He hated school, no matter how good his grades were or how much his teachers loved him. He hated the other students, all the pointless drama. He hated the stupid empty headed girls that drooled over him. He hated all the monotonous days that were wasted in the brick prison. But most of all, he hated seeing him every day and knowing he would never be able to tell him how he felt. The red head sighed as he ran his fingers threw his hair. It was difficult being in love with your best friend, even more so when said friend had no idea he was gay.

"Hey Axel!" a brunette boy shouted as he ran up and grabbed his arm.

"Hey Sora," Axel grinned and looked down into the bright blue eyes smiling up at him, "What's up?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Sora pouted slightly and Axel couldn't help but grin.

"If you're referring to tomorrow, no, I haven't forgotten. How could I forget the birthday party of my favorite twins?"

"So you will be there?" Sora asked happily, immediately perking up.

"Yep."

"Yea! Don't forget, bring glow sticks and our gifts!" Sora giggled and hugged Axel around the waist. He smiled slyly up at his friend, a fiendish light dancing in his eyes, "I'm sure Roxas will be glad to hear that you're coming."

Axel flinched slightly and Sora laughed and ran off. The red head growled and stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his black trench coat as he leaned against his locker. Damn Sora for knowing, damn him to hell for being gay himself and having the cutest twin brother.

"Axel, earth to Axel!" a voice suddenly called in his ear. He turned bright green eyes to his left and his heart skipped a beat when he found himself looking into the blue eyes of a handsome blonde.

"Hey Roxas," he whispered.

"Sora just told me you were coming to our party," the blonde blushed slightly and leaned against the locker next to him.

"Yeah. If I didn't you know how Sora would act. Never let me hear the end of it."

They grinned and chuckled, then fell into a rather awkward silence.

"Is Sora's attitude the only reason you're coming?" Roxas asked quietly, looking at the ground.

"Of course not!" Axel exclaimed, "You two are my closest friends!"

"Oh," he didn't sound very reassured, "Okay, I guess I'll see you at the party then," he gave Axel a small smile and started to walk off. Afraid he had said something wrong, Axel gently grabbed Roxas's arm and pulled him back. He gave him a tight hug and whispered, "I don't know if you'll like your present tomorrow but I promise it'll be a present from my heart."

Roxas blushed and Axel gave him a reassuring smile, letting him go.

"See you tomorrow," Roxas called as Axel walked down the halls.

"Yeah," he whispered, "Hopefully I don't ruin everything."

Axel spent the rest of the day downtown at the mall shopping. He wasn't sure exactly he should get them. Sora would be happy with sugar or anything caffeinated but Axel didn't think the others would be happy with him if he got the hyperactive kid more hyper. He finally decided on getting him a certificate for the little ice – cream shop located across the street, which would make Sora happy. But what to get for Roxas? He saw a few things but none of them seemed right. He wanted something special, something that told Roxas he would always be there for him. Axel growled in frustration as he walked out of yet another store. He almost gave up and was on his way home when something sparkled and caught his attention. He walked over to the window and raised his eyebrows in surprise. A silver necklace with a silver three pronged crown pendent hung around a Manicheans neck. It would be perfect! It had Roxas written all over it. Axel ran home and dug his wrapping paper out from his attic. He had found the best gifts he could and if he was lucky he would finally tell Roxas how he felt. As night fell and he crawled into bed, he could hardly wait for tomorrow to come.

Ding Dong. The sound echoed threw the big house. Axel ran his fingers threw his hair nervously. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach and he shifted his weight from foot to foot. He couldn't believe he was going to do it. Hopefully he wouldn't chicken out, but he knew he probably would.

"Axel!" the sudden shout from behind him made him jump. "Axel! We're all out back!" Sora yelled as he jumped the fence blocking the backyard from view. He ran over and gave Axel a hug then grabbed his hand and lead him threw the gate to the yard.

"Axel's here everyone!" he shouted gleefully. People he only vaguely knew waved. The brunette girl Kairi, the silver haired Riku jock, the blonde girl Namine, and others. He waved back uncomfortably and put the envelopes with his gifts on a table with the others packages.

"Axel, glad to see you made it," Roxas said as he came out of the house with two sea salt ice creams in his hands. He gave on to the red head and started to eat the other himself. The stood in silence for awhile and watched the others laughing. "I hardly know any of these people," the blonde said suddenly, "They're mostly Sora's friends. Except Namine, she's cool. I heard she's single too," he muttered, almost to himself. Axel scowled at his ice – cream and glared at the blonde girl. So Roxas liked her? He was straight after all? Did he like blondes better the red heads? He felt the urge to tell Roxas that Namine was going out with someone, but he couldn't. If his friend liked the girl who was he to stand in the way? As long as Roxas was happy.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Axel whispered.

"I don't know. There's someone else I like," Roxas whispered back, "But I don't know if they like me or not."

"Who?" another blonde girl?

"Someone you know very well," Roxas said vaguely.

"Well that's a helpful hint," Axel grumbled. Roxas laughed.

"Hey you two!" Soar yelled, waving them over to the group, "What game do you want to play?"

"What games are you thinking of?" Kairi asked.

"Spin the bottle, 7 minutes in heaven, truth or dare, or have you ever?"

"Have you ever? What's that?" Namine asked.

Dumb blonde, Axel thought, then immediately felt ashamed of himself.

"It's a drinking game," he explained, "You ask a question, like 'have you ever killed someone?' If you have you take a shot. People who empty their bottles lose and you play tell you have the last person standing…, or laughing hysterically for no reason what so ever depending on the beverage you use."

"That sounds fun!"

"Let's play then!" Sora turned to Roxas and winked, dashing inside and returning a few moments later, "Mom's gone out and I found her stash this morning," he exclaimed as he held up a bottle of amber liquid and a stack of shot glasses. They divided the shots up and sat in a circle on the grass.

"Sora, you go first."

"Okay," he thought for a moment and then grinned, "Have you ever been arrested?"

Riku, Axel, and Kairi all took a drink.

"You'll have to tell us your story later Kairi," Soar said with surprise causing her to blush. "Roxas, you now."

"Have you ever kissed a person of the same gender?"

Everyone except the two girls took a drink.

"Riku?"

"Have you ever had sex?"

He and Kairi were the only ones to take a drink.

They continued playing until the bottle was empty and everyone was mildly drunk. Sora was giggling more then normal, Namine was muttering to herself, and Riku was moving closer and closer to Sora.

"You know what I wanna play now?" Sora whispered to the silvernette.

"What?"

"7 minutes in heaven."

"Let's play then."

Sora giggled and stood up shakily. He danced around and took some scraps of papers out of his back pocket and handed them out. "Roxas, go into the shed and I'll send someone in."

Roxas staggered into the shed and then Sora looked at everyone. "Okay, who's got," he squinted and pulled the paper closer to him, "A rain drop?"

"Me," Axel raised his hand, blushing. The others whistled as he stood up on legs that now shook. Out of everyone there, he could hold his liquor the best. He slowly walked into the shed and closed the door behind him. Sunlight filtered in threw the windows and he gulped when he saw Roxas standing against the far wall with a blindfold over his eyes.

"Who is it?" the blonde whispered. Axel didn't answer, he couldn't answer. As though he was a puppet being controlled, his legs carried him slowly toward the blonde. He stood in front of him and gently cupped Roxas's cheek in his hand. The other didn't flinch, just waited patiently. Axel watched him, his breathing quickened along with his heart rate. The butterflies in his stomach were in a frenzy. He couldn't do this, he couldn't, Roxas wasn't gay, and he liked Namine.

"What are you waiting for?" Roxas whispered then. That was all it took, an open invitation. Axel leaned in and kissed Roxas gently. Blood pounded in his ears and it felt like fireworks were going off around him. He deepened the kiss and nearly moaned when Roxas responded. His arms wrapped around Axel's neck and pulled him closer. Axel ran his hands down his sides and linked his thumbs threw Roxas's belt loops, pressing against him and sandwiching him with his back against the wall. He pulled away and whispered next to his ear, "Happy Birthday Roxas."

"I was wondering when you were going to do that Axel," Roxas whispered, pulling the blindfold off. His eyes were shining and a bright grin lit his face.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting. It wasn't easy, not knowing if you were straight or not," Axel admitted, running his fingers threw Roxas's spiked blonde hair.

"I wasn't sure myself. In all honesty I tried to deny it but I couldn't. You were always there and you watched out for me and Sora. I tried to make you jealous, saying that I liked Namine and things like that. I wanted to see if you liked me," he trailed off and then whispered, "Maybe even love me."

"I've always loved you, ever since you yelled at me and called me an ass whole," Axel grinned and they both laughed.

"I guess it's a little late now, but would you be my boyfriend?" Axel asked, looking deep into Roxas's cerulean eyes. Roxas nodded,

"Of course I will be," he whispered and hugged Axel tightly. He returned the hug and then kissed him fiercely. Roxas tugged at Axel's shirt and belt loops, wanting more contact between them. Axel pressed against him and kissed his jaw line. He ran his tongue in a small circle and then bit the blonds' neck, the sudden gasp and moan driving him wild. He ran his fingers up Roxas's shirt when they were interrupted by a loud knocking on the shed door.

"Times past up you two!" Riku shouted, "Get out so the next two can go!"

"Damn them all," Axel snarled and Roxas giggled.

"Don't worry love, there'll be other times. Don't forget I live here," he gave the redhead a seductive wink and took his hand, leading them out of the closet.

"Who's going in with me?" Sora asked as he winked at his brother and friend.

"I am," Riku snuck up behind the brunette and picked him up bridal style and carried him into the shed. Axel sat down in a lawn chair and pulled Roxas onto his lap. He reached onto the table for Roxas's envelope and handed it to him.

"Happy Birthday luv."

"I love it Axel," Roxas said excitedly as he took the necklace out of the packaging, "I promise never to take it off."

Axel chuckled, "I'm glad you like it. And I'm also glad Sora help me set this all up."

"He helped you too?" Roxas said with surprise. Then they both laughed and shared a passionate kiss.