Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ If This Cat Could Talk... ❯ Breakdown ( Chapter 11 )

If This Cat Could Talk…

By: Ellipsis the Great

DISCLAIMER: Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

Summary: Axel's therapist suggests that he get a cat to help him get over an accident involving his little brother's best friend. It doesn't take him long to realize that strange things are afoot, however…

Rated: T just in case. May change later on.

Spoilers: None that I know of…

Warnings: Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…Also, this chapter was a slightly…explicit?…scene near the end. Not sex, just…violent…ish.

 

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CHAPTER TWELVE: Breakdown

 

“We never really got to introduce ourselves before.” Xigbar thrust his hand out at Roxas as we sat down in a booth at the café after `picking Roxas up' from my house. “The name's Xigbar, kiddo. Xigbar Baines.”

“Roxas Astera.” Roxas shook Xigbar's hand politely even as his lips quirked downward at being referred to as `kiddo.'

“Hey there, guys!” Rikku Highwind, Sora's real cousin, said as she practically skipped up to our table.

“And aren't you looking mighty fine today, Miss Highwind?” Luxord asked with a leering grin.

“Don't I always?” She asked, fluttering her eyelashes prettily. Rikku and Luxord shared a decidedly odd relationship where they flirted with each other all the time but never seemed to go past being `just friends' (even though most of us thought they would make a good couple).

“That's true.” Luxord said, nodding and allowing his grin to spread further across his face.

“So what do you boys want to drink?” Rikku asked, giggling and rolling her eyes.

“I'll take a Coke.” I said.

“Ahm…green tea, please.” Luxord said after a moment's thought.

“Cheeriwine.” Xigbar said.

“Do…you have milk?” Roxas asked hesitantly.

“Sure we do, hun.” Rikku said with a smile, scribbling our drinks down and tucking her pen behind her ear. “I'll be right back, guys.”

“Milk?” Xigbar snickered. “What are you, five?”

“So he likes milk; give him a break.” I said, waving Xigbar off with a hand. Then I turned my gaze back to the menu I knew by heart. “What's everyone getting?”

“Dude, I get the same thing every time I come here.” Xigbar said, his menu already at the edge of the table.

The café, you see, was situated about a block away from Cid's garage, and was the closest food place to go when we were on break. Well, except for this pizza place right across the street, but no one in their right mind went there…unless they wanted to buy drugs or actually liked urine as a topping…but I think that rules out the `in their right mind' stipulation. Anyhow, this was where we pretty much always went on our breaks. I had tried everything on the menu at least three times, but Xigbar always ordered the same thing: a cheeseburger with ranch dressing and bacon (I know it sounds beyond weird, but it's actually pretty good) and seasoned fries.

“Are you not sick of that, yet?” I asked, making a face.

“Nope.” Xigbar said with a smirk.

“Hey, Axel, what's this?” Roxas asked, pointing at a picture on the menu. The others couldn't see what he was pointing at and probably thought nothing of it, but I winced inwardly as I realized that Roxas probably couldn't read.

“That's fish and chips.” I said. “You'll probably like it.”

He nodded, still perusing the menu with a thoughtful frown on his face. Then, with another nod (this one seemingly directed toward himself), he looked up at me.

“Can you let me out? I need to use the comfort box.” He said.

I stifled a laugh and stood up so he could get out of the booth. “It's over there.” I pointed to the bathrooms.

“Thanks.” He said, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking that way.

I turned back to the other two, who were staring at me with identically disconcerted expressions.

“The comfort box?” Luxord asked disbelievingly.

I shrugged. “That's what he calls the bathroom. I dunno why.”

“Right.” Xigbar said slowly, then both of them fixed me with expectant looks. “Well…he's a cute kid, I guess.”

“Yeah…” I said, a little hesitantly.

“You seem to get along with him.” Luxord said.

“Uhuh…”

“He seems to like you.” Xigbar added.

I frowned. “Okay, guys, you're seriously starting to creep me out. What's up? You got a problem with Roxie, or what?”

“We're creeping you out?” Luxord asked incredulously. “Axel, we've been trying to get you to pull your head out of your ass for ten friggin' years, and then this kid shows up and within—what, two or three days—you stood up to Kairi like you do it every day?”

“What're you talking about?” I asked. “You've been trying to what?”

“Pull your head out of your ass.” Xigbar said. “Before the accident you didn't take any shit from anyone. Afterwards, it was like…I dunno, like you wanted people to give you shit. You've gotten a lot better; I mean, you only take shit from your brother and Kairi, now, but…”

“We figured it'd be another ten years before you stood up to one of them.” Luxord finished for him. “You usually get all quiet and nod or something. And…well, I wasn't lying to you earlier when I said I was proud of you, but you still kinda freaked me out.”

“I was just…sick of it, I guess.” I said. “And she didn't have any right to rag on Roxie like that; she doesn't know him at all.”

“Axel, you hardly know him.” Luxord pointed out.

“I know him well enough to know that she didn't know what in the fuck she was talking about.” I said. “She's never attacked one of my friends like that before. She's never even bitched about Riku in front of me…well, until yesterday, at least.”

“Look, man, we aren't saying it's a bad thing.” Xigbar said, holding his hands up in surrender. “We're just saying it's really weird.”

“Now that I think about it, the first time you ever stood up to anyone else was because you were defending me.” Luxord said thoughtfully. “So I guess it does make some sort of sense. It's still weird, though.”

I shrugged again, returning my gaze to my menu.

“He is pretty cute, though.” Xigbar said, reiterating his earlier comment.

I frowned and glanced up at him. “Your point?”

“Do you have a crush on him, Ginger?” Luxord asked.

“No!” I said immediately. “Roxas is straight, Lux.”

“I didn't ask if he was straight, Ginger.” Luxord pointed out. “I asked if you have a crush on him.”

“You sound like high school girls digging for the latest gossip.” I snapped, hoping my cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

“Yeah, so?” Xigbar asked. “We're your friends, dude. We gotta look out for you!”

“Especially since you hardly ever look out for yourself.” Luxord added before demanding, “So do you like him or not?”

“No.” I said as firmly as I could manage. “He's just a friend, okay? Besides, like I said before: he's straight. So even if I did like him, it wouldn't matter.”

“Uhuh.” They exchanged a glance.

“Sure you don't like him.” Luxord rolled his eyes.

“Who doesn't Axel like?” Rikku asked as she strolled up, a tray of drinks balanced precariously in one hand. “Here ya go, boys.”

“You're an angel, Rikku.” Luxord said as he took a sip of his tea.

“So…?” Rikku prompted.

“We think ol' Ginger here has a crush on the new kid.” Xigbar said teasingly.

“He what?”

I ducked my head at the sound of the familiar voice, glancing almost fearfully at Roxas, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression on his face, head cocked to one side.

“Erm…nothing.” Luxord said, clearing his throat and giving Xigbar a look.

“Okay.” Roxas shrugged. “Can I get in, Axel?”

I nodded, too mortified to say anything, and got out of the booth, sitting down after he had slid in behind me.

“You guys ready to order?” Rikku asked, pulling her pen out from behind her ear.

“You know what I want, Ri.” Xigbar said.

She laughed, nodding and scribbling down his order.

“I don't suppose I'm allowed to get you, am I?” Luxord asked smoothly.

“'Fraid not, Lux.” She winked at him saucily.

Luxord sighed dramatically. “Then I guess I'll just have to settle for the chicken tender plate.”

“I'll have the chicken club sandwich.” I said without hesitation. It was one of my favorite things the café served, though it wasn't always really good—it depended on who was cooking that day.

“Vexen's cooking today.” Rikku said, giving me a reassuring smile.

“Ah, sweet!” Vexen himself was a Grade A Bastard, but his chicken clubs were delicious.

“May I have the fish and chips, please?” Roxas asked when she looked at him, pinning her with what I immediately dubbed his `begging kitten face.' If I'd been Rikku, I'd have gone right then and made the food myself!

…Maybe I felt a little more strongly for him than I thought. Shit.

“Sure thing, sweetie.” Rikku said, smiling brightly at him. “I'll be right back, boys.”

 

Now…for the sake of the story, I'm going to fast-forward things to after we'd eaten. We didn't talk much. Xigbar and I were both the types who could not be talked to until after we'd finished unless you wanted a hand bitten off. Roxas, of course was too shy to do anything beyond replying when spoken to, and Luxord spent most of the meal flirting with Rikku as she passed us or refilled our drinks. Loser.

Ahem. After the food. Right.

After paying (well, after Xigbar paid), we had said our goodbyes to Rikku (Luxord's was overly dramatic, of course) and left. Our plan was to go to the mall and shop for supplies for my birthday party, which was scheduled for four days hence…on my birthday.

Go figure.

Anyhow, after that we planned to go to the hospital to visit Sora, and then we would all go to our respective homes.

But…let's just say the Murphy's Law came into effect then.

Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

In this case, `everything' could be summed up in two words…a name, in fact.

Kairi Martell.

She pulled up beside us as we walked to the mall in her little baby blue Beetle, the convertible top opened. Lulu was sitting in the seat beside her, frowning. Wakka and Selphie sat on the back seats, both looking distinctly uncomfortable.

Kairi was smiling.

I started to shake.

I didn't like cars, remember. I could hardly stand them when they were turned off and jacked up, forget about being around them when they were up and running.

“Hi, guys.” Kairi said sweetly.

“Kairi.” Luxord gritted out as politely as he seemed able.

She revved the engine, and I felt the blood drain out of my face.

“Axel, that guy up there's swerving a lot.”

I shook my head and tried to even out my breathing, tried to push Sora's voice out of my head, tried not to envision his face over Roxas' when he gave me a concerned look.

“Are you okay, Axel?”

“It's fine.” I said. Had said to Sora. “It's fine.”

“But he doesn't—”

“But you don't look so good.” He put a hand on my arm.

“It'll be okay.” Was I talking to Roxas or Sora? I wasn't sure anymore. Oh, shit.

Oh, God.

“Not feeling too good, Axel?” Kairi asked.

The engine revved again.

The car got closer, seeming determined not to stay in its lane for any great length of time.

“Stop it, Kairi.”

“Axel…”

“It's the tenth anniversary today, Axel.” Kairi said. “Today's the day they told us—”

“—We don't think Sora is going to wake up any time soon. Maybe never.”

Where was I? The walls were white—no, we were outside. No walls.

Glass windows, leather upholstery, Sora sitting beside me…

Oh, God.

“Axel?”

Roxas' face broke through my near-hysteric thoughts.

“You need to leave, Kairi.” Xigbar said. “Come on, guys.”

“Oh, but—”

“—That guy still isn't staying in his lane, Axel!”

I jerked back, swerved out of the way, cursing frantically as the car tipped over the low shoulder.

“Axel!”

“Axel!”

Oh God oh God oh God now Sora was closer to that lunatic than I was and his body was tense and scared and pressing against the seatbelt—­

—And the car caught the sun behind Roxas' head—

—Creating a halo of light around it, and his eyes were so wide and scared and—­

—Blue, so blue. I grabbed him—tried to grab him—and pulled him away—tried to get him out of the way—from the street, hitting the wall with a surprised and frantic yell—tried to switch places so he wouldn't get hurt, but that damn seatbelt was in the way and those headlights were way too fucking close—!

Kairi's wheels screeched against the pavement, a frightened expression on her face as she peeled away.

The sharp screech of the tires trying to stop turned into the sharp screech of metal against metal, and then there were

Screams. I heard screams. A name. A familiar name, and voice…Sora…? No, though that was the name. The voice…oh, it was my voice. I could feel my throat burning; that's how I knew it was my voice, and I could see

Blood. There was so much blood. My blood, his blood…oh, God, it was everywhere. On the windows, on the leather upholstery, on the seatbelt, on my face, in my mouth.

Could someone survive after losing this much blood? Could Sora? Could I?

The seatbelt finally came undone and I caught him as he fell, pulling him close to myself and screaming and screaming and screaming until I heard

Sirens. Oh, thank God, sirens. I tried to stop screaming, but the screams just turned into cries. I cried and I cried and I cried and the firemen tried to pull him out of my arms, but I wouldn't let them until finally

Someone hit me

And I blacked out.

 

~*~PAGEBREAKPAGEBREAKPAGEBREAK~*~

 

“I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry.” I chanted, rocking back and forth in my corner of the white room just as I had been when the dreams first started.

“Axel, please calm down.”

“I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm—”

“Axel!”

I stopped, looking up at the face that was Sora's and Roxas'. A sob tore out of my throat and my head fell down onto my curled up knees.

Even the dream voice wasn't able to talk to me anymore.

 

~*~ENDCHAPTERTWELVE~*~

 

A/N: Yes, this is what happens every time Axel is around a running car. Yes, Kairi knew that. And yes, she exploited that fact because `today' was the day they found out Sora was in a coma. Understandable and yet…XP

And NO, I don't hate Kairi. In fact, I strongly dislike Kairi bashing…but as I've said before, it's necessary for my plot for her to be a bad girl. She's already caused two major events already, yeah? So…yeah. I'm not really Kairi bashing, I'm just using her for my own needs. So there.