DISCLAIMER
I do NOT own any of the Kingdom Hearts I & II rights.
Warning: Shonen-ai, boys kiss & hugs, language below.
Special: Valentine's Day
It's been a few weeks since the basketball game and Sora and Riku's Romeo-and-Juliet-like incident. The month was February and the day was the thirteenth.
In the university cafeteria, a cool and handsome redhead sat alone, silently eating his food. A group of girls huddled near him.
"Prince Axel, are you free tomorrow night?" An arrogant cheerleader asked.
"I've got a date." Axel answered coldly, bringing his entire tray of food up to move to another table. But then a group of refined-looking guys came almost instantly when he sat down.
"We're having a party tomorrow, why don't you come over to our house?"
"I'm busy." Axel growled, once again bringing his tray up to move to another table. Axel almost wanted to kill someone when yet another person at the seat across from him.
"Would you like to come to our party then?" A familiar voice asked. Axel looked up and found Demyx grinning at him.
"Party? What party?"
"We won the last game of the season, remember?" The mullet-haired boy reminded, "Zexion said we should have a celebration. Tomorrow 6PM at Tiger City mall's karaoke center. The whole basketball team is going, also Tifa and Sora. Are you and Roxas coming?"
"…Sure." Axel said; it wasn't quite like what he'd planned, but a big party can be fun too, yeah?
-- At Axel's apartment --
The watch read 5:52. Axel frowned, boring holes to the staircase that a blonde has yet to show up at.
"Roxas! Hurry your ass up!" He yelled at the door, what the hell's taking him so long?!
"One sec!" The boy replied in his room, delicately placing a dexterously wrapped gift box into his cross bag. He hurried down the stairs to the impatient redhead.
"I said you have to be ready by five thirty; do as many push-ups as many minutes you're late." Axel commanded.
"Huh? Now? Here?" Roxas pouted, obediently squatted down.
"You're serious?" Axel laughed, "I was kidding. C'mon, let's go."
-- At the mall --
"Hey guys wait up!" A giddy voice called out to Axel and Roxas. Sora, pulling Riku, arrived in front of them.
"Hey." Axel greeted, "Everyone else are in, let's go."
"Everyone else?!" Roxas interrupted, thinking that this was supposed to be just a romantic date between him and Axel.
"Yeah, this is a celebration party for our basketball team's end of season." Riku answered, much to Roxas' dismay, "Didn't Axel tell you?"
"I forgot." The redhead shrugged and gestured them to go on; Roxas lagged behind, pouted with a bunch of locked up aggravation.
-- In the karaoke room --
The music boomed from the stereo. Drunk and insensible guys slurred the lyrics in the song, the rest of the party clapping their hands in accordance. Axel somehow ended up sitting all the way across from Roxas, who only followed the beat of the music disinterestedly while the redhead was all high. Roxas sighed, I thought Axel was gonna take me out to a date… And he sits all the way across… The blond pouted his bottom lip sourly, gaze dropping to his bag where a small little thing was waiting quietly for a receiver. The party continued to clamor, everyone having fun except for the bitter blonde.
Riku picked up the song selection remote control and picked a song, "Sora, let's sing together."
The brunette giggled, nodding and picking up a microphone. Zexion and Demyx grabbed their own, too. Roxas wanted to sing with Axel, but realized that there were no more microphones, hmph, I'm jealous… They look sweet; but look at us… He looked at Axel, who was busy moving his body to the beat of the song, he's not looking at me at all. Indeed, Axel was not paying any attention to Roxas, but he was talking to Tifa.
"How come Marluxia isn't here?" Axel inquired.
"Did you forget? He works in a flower shop." Tifa reminded, "Today's Valentine's Day, so he would be working overtime."
"Yeah." Leon agreed, "I remember he just took some of the flowers and gave it as a gift to a girl he liked on a Valentine's Day before, how cheap." The group laughed.
When should I give Axel my gift? Roxas thought when he was reminded of the present.
"Speaking of gifts," Xigbar interrupted the conversation, "Thank goodness we didn't have those shitty gift-exchanging games. Every time we either get a bar of soap or some stupid candle holder; seriously, those two are number one and two for the Worst Gifts Ever."
"Let me fill in the third place for the list: some girls would knit those woolen scarves or gloves or whatever;" Leon said and Roxas widened his eyes and felt the box in his bag; his intended present for Axel was his own handmade scarf. "Those are super-ugly." Leon added, "And they force you to wear it; it seriously damage my cool image."
Roxas frowned with shame, I'm on the list of the Worst Gifts Ever!
"Yeah!" Leon exclaimed; their conversation reached the point where Xigbar was doubting any girls still knitted garments, "In Harry Potter, Ron's mom knitted him some sweaters; even Ron couldn't take it." The group erupted into louder laughter.
"The people nowadays are all mean losers," Xigbar sighed, "I don't know anyone who are still naïve enough to knit their own gifts." He looked over at Roxas, "Right, Roxas?"
"I-I don't know!" The blond shrugged, fidgeting uncomfortably. Sora noticed his friend's abnormal behavior and went over, "What's wrong?"
Axel averted his gaze from the screen and looked at Roxas distantly, concern bathing in his eyes.
"Nothing…" Roxas shook his head, "It's too noisy in here, I'm gonna go out and call Mom." He excused himself from the party and went out. Axel's stare followed his back until it disappeared from sight. Once outside, Roxas went to the nearest trashcan, looked around to check no one was there and took out his wrapped box of gift.
"Why am I so stupid?!" He glared at the box of scarf as if it offended him, I nearly become the biggest joke of the year in the basketball team!
"What are you daydreaming here?" A voice startled the blond; he whirled around quickly, hiding the box behind him from Axel.
"Nothing." Roxas lied to the redhead.
"Then why don't you go in and sing?"
"I will, later."
"Then… what are you holding?" Axel asked, eyes fishing over Roxas' side to glimpse at the box.
"It's nothing." Roxas denied, clutching the box close to himself.
"Yeah I can see you holding a box." Axel insisted, tilting a little more to confirm for himself.
"I told you it's nothing!" Roxas persisted, "Hurry up and go back to the room!"
"What? Are you whining?" Axel smirked, apparently amused.
"I'm not!!" Roxas yelled, voice echoing in the hall. Axel chuckled and moved his face to an inch from Roxas', "You are." He stated before leaving and returning to the room.
So what if I was whining? Roxas sighed, you won't understand the kind of hope I had in the beginning. Right now I feel like an acne that needs to be cleaned: something that's valueless. He slapped the box onto the cigarette holder of the trashcan outrageously and returned to the room grumpily.
----
The hallway of the karaoke center became crowded and noisy as the group ended their singing session and left the room. Roxas came out last, his mood sulking. Sora looked back at him and walked next to him, "What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Axel?"
"Not really a fight…" Roxas sighed, "It's like I'm the only one angry over at the corner anyways."
"Oh…" The brunette nodded, "Well, I suggest you to just let it go. Since last time what happened before the basketball game, I learned something."
"What is it?"
"Semes are strong but brainless creatures." Sora said sternly, "You might have thought of and gone through the problem for a hundred times in your head; but he probably hasn't even started the first round yet. So there's no point in brooding on the matter by yourself."
"Then what should I do?" Roxas asked.
"Sora, c'mon." Riku suddenly appeared and took the brunette's hand, "The guys are discussing where we should go next and continue the party."
"Ok." Sora smiled and followed Riku, turning back to whisper to Roxas, "This is the answer." He winked and disappeared around the corner with Riku.
No matter if they're in a crowd or not, all Sora and Riku wanted is to be together, Roxas thought, this fact is unquestionable. Just like Sora said, it's a very definite answer. But what about me…? He pondered, I guess I should tell them I'll go home first... He sighed and strolled to the group.
"Yeah where should we go next?"
"What about we go play hide-and-seek?" Axel suggest, crossing his arms in a revolutionary manner, "The area limit is the park outside."
"If we play a game, we don't have to spend so much money, and we don't have to wait in a queue." Demyx pointed out.
"This idea is quite unusual; well, a cute kind of unusual." Leon commented.
"Even though it's kind of childish…" Xigbar said and eyed Tifa, "But it seems like we can try it."
"If we want to add a little more Valentine's Day romantic feel to it, we can set another rule." Axel proposed.
"Tell us!"
"Within an hour, whoever hasn't been found in the end will be considered the winner of the night." Axel said, "The winner can command whoever he/she likes to give him/her a kiss."
"Oooh!" The group exclaimed.
"Is it the same for the girls if she wins?" Tifa asked, eyes going to Leon.
"Gender equality is required for sure!" Zexion nodded and the group agreed. Glances were exchanged among the group. Roxas, mistaking Tifa's gaze as directed to Axel instead of Leon, decided that he should just stay too.
----
"Okay, guys." Riku announced, "The First Hide-and-Seek Fight for the Kiss of Victory is officially on." He said to the group's circle, "Rock, paper, SCISSOR!"
All hands shot out to the middle, and it turned out that Riku was the only one sporting a fist; everyone else had their 'papers' out.
"Aw, man." Riku glared at his own fist, "I'm 'it', that means I'm definitely out of luck."
"I guess that's the fate of a good man like you, Riku." Axel joked.
"Riku, count well to your hundreds." Leon laughed.
"One! Two! Three!…"
The group started scattering around the park when they realized the game was on; only Roxas was too dumb to know what to do. He remained standing right next to Riku who was counting with his eyes closed and stared at Tifa's back, thinking that she wants to get a piece of Axel. The redhead who was running looked back, and frowned when he saw Roxas not moving at all; he rushed to the blonde's side.
"Let's go!" He said and held Roxas' hand, dragging him away…
The wind is so strong… Roxas thought as he panted behind Axel; his gaze set upon the bouncing tresses of vermillion locks, it hurts my skin… Why would Axel suggest us to play hide-and-seek in this weather?
----
"Ninety-seven, Ninety-eight, Ninety-nine," Riku counted, "A hundred!"
He opened his eyes, scanning the empty-looking park, Sora's kiss is what I'm protecting tonight! He started off searching in some broad areas. Suddenly a small sound rang behind a strip of bushes. Tifa tensed, burying her purse deeper into her jacket.
The silence in the air changed; it was still silence, but something more now. Some… anticipation was there. Tifa looked up and found Riku grinning at her over the bush.
"HELLO?!" She howled into the cell phone, "Wish me a happy Valentine's Day?! I've known you for so long, how come I never knew you're that polite?!" She taunted sarcastically, "I'm the one that should wish you-!! …Happy Valentine's Day." She forced herself to calm down and slapped the phone shut, grumbling unsatisfactory.
----
A brunette ran and squatted behind a column, thinking he was safe. But… he rolled his eyes leftwards and found one of the team members squatting at the next column, blowing him a kiss. Ewww… Sora made a disgusted face, this guy… what is he planning?! He frowned and stood up to find another spot to hide in.
The basketball player smirked, watching Sora's back as he left. Riku squatted next to him (the side he is not looking at) and jabbed him on the elbow. The shocked team member turned and found Riku mocking his blow-kiss action sarcastically, then the silver-haired man yelled, "Out!"
Sora ran around, and stopped when he thought he saw something. He looked back up at the steel shelf that was set up for some minor construction and found another basketball team member up there, smirking to him. He frowned, becoming anxious due to his exposedness in the open; he turned to run again, but bumped into Riku instantly.
"Aww… I got found so early…" Sora pouted, but only to widen his eyes when Riku kissed him.
"You broke the rules!" Sora exclaimed after they pulled away.
"I didn't." Riku denied.
"We're still playing the game!" The brunette reminded.
"I don't care even if I had to break the rules." Riku stated, "Plus, how can this," He tapped Sora's lips lightly with a finger, "be treated as a prize for a game?!"
Sora smiled.
"I want to take my feelings for you seriously with my heart." Riku said, "I don't want to play games with my love for you at all."
"Ahem! Ahem!" The basketball team member intervened, "I just wanna say, you guys can do this kind of stuff privately after the game has ended."
"I found you!" Riku claimed.
"Dang!"
"Ahem." Sora coughed slightly and pointed to his back, hinting Riku of someone that has yet to be found; Riku smirked.
----
Roxas was running for one second; the next one he was pinned against a wall, "Axel, what are you doing?!"
"Shh." The redhead shushed, "Quiet or he'll find you."
Roxas bit his lip, a little uncomfortable with the close proximity between him and Axel, "I-I wonder how long it is before it's been an hour."
"This hour specially dedicated for Axel and Roxas cannot be compared to one hour in the world." Axel expressed, "Because this hour is only for the two of us. Don't you want to be with me alone?"
"…" Roxas smiled, "I want to be with you, alone." He must've wanted me to say this one sentence, Roxas thought, his smirk is for… He moved his lips closer to Axel's, but pulled back before they barely touch, he wanted me to do this voluntarily. Axel's smirk grew wider at Roxas' tease, then he started moving his lips to Roxas'. The blonde closed his eyes, anticipating a kiss that never came. They both stared at the hand that barred their lips apart and found Riku beside them.
"Heeheehee." The silver-haired man grinned, "Gotcha." Roxas felt terribly embarrassed and looked away; Axel grunted and pushed away from the wall.
"You know, the bathroom's right behind you." Axel said bizarrely, patting Riku's shoulder and left the scene.
"…What was that? What does he mean-"
"He says you're being the party pooper." Roxas explained hastily and left too.
----
"There's only one minute left." Leon announced to the group, "I think everyone's been found."
Sora ran over to Riku's side fretfully, "Riku, I think there's one more person."
Due to Riku's persistence, more and more people were found, Roxas thought, but there's another turf of newborn flame of love that's insisting until the end.
Xigbar grinned to himself quietly, not daring to move for one single movement will cause loud ruffling sound in a tree. Yes, he was hiding in a tree. And he started to become anxious when he thought he felt something slithering – something like a… snake.
"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! …Xigbar you won!!!"
"Gah!" Said man jolted out from the tree, "I won! Get out! Ah! I won! Take it out!" He squirmed and jerked around and yelled; Leon approached forward and grabbed the thing that was causing Xigbar's hysterical actions.
"It's a snake!" Leon exclaimed and threw the reptile away into the air expertly without hurting anyone.
"The winner is Xigbar!" Axel proclaimed; said man cheered along with the group. "Okay, Xigbar, you can choose someone to give you the Kiss of Victory."
"I want… Tifa!"
"What?! No!" The black-haired girl stood up, "Definitely no!"
"Tifa! You're not that lame, right?" Sora asked.
"Yeah, if you dare to play it, you should be able to anticipate losing." Leon hummed.
"I tried so hard not to get found." Xigbar sighed.
"Kiss him! Kiss him! Kiss him!" The group clamored, making Tifa in a hard position.
"Actually, just a kiss on the cheek is good enough." Xigbar tried to make it less embarrassing for her. She looked away, walking closer to the eye-patched man slowly. Xigbar looked to the side to expose his cheek for her; but what they didn't expect was Axel silently moved behind Xigbar so that when Tifa charged her lips forward to Xigbar's cheek, the redhead angled Xigbar's head back to forward, causing his lips and Tifa's to collide together. The group laughed and cheered, and everything was good until Riku suddenly shot an arm up into the air, his hand holding Roxas' abandoned gift box.
"I nearly forgot." Riku said, "Roxas, an employee from the karaoke center gave this to me when I was searching in the game; he said it should be something important."
D-Didn't I throw that away? Roxas frowned.
"It's yours, right?" Riku asked, "The employee said he saw you holding it when you were in the hallway."
"No, no-no it's not mine!" Roxas said but his hands grasped the bag, trying to pry it from Riku's hands. This resulted in the tearing of the gift-wrap paper and the box opened as it fell onto the ground, revealing the hand-knitted scarf.
"Hey! That's the third place of the Worst Gifts Ever: the handmade scarves!!" Leon exclaimed as he grabbed the garment.
"T-T-T-That isn't… that's-" Roxas stuttered terribly.
"Excuse me, that's mine." A hand suddenly seized the scarf from Leon's hands; Axel smirked to Roxas with the scarf in his hands.
----
"Why didn't you admit that this was yours?" Axel asked the blonde beside him, tugging at the scarf he was wearing.
"It's because they said it was old and out-fashioned…" Roxas pouted, swinging slightly on the swing in a playground.
"Silly, if it's your feelings, why do you have to care about what others think?" Axel said, squatting down so he was face to face with Roxas.
"…Well, it did feel sweet." Roxas smiled to himself, resting his head on Axel's shoulder.
"We've been through so much together; my feelings to you won't change." Axel said to Roxas, "I love you."
"Axel…" The blonde's smile grew wider and closed his eyes when Axel moved in to kiss him lightly on the lips…
-- At a motel --
Axel pushed Roxas onto the bed. The redhead climbed over the blonde. Their share of stare was intense. There was nothing but silence and actions, very slow, deliberate actions. Roxas jerked his head away form the kiss that was about to come crashing down.
"Axel… I think… after all…"
"You were the one who said you don't want to go home."
"I said that alright, but… I don't know…"
"Do you want it, or not?"
Silence.
"Just tell them I wanted to do it, okay?" Axel growled.
"…You must think that I'm a coward."
"Yeah, a real coward." Axel nodded, "But, such a cute coward, so…"
Lips meshed together heatedly. Each touch intended not from lust, but from love. Roxas moaned, pulling Axel closer. Both seeking for the completion that the other could provide.
We just spent the night, expressing our feelings not in words, but in light caress, savoring the touch of each other's skin…
A/N: That's the true end of this story~! I'm sorry I abandoned it halfway through uploading *sheepish* I hope everybody enjoyed it!