Ever had a song run through your head until you did something about it? "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles would not leave me alone, and this is the product. The plot changed so much as I was writing it... but I'm content now. Enjoy!

Love Song

Roxas had an odd job to say the least: a college student who wrote song commissions for fellow students. He got quite the variety of requests, though the majority were love songs. For some reason, no one was able to write their own, and yet the aspiring writer was able to produce unique works almost like a machine. Almost.

Roxas was perfectly content making other people happy and didn't mind the occasional tip, but the songs never really spoke to him. They weren't written for his own pleasure, so pleasure they didn't bring. Roxas had long gotten over this.

"So who's this one for?"

Roxas turned to look at Axel, his best friend, who was sprawled out on his bed. He had met the redhead the year before as a freshman when he accidentally set their chemistry experiment on fire. Axel had declared them friends on the spot.

"Some kid on the next floor up. I don't remember his name." Roxas wasn't the most social of college students and it wasn't rare for him to forget a client's name.

"Love song?"

"Love song."

To Roxas's surprise, Axel suddenly looked interested. The redhead picked himself up so he could lean on his elbows. "So I heard you turned down a request from that Mary girl. You never turn anything down. What's up?"

Roxas quickly turned back to the desk, successfully averting his eyes from Axel. "I just wasn't feeling it."

"Not feeling it? When have you ever felt it?" Roxas didn't look up when he heard the senior join him at the desk.

What Axel said was true, but this time the situation had changed. The request had been a love song for his year-long crush, and that wasn't the worst of it. In truth, Roxas had been trying to write Axel a song for the past few months with nothing to show for it. How could he manufacture a song when he couldn't even write one from his heart?

Axel's smirk fell as he watched Roxas's moody expression. He didn't care for the blond's frown. "Ok, ice cream break!" He grabbed Roxas's arm and pulled him out of the room.

A faint smile returned to Roxas's face. Maybe he couldn't write him a song, but he could always rely on Axel to make his day.

Roxas returned to his room after his final class to find Axel... not there. Yes, his senior friend lived off-campus, but that didn't stop him from spending all his free time either with Roxas or working. Frowning, Roxas moved to set his things down on his desk and froze at the window. He'd seen a familiar head of red out the window outside in the courtyard, accompanied by a certain song-requesting Mary. The longer Roxas watched, the more reality sunk in. She had gotten to Axel first, without a song. She was such an amazing person that there was no way Axel wouldn't go out with her. All of Roxas's faint hopes were shattered.

Axel found Roxas 'asleep' and facing the wall when he finally returned. He sighed softly and moved to plop in Roxas's desk chair. "So... the request was for me?" he whispered, watching Roxas sadly. "Was it just too awkward to write a love song for your best friend?" He sighed again.

Suddenly there was a rustling of papers, and it took all of Roxas's will to not move. He knew the only thing Axel could be reading was his final attempt at a love song for the redhead. He'd poured everything into it: how much he liked him, fears that Axel wouldn't accept him for liking guys, the things he cherished about him. It had angered Roxas so much that the first song that meant something to him couldn't be delivered that he'd crumpled it and thrown it against the desk.

But now Axel was reading it. Roxas was coming to the realization that he had never intended Axel to know.

There was a squeak from the chair, signaling that Axel had gotten up and was standing over Roxas's bed. The blond tried not to flinch. Did Axel hate him now? Was he about to get hit...?

"I don't like her, you know. I turned her down. We'll talk in the morning, alright?" Roxas would never have believed those words if he hadn't felt the soft kiss to his forehead.

"Goodnight, my love."

-o-

Bet you'd never guess that was supposed to be a MARY SUE, did you? OH SNAP I PULLED A FAST ONE. (Please, ignore me. I've been sitting home alone all day with little to do except rather dull English reading.)

Lord that was sappy. Oh well. Thank you so much for reading!