Cheating Destiny

Axel

"I love embarrassing him," Axel chuckles as you start to jump up and down, waving the sign around.

"Oh, me too!" you agree, laughing as you glance up at the glitter letters on your poster board.

Go Rucksack!!!!!

"You're never going to let him forget that name, are you?" Axel asks you.

"Never," you reply, giving a flustered Roxas a thumbs-up just before he's swarmed by a group of screaming girls.

It had taken some time, but Roxas had eventually come around to accept yours and Axel's relationship. Which gave you a huge sense of relief, as you weren't sure how you'd survive without either of them. You missed the closeness that you and Roxas used to share, but he was still your little Roxie.

You laugh and drop your arms to your side, watching him try to awkwardly fend off girl after girl after girl. Warm arms wrap around your waist, and you give a shriek as you're lifted in the air and against Axel's chest.

"Now let's go celebrate, mm?" he hums in your ear.

You bite back a smile, glancing down at him as you nod eagerly. Axel chuckles, kissing you on the side of your head as he carries you out of the stands and towards your apartment, leaving just as Roxas is rescued by a laughing Hayner and Xion.

[♥]

You're in the middle of a lush meadow that extends as far as the eye can see. Long, soft blades of grass surround you as you lie on your back, staring up at the bright blue sky. A content smile is plastered on your face, unable to think of a more perfect moment.

Suddenly, the smell of smoke fills your nostrils. With a confused frown you quickly sit up straight, glancing around the meadow. Your eyes narrow when you spot Axel standing at a close distance away. He's hunched over, his back facing you.

"Axel?" you call out as you stand to your feet.

He doesn't respond, just continues to stand there. Your happy mood officially gone, you hurry towards him.

"Axel, what's –"

You trail off in a yelp as you retract your hand from his back. He feels as hot as fire itself. Swiftly, you move in front of him, a hand covering your mouth when you realize his hands are on fire. With shocking speed the fire starts to overtake his body, and emerald eyes glance towards you in horror.

"I-I can't control it," he stammers, his entire lower body covered in white-orange flames.

Smoke starts to fill your lungs, causing you to gasp for air as you fall to you knees. You cough, hands flying to your throat as you feel yourself start to asphyxiate.

"[Name], run!"

Your eyes shoot open as you sit up in bed, panting as you try to catch your breath. Immediately, you start to cough and your eyes burn unpleasantly. You reach over to turn on the lamp on your nightstand, letting out a shriek when the light turns on to reveal your room is quickly filling with smoke.

"H-Hey, Ax..."

You trail off as you smack the bed where he should be lying. Glancing down, your heart skips a beat when you realize you're alone, in an empty bed and an empty room. Without another thought you crawl out of bed and hop onto the ground, running out of your room. You cough, trying to cover your eyes and your nostrils as you hurry down the hallway. Your whole home is filled with smoke, and feels at least 100 degrees.

"Axel!" you call out once you're in the living room, feeling dizzy from exhaustion.

Your eyes land on him standing near the kitchen, in the same hunched over position from your dream. Upon hearing your voice he glances over his shoulder, eyes narrowed in rage.

"[Name], get outside," he yells, pointing towards the front door.

You start to cough, waving the smoke out of your eye line.

"Without you? No way!" you reply, running towards him.

You grab onto Axel's arm, tugging him towards the door. He doesn't budge, his eyes locked ahead of him.

"Why won't you leave?!" you shout in frustration.

"[Name], I love you, but if you don't get out of here right now I'm shoving you through a portal," Axel snaps, glancing down at you. "Get. Out!"

You had never seen him look so frantic, so scared. Pushing aside all confusion at why your house is on fire and why Axel's refusing to leave, you glance forward. Your grip on his arm tightens when you spot a man in black standing on the other side of the room. In his hand is the dark Keyblade you recognize all too vividly from your nightmares.

"A... Axel," you stammer, your voice and body shaking.

"Run, [Name]!" he barks as he pushes you aside, his body engulfing in flames as he charges forward.

Not needing to be told twice, you turn on your heel and charge towards the door. You're almost there, your fingers are within inches of the knob...

"Not so fast."

A hand lands on the back of your head, pushing you against the door. You let out a cry of pain as your head collides with the hard wood, your already dizzy vision only getting worse. Painful coughs leave your mouth as the smoke only grows, starting to choke you. You glance over your shoulder, barely managing to see a mess of dark hair. In the distance Axel's shaking himself off, drenched with water. Thankfully the flames have dulled, only smoke left in its wake.

"It's kinda pathetic, that a cup of water can do so much damage to one person," Vanitas tells you, a quiet chuckle leaving his mouth. He looks back, a smirk on his face as he makes eye contact with Axel. "This is for that lovely burn you gave me last year."

"Don't you da–"

Before he can get the words out, right as he's running towards you and Vanitas, the two of you disappear in a flash of gray smoke. Axel skids to a stop, his hands landing on the door as he tries to steady himself. His eyes are wide, his head shaking as he starts to cough from the smoke.

"[Name]..." he mumbles, glancing around the empty living room.

He had destroyed your home in a failed attempt to protect you, desperate to keep your safe. And now, what? You're...

No, he can't talk about it like that. You're gone, but not forever. That maniac is deranged and dangerous, sure. But if there's anything you've taught him it's to never underestimate you. A bitter laugh escapes his lips as he wipes the soot from his face, standing up straight. He pulls out his phone, hurriedly calling Roxas.

"Cup of water..." he mutters to himself, sighing as Roxas' line rings. "I'm gonna fucking kill you, Vanitas."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh," Axel's eyes widen in surprise as Roxas' voice comes through his phone. "Sorry if I woke you, but we have a situation."

"I can't plunge your toilet again, Axe. It's 3 in the morning.."

"Wha – no, that's not why I'm calling!" Axel snaps, quickly losing his patience. "It's [Name]. Vanitas came back, he... I wasn't fast enough."

Axel swallows an uncomfortable lump in his throat as he opens the door and leaves your house. It's too painful being inside, though for once he's thankful he's a Nobody. With a heart, this would be unbearable. Now he can at least somewhat hold it together.

"I'll be right there," Roxas quickly replies before the line goes dead.

Axel shuts off his screen, glancing up at the night's sky as he takes a deep breath of fresh air.

"Hold on, [Name]. We're coming."