"Hey Xion, where were you today?" I asked my friend once I returned to The Castle That Never Was after my mission. "Axel and I missed you at the clock tower. He said not to think anything of it, but I was a little worried."

Xion only smiled at me. "I just wanted to give you and Axel some alone time," she told me.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Now she laughed. "Don't tell me you don't know?"

I stared at her blankly. "Know what?"

She laughed some more. "Oh, Roxas…Axel likes you."

"What?" I exclaimed. "That's crazy! Where'd you ever get an idea like that?"

"I can tell by the way he looks at you."

"What are you talking about, Xion? He looks at me like he looks at you."

She shook her head. "You seriously don't see it, do you?" She sighed, but laughed some more. "Hey Demyx!" she then called behind me.

I turned to see Number IX walking past us. But he stopped when he heard Xion call him and he walked over to us.

"Hey, what's up guys?" he greeted us.

"Demyx, will you please tell Roxas about Axel," Xion said.

"What? That Axel likes him?" Demyx checked.

"Yes! Roxas doesn't believe me when I say that."

Now Demyx laughed. "Oh please Roxas, Axel is totally crushing on you."

I shook my head this time. "Both of you are wrong. Axel and I are just best friends. He's my best friend and I'm his best friend. That's it!"

"Just because you don't like him that way, doesn't mean he doesn't like you that way," Demyx pointed out. Then he walked away from us.

"Now do you believe me?" Xion wondered.

"No. I don't," I denied. "I think you sound ridiculous."

"Fine. But I won't be coming to the clock tower after work until you come to terms with the truth." With that said, she also walked away from me.

I sighed and retired to my room. I got ready for bed, but couldn't stop thinking about Axel and what Xion and Demyx had said.

"There's no way Axel likes me as more than a best friend," I told myself over and over again. "It's impossible." I thought for a moment. "Or maybe…" I trailed off and shook my head again. "No. Don't even go there, Roxas. Xion and Demyx are just messing with you." Now I nodded. "Yeah. That's it. They're only messing with me."

After deciding that, I had managed to fall fast asleep. The next day I woke up with a start. I got my mission from Saïx and once I completed it, I headed to the clock tower. I was the first one to arrive, as usual, so I just sat there and waited. Then Axel finally showed up.

"Hey there," he greeted me with a smile.

"Hi," I replied.

He sat down beside me. "How'd your mission go?"

"It was pretty easy. Yours?"

"Nothing I haven't done before." He paused. "Xion coming today?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"She said that she's not coming until—" I stopped myself, my eyes widening a bit.

"Until what?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Roxas? What's wrong?"

I sighed. There was no avoiding it now.

"Axel…Xion and Demyx both have this crazy notion that you…like me as more than just a best friend," I told him.

"Oh," he said shortly.

"Oh?" I repeated. "That's all you have to say?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "What else am I supposed to say?"

"That it's not true!" I exclaimed. "Unless…" I trailed off. "Axel, do you—?"

"I thought it was obvious," he cut me off.

I gaped at him now, not sure of what to say. But he seemed totally relaxed; as if this conversation meant nothing.

"But you—I—we—"

"I know. We're best friends."

"Axel!"

"What?" He finally raised his voice a little.

I didn't even know what to say or how to respond. I had never expected to face a situation like this. And now that I was, I was a total loss for words.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I finally asked. My voice was barely audible.

"Because I thought it was obvious," he said again.

"You should know me, Axel! I'm oblivious to everything!"

He chuckled a bit. "Apparently."

"This isn't funny."

He sighed. "Calm down, Roxas. You're making way too big a deal out of this."

My head dropped at this. But I soon felt a hand—Axel's hand—cup me cheek. I looked back up at him just in time for his lips to meet mine. At first, I didn't know how to react. But after a moment or two, I melted into the kiss. Axel obviously noticed this and took advantage of the moment, pushing me down so that I was lying on my back and he climbed over me. I just went along with it. Eventually, my head got dizzy from the lack of air and I gently pushed him away.

"So, I'm guessing you like me, too?" he stated, smirking a bit.

"Shut up," I said back.

He laughed at rolled off of me to lie next to me.

"I can't believe even Demyx knew you liked me, but I didn't," I thought aloud.

"Hey, you gotta give the guy some credit; he is pretty observant."

"Apparently."

We fell silent for what seemed like forever. But after what I had just discovered, I never wanted this night to end. And I wanted Axel to stay by my side forever.

"It's getting late," I pointed out, sitting up. "We should head back to the Castle now."

"Why?" Axel asked in that whiney voice of his.

"Because we can't just lie here forever."

"Sure we can."

"No, we really can't."

He sighed, sitting up as well. "You're no fun."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Whatever." I stood up and turned to leave.

"Hold on," he stopped me.

"What?"

He took my hand and stood up. Then he pulled me into him and kissed me again. I kissed him back. He retreated sooner this time, though.

"Okay." He smiled. "Now we can go."

I smiled back. "Okay." I turned to leave again.

"Unless," he turned me back around, not letting go of my hand, "you want to stay here."

"And do what?"

He smirked. "I have a few ideas in mind."

I pushed myself away from him, but was still smiling. "Get your head out of the gutter, Axel."

He laughed again; it was such a sweet sound. "Okay, okay. But I was only joking around."

"Yeah…sure," I replied sarcastically.

Axel winked at me. "All right, let's head back now."

"Okay."

And with that said, the two of us finally returned to the Castle. And we returned to realize that Xion and Demyx were waiting for us.

"See?" Xion said simply.

"We told you," Demyx added.

"Shut up," I replied.

Once again, Axel laughed. "Relax, Roxas." He put his arm around my neck and pulled me into him again. "Just ignore them," he whispered in my ear. "We'll see you guys later," he then said to the other two.

We walked to my room, stopping outside the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a smile.

I nodded. "Goodnight Axel." I entered my room and closed the door as he walked away. I fell onto my bed with a content sigh. "Axel likes me," I told myself with a smile. "I guess it s possible after all."