A/N: I went scrolling through the memos in my phone and stumbled upon this gem. I honestly did not remember writing more than the first two lines, but when I scrolled through and read the ending, I knew I had to post it. It literally made my heart swoon while reading it (which may not be a difficult feat, but, I digress). So, I did a teensy bit of editing and here it is! (Update: I did even more editing! I don't know if I like the old or new version better but I guess you won't know the difference!) Super short and sweet and a little bit of citrus (and also a lot of cheese but that makes that concoction sound gross)

Warning: Sexual situations, some suggestive comments, a little strong language (that I probably shouldn't have put in the summary box, so the warning is kind of late...it's more like an apology)

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine and were probably not intended to be put in situations like this. Oh well.

Bare

"I want you, naked."

"Um, what the fuck? No?"

Axel laughs at this—a genuine laugh, the kind that makes his nostrils flare and his eyes squint for a moment. "That's not what I meant. C'mere."

He pats the spot next to him on the edge of the bed and Roxas reluctantly scoots forward.

"Axel, I'm not about to let you seduce me in my brother's room."

Axel raises an eyebrow but Roxas is quick to catch up with his racing (or racy) mind.

"—Or any room, for that matter."

"No, just listen to me." He juts a finger into Roxas's sternum, hard. Roxas gives him a leveled look.

"I want you to lay bare here. I want you to strip down so I can see what's underneath—"

He gestures emphatically, then traces a finger horizontally across Roxas's chest until Roxas is self-conscious about how hard his heart is beating against his chest, as if trying to respond to Axel's touch, to speak out against Roxas's silence.

"—this."

He punctuates this with an open palm against Roxas's heart. As if he could sink his hand in the next moment and tear out Roxas's rapidly beating heart, lay it in front of him and watch it seize and sputter.

"Sure, you could get naked this way too." He slides a finger into the collar of Roxas's shirt and pulls it slightly down his shoulder, exposing it to the cool air. Axel places a warm kiss to the skin, but immediately pulls the shirt back up neatly in place. "But that's not what I want. I want to see you in your pure, unadulterated form. Tell me who Roxas is."

He smooths a stray, wild piece of Roxas's hair down, staring down into wide cerulean eyes. "I want to know what he thinks in the morning. If he's ever cried at a funeral...or maybe that he couldn't cry and how it made him feel like shit. What he's afraid of."

He lightly runs his thumb along the edge of Roxas's cheekbone."What moment is imprinted in his eyelids every time he shuts his eyes?"

Roxas blinks slowly this time, trying to conjure the image. All he can see behind closed lids is the image that greets him when his eyes open. This moment. Right here.

"And does he carry his scars like tattoos, each with a story?"

At this, Roxas can't help but reach upward towards Axel's face, his touch hesitant and featherlight as it meets a purple teardrop tattoo.

"What does he do when he's just...happy?"

Roxas feels something snap inside of him. Or maybe just swell and press searingly against his chest. But he suddenly wants to tear his beating heart out and place it into Axel's warming hands.

He leans forward and places his lips flush against Axel's.

And maybe Axel did really get to see Roxas naked that night. But he also undressed him over time. Uncovering layer by layer, discarding unnecessary covering and bindings until Roxas was laid bare, staring up with wide-eyes and narrow intentions. And the answers to the questions came like full moons. Waxing and waning and painfully tedious, but beautiful and new each time.

"Axel, I want to see you naked."