Holding Half of my Heart

Fifteen

The sound of the waves brought Axarhs out of sleep. She buried her fingers into the soft sand underneath her, where am I? What happened?  As the fog in her mind cleared, she remembered where Axel had taken her and what they'd done. Her eyes shot open. She was lying in the same place where she and Axel had done...certain things. Except she was alone.

She sat up, did he leave me? Her eyes searched the beach until she spotted Axels pale back contrasting the darkness of whatever this world was. He was staring out at the water. Does he regret what happened? Should I go talk to him or just stay here? Does he even care? A voice in the back of her head told her that he couldn't, but at this point, none of that mattered. She studied the situation and all possible outcomes before deciding to approach him.

That's when she noticed she'd been dressed in Axel's oversized coat. She pressed the baggy sleeves to her face and smiled; the fabric still held the smell of campfire smoke-Axels scent. He cares enough to dress me, so that's a good sign, right?

She pushed herself to her feet and winced at the sudden jolt of pain in her hips and thighs. Keeping steady on her shaky legs in the soft sand didn't help the situation. She hobbled down the beach and sat down a few feet away from him, not sure how this was supposed to be handled.

An awkward silence filled the air around them; Axarhs would glance over in an attempt to read Axel, but his stoic expression only made her worry more. Minutes ticked by, neither one of them knowing that the other was just as nervous to make the first move.

 That's it, I'm going for it! I'm taking the fall. Whether he accepts or rejects me, at least it's something! Ignoring the pain in her lower half, Axarhs scooted closer and lay her head on Axel's shoulder. He slowly let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before wrapping his arm around her waist.

Axarhs smiled and mentally cheered, he accepts me!

"You finally decided to sit next to me?" Axel asked. Not taking his eyes away from the dark water in front of them.

"I was afraid you didn't want to be near me."

"Why would you think that?" His grip around her waist tightened, "I wouldn't have done...it unless I wanted you to be with me. I'm not the kind of guy who would do something like that and leave." He blushed, even though I've never done it before.

Axarhs pulled away, "good."

"So, um..." Axel looked away and shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you ok? I mean is your body ok? I err...do you hurt?" I sound like a clueless idiot! Who asks something like that?! He blushed.

"My hips and thighs hurt and it's really hard to walk, but I'll manage." She rubbed a spot on her neck and hissed at the pain. She was about to ask why her neck was sore, but memories of Axel biting her and saying that she was his and his alone flooded back into her mind.

Axel flashed a confident smile, not bothering to apologize. They both liked it, so a few bumps and bruises were worth it. "Oh, I almost forgot," Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out Demyx's necklace. "I went back to Hollow Bastion. It took forever to find, but I thought you might want to have it."

She took the diamond and watched the bright red mix with the almost clear white, "thank you." She whispered before slipping it over her head.

Axel took a deep breath, "listen Axarhs, I'm going to tell you something and when I do, I need you to trust me, ok?"

Her heart leapt into her throat, "o-ok."

"I'm going to leave for a little bit and-" 

"I'm coming with you!" Axarhs shouted.

"No, but I promise I'm coming right back."

"But-"

"No buts. Look here," he pointed to the necklaces she was wearing. "If you ever get scared, look at the bright red in those diamonds. That red will never fade as long as I'm alive. I promise I'll come back for you. No matter what, I will always come back." He placed a soft kiss on her lips before standing.

Axarhs blinked away her tears and followed suit, "guess I should give you your coat back?" She giggled, trying to make light of the situation. Axel turned around and closed his eyes, not like it would make a difference; they'd already seen each other unobstructed by clothes. "You can turn around now," Axarhs said.

Axel took his coat and dressed himself, "wait here, I'll be back soon. I promise." He whispered before disappearing.