Here Comes the Sun: aka everyone needs a soulmate AU (in this case, bodyswap) in their anthology. Now I know you've gotten a sneak peek at the first couple chapters, so I'll offer a snippet of a later chapter.
AkuRoku with a side of VanVen (Warning for mentioned past drug use)
---
"Never thought I'd say this, but you really lucked out with Vanitas." Roxas grumbled.
"Man, you really don't feel good, do you?" Ven shook his head, chuckling nervously, staring down at the floor, scuffing his foot across the carpet. "I'm sure we'll have our rough patches too."
"You don't have to try and make me feel better, you know." Roxas sighed. "So, maybe I don't like him, but I'm not blind. I can see the way he looks at you whenever you're both over here together." He jerked a shoulder up, scratching at the crook of one elbow. "He'd take a bullet for you. Axel would most likely push me in front of one."
Ven didn't say anything, but when Roxas looked up, he was staring off out the window, carefully maintaining a neutral expression.
"What's it like, anyway? Everything we were always taught it would be?"
"Yes, and no. It's not like we met up, looked into each other's eyes and went all googly." They both chuckled and Ven offered up a genuine smile. "I mean, I was basically looking at you."
"Trying to say you don't love me, Ven?" Roxas teased.
"There's the Roxas I know," Ven shot back. "Totally different kind of soulmate, Rox."
Roxas smiled, slumping back, finally relaxing. Though somewhere in the back of his mind, he was wondering what it was like for Ven to be interacting with someone who essentially acted like his twin but looked nothing like him. It had to be weird.
"Bet you weren't thinking of kissing me though."
"Nah. I know my own face well enough. Besides. I knew it was Vani beneath that face. And sure enough, when I opened my eyes again, there he was."
"You know. When you think about it… Isn't this a weird way to find your soulmate? Find and kiss yourself?"
"Maybe. It does make it a little easier though. Imagine having to find someone based off words written on you. Something they said to you or a name."
"At least Vanitas would have been easy."
"A Lea Moore a little harder, I'd bet."
"I'd take that over this."
They fell silent once again, Roxas picking at a scab on his arm, Ven tapping away on his phone. Talking to Vanitas. Roxas knew that look by then.
"You can go spend time with him, you know."
"You sure?" Ven looked up, grip tightening around the case. "I can stay if you need me."
"I'm fine." Roxas knew that his smile had to look forced, but he barreled on. "I'll probably just go take a nap. Try and get rid of this migraine."
They shared hugs, Ven made him promise to text if he needed any help and he'd drop everything and come back.
But once Ven was gone, Roxas didn't go to bed, he went hunting, finding Axel sprawled across an armchair, book in hand.
"You read?" The words tumbled out as he arched an eyebrow up.
"Har har." Axel rolled his eyes. "I finished high school thank you very much."
"Surprising," Roxas scoffed, sitting himself in the armchair across from him. "What are you reading?"
Axel's eyes narrowed and he quickly closed the book, stuffing it between the cushion and the arm before Roxas could get a good look at it.
"Nothing."
The answer came a little too quickly. Then, Roxas looked up and noticed the blush across Axel's cheeks. A further examination of the shelf behind them revealed a missing book. Right in the middle of Roxas's collection of romance novels.
He burst into laughter. Loud, riotous laughter that hurt his head, but felt good regardless.
When he finally caught his breath, Axel was glaring, face almost as red as the hair on the body Roxas was inhabiting.
"Seriously?" Roxas wheezed out, barely holding back another gale of laughter. "A romance novel?"
"Might I note that it's one of your romance novels?"
"Yeah, but I believe in romance."
He swore he heard Axel's teeth clink as he shut his mouth with another glower. Roxas crossed his arms over his chest in triumph as Axel fished out the novel and opened it once more, holding it up in front of his face.
"Never said I didn't, dick." Axel whispered.
Roxas blinked, unsure if he'd heard right for a long moment before Axel peered over the book, still holding it far too close to be reading.
"Would you at least sit down if you're going to invade my space? You're making me anxious hovering like that."
Roxas blinked once more before his brain caught up and he sat in the armchair next to Axel, staring into the blank television. And then he pinched his arm, yelping in surprise when pain shot up his forearm.
"The fuck is wrong with you?" Axel glared, lowering the book to his lap. "I figured being off the shit I was on would fuck you up, but this is stupid."
Roxas didn't answer at first, gears in his brain clanking along through the lingering haze. Had Axel really just said…
"I make you anxious?"
Axel's cheeks tinted the faintest pink. "Just when you're hovering like that. You're really tall."
"Yeah?" Roxas arched an eyebrow.
Axel turned a page. Then a few seconds later, another, and another. "I'm no good at this…" He muttered before closing the book with a flutter of paper.
"At what? Reading?"
"No, idiot. Talking." Axel half shouted before freezing, shoulders going stiff.
"Well for what it's worth—"
"Shit." Axel spat with a glare.
Roxas cleared his throat. "For what it's worth." he glared back when Axel opened his mouth again. "I think you're doing alright."
“ i love you. you don’t have to say anything, i just thought you should know. ” #try a couple other than Axel and Roxas challenge
Soriku it is! Now with added matchmaker Roxas.
---
Sora had spaced out, tuning out the stream of words and staring across the room at the back of Riku's head. A loud slurp to his left drew his gaze over, and he shook his head to clear the fog.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Sora flashed a grin, hand ruffling his hair into even more of a mess before going back to staring at Riku.
Roxas sighed, letting his feet drop back to the floor with loud thunks that made Riku look over.
Sora's heart gave a flutter when aqua eyes met his, when Riku smiled at him before turning back.
"I swear, you're impossible to talk to when you're making moony eyes at the brat." Roxas groaned.
"Riku's not a brat!"
"I see you're not denying the whole moony-eyed thing," Roxas snorted before taking another obnoxiously loud drink. "So, why not ask him out? Do the rest of us a favor."
"What?" Sora's head whipped over. "How would that be doing you guys a favor?"
"The rest of us wouldn't have to deal with you two making googly eyes at each other."
Sora was wondering if Roxas's eyes were going to roll out of his head. He glanced back at the silver-haired man, half sprawled across the couch, and swallowed hard. "I don't know. I don't think he likes me like that."
Roxas sputtered and then dropped his head to the table with a thud. "Ok. One, you're an idiot." Thud.
"Hey!"
"Two, you're blind." Thud.
"Rude!" Sora pressed a hand over his heart.
"You are!" Thud. "If you can't even see…" Roxas shook his head, hauling it back up with yet another eye roll. "Not worth it, Rox... Look. You obviously love Riku."
"With all my heart." Sora nodded solemnly.
"And he obviously loves you."
"Riku couldn't possibly—"
"And we are all so sick of all the pining. So for the love of my sanity, ask the man out." Roxas's hands tugged at his hair.
"I couldn't possibly… it's far too terrifying! No, it's best if—"
"You…" Roxas slapped a hand over Sora's mouth. "Mister traveled the world, fought thousands of heartless, did so much more that if I listed it, we'd be here all day… you're saying you haven't asked the twerp out because you're afraid?"
"Yes?" Sora squeaked out. "What if he doesn't feel the same?"
With another loud groan, Roxas raked his hands down his face. "I can't believe he was right. Remind me to give Axel five munny later."
"What?"
"Nevermind." Roxas waved a hand in the air. "Not important. Ok. We're going to make this easy. Rip the bandaid off." He sucked in a deep breath and turned away, bellowing across the room. "Oy, Riku. Get your emo hind end over here."
Sora swallowed hard, pressing a hand to the tornado of butterflies that were loose in his stomach. He'd expected Roxas to shout Sora's confession across the room, or just flat out tell the man when he walked over and stood between them, a hand coming to a rest on Sora's shoulder.
But no. Roxas smirked at him, taking a loud drink. "Ok, dork. Sora has something to say to you."
"Y-yeah," Sora mumbled, ears burning as he rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. "You… you look really nice today."
"Oh my god!" Roxas smacked his head back to the table. "For the love of… just tell him!"
"Tell me what? Sora?"
All Sora knew was Riku's eyes. Smiling down at him. The hand on his shoulder felt like it was burning through his shirt. "I—" he cleared his throat. "I lo—" He couldn't maintain eye contact and stared down at his clenched fists resting on his thighs. "I love you."
"I—" Riku started, hand squeezing Sora's shoulder.
"Wait. You don’t have to say anything, I just thought you should know." The words tumbled from his lips, face burning, nails digging into his palms.
"Sora," Riku chuckled, squeezing his shoulder again.
"I'm sorry for throwing that at you." Now that he'd started, words flowed from his mouth. "But, I've loved you for a long time… and I understand if you don't feel the same."
"Sora…"
"And I hope this doesn't change things between us… or make it awkward."
"Sora, would you look at me?"
Aqua eyes sucked him in when he looked up, and before he knew it, Riku leaned down and kissed him.
"I'm so happy you finally told me." Riku beamed, hand coming up to rest on his cheek. "I love you too."
"I told you so!" Roxas's cackling could be heard four doors down as tears of mirth streaked down his smug face.
Akuroku “are you gonna keep looking at me like that or are you actually gonna kiss me?”
"What?!" Axel gasped into his mug, sending sprinkles and whipped cream up his nose, leaving him hacking up what felt like a rainbow into a napkin. Of all the weird thoughts and questions that came out of his best friend's mouth at any given moment, the topic of kissing was something he'd never thought he'd hear again, especially coupled with the word 'me'; doubly so after the awkward conversation he'd had with Roxas when he'd asked why his friends seemed to like to 'mush their faces together' so often and Axel had given what was probably the most half-baked, glossed over, bad summary reasoning that had probably left the blond more confused than anything.
"I said," Roxas leaned forward, smacking his elbows onto the table with a set of painful sounding thuds before continuing on with the words Axel swore he'd imagined: "are you gonna kiss me?"
A thousand questions filled his head in an instant, bubbling rapidly from 'you know what kissing usually means?' to 'does that mean you like me?' as he tried to figure out if he should go for the lips, or the cheek, or maybe even the back of the hand.
As he stared down at Roxas's lips, noting how soft and pink they were, he thought about just going for it and laying one on his best friend like he'd been wanting to do for months now, after all, if he was wrong, chances are Roxas would probably laugh it off, swat him away saying he should have been more clear with what he wanted.
So, he pushed up from his seat, leaning across the table to plant a quick kiss to Roxas's soft lips, nearly yelping when Roxas shot up as well, latching onto his over shirt and yanking him back to as he'd always put it, 'mush their faces together,' leaving Axel to slump back to his chair in confusion when Roxas finally let go, a little dazed, a lot of happy.
"Thanks," Roxas chuckled as he settled back to his seat, thumbing at a corner of his lips and smiling. "You can take me out to dinner tonight," he told Axel, reaching over to take one of his hands that had dropped to the table.
Axel wasn't the only one grinning like an idiot when he replied, "It's a date."
Roxas's "first birthday" axel and sora get him a huge ice cream cake and he cries
The trio decided that Xion would be first.
And maybe Roxas didn't understand the significance of a birthday. Or the cake. Or the tiny little fires on the sticks that she was instructed to blow out. Why spit on a perfectly good cake?
He also found the singing a little creepy. How did everyone know the same song?
He did learn that the little sticks tasted terrible when he bit into one before anyone could stop him.
And with tears of laughter, Axel explained that they were candles. Definitely not for eating. Roxas sulked, ignoring Axel for ten whole minutes. Why make something so bright and colorful if he wasn't supposed to eat it.
But eventually he was drawn back to Axel's side when Xion started opening the brightly wrapped presents. He slugged Axel when he leaned down to whisper in his ear that 'wrapping paper definitely shouldn't be eaten.'
He didn't really get it, but he liked seeing his friends so happy.
But a month later when it was his turn, Axel woke him up that morning by squashing him, falling full force of arms and legs square onto his stomach.
When he was the one being led into a room full of friends, the one being shouted 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!' to, it felt a little different. There was a pleasant feeling that welled up in his chest. The smile wouldn't leave his face.
Emotion welled up, threatening to burst when Axel and Sora carried in the cake. It welled up in the corners of his eyes, making his vision go blurry.
And when Axel leaned down and whispered 'it's an ice cream cake' in his ear as everyone sang, he hiccuped. His face burned all the way to his ears. Everyone was looking at him...
One tear trailed down his cheek and he turned away, latching onto Axel's shirt.
"Rox, are you o...k... Oh." He had to have felt Roxas's tears.
"Thank you." He choked out, looking up at Axel.
Axel grabbed the hem of his shirt, drying Roxas's eyes. Embarrassed, turned back to the group, rubbing at one damp eye. "Thank you all."
And then he leaned forward and blew out the candles, trying not to spit on the cake too much.
Soft akuroku. The tv is on low, Roxas is watching some old sitcom. He’s tucked to one end of the couch. Axel reads a book, the second in a series Roxas wanted him to read. He’s on the other end with the lamp.
Roxas looks over every so often, watching Axel’s brow furrow or raise. He reaches out a foot and pokes it to Axel’s leg. He’s still there. He goes back to watching tv.
Axel looks up now and again, watching Roxas engrossed in his show. He watches the corner of Roxas’s mouth turn up in a smile, the corner of his eyes crinkle with laughter.
Roxas catches him watching, stretching a foot out like he’s done many times that night. He crawls across the couch, snuggling into Axel’s lap, reaching up to touch his cheek. ‘I’m still here,’ he whispers.
Axel shifts, wrapping an arm around Roxas, letting his hand rest over the slow heartbeat. He’s still there.
They’re both still there. Together.
--
Something I wrote a while back on Twitter that's been sitting in my drafts. Figured I'd get it out before the new year.
Apologies for vanishing into the ether. But I have been possessed with the spirit of fic writing. Once again, the church rafters AU.
Warnings: stalking, cheating, mentions of a breakup
It doesn't even take a month of dinner and cafe dates, long walks around the park, the barest of hand holding, and one kiss on the cheek before Roxas digs out the small cell phone Axel gave him.
He plugs it in and boots it up, pleasantly surprised when it still has service. He'd expected Axel to cancel it when they broke up.
But, he's halfway through a message to Axel, begging for forgiveness and his attention, before he deletes it all.
What is he doing?
He slumps back in his chair, dropping the phone onto the desk with a groan. Talking to Axel is a horrible idea, but red hair and pretty green eyes have been haunting him. Whenever he's on a date, he swears he keeps seeing Axel, always lingering in the background.
Bless his girlfriend for taking his odd behavior in stride. She doesn't comment when he suddenly whips around. She doesn't ask what he's looking for. She doesn't know that he's looking for a man, even while holding her hand. She doesn't know he's only dating her to make his parents happy. She doesn't know anything.
And maybe Roxas hates himself a little more each day. But his parents are happy. That's what matters, right?
Sighing, he pushes the phone across the desk, gazing out the window into the forest behind the backyard. And he squints, sitting back upright.
In the faintest light of the neighbor's motion sensing light spilling over into his yard, he can see red, just past the chain link fence, barely beyond the tree line. Then, the light clicks off.
Roxas dives for the phone, typing out and sending a message before he can realize what he's doing.
Is that you?
He stares at the spot he saw the red, and waits. It glows the next moment, and Roxas can see a face, staring down at what has to be a phone.
It's easily after midnight and his parents are in bed like he should be, but he shoves up, diving across the desk to shove the window open.
The ground is hard when he tumbles out onto it, but he's quickly on his feet, sprinting for the fence and climbing over it far too noisily. Somehow, Axel's still there. Roxas expected him to run the minute he fell out of the window. He stops himself short of flinging himself into Axel's arms. This close, the moonlight provides enough light to make out his form, facing Roxas and perfectly still.
"Axel?" Roxas's voice seems to echo loudly, breaking the still silence of the night.
"I… I can explain?"
Explain why he's been following Roxas everywhere? Why he stands outside of Roxas's house, watching through the window that he admittedly had left open for Axel? Why he's stalking Roxas?"
He doesn't give a damn about any of that. He's missed that voice.
"Axel!" He sobs, throwing himself at the man, wrapping his arms tight and squeezing.
"Roxas?"
He knows he shouldn't be out here. Shouldn't be hugging Axel. Not when he's dating someone else. But, he would be lying if he said he hadn't missed his ex-boyfriend. He's sure Axel's going to feel the tears through his shirt.
"I've missed you so much," He breathes out, trying not to wipe his running nose on Axel's shirt "I'm so sorry."
Finally, Axel's arms wrap tight, enveloping him in a long hug.
"I've missed you too, angel." Axel replies as he pulls back and tips Roxas's chin up.
Roxas's eyes flutter shut, and before he knows it, they're kissing. And it's everything Roxas was missing. Everything he knows he shouldn't want.
I feel like Roxas would be a very clingy, affectionate drunk who would go on about how pretty his boyfriend is
"Bull," Roxas grumbled, shaking his head furiously and immediately regretting it.
"I'm telling you, it happened," Axel set a large glass of water in front of the pained looking blond. "You were practically trying to climb me like a tree."
"In public?" Roxas scooped up the glass, draining half of it in one go.
"We were just at Sora and Riku's. That's hardly public." Axel waved a hand.
"Still, doesn't sound like me, even when it's just the two of us. I'm calling bull."
"I figured you'd say that." Axel dropped into the chair across from Roxas, pulling out his phone. "I had Sora send me something this morning."
He sent his phone sliding across the table to Roxas, who glowered for a minute before hitting play.
He watched himself crawl into Axel's lap, pink-cheeked and grinning like an absolute moron. He grabbed Axel's cheeks, squishing them, and planted a big kiss square on Axel's lips before leaning back.
"You've got to turn the volume up." Axel waved a hand again, a grin slowly spreading across his face.
Roxas did so, just in time to hear a voice oddly like his say, "Has anyone ever told you you're pretty? Like. Rrrrrreally pretty." In the video he reached out an arm, swiping it through the air toward Riku. "Riku. Riiiiiiku. Lookit my husband."
"Roxas, you're not married yet." Riku was biting the side of his hand, trying not to crack up.
He blinked for a moment and looked back at Axel. "Heyyyyy. Axel. Axeeeeel. You're super, super pretty. Will you marry me?"
Axel looked like he was trying not to laugh as well. "Of course, Rox."
Sora laughed from behind the phone. "That's the third time he's asked tonight."
"Whaaaaat? He's just really pretty. You wish your husband was as pretty as mine, Sora." Roxas half tipped back off of Axel's lap to waggle a finger at the camera.
Roxas reached out to tap the pause button. "Ok. Yep. That's enough of that. I am never drinking paopu wine again as long as I live."
"Oh, come on. I thought it was adorable. You're a cute drunk."
Roxas glared.
"Go on, swipe over to the next video." Axel was the one grinning like an idiot now.
He did so, tapping play and sitting back to guzzle down more of his water.
"Axel. Hey! Pretty boyfriend. Prettyyyyy."
In the video, Axel turned just in time to catch a whirlwind. Drunk Roxas latched on, all arms and legs wrapping around Axel's torso.
"Prettyyyyyyy. And strong, too. Hot."
Real-life Roxas was cringing at how loud Drunk Roxas was. He could barely hear what Axel said, but Drunk Roxas was shimmying up Axel's torso, trying to reach high enough to kiss. And he was singing now…
"My pretty, pretty coconut treeeeeee…"
He hit again the pause button. And current Roxas was just as red-faced as the one in the video.
"That's not me."
"Roxy, sweetheart. That was you."
"That's clearly not me. That's… Ven." Roxas kept his face straight, betrayed only by the deep crimson across his face.
"I always knew you were a softy deep down."
Roxas's forehead hit the table with a groan. "Never. Again."
