"Dammit Axel, leave me alone!" Roxas flinched, slapping the Redhead.
"God Roxy, I almost forgot how noisy Castle Oblivion is with you here," Axel said holding a hand over his pink cheek.
"I almost forgot how annoying you were and I do not want you to call me 'Roxy' anymore," Roxas turned away from Axel, folding his arms.
"What? I've always called you that!"
"That was before," the blonde muttered softly. Roxas had been back at the Castle for less than a week and already he was regretting his return. He hadn't found out much about his 'true self' and he felt oddly out of place in the Organization. Everyone gave him weird stares, awkward glances. He could never find a thing to talk about with the other members. All aside from Axel. Axel, who had spent hours convincing, or rather forcing, Roxas to come back with him. Axel, who had once been his best friend, his secret lover. Axel, who was now just another member in the boy's eyes.
"Roxas," Number Eight's tone lowered. "What happened to us?"
The blonde cringed.
"We used to be… so close."
"I- I don't know…"
"Nothing had to change, you know."
"No Axel, I don't know. I don't know anything. I don't know who I am or why I came back. Nothing is certain. I'm just… confused."
The Redhead shared a sympathetic look with the boy, "Roxas, I promised I would love you forever. I do. I will."
"Axel, don't-"
"I never knew that promising to meet in the next life meant ending our love in this one," Axel stood from his seat on the couch next to Roxas. He turned.
"Axel…"
He walked away.
"Hey Axe!" Demyx stood in the doorway of Number Eight's bedroom wearing a huge smile.
"All smiles, as usual, Dem? What's up?" Axel asked smirking.
"Well you see, I was, uh, just in the neighborhood and I though I'd drop by."
The Redhead raised an eyebrow at the comment, "Demyx. Your room is right next to mine."
"I know. That's why I was in the neighborhood," the blonde smiled.
"Drop it, Dem. What do you want?"
"Well," Demyx scurried into the room and sat next to Axel. "A couple of the guys were wondering…"
"Wondering?"
"Well…"
"C'mon Demyx!"
"He wants to know what's up with you and Roxas."
"Zexy!" Demyx turned his attention to the Member in the doorway.
"'what's… up?'"
"You know…" Zexion swiped the hair from his eyes.
"The smiling, the hugging, the kissing, the lov-"
"Yeah Dem, got it," Axel interrupted the Sitarist. "I don't know. I really don't know. I don't think I did anything wrong. I don't know what to do. I can't stop thinking about him."
"Well, I can't help you there."
Axel grimaced at Zexion's remark, "I didn't think you could anyway. You don't normally."
"We have before."*
"Yeah on Val-"*
Zexion clasped his gloved hand over Demyx's mouth. Nine made a few muffled sounds that Zexion ignored, "well Axel, we really should be going." Still holding a hand over his lover's mouth, Zexion turned and walked out of the room. He stopped in the doorway, casually looking over his shoulder, "Axel… no one likes to see you two fight.*"
That… was pointless… Axel thought when the two left. They really were no help. In fact, all they had done was confuse him more. Eight sighed sitting back on his bed, "Roxas…"
"I know what you're going to say," Roxas didn't even look up at the emo genius standing before him. "Let me guess, 'no one likes to see us fight*,' 'I should quit being immature and make up with Axel?' "
"Good, so I can save my breath. Are you going to do it?" Zexion raised an eyebrow, though even if Roxas had been looking up he wouldn't have noticed due to lengthy bangs.
"Nope. Why do you care anyway? It's no one business. So what if it's bothering him? He's not my problem anymore," the boy said bored and blandly.
"Are you sure about that?"
"I could care less."
"So everything you've been through means nothing? Your feelings mean nothing? Axel means nothing?"
Roxas's head shot up, tears and anger raging in his eyes, "shut up, shut up, shut up! What do you care? This has nothing to do with you!"
"It has everything to do with me!* I worked too hard for you to go and mess things up just because you can accept your own feelings. Get over whatever teenage angst stage you're in and accept the fact that you still love him!" Zexion's last four words struck Thirteen hard. The boy stood dumbfound and wide-eyed. He was shaky. Zexion was usually calm and cool so hearing him get mad shook Roxas up. Roxas's head lowered quickly, his entire body trembling tears fell quickly from his cheeks to his boots and the surrounding floor. Roxas didn't like to have his wrongs pointed out and he didn't like getting yelled at.
"I don't… I don't want to…"
Zexion, already losing his temper, was ready to scold the boy again, but was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.
"Axel."
Roxas flinched.
"Zexion. Don't make Roxas cry. I'm sorry you're mad and thank you for caring, but I'll handle it from here."
Zexion shrugged, regaining his normal composure before leaving the room.
"Roxas…"
The boy was –silent aside from hiccupy sobs.
"Rox…" Axel walked to Thirteen, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Roxas?"
"No! Go away! Don't touch me!" Roxas sobbed vainly pushing the pyro away.
The redhead took a step back, "you really do hate me, don't you?"
"I…"
"It's okay. I understand. I'm sorry for making you come back." he said coldly.
"I don't…" he lowered his head.
"Then what Roxas? What do you want?" Axel begged
"I don't…"
"Roxas come here," Axel held his arms up slightly.
"I don't want to…"
"Rox, I don't want to see you cry. I don't want to see you in pain, especially not because of me."
"I don't want to…"
"Roxas, I love you. Forever and ever. No matter what."
The boy's head shot up, tears running quickly down his face, "Axel. I don't want to! I don't want to be away from you! I don't want to not love you!"
"Then don't."
Axel wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, holding him close. Roxas immediately hugged Axel back, crying into his coat, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. It's fine. As long as I can love you, its fine."
"I love you, Axel. I love you so much. I never stopped loving you."
"I know, Roxas, I love you too."
"Axel… will you please call me Roxy?"
"I love you," he paused, the slight presence of a smile on his lips. "Roxy."