You Are My Kingdom Hearts ➳ Axel

Checkmate

Chapter 15: Checkmate.

Jai's POV:

After hours of literally flying as if we were birds, we were exhausted. Axel had tiredly flitted to land, collapsing onto his back. He stared at the sky as if he saw more depth and possibility in the clouds than I did, while I simply watched him in silence.

"How do you know why the sun sets red?" he suddenly spoke.

"It's a simple fact about colours," I responded, twiddling my thumbs. He pursed his lips, as if he wasn't content with my answer. He turned to face me.

"Yeah, but how do you know?"

I couldn't help but smile. "It used to annoy me that blue didn't travel far enough to be apart of the sunset. We were stuck with red and yellow -- so I asked Cloud why," I explained.

"And he knew?" Axel murmured quietly.

"He knows a lot of things," I chuckled. I sat beside him, hugging my knees to my chest. "How do you know why the sun sets red?"

A smirk crossed Axel's pale lips, the sunlight dancing across his cheeks. "I'm a redhead; it's kinda my job to know."

"So in theory, you know everything there is to know about the colour red?"

"Yep," Axel replied. "Did you know that red is the universal colour of sexual attraction?"

"What?" I quickly said, taken aback.

"Explains why you're so attracted to me," he chuckled with a wink.

"Why are you being so flirty?" I questioned curiously. "Are you feeling okay?"

Axel rested his hands behind his head, returning his gaze to the sky. He didn't say anything to me for what seemed like forever. Axel was arrogant, but I knew that he was a good guy, which is why it confused me that he was suddenly all flirty with me.

"I'm feelin' good, Jai," he murmured, his voice low and smooth. "Is it because you're feeling good?"

I paused. "What do you mean?"

Axel's face was expressionless, but I could sense the brooding emotions stirring within him. "I'm a Nobody. I don't feel anything."

"That's not true!" I snapped indignantly, rising to my feet. I clenched my jaw, Axel avoiding my unrelenting gaze. My hands balled into fists while he kept looking straight ahead. On the outside, he looked peaceful and nonchalant, but I knew better. I could feel the cauldron of emotions bubbling over inside of him.

"You're a fool," Axel chuckled gloomily. His eyes finally met mine, holding such intense misery that I felt like I would crumble any moment.

"How can you say that?" I murmured. "When you look at me like that... can you honestly say you're not hurting sometimes?"

He raked a hand through his crimson spikes and sighed. "I don't know what it means to be hurting. I know how to hurt others, but that doesn't affect me."

"You're lying!" I spat, rage coursing through my veins. "It takes such a painfully obvious toll on you. You've been a rollercoaster of emotions since you took Saix's life! Don't even try to tell me otherwise. I can read you like a damn book!"

Axel stood, the only sound coming from the sway of his black coat. As he walked away, my hand snaked out and gripped his wrist. He stopped, but didn't turn to look at me. The sunset was casting a red glow over us, dying the green grass a colour close to the amber of my eyes.

"Why?" Axel faintly whispered, bowing his head. "Why does it have to be you that sees right through me?"

I bit my lip. "I..."