Axel realizes belatedly that the connotations of his words had been misleading. Saying that Roxas would have been disappointed put the blame on Roxas for finding fault, but that isn't what he meant.
"Ah, lemme rephrase that," he says, shaking his head, and he looks a little embarrassed. "I more meant... I wanted you to be proud'a me. You know, for making the right choice for once."
And then the sentimental sheepish look is gone as Axel heaves a sigh and threads his hands together behind his head.
"Ahh, but if it's my life anyway," he says, flopping backward onto the bed dramatically, "then maybe I'll just swear off all this good guy baloney and take a nap for like a month. That sounds way more in line with my long-term goals."
He opens one eye and gives Roxas a grin that makes it obvious he's just messing around.
When Roxas gets quiet then and speaks of Riku, the playful posture vanishes and Axel sits upright, drawing one knee up and giving his friend a curious look. He's not surprised to see Roxas sort of working through his thoughts on Riku--Axel of all people knows that when you're on opposing sides, even if you don't really want to be, it can be complicated to acknowledge the actions of your opponents, however justified they may or may not have been. He actually makes a startled noise, though, when Roxas concludes his thought, and he reaches over to take the kid's shoulder.
"Wait, hold up," he says. "'That town', that fake Twilight Town?" he asks. "Riku is the one who dragged you into that mess?" Okay, maybe he still trusted Riku to not physically stab him in the back, but this news is deeply troubling. Axel had wondered how Roxas had wound up in DiZ's talons, but to think that Riku had been the one to hand him over made Axel's stomach twist with anger. "How the hell did that happen?" he asks, shaking his head. "I mean, you've kicked the asses of half the Organization--you tore Saïx up good on your way out--and Riku carted you off behind enemy lines?"
That isn't to say Axel doesn't respect Riku as a combatant--Riku's kicked his ass once or twice--but Roxas is about the strongest person he's ever met, and especially before Riku really got a handle on himself, it's hard to imagine the younger man taking Roxas out.
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"Ah, lemme rephrase that," he says, shaking his head, and he looks a little embarrassed. "I more meant... I wanted you to be proud'a me. You know, for making the right choice for once."
And then the sentimental sheepish look is gone as Axel heaves a sigh and threads his hands together behind his head.
"Ahh, but if it's my life anyway," he says, flopping backward onto the bed dramatically, "then maybe I'll just swear off all this good guy baloney and take a nap for like a month. That sounds way more in line with my long-term goals."
He opens one eye and gives Roxas a grin that makes it obvious he's just messing around.
When Roxas gets quiet then and speaks of Riku, the playful posture vanishes and Axel sits upright, drawing one knee up and giving his friend a curious look. He's not surprised to see Roxas sort of working through his thoughts on Riku--Axel of all people knows that when you're on opposing sides, even if you don't really want to be, it can be complicated to acknowledge the actions of your opponents, however justified they may or may not have been. He actually makes a startled noise, though, when Roxas concludes his thought, and he reaches over to take the kid's shoulder.
"Wait, hold up," he says. "'That town', that fake Twilight Town?" he asks. "Riku is the one who dragged you into that mess?" Okay, maybe he still trusted Riku to not physically stab him in the back, but this news is deeply troubling. Axel had wondered how Roxas had wound up in DiZ's talons, but to think that Riku had been the one to hand him over made Axel's stomach twist with anger. "How the hell did that happen?" he asks, shaking his head. "I mean, you've kicked the asses of half the Organization--you tore Saïx up good on your way out--and Riku carted you off behind enemy lines?"
That isn't to say Axel doesn't respect Riku as a combatant--Riku's kicked his ass once or twice--but Roxas is about the strongest person he's ever met, and especially before Riku really got a handle on himself, it's hard to imagine the younger man taking Roxas out.