Roxas groaned as the small blonde girl in front of him bit her lip and lowered her head. It was the third time she had turned him down.

"I'm sorry Roxas…" She shook her head so that her bangs fell over her eyes. "I'm not going to go out with you." Roxas sighed and tried again. "You have beautiful eyes Namine." The girl smiled, but didn't look up. Her hands were hidden behind her dress, and her left foot traced designs in the carpet. "It was a nice try…but no thank you." It was silent in the room for a moment.

"Thanks Nam, for letting me practice on you…again." He smiled sheepishly. "I know it must be kinda weird, huh?" Roxas brought his hand upwards and touched his hair, a nervous habit of his.

"It's ok…I don't mind. You really think I have pretty eyes?" Her cheeks were tinted a light red as she wasn't used to receiving compliments.

"Heh…" Roxas laughed nervously. "Well yeah, but no worries, I don't have a crush on you or anything."

"I know. Thank you. Who did you want to ask out anyway? If you don't mind me asking…"

"Well…" There he was, touching his spikes again. "I don't really know, it just seems like I should be dating someone. I mean, I'm fifteen and I've never kissed a girl…"

"You kissed me once. Remember?" Now Roxas was blushing and shifting from side to side. "Yeah I remember, but…no offense Nam, I was five and mom made me…so…"

"I know, I've never technically kissed anyone either. So…"

"Yeah…" They stood there for an awkward moment, neither wanting to begin that particular conversation, until a voice sounded from the door way.

"Geez Rox…your flirting skills definitely need some work."

Roxas turned his head towards the older teen.

"Axel…"

"Ciao. Who's the pretty blonde girl? I hope you aren't torturing her with your pathetic attempts to make conversation."

Namine glanced towards Roxas' red face and covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Axel, you say that every time you walk in here."

Axel raised his hand to his heart as if he had been struck.

"Well Ma'm, I can't help myself. After all…" He mocked Roxas' earlier statement in his best southern drawl: "Your eyes are just so gosh darn purdy Namine."

Roxas shook his head in amazement as Axel, once again, made a joke out of everything. Now, to be totally honest with you, Roxas wasn't comfortable around Axel. It's not that he didn't like him…they are best friends. It was hard to explain…it was like Axel watched his every move. He had redder-than-a-fire-engine hair, and freaky vivd green eyes. Emerald and Cat-like. Axel had freaky cat-like emerald eyes. Eyes that followed him. Followed him just like they did now as he crossed the room.

"Ax…" Roxas nearly growled. "What is so interesting that you have to stare at my ass while I walk?"

Axel laughed hysterically while Namine shook her head at their antics and quietly headed home.

"Don't flatter yourself Roxy…I mean, you aren't all that great if you can't even ask Namine on a hypothetical date."

Oh he did not just go there…

"Like you could do better…"

What was sad, was that Axel could, and did, have girls drooling all over him. Without even trying. It annoyed Roxas to no end.

"Oh but I can, haven't you noticed?" Axel smirked and struck a pose, causing Roxas to roll his eyes.

"Enlighten me then, I bow to your superior flirting prowess."

Roxas mock bowed, with no idea as to why he was feeding his friend's, already too big, ego.

"well…" Axel trailed off and pretended to be interested in his fingernails. Then he laughed and grinned at Roxas who was tapping his foot impatiently. "I suppose I could teach you a few things…Meet me at the clock tower at noon tomorrow. I'll show you the ropes."

Roxas rolled his eyes again. "Fine. Deal." If only he'd known what he was getting himself into.

Axel left after blowing a kiss to Roxas' mom, and without ever saying why he had come over in the first place. That was so like him...

….

It was noon, Roxas was at the clock tower, but…where…

"Where is Axel?"

He waited…and waited…and waited until three in the afternoon. Axel never showed…

….

Now Roxas was in his room, dialing Axel's phone number. He picked up after two rings.

"Hello?"

Roxas growled in annoyance.

"Where were you today?"

"Rox, that was your first lesson. Promise her something, don't deliver. She'll wonder what happens. She'll think about you, she'll ask about it next time you see her. Meet me same place same time tomorrow. For real."

Before Roxas could even think to respond, he had hung up. It was so…annoyingly Axel.

…

"Hey Roxas."

This time Axel had beaten him there, and he was smiling. Roxas smiled back.

"Lesson Two: Smile. I smiled, you smiled back, you must be falling for me."

Roxas' face instantly transformed into more of a grimace.

"Get on with it…"

Axel smirked.

"Alright, after the smile, gaze into her eyes. Don't hold it too long, or else you'll creep her out. Instead, keep it for 2-3 seconds, glance away, look back…etc..etc..If she looks at you and then away shyly, she likes you."

He demonstrated by staring at Roxas, but for far longer than needed.

"Hey! HEY! Watch the eyes!"

Even though he knew there was no way his best friend was checking him out, Roxas was a little freaked.

"That, the staring for too long thing, and looking away from her eyes, is a big NO."

"Hmmph." Roxas pouted. "I can see why." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Done whining Roxy?"

Roxas glared at him after hearing his new nickname, but he knew it was useless to fight him about it. Axel pretty much did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and regardless or what others thought about it.

That was why they were best friends.

"Ready for the next stage? Casual conversation and the art of touching."

Roxas paled. "Wha…what?" He practically squeaked, and scooted backwards. Towards the edge of the tower.

Then he was yanked forward into Axel, who was gripping his shirt so tightly that his already pale knuckles seemed even whiter.

"Geez Roxas….Relax. The kind of touching I'm referring to is totally platonic and about as sexual in nature as this. No need to scoot backwards off of a building" Roxas turned tomatoe red, and Axel surveyed their current positions. So...it wasn't really a good example of non-sexual touching. As it was, there was no space between them. At all. None. You couldn't fit a piece of paper in there. As it was, Axel was sprawled out against the wall, one hand still holding onto Roxas' shirt, with Roxas', still very red, face mere inches away from his own. As it was, Roxas had one hand on Axel's stomach and the other was clutching his wrist. He also had a knee in between Axel's legs…if that wasn't uncomfortable…

Axel cleared his throat.

"Well…I think that's enough for today…how about you?"

Some of the tension disappeared as soon as he let the blonde go. Roxas nodded in agreement.

"What did you learn?"

Roxas had to swallow before responding, he was still a bit shaken from his almost-near-death experience.

"Smile, eye contact….linger, no travelling, no scooting backwards off of three story ledges…" He cracked a smile.

"Good." Axel nodded in approval, "You up to working on the next stuff tomorrow?"

Roxas thought for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Same time, how about somewhere…closer to the ground maybe? I'll take you to the usual spot."

They met there for the next couple of days, Axel making it a point to educate Roxas. They worked all the way up to what Axel called, "Bring out the Big Guns"

Day 1. Topic: Conversation starters, casual touching.

"Roxas, I love your shoes! There are so many little notes on them…you must be very popular." They both knew that 9/10 of those notes had been written on the converse with Axel's green sharpie. The other had been from Namine; it was a light blue color. It read 'Hi'. Roxas muttered a polite thanks anyway.

Axel tapped Roxas on the shoulder and asked in his most innocent voice, "Can I add something for you to remember me by?" Roxas stared at him blanky, which he took as a yes. Now the beat up converse said "U R 2 CUTE" in bright red.

"Crossing…a line." Roxas stated. Axel just laughed and shrugged it off. "You know it's true." He winked and ruffled Roxas' hair…casually. Then he got up and left Roxas there to stare confusedly after him.

Day 2. Topic: Prolonged still casual touching.

When Roxas arrived, Axel was reading a book. Roxas just sat down next to him and waited. He waited for Axel to speak, but he didn't. Instead, he rested his head on Roxas' shoulder, making him blush.

"Ax, are you really that tired?"

"No. I'm comfortable."

They just sat there for a while, Axel quieting Roxas with a "Shh I'm reading" every time he tried to speak. Axel smiled when he began to hear Roxas snoring. He cautiously put his arm around Roxas' waist, and Roxas snuggled against him.

While Roxas slept, he dreamed. Not dreamed really…not even slept. It was hard to explain…He could hear Axel chuckle about something, and feel an arm go around his waist. He even knew it was Axel's arm…and he didn't question it. He welcomed it. Though his mind was questioning why, he snuggled closer. The rest of him was too tired to care.

When he woke up, it was dark and Axel had fallen asleep with his arms still wrapped around Roxas' waist. Roxas just sat there thinking about how comfortable he was.

Day 3. Topic: The Big Guns

When Roxas arrived at the Usual Spot, it was empty. He decided to sit and wait for a while. His thoughts wandered to his previous day with Axel. Roxas had fallen asleep again before Axel woke up, and when he woke up, he was in his room. Axel must've carried him the two blocks. Roxas knew that things would probably be different between them. He'd unintentionally fallen in love with Axel somehow in the past week or so. Had he always loved him? He decided it didn't matter. Roxas would tell him anyway because he wasn't one to keep a secret.

However, Axel wasn't there. Roxas was hurt that his friend hadn't shown up. Axel was probably aware of his feelings by now, he wasn't stupid. He also wasn't one for confrontations, so his absence led Roxas to believe that Axel didn't return the feelings. If that was how it had to be, he'd completely forget about Axel. Staying friends would cause more help than harm at this point.

That's what he'd been thinking before he walked out of the Usual Spot. Before his former best friend's arms wound themselves around his waist and pulled him closer. Before Axel's voice whispered low and close to his ear. "Did you miss me Roxas? Do you know…that you talk in your sleep? You said you love me, and do you know, that I loved hearing it?"Then Roxas realized, as his still best friend-now boyfriend kissed him, that maybe this is what Axel had intended all along. After all, it was so him…so annoyingly Axel…and Roxas loved it.

YAY I IS DONE! What can I say? I was bored, couldn't sleep, so I wrote this between 11pm and 4:30am….REVIEW!!!