A/N: Hey there, I wanted to write another (yet another) one-shot. Heh, I kind of just want to escape, you know? So I'm typing randomly to zone out entirely. Does that make sense? No? Right, well read on. This will be an Akuroku, because I love Roxas… A lot. Right. So this will probably focus on him. Of course. Because he's cute. And awesome. And…yeah. Too cute for me not to resist him, really.

Snow

Roxas Hikari sighed, his minty breath escaping as a misty cloud. The soft snow was falling around him, everything enveloped in a brilliant white. Roxas frowned and adjusted the uncomfortable azure blue scarf. The huge flakes clung to his delicate eyelashes, their pure liquid rolling down his pale cheeks and clinging to his chin. He was freezing. Why did he have to ride the bus? Didn't his mother know that the bus stop was just one big sheet of ice that he had to wait around on for an hour?

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and let out another long sigh, he was freezing. His shaking hand in his hair, Roxas looked up to the cloudy sky, he hated the bus. He hated the scent of rubber boots and sour milk, the grouchy driver and old ladies who wore too much perfume.

Suddenly with a small, surprised cry, Roxas was barreled to the icy ground, a somewhat dazed redhead rubbing his own head.

"Axel?" He stared blankly, irritated. He hadn't seen this guy for months, why was he even around this neighborhood?

"Roxas?" Axel's shocked green eyes were directed at him, the deep emerald almost too much for the blonde boy to bear.

"Why are you out here, Axel?" Roxas carefully crept to his feet and held out a hand to help up the other.

Unceremoniously, Axel took it, only managing to crawl to his knees before haphazardly yanking Roxas back down to the ground with him, "Sorry…"

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Right. Why are you here?"

"What's it to you?" Axel sounded bitter, "Why are you here?"

"Never mind," Roxas hissed. He climbed to his feet and brushed the powdery snow off, not bothering to offer Axel help this time.

"Sorry," Axel snapped as he gingerly rose to his full height, "I'm going to see a friend in the hospital."

"Oh," was all Roxas said. It was awkward, just standing there next to the lank redhead. Axel was tall, nearly anorexic looking as well.

Axel glanced down and Roxas blushed.

"What is your problem, kid?"

"Kid?"

"How tall are you? Like four-two?"

"Five foot three, if you're going to be an asshole about it. How tall are you?"

"Six-two. Why do you keep looking at me?"

"Who's your friend?"

"Just a friend," he growled. It was a touchy subject, obviously. Axel ran a hand through his tangled red hair and let out a slow sigh, "Sorry. He's no one you know."

"I'm sorry," Roxas said softly. He wasn't sure how to talk to Axel in all of his bipolar reactions.

"Don't be. It's his fault he's in there. If he wasn't a fucking moron, then he wouldn't be in the hospital." Axel shoved his hands in his pants pockets and bit his lip to stop his teeth from chattering.

"What did he do?"

"He overdosed. Him and his crazy boyfriend both did." Axel shook his head, "Stupid Riku…"

Roxas was uncertain of what to say. He was tempted to ask "on what" but refrained for obvious reasons.

"Hey, Roxas?"

"What?"

Axel dropped his eyes to the snow-covered sidewalk they stood on. He shifted his feet nervously and finally looked back up, "You know… I used to really like you. A lot, you know…?"

"Oh." And that was all he could say. Roxas had a blank stare, unsure of what to say next. Perplexedly, Roxas blinked, "Why?"

With a short bark of laughter, Axel turned away, "I don't know. You were always that little drama queen emo brat in school. The one who thought it'd be cool to make people think you were bad, but you were a straight A student."

Roxas gave him a nervous laugh, "It's not really like that. It's my senior year now. I grew out of it, Axel."

"Of course you did. I can see that. You aren't wearing eyeliner now, are you?"

"Why do you care? If you're gay, should you even care if I want to wear makeup?" Roxas frowned, but Axel only let out a short scoffing sound.

"Well, aren't you a defensive little bitch." Axel smirked nonetheless, shivering, "Damn, when does the bus get here?"

Roxas looked at his watch, "Fifteen minutes. Why are you here so early?"

"I could say the same for you."

"I have no other choice. My mom wouldn't come and get me."

"I didn't know when the bus came," Axel muttered sheepishly, "Hey, Roxas…?"

"What?"

"Do you hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?" He redirected his bright blue eyes up to Axel's deep green hues, "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Did you know that every snowflake that lands on you looks like tears falling?"

"What?"

Axel's face grew sad, his skinny body shaking in the harsh cold, "I didn't want to graduate, you know? I didn't want to leave you."

"You never talked to me, Axel."

"I watched you…"

Roxas chuckled, "If I didn't know you better, I'd say that you were a stalker."

Axel made a sad sort of expression that didn't quite fit his features, "God, Roxas… If you only knew what I went through to try and see you…"

The blonde boy blushed, "Sorry?"

"Heh… Not really your fault…" Axel ran a hand through his long red spikes, "So… um… Roxas?"

"Would you stop that? You have my attention."

"Sorry…" he said softly. Axel was shaking violently, the snow that had melted now frozen once again at the tips of his hair.

"What were you going to say?"

"The bus is here," he muttered quietly, as he turned to walk away.

"Don't you have to―?"

"No." Axel's voice was barely a whisper as he sulked away.

Growling slightly, the blonde looked once up at the approaching bus and took off after Axel, "What is your problem?"

The taller male glanced down, "You're missing your bus."

"I don't care. What's your problem? Did you lie? About your friend?"

"No. Riku's in the hospital."

"Then why aren't you―?"

"Don't worry about it. Catch your bus, Rox."

"Axel, would you just―?" Roxas stopped abruptly when the brilliant green eyes turned on him, swirling with a mixture of rage and sorrow.

"Just what? You want me to talk to you or to go away?"

Roxas stared blankly up at him, "I want you to talk to me. Please. Axel?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Where have you been for the last year? Even if you graduated, you could have at least stuck around, if you're supposedly so in love with me."

Axel was seething, but the depressed look still hung in his eyes, "You wouldn't have given me a chance," he muttered as he turned to continue walking.

"How do you know that? You didn't even try, Axel."

"You wouldn't have. Admit it. You were too busy being an emo prick to even notice the guy standing there watching you. Say it."

"I was. But I'm not now, Axel. I don't do that anymore. I haven't worn any of the black clothes or greasy eyeliner since you graduated. I told you, I grew out of it."

Axel shook his head in disbelief, "What are you trying to say? That you'd give me a chance now? I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"You aren't even into guys."

"You aren't a very good stalker if you think that," Roxas said with a small smirk, "If you were any kind of stalker, then you'd have known that I was making out with Demyx half the time I wasn't in school."

"I never said I was a stalker."

Roxas made a short mocking noise, "Right. Well, what are you trying to say? That you don't want a chance?"

"Like you'd give me a chance."

The two stared at each other with disdain, Axel more hurt than anything.

"What do you want from me, really, Axel? I want to give you a chance, but you really don't seem to want it."

"Why would you give me a chance?" The redhead glared, but Roxas simply shook his head.

"Whatever, man. Then don't."

"Do you ever realize how sad you look? Especially in the snow. Roxas, you have such sad eyes…"

"Has anyone ever told you that you are completely bipolar?" Roxas stepped in closer, looking up, "I missed my freaking bus for you."

"Hey, I told you it was leaving. Besides, so did I. I really was going to see Riku and Sora." Axel sighed, his breath a soft mist in the icy air. "So what, Rox? You want to give me a chance? I'll take it if you do."

Roxas scratched his head, "Well, Axel, you really want a chance?" He smirked slyly, "Prove it."

"Well…" Axel chuckled, "Right, Rox. Make this difficult." He smoothly leaned down, and with amazing kindness, brushed his lips against Roxas's cold cheek, "What do you want me to do, Roxas? 'Prove it'?"

Roxas took his hand with a small smile, "Walk home with me. Since we both missed the bus. Because of you."

"Because of each other," Axel growled softly, but his voice was filled with an easy tenderness. It sounded strange, foreign, but at the same time, completely natural to Roxas.

The blonde shook his head, "Come on, Axel. You get your chance now."

A/N: Wow. That made me feel relatively cheesy. Yes. It really did. Kind of… gooey on the inside, with an aftertaste of cheesy want-to-vomit-sort-of-feeling taste. Yeah. Anyway, I still love Roxas in all of his ungodly cute glory. I just want to attack him with a hug… and more. Man, if only… But I guess I'd have to fight Axel for him, wouldn't I? Damn…

Much Love, Kisses, and Huggles—the Prince—Riku