A ten-year-old Axel glowered silently behind his magazine on the blue lawn-chair, eying the seven-year-old blond kids that he was forcibly commanded to look after on his yard.

(He swears, if he didn't know how his mother actually looked, he would've thought she was a thick, six-foot tall lady with a beard by her tyrannical ways)

Actually, what was currently irritating him to his core was the fact that his forever crush was playing with someone other than him and he was jeal- WAIT. No, no, Axel Sinclair doesn't and can't feel jealousness; he was too cool for that. Of course, it was that he was forced to watch the kids!

Yea, that's what it was. For sure.

The sight of the Roxas laughing, playing, reading to and with his girl best friend, Namine didn't bother him.

Nope.

"You see? This is a dawg!" Roxas cried out joyously, childish lisp still there, thrusting his chubby index finger toward the little kiddy book. His chest popped out with silly pride. Axel's face turned pink at the unbearably cute display, wanting to cuddle and coddle him right then and there.

"I can read the words right hwere!"

"Wow!" Namine exclaimed excitedly. "Cool! Reading's weally hard!" she praised smiling, and she grasped the other's hand.

Axel's envy-green eyes narrowed and twitched as he observed Roxas's porcelain cheeks lash with redness. He glared evilly toward the girl, an uncomfortable, unpleasant feeling settling in his ten-year old chest.

Namine's dainty little hand along with the rest of her body suddenly burst into flames, mouth open with a horrified scream, and quickly was cremated into a black, sooty pile of dust.

Roxas yelped, utterly shocked and he stumbled to Axel, clinging on tightly to him, turning to the other's face and noticing just how close they were… Axel looked at Roxas and smiled, enjoying his crush's warmth, relieved at the absence of that intruder...

"Axel!"

He jolted awake to his name and two pale hands blurredly waving in front of his eyes, and blinked. Namine gave him a sweet smile, cheeks lifting up.

Oh. If only looks could kill.

"Mama's here! Gotta go!" Namine giggled, ran to her mother's car, and waved again from the window, which Axel returned sleepily. Moaning as he threw his arms up, yawning. One long arm held over his head, he walked tiredly to Roxas.

"C'mon kiddo. Let's go to my house 'till your mom gets back." Axel murmured stiffly. Roxas nodded slowly and followed him, dragging his feet a little.

Roxas looked up nervously and opened his mouth, "Axel?"

"Yea?"

"Why are you less happy with me lately?"

Axel stopped walking. He turned around to see Roxas looking down, biting his lip, blue eyes glistening with sadness.

A sudden wash of emotion hit Axel like a freight train, and he grasped Roxas's soft hand tightly, pulling him to his house, nearly running as though there were zombies after them.

Axel grabbed Roxas in a tight hug as soon as they were in, slamming the wooden door with a bang! behind them, taking in the childish smell of strawberry. He pushed away suddenly, just to look at his gorgeous clear blue eyes.

Axel fumed at the thought that Namine had been the subject of these gorgeous hues for the past three hours, and felt frustration course through him. He... actually didn't know what to do, now that he dragged Roxas in...

Well... About a week ago, Axel had seen two actors kissing each other on TV, and it was a lot different than his Disney movies, and much to his mother's irritation (she was really into the movie), he asked why they were both men.

"Love is for anyone, doesn't matter if it's a boy or girl. You'll understand when you're older, Axel. Now, shush." his mother told him.

And of course, Axel was older! He was ten! Practically an adult. And he liked Roxas, a lot, so it should be fine, right?

"Roxas, Imma teach you something more fun than reading, 'kay?" Axel stated seriously. Roxas nodded and Axel leaned down closer to his own face, two pairs of eyes shutting close unconsciously, emeralds and sapphires.

And the sweet press of lips against each other.

Roxas felt a shudder of electricity crawl down his spine and though he didn't really know what was going on, he enjoyed it.

Axel's head positively spun as he pulled back from the kiss and a silly, wide grin graced his face.

"Wasn't that more fun?"

The next day, Namine came over to play again. Axel continually smirked triumphantly at the poor girl, knowing that he had gotten to Roxas first. (Oblivious and unobserving, Roxas never noticed the constant smirks and curious looks that were exchanged around him.)

"Roxas, what should we do? I'm bored." Namine muttered, swinging her legs in the air on the porch chair. Roxas put his finger to his lips thoughtfully.

"Well, Axel taught me this really fun thing!" Roxas said naively, and began to lean in towards the girl.

The older male nearly screamed in horror and immediately dragged Roxas and Namine apart.

"Let's eat cookies in my house, yea?" Axel said breathlessly, and without waiting for their response, he lugged the two into his house, intending to keep them apart for the rest of the visit.

Whew. Safe.