Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Paper Hearts

Every car that drove into the DMV driveway was always different from the last. It could be a small car, a huge truck, a blue sports car or a sleek black minivan. Either way, Roxas was always surprised each morning with each eager teenager, whose drivers license he held with a simple stamp of a pass or fail. It happened on a day just like any other. He had passed a bumbling redhead named Kairi with her Volkswagen completely decked out in the latest Hello Kitty decals and accessories. Then there was also that weird rocker looking guy that drove a really out of character hybrid (he claimed it was his mother's).

But this car was different, believe it or not, from all the rest. It was easy to tell why: the driver looked wild, he dressed like a rebel and he smelled of something dished out from his old high school's restrooms, which were pretty much the hang out area for his local druggies and smokers, but wasn't that how all high schools were? See, now that wasn't the odd part about the car. Not the driver, no. Heavens! He looks perfectly capable... and in the back of his head, Roxas probably meant that in all sense of the word capable. But that wasn't it. No.

Roxas didn't say anything when he opened the car door and out came a stream of chocolates, teddy bears and paper hearts, contenting himself with watching the gifts flow out like the embodiment of a valentine river. Huh, so girls still liked the Bad Boy type. Not really a surprise. It explained why he couldn't get a girlfriend, but only a best girl (yeah there's a space) friend.

And yes, he's still single. Is being a good guy really such a turn off? Or is it just because he still looks like a teenager that makes women his age turn a blind eye and call him "little boy" rather than "mister"?

"Sorry about the mess." The teenage redhead shrugged, not looking very apologetic about the fallen gifts. "You know how Valentine's Day is, right?"

Roxas gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. I gotcha." Well, no actually, he didn't. The only memories he had of Valentine's Day was exchanging chocolates with a guy. He wasn't gay or anything, but the guy looked pitiful (from lack of any female attention) so he got a box of chocolates for him, y'know, to be a nice guy. Well, that completely backfired on him, because a day later, the gay (that's not a typo) did a 360 and professed his love to none other than the "beautiful, shining beauty that was Roxas." Yes, he really did say that.

The blonde turned to his clipboard and took a glance at the name of his current student. "So your name is... Axel?"

"The one, the only." Axel clicked his tongue as he stepped into the car without even batting an eye to Roxas's predicament. When he realized he was still alone, he peered up at Roxas. "Not getting in?"

"...You're not going to pick these up?" Roxas questioned, pointing to the chocolates with his clipboard.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you going to get in?"

Roxas didn't like him. He even regretted even saying his name. The guy had no regard for girls, no decency to accept a gift and was a complete slob. "...It's messy." Roxas pointed out, not as an instructor, but just as a person commenting on a car.

Axel gave a shrug.

'Not very talkative.' Roxas thought, deepening his distaste for the kid. "Alright, well, let's get outta here. Take a left over there." He didn't particularly like him, but at least he had a nice face. And he didn't have to like him to get along with him for a 10 minute drive. This shouldn't be too bad, right?

The car carried a thick silence between the two. Axel didn't seem to mind, but Roxas was usually a very cheery guy. He had to be if he was going to sit in a car with teenagers the whole day, meeting at least 10 different kinds of teens within an hour. Roxas crinkled his nose, a strong icky, yet familiar smell filled his nostrils, forcing him to turn away from his driver.

"Aren't you a bit young?" Both asked in unison.

Roxas blinked. "What?"

Axel turned his head briefly to glance at Roxas when the car stopped at a red light. "Excuse me?"

"How old are you?" They asked at the same time again.

Roxas let out a laugh, a light, almost relieved laugh. At least he wasn't the only one who couldn't take the silence. "I'm 24 and you?"

"...16." Axel said, drawing out his age a little longer than normal. "You don't look 24. You look more like you're..."

Roxas smirked. "What?" He leaned against the door and propped his elbow on the side. "Sixteen?"

It was Axel's turn to smile devillishly in front of the older man. "Yeah, actually." He smirked as he shifted his gaze back onto the road. Roxas had to admit though, for a kid of 16, he could make a grown man envious for such a smirk.

"Well, I'm not." The blonde sighed, keeping his position with his back pressed against the door and facing his driver. "So tell me, when did you start?"

"Uhm... Probably when I was 12."

Roxas's jaw dropped. "Twelve?" He exclaimed. "Isn't that too young?"

"Well my dad wanted to teach me at an early age. I can't say I didn't like it. It was pretty fun y'know? Bonding time."

Roxas didn't know what to say. Twelve? Really? Twelve? "I don't think it's healthy for you to continue."

Axel's face contorted then as he whipped his head toward Roxas. "What? What're you talking about?" Involuntarily, the car sped up.

"Uhm... What were you talking about?" Roxas questioned. Involuntarily, the car swerved into the next lane without a signal.

"I was talking about driving." Involuntarily, the car passed a red light.

"...Oh." Roxas's mouth a rather large 'O' shaped when realization struck him. No, not realization that they just barely missed death, but the realization that they were talking about two completely different things.

"What were you talking about?" Oh look, a cat. Now why did the cat not cross the road? You really can't guess? Okay, well, that's because Axel was driving at 80 mph in a 65 mph zone. Would you cross the road? No? Didn't think so.

"I thought you were talking about... smoking." The older boy gave him a sheepish grin and turned away to look ahead of them, only to have his eyes bug out. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? SLOW DOWN!" Roxas screamed in horror, forcing Axel to face forward when the boy refused to stop giving Roxas the "wtf is wrong with you" look.

Axel suddenly slammed on the breaks, sending all of his Valentines flying onto the dashboard, the driver and yes, the passenger too.

xxx

F-A-I-L.

This was strike 3 for Axel. He was ready for this test. If it weren't for that misunderstanding, he knew he would've passed! Why did he always get the quirky instructors? The first one was a bundle of joy that talked a mile a minute that he had sped up like crazy just to get the rampant chatter box out of his car. Then there was that black haired girl that acted like a loner and wouldn't ever speak to him because she was too busy looking in the side view mirror for some blonde she called "Roxas." And now this guy who seemed alright at first, but then turned into some nutjob halfway through the ride!

Well, truthfully, he had no right to say that because the blond was probably thinking the same damn thing that he was. Ah, shit, he needed a smoke.

Axel headed outside, depressed that he just got his third fail and it was hardly his fault, y'know, like always. He cursed a bit when he could still feel remnants of the lingering winter air; it always did take longer for the winter to pass in this city. It was like the city loved winter, yet it didn't make sense because the whole area was desert. Go figure.

The teen didn't have to pay attention to passerby's or nosy adults because as far as they were concerned, he looked old enough to smoke. He had the build and facial structure of, well, a 21 year old. He was also technically 17, but summer birthdays always take too long to arrive.

He leaned against the building wall and took a long whiff of his cigarette, letting out a long train of beautifully cancer-infested smoke. He nearly laughed out loud when he remembered the blond's horrified face after their misunderstanding. He really didn't look his age, but Axel wasn't one to complain. Come to think about it, the blond was referring to this in the car, how it was "unhealthy."

Axel closed his eyes. Well, it's not like he was going to let some random 24-year old man tell him what to do, no matter how young and cute they looked. ...Though he was very cute...

"Didn't I say this was unhealthy?"

Axel suddenly felt his cigarette fly off his lips and slip away from his fingers, catching a glimpse of it before it was thrown mercilessly onto the ground. "Ah, hey! That was mi-. Oh. It's you."

Roxas rolled his eyes with a frown. "You're sixteen. Don't ruin your life with these cancer sticks."

"Heh. You're too nosy."

"You're too careless." Roxas reached forward, making it seem like he was going to touch Axel's face... or hair... or something that would make the younger boy feel embarrassed. But it didn't happen. Instead, Roxas pulled out a paper heart valentine that had clung to Axel's hood and pulled it off. When his blue eyes searched the boy's face, Roxas felt a grin come to his face that he hadn't seen in years. "What? Embarrassed? It's your fault it stuck itself onto your hood." Roxas's grin widened when Axel's eyes shifted again, but still not toward him. "Or maybe that wasn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Axel grumbled, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

Roxas smiled, lifted the paper heart and unfolded it. "Let me show you." Hiding the act discreetly with the card, Roxas kissed Axel lightly on the lips. "...Happy Valentine's Day, My Dear Failed Student. Do come again and try to pass." Roxas whispered, adding in a mocking comment, "Wouldn't want to fail a 4th time now would we?"

"H-How did you know?" Axel cried, forgetting about the kiss and now irritated by the blond's cheekiness.

The grin on Roxas's face remained as he tapped Axel's cheek with the paper heart and walked away, leaving him with only, "Next time, make sure you don't have random paper hearts attached to you. It'll lead to some very troublesome things, kid!"

Axel stood there bewildered and shocked. So, recap: in one day, he realized he was gay, he got an A on a test, he got mountains of chocolates from girls, he didn't know what to do to them so he just threw them in the car, he got a blond guy for his driving passenger, nearly died due to a misunderstanding and now he just got kissed by said blonde. ...Damn, it was a good thing he realized he was gay beforehand or else this could have gone on a completely different route.

When he finally got his senses back, Roxas was already halfway through the parking lot, but still within hearing range. "...Wait, who're you calling kid?"

TA: My Valentine's Day present for everyone. :) I just got Birth by Sleep about a three months ago and I was so ecstatic about it that I suddenly got back into a KH craze for a brief moment. I realize I kinda switched their roles here, but I think it turned out alright, right? I might have made Roxas too old, but I think 21 would have been too young to be a driving instructor... I dunno. I haven't taken my test yet haha.

Anybody else hear that people on tumblr are calling today "Bias Appreciation Day"? LOL Gotta agree though.