They had always sat beside each other, it was how things went. When they were babies their mothers would sit their baby carriers beside each other, when they were toddler's they would sit side by side in the sandbox and play together. Their first day of school they were arranged to sit side by side, and that arrangement lasted until high school, but even then their lockers were side by side and they spent their lunch breaks side by side.

They were always together. So much so that their friends had formed a nickname for the duo; Akuroku. Neither Axel nor Roxas minded it. They were best friends and nothing was going to change that. Not their friends poking fun at them, not their dads, not their teachers. No one.

They were in college now, and they not only sat beside each other, but they lived together. That's when sitting together stopped being so innocent. It was their first break they had and neither of them went home. They both decided that they'd spend their Christmas break in their apartment with each other. They had strung popcorn together, watched "Home Alone" about a dozen times, went and got hot chocolate, and Roxas even made Axel try eggnog. It was nice. Two best friends just enjoying each other's company, sitting side by side, like usual, watching the Grinch steal Christmas.

Yep, just two best friends and one dark secret. A secret that could potentially ruin their wonderful friendship. Of course that secret was that Axel felt for Roxas in a not so innocent kind of way. It had started a little before Axel hit 14. He had noticed the way Roxas's eyes sparkled, or how he'd turn his head away when he was embarrassed. He'd notice that when their knees touched he'd get a tingle sent through his body that tended to stay around his groin. Axel had first brushed these feelings off, saying that they were a part of puberty and not because he fancied his best friend. Plus, if he fancied his best friend that would mean he liked men, and wouldn't that mean he was gay? No. Axel was not gay, he liked women and boobs and vagina.

When Axel was 17 he had come to terms with the fact that he not only loved Roxas in an intimate way, but he also loved men. Coming to terms and coming out are two different things, and Axel had kept his sexuality hidden from everyone. Well, everyone except Larxene. Larxene was another one of Axel's friends. If you weren't counting Roxas, she would be his best friend. And, to a lot of people, Larxene was Axel's girlfriend. Both Larxene and Axel's parents were growing suspicious that neither of them had a partner, and they both weren't ready to come out so they had decided to say they were together. Kissing each other came naturally to both of them because they were so close so the illusion that they were together worked perfectly.

Axel was now 23 and it had become a lot harder to stay "in the closet," and it had started to hurt too. He was living one big lie that hurt all parts of his life. He couldn't go out and try to get over Roxas because that was too risky, and he couldn't tell his parents the truth because it would break their heart. Axel wasn't sure why the term was "In the closet," Axel thought it felt more like "In Hell".

"Ax, you watching the movie or what?"
Axel blinked and look at Roxas and then the TV, which was playing another Christmas movie.
"Uh ... yeah, sorry. What's it called?"
"Snow Day ..."
"Cool."
Axel shifted beside Roxas and stared at the TV, trying to get himself into the story and away from his thoughts. It was Christmas Eve and they both decided to stay up until midnight to give each other one present. Axel was painfully aware of Roxas's knee pressed against his, and the way he was sipping at his hot chocolate ... how it would stay on his lips and he'd dart his tongue out to lick away the chocolate ... Axel took a deep breath and shut his eyes, thinking about everything he could to stop the blood flow heading south.

"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Axel had gotten used to say yes when someone asked if he was okay. It had become a natural reaction, and a reaction Axel wasn't pleased he had formed. Glancing at the clock, Axel shook his head and willed time to go faster. There was no way he could last another thirty minutes. Putting his hand between his knee and Roxas's, Axel felt relief wash over him as their bodies stopped touching. Feeling more comfortable, Axel finally started to pay attention to the movie and not the warm body beside him.

Axel had lost himself in the movie and never felt Roxas shift, but he did feel Roxas's soft hand take his own. Blinking, Axel looked towards Roxas with his eyebrow raised.
"What are you doing?"
"Holding your hand."
"What for?"
"Wanted to check something."
"What?"
Axel tried to bury the feeling his stomach was making and swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, but all his focus was on Roxas, and Roxas's hand holding his own.
"People have said you liked me..."
"Of course I like you, Rox, you're my bes-"
"Love me, Ax. More than friends."
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"Did Larxene tell you...?"

When Roxas didn't answer, Axel felt his whole body become tense as he looked into his best friend's eyes, wide with surprise.
"I lied."
"About?"
"No one told me that you liked me.
"Uh?"
"I saw a shooting star yesterday and wished that you'd like me ... I thought this would be a good way to prove that wishes don't come true..."
"Uh?"
Axel stared at Roxas, not really following what he was saying. Did Roxas like him? Was that even possible? Didn't that only happen in movies?

"So ... you like me? Like, like-like me?"
"Yeah. Do you hate me?"
"No ... I like-like you too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Axel squeezed Roxas's hand and smiled at him, feeling a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders. It was all so fairy taleish and hard to believe that it could happen in real life let alone to him. But it did, and as the clock stuck midnight, Roxas grinned at his new boyfriend and gave his hand another squeeze.
"Merry Christmas, Ax."
"Merry Christmas, Rox."