright, just thinking is all."

"That's a little dangerous isn't it?"

"Yeah, it can be."

Roxas eyed the redhead from the corner of his eye. The concern apparent in his voice but he held steady. "What were you thinking about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Stuff, you know?" Axel shrugged. "The usual."

"And what would that be exactly?" Roxas pried gently.

Axel knew he wasn't going to drop the topic easily so he let him have it. "You, me, Lea. Mostly Lea—you know, that kind of stuff."

Roxas blinked and Axel grinned as the first signs of crimson began to burn through his cheeks. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh indeed." Axel chimed.

He looked back down at Lea who was now fast asleep despite his earlier protests. Biting his lip gently, he inhaled deeply. "Do you think about that stuff often?" He asked, his voice slightly nervous.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? It's kind of hard not to think about it don't you think? I mean the three of us are intertwined as crazy as it sounds, and it's in one of the most complicated yet miraculous ways possible."

"Alright, you have a point there." Roxas said, his body moving to lean back against the taller redhead.

"Exactly." Axel replied slowly as he leaned back to accommodate his assistant. He was sure Roxas felt comfortable, lying down snuggly against his side but the position wasn't exactly relaxing to Axel in the same sense. So to make up for it, he circled his right arm around the other's shoulder, embracing him closely to his side with Lea's hair tickling along his stomach.

Holding Roxas close against him with the movie still playing in the background, the pair tried to continue on watching the rest of what was left of the film despite Lea having already fallen asleep. It was a major task trying to keep their eyes open, but Roxas in particular was mere moments away from heading down towards the path of no return as well. When the movie was finally coming to a close with Lady and Tramp introducing their new family of pups to the neighborhood dogs, Axel found Roxas' eyes drooping to a close at long last.

"Hey, the movie is just about over." He yawned. "Better get up and turn it off."

Roxas nuzzled his cheek against him rather affectionately, murmuring incoherently in response. "Min… five more minutes…" He mumbled, shifting here and there as Lea squirmed gently in his arms. "Just five minutes…"

"Roxas…" Axel whined but he didn't have the heart to move the tired blond and his son. He then heaved a short sigh to himself in defeat, smiling softly at the display in front of him. It really was downright adorable and he couldn't help but close his eyes, all the while still grinning from ear to ear. "Do you think, maybe someday it can be like this every day?" He asked softly, hoping for an answer but none came aside from a gentle hum.

His assistant had fallen asleep.

Sitting there in silence, Axel's mind began to drift. He considered his question again in his hazy mindset, wondering if he should maybe ask Roxas again when he's awake. It was a good plan, he thought but unfortunately it became difficult for him to hold onto the notion and within moments, he too was falling asleep, just the same as Roxas and Lea beside him.

o0o0o0o

When Cloud and Leon arrived at the apartment after their date, they didn't expect to find Axel, Roxas and Lea asleep on the living room couch. They were surprised, there was no mistake there, but after a while of staring at the three, Cloud shrugged and before Leon could question why he seemed so indifferent of their current predicament, he was already pulling out his phone and pressing the camera function on the touchscreen.

"Cloud this isn't the time to be taking pictures, we have to put these guys to bed somehow." Leon said with annoyance.

"Hold your horses would you? It's not every day that we catch Roxas off guard like this, let alone completely vulnerable." Cloud replied, snapping a few pictures.

"I understand what you mean, but I'm pretty sure you weren't expecting to come home to find this regardless." Leon pointed at the three on the couch.

"You're over exaggerating. Loosen up would you? You're always so serious."

"And you're not."

Cloud gave him his usual deadpanned look. "Just take Lea to our bedroom and we'll leave the love birds where they are Mr. Grumpy Gills. The two could use a shock every once in a while and open their eyes to what is in front of them. And besides, I highly doubt you'll want to carry them both to Roxas' room anyways."

Leon grumbled. He hated when Cloud actually made a point and regardless he nodded his head in agreement and went ahead to untangle the four old from Roxas' arms.

"I can't help but think that despite your dislike of Axel, you're still trying to set the two up one way or another." Leon said, watching as Cloud pushed the two left sleeping on the couch closer together.

"You're right." Cloud said, gazing his little brother intently. "I still distrust Axel to some extent but since he's been trying his hardest to be involved in Lea's life, as well as Roxas' I'm beginning to see how much it means to Roxas. He's happy, you've noticed haven't you?"

Lea whimpered as Leon handled him gently in his arms. Adjusting him comfortably enough, he looked up at Cloud and sighed. "Yes, I've seen it too. I'm not that blind."

"Sure you're not."

"Can it blondie, it's time for us to go to bed."

"Yeah, yeah I got you." Cloud rolled his eyes.

Clicking his tongue at him, Leon gave him a short sneer before turning his back with the intention of leaving the room. Cloud on the other hand, eyed the sleeping pair on the couch just a moment longer and seeing this, Leon stopped to give the blond one last glance.

"Don't take too long." He said and that was the end of it as he finally began making his way towards the hall down to the master bedroom with Lea.

Cloud watched Leon go and once he was gone and out of earshot, he went ahead to retrieve a blanket from the hallway closet. Coming back to the living room, he navigated quietly back to his brother and Axel, both still snoozing like the world around them didn't matter and slowly he carefully draped a blanket on top of them. It was the least he could do other than force Leon to take Lea off their hands.

Satisfied with his good deed, Cloud stretched his arms out over his head and finally went away with a short yawn, leaving the two men to slumber the hours away long into the night until morning.

A/N: There's my fluffy chapter for you guys. I hope you enjoyed it, though please consider this as the calm before the storm. Dun, dun, dun! Until next time everyone! Take care and thank you so much for tolerating the months of waiting and being awesome readers (: