Axel's lips were warm and chapped and familiar. The breath mingling with his, when lips parted to invite his tongue to join the fray, tasted like smoke and too much jalapeño salsa. They parted and the redhead pulled back, giving him a wicked smirk with a playful spark dancing in cat-green eyes. "Your turn to spin the bottle."

Naminé, the rather shy younger girl who was hosting the party, blushed and stammered: "I was going to say you could spin again, Axel. 'Cause you landed on a boy."

Kairi, her older sister, laughed and patted her shoulder. "That's not how they play."

Axel snorted. "And you didn't have to make out with Olette during Seven Minutes In Heaven last weekend, Kairi. But you still did."

She blushed and threw popcorn at him - the lanky redhead darted to the side to catch it in his mouth before settling onto the cushion beside Roxas comfortably.

Roxas leaned forward and spun the empty bottle. He watched it spin until it stopped, pointing halfway between Naminé and Kairi. He raised his eyebrows and watched as his friend grinned and nudged her sister. "You're in."

The blonde flashed and gave Roxas a shy look. He gave her a smirk - borrowed almost directly from Axel's face - and crawled across the circle to kiss her.

Her lips were soft and sticky with some kind of flavoured gloss. He pressed closer to deepen the kiss, give her a real taste, but she was shy and pulled back. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and she brought her fingers to her mouth. "My lips are tingling."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" He asked, confused by her comment. It wasn't the strangest thing he'd heard after a kiss - but it was the strangest after a kiss with anyone other than Axel.

"No." He held her lips tighter, eyes beginning to water. "They burn!"

"Jalapeño salsa," he said with realization.

She got up to go to the bathroom.

"I thought only Axel ate that stuff," Kairi commented, amused

"He ate some earlier," Riku said with a snicker.

"Poor Naminé," Kairi agreed, chuckling. "I better go check on my baby sis." She gave Sora a quick kiss and stood, heading after her sister.

Roxas moved back to his seat, humming in surprize when he saw Axel's spot empty. "Hothead go for a smoke?"

"Most likely," Riku said. He picked up his beer bottle and took a swig. "Spin the Bottle died," he declared, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna go play poker."

"Count me in," Roxas said, standing up too. "Sora?"

"Yeah."

They found Axel already at the table with Luxord, but they were at blackjack. There was a lack of chairs and Roxas had no issue perching on Axel's knee. "Deal us in," he told the gambler.

Axel's hand came up to hold his hips, keeping him in place. But something about it felt odd. He shifted to look back at the redhead as the bleach-blond dealt them all their cards. "Everything okay?"

"It's fine," Axel replied.

"Ou sure?" Roxas asked, squinting at him suspiciously.

"Of course," he replied, rolling his eyes. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"You're not grabbing his ass like usual," Riku pointed out. "Hit me."

That was it. Axel's hand usually cupped further underneath him to hold him steady.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Axel said, in his usual playfully flirtatious tone. "It's those new jeans, baby. If I touch your ass, you know I won't stop until I'm balls deep."

Roxas snorted. Loudly. "Please."

"Which one of you does top?" Riku asked, tossing a couple chips onto the table.

Sora snorted. Loudly. Just like his cousin. "Please. You don't play Never Have I Ever with Axel enough. He's never had his V-Card punched."

"I could have," Axel sulked.

"In the last week?" Sora asked, disbelieving.

"Of course you haven't," Roxas said, "you would've texted me after."

Axel took a swig of his diet coke. "You know I'm saving myself for you, Rox."

They all laughed.

There was a few rounds of blackjack, then a couple hands of poker. From the other room, the giggled and shocked gasps of Truth or Dare were obvious.

After Axel lost all his chips to Luxord, he tapped Roxas's thigh. "Up you get - I'm going to have a smoke."

"I'll come with," Roxas volunteered. He shoved his pile of chips at Sora and stood. "I'm going to lose in the next round anyway."

"You're always welcome by my side, Rox," he replied, puckering his lips at him.

Roxas laughed and shoved his face away. "Come on loser. Let's go blacken your lungs again." He walked away from the card table, knowing Axel was only steps behind him at most.