Musebox

[heartismyown]

 I need to practice with Roxas! Please drop me a line.


Roxas finished smashing the computer, the one that ruined his life. He swung around angrily and stalked off into an unknown room where he found Sora, fast asleep.

DiZ appeared before him. His eyes narrowed, his hand clenched tightly around the keyblade as he swung it back and forth wildly, attempting to attack him. He was familiar. He was the one who did this to him. It was all about that Sora!

"My heart is my own!" Roxas cried, spinning around. Everything has gone white.

When Roxas awakened, he found himself face to face with....

Comments

[heartismyown]

I didn't break it on purpose! It was an accident.

[Annoyed, Roxas huffs and scoops up the glass in his hands in one shot. He dumps it in the trash, turning to glare at Lea. A cut on his right hand drips on the floor.]

I thought you didn't want to talk to me.

[by_heart]

[Lea grabs Roxas' wrist and pulls him over to the sink before he can bleed all over the floor, not speaking at all as he washes the cut and makes sure there's no glass stuck in it.]

Stupid, don't just pick up glass like that.

[And since there was a question implicit in Roxas' words, he has to answer despite himself.]

I told you I don't want to talk to you and I meant it, I can't not mean it right now. I've got to answer every question honestly whether I want to or not until this wears off.

[heartismyown]

[He hisses a little bit as the cut is cleaned out.]

Then don't talk to me Lea. I can make my own dinner. I can put a band-aid on.

[by_heart]

[Lea lets him go and just droops against the counter.]

I know that.

[heartismyown]

[Roxas wraps his cut with a paper towel and opens the first aid kit.]

I meant I could go visit Sora if you want to be alone. I know I have a lot of questions...I...I'm sorry, okay?

[by_heart]

[Lea shakes his head.]

Don't be. You need to ask those questions. Why else do you think I spend so much of my time answering them?

[He says he doesn't want to talk and yet he just keeps talking.]

[heartismyown]

I don't really know Lea. I don't know.

[He bandages his hand slowly, it's difficult but he can handle it. His anger is fading back into upset. He doesn't look very happy right now.]

Just tell me you find me annoying already.

[by_heart]

I do sometimes, yeah, when you're being a pest, but...that's okay. You should have the chance to be annoying, just like anyone else. You should have the chance to do whatever you want.

[He already knows that one came out wrong.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas sighs a little.]

If you don't like that stuff why am I here? I mean...this is your house and stuff. I don't have anything.

[by_heart]

[Has he really made him feel like that? Lea hangs his head and his voice is a little shaky when he finally speaks.]

I want you to be here. It's supposed to be your house, too. If that's not what you want, I...

[heartismyown]

Really?

[He shakes his head.]

I want to be with you Lea. You're my best friend. I just...I know I'm causing you a lot of trouble.

[by_heart]

You're not. I know I give you a hard time, but I'd do anything for you.

[...so that's out there now.]

[heartismyown]

[It's the first thing that brings a smile to his face. Roxas closes the box and exhales.]

I'm...I don't know why it upset me so much when you told me to be quiet.

[by_heart]

I don't know, either. Would it kill you to just sit on the couch with me sometimes and not talk my ear off?

[Part of him is relieved that the air seems to have cleared, but part of him is deeply disappointed that it seems like Roxas has no idea what it had taken for him to say what he'd just said and how much "anything" was. He knows they've never talked about it themselves, but he doesn't know if Sora or Riku have told Roxas how Axel died or why.]

[heartismyown]

I can do that.

[Roxas is tired of this cooking adventure and picks an ice cream for dinner.]

[by_heart]

No you can't. You'll get bored and start asking questions and you know it.

[He doesn't even bring up the ice cream. It's not like Roxas is the only one in this house who eats ice cream for dinner.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas gives him a challenging look before going into the living room to sit on the couch, with his ice cream. He sits back at the end, drawing his knees up.]

[by_heart]

[Lea follows and flops down on the couch on his back, taking up the rest of the available space (and then some). Really, now it's just a waiting game. Roxas will probably finish that ice cream, sit perfectly still until he gets bored, then start to fidget. If he doesn't get irritated and tell him to stop and they don't pick up some old argument, that's when the questions will start. It's almost become routine.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas eats the ice cream and licks the stick. He smiles at it after a moment, but doesn't say anything.

He sits still. He gets bored.

Roxas taps his fingers against his legs. Yep. Sitting there in silence. It feels like forever, but he said he wouldn't talk to Lea, and he won't.

His fingers still for just a moment. He tilts his head and looks at Lea.]

How was training anyway?

[by_heart]

[Right on schedule.]

Frustrating. Fire's always been good enough for me, but nooo, gotta learn everything else now, too. I keep trying and trying, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ever going to be on the same level as the rest of you.

[Gaah, stupid honesty curse. Usually it'd be something like "Didn't even break a sweat," but nooo.]

[heartismyown]

Why? Of course you will. I'm not a keyblade master. I think.

[Lea can do anything, pfft. What is this doubt he's talking about?]

[by_heart]

[If you only knew, kid.]

I bet you could be if you wanted. I mean, you can manage two Keyblades and I'm only now just managing one. I knew it was going to be hard, but...

[He shrugs, cutting himself off. The more he talks, the more it just comes out, after all.]

[heartismyown]

I don't really know how they work...and I'm not sure they're mine anyway. Aren't they Sora's?

[by_heart]

I don't know. I don't understand how any of that works. There was always so much going on with it that I decided I'd just focus on what I could do something about. I remember another boy, too, before any of this even started, who looked just like you. I didn't really think about that much until recently, but that has to be connected, too.

[Arrgh, he didn't mean to bring that up, either. Roxas, where are your dumb questions?]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas blinks.]

Another boy like me? Who is he?