Chapter One

Roxas hated Christmas.

No, really. No sooner was Halloween over, then all the candy gets put away and out comes the lights, the candles, the decorations, the stupid dressed-up Santas ringing their bells, bugging you for spare change. So it was only natural that when Roxas walked (read: stalked) out of the library (and away from Axel), he was immediately ambushed by various Christmas paraphernalia.

The Twilight Town library was located in the middle of the Market District, which was rather festively decorated. Too festively, one might say. Garland decorated the edges of every other shop door, glinting in the lights from the large Christmas tree in the center of the square. It was an overcast day, unusual in the town, making the lights stand out even though it was only three. No sooner had he walked down to a corner than one of the dress-up Santas shoved a candy cane into his hand.

"Donation, sir?"

Roxas pulled up his hood and brought his books closer to his chest, shivering despite the black hoodie he was wearing. He mumbled something about having no change and pushed past, dropping the candy while doing so.

"Happy Holidays, sir!"

He had only walked for about thirty seconds before feeling a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I already told you-"

"Roxas!"

He turned around, only seeing a flash of blond hair before almost being knocked over. "Dude, I haven't seen you in... oh, gosh, a couple years! How've you been?"

"Demyx, get off of me."

"Oh- sorry." Demyx hastily let go, cheeks a slight shade of red from the cold.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas turned and kept walking, Demyx practically skipping by his side.

"Just getting some Christmas shopping done; you know that the shop over there's having a sale? I got a few things for mom and dad and Larxene and Axel and Sora-"

"Great, wonderful." Roxas pulled his books tighter to his chest and stopped at a corner, waiting for the stupid light to say they could walk. They didn't have those in Hollow Bastion. You just walked. Then again, you were also more likely to get hit by a car here, so it's probably for the best.

Demyx sighed and Roxas tightened his jaw. Demyx sighing was never a good thing.

"I heard about what happened to Sora."

Roxas froze, staring at the light as it turned to a green person that looked like he was walking.

"Listen, Rox, it's not your fault. People are just asses."

"Demyx, I don't want to talk about it." He cursed under my breath as the light switched back to a red hand.

Demyx smiled nervously and put his hand in his pockets. "Well, just wanted to let you know."

They crossed the road as the light changed back, walking in silence until reaching Demyx's house.

"You want to come in?"

Roxas looked up in shock. He hadn't really been paying attention to where they were going- his house was just another couple streets over.

"Nah, your mom probably doesn't know I'm coming."

Demyx laughed. "Don't be stupid, my mother loves company." And with that, Roxas was dragged by the arm into the warmth of Demyx's house.

"Mom, I brought company!" He yelled, walking down the hallway and peeking his head in the kitchen. "Hmph, guess she isn't home."

Roxas set his books down on a table in the hall and pulled his hood down. "I can come back later."

"Nah, don't bother, the only one here's probably Larx-"

"Demyx, mom left a note, said that she was going to be late- oh, hey Rox." Larxene flashed an innocent grin in the blond's direction, having just come out of nowhere (really, she had walked out of the living room). She was fully clad in a black dress coat, with a scarf wrapped around her neck and black leather gloves on.

"Hey, sis. Have you seen-"

"Yeah, I saw Marluxia earlier, I brought him some McDonald's. That hospital food is shit, I can't believe it's legal to serve that stuff. I'm actually on my way out."

"Going to see Mar again?"

"Nah, I have an appointment with Seifer." At this, Larxene's grin became more pronounced. Demyx groaned.

"Whatever it is, don't get caught."

"Oh, I won't." Larxene winked, then walked past Roxas and out of the house, whistling the Darth Vader theme and patting him on the head before closing the door behind her.

"You want anything to eat?"

"...Not hungry." He walked down the hall after Demyx and leaned against the door frame that lead to the kitchen, watching the other as he dug around the refrigerator for something to eat. Finally pulling out a bowl with some sort of leftover in it- Roxas didn't even want to know what it was- he waved a hand indicating to come over and opened the door that led to his basement. Roxas followed him down, closing the door behind him, and looked around.

The last time he had been here was about two years ago, and Demyx had then had only a small corner of the basement done up the way that he had wanted it. Now, practically half of the 20 by 18 box was converted into Demyx's little living space, with band posters on the walls, beanbag chairs placed (seemingly) at random, and a couch shoved into one corner with a table next to it that was piled high with a ton of junk. Leaning against the couch was Demyx's prized possession, his guitar.

"Wow, you really fixed this place up." Roxas walked over and slumped into one of the three bean-bag chairs, still taking in everything around him. Demyx plopped down on the couch.

"Yeah, it took a little while, but how else was I supposed to bring the amp noise down?" Demyx laughed and pointed to the amp underneath the table.

"Yeah I guess." Roxas stretched out, twining his hands behind his head and crossing his ankles. "So what's up with you?"

"Nothing much. Just dealing with the drama that is high school, probably going to see my friend in the hospital later not much else."

"You mean Marluxia?"

"How do you know?"

"Heard in passing, from your sister as a matter of fact. On two occasions." Roxas shrugged, not noticing the smirk on Demyx's face.

"Would one of those be at the library, maybe?"

"Yeah, actually. You know, that Axel guy's really annoying." Roxas had heard plenty about Axel from Demyx but had never met him in person, only visiting Twilight Town once every summer or so. Axel had always either been grounded or busy when the twins had come to visit.

"That Axel guy's my best friend."

"Yeah, he mentioned that." Roxas reached down and twirled one of his wristbands. It was a habit from when he first got them- when he was nervous, he started to twist them around. God only knows why he was nervous now, but he was. Which Demyx was quick to pick up on.

"So, whadid you think of Axel?"

"He's a stuck-up, self-absorbed, pyromanical SOB." The wristband continued to twist.

"Harsh, cuz, harsh."

"Well, he is!" Still twisting.

"He is my best friend, and believe it or not, that 'pyromanical SOB' is a nice guy when you get to know him."

"Seems like a poser to me."

"What do ya mean?"

"He's gay, and doesn't want people to know."

"And you aren't?" The twisting stopped and Roxas dropped his hands.

"I don't care if people know."

"After what happened to Sora? Yeah, you do."

There was silence between the two as Roxas started twisting his wristband and Demyx grabbed his guitar. There was silence as the two of them sat, thinking and tuning. There was still silence as they either continued to think and play. And silence was still prevalent as the two of them sat in the silent basement of the silent house in the silence (with the exception of Demyx's guitar playing, but he didn't have the amp on, so it doesn't count. The furnace was also running, but that also didn't count. So it was silent. Any questions?).

Then the silence was broken in the form of a red-haired, bouncing, pyromanical SOB.

"Yo, Dem, I'm sorry I didn't call but I figured you wouldn't mind if I came over, I saw your mom over at the market and she was looking for some sort of food or another- oh, hi Roxas."

Roxas looked up, blue eyes meeting green, and started twisting his wristband again, looking down and saying nothing.

"Hey, Axel, pull up a bag." Demyx waved a hand in the general direction of the bean bag chairs. The redhead sprawled across them, sitting on one and stretching his legs to another. A small silver of his stomach showed ad his shirt rode up, attracting Roxas's vision. He stared for a second before feeling his face grow hot. He looked up, only to see Axel smirking as he stared.

"So, how was your day, Dem?" The green eyes flicked to the guitarist.

"Okay. Got some shopping done, finished an essay, life is good."

"Indeed it is." Axel cast a quick glance at Roxas before continuing. "I went and saw Marluxia."

Demyx's eyes snapped to meet Axel's, but he didn't move. "How is he?"

"He'll be okay, they're talking about releasing him later today."

"That's good. I don't have to make a trip to the hospital now."

There was more silence in the room, but this time it was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Roxas was now twisting his finger cuffs around, contemplating what would happen if he ran upstairs and threw him out a second-story window. Probably nothing. Those freaking petunia bushes were all around Demyx's house, he'd most likely get stuck in one of those. Then again, he could always run into moving traffic, or try and play in the middle of an FBI arms training session, or even-

"Demyx, is you cousin always this quiet? I'm afraid he's plotting to murder me or something."

"There's a good chance of it, don't trust him." Demyx joked, setting his guitar to the side on the couch and standing up to sift through papers. "I heard that he actually killed someone once and threw them into the swampland."

Axel gasped dramatically and placed a hand over his mouth. "Demyx, we're dealing with a serial killer. We must inform the police."

"I agree. I say we tie him up and you stand guard."

"I'm all for that."

"Just talk about me like I'm not sitting right here."

"Oh, were you? We didn't notice." Axel smirked in Roxas's direction, meeting his eyes again and causing the younger one to scowl.

"So, how did the library go?" Demyx plopped back down on the couch, music book in hand.

"Fine. I learned absolutely nothing I didn't already know."

"Well, then why did you call me?"

Roxas looked up at Axel,startled. "Because the teacher said too."

Axel scowled. "We could have gotten away with simply not saying anything if you knew so much, you didn't have to call-" his green eyes suddenly got wider. "Wait. How did you get my number?"

Roxas went back to twisting his wristband. "I've got my ways."

Axel smirked. "Right, I'm sure."

Demyx groaned and threw his book to the side. "I'm going to get coffee or something, will you two please play nice while I'm gone?"

"Of course, Demykins." Axel's smirk turned into a wide, Cheshire-cat grin.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Demyx said before leaving the cellar. Axel turned to Roxas.

"So, do you have a girl back home?" Axel examined his fingernails.

"Are you gay?"

As Roxas expected, Axel froze up again for the barest second before regaining his cocky attitude. "I already told you no."

This guy is a horrible liar. You can tell by his face- the edge of his nose turns red. That's kind of cute, actually.

Roxas shrugged. "Oh, sorry. Just thought you were lying. Must be that was your girlfriend was just curious if you broke up with Marluxia in a metaphorical sense. Fallout of friendship and that sort of thing." He was having fun watching Axel squirm. Metaphorically, of course. He highly doubted Axel would squirm while someone was looking. Roxas always had been the observant one, and could pretty much put together the whole picture with the scraps and a colored pencil.

"Larxene isn't my girlfriend, she's dating some Xaldin guy-"

"You two looked awfully cozy. Stealing someone else's girl?" Roxas never asked anyone this many questions, and he never tried to squeeze information out of anyone like this. But Axel... he just made him uncomfortable in a strange way. There was something about him that made Roxas want to know just what made him tick.

"Nah, we've just known each other awhile." Axel shifted. It was a slight movement, so minuscule that if you weren't looking hard enough you would miss it.

Roxas caught it. For some reason, Axel hated the topic of his sexual orientaion. Might as well keep it going. "So why don't you want people knowing you're gay?"

"I already told you I'm not gay?"

"Then why is your nose turning red?"

"You're a nosy little fuck, you know that?"

"Oh, you're using bad words. I'm scared now."

"What do I have to do to shut you up?"

"Do you like guys or girls?"

"I'm bi." Axel hissed between clenched teeth, obviously giving in. "I wasn't lying."

"And you don't want people to know that why?"

"It's not that I don't want people to know, it's just- look, you heard what happened to Marluxia!" Axel waved his hands in the air. "I don't want that happening to me."

"So you're just scared."

"Why do you care so much? Are you gay?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm-"

"Back!" Demyx walked back down the stairs, three steaming mugs of something that smelled like hot chocolate in his hands. He took the scene in- Axel sitting up, legs ready to spring, and Roxas leaning forward, looking venomous. "Did I miss something?"

"Nope." Roxas sat back in his chair, posture relaxed. Axel followed suit, but his eyes still screamed murder.

Demyx handed a mug to each of them, then gave a fake smile, obviously trying to break the ice. "So, how is everyone doing?"

Roxas ran his hands through his hair, fisting the blond locks as he sighed. It was cold on top of the clock tower, but it was a good place to think, and he really did need to do just that. He had found the stairs leading to the top after exploring the train station a little, making it one of Roxas's frequent haunts.

Sora was due to leave work soon. He should probably go meet him before his shift ended, make sure that he didn't get hurt-

But Sora would get angry by that. Not to mention he was going back to Hollow Bastion to visit his girlfriend Kairi and his best friend Riku before vacation started, and he might think Roxas didn't trust him not to get into trouble-

God, having a twin was hard. None of this would have happened if they were twins- then again, the guys were stupid, even Axel wouldn't have-

And why did Axel get to him so much? It shouldn't matter whether or not he was gay, straight, bi, whatever- he was a two-faced self-absorbed arrogant little-

Well, he wasn't exactly little. He was at least two inches taller than him, plus the extra inch that his hair spiked out. And he was rather well built- his arms could attest to that. Roxas wondered what it would feel like to trace his fingers down those arms, letting his fingers dance across the soft skin on his wrist, the feel of their breath mingling as they moved closer together-

Wait, where on earth had that though come from? He didn't like Axel, anyway-

But it was nice to talk about him

Oh. Shit.

The clock chimed behind him, signaling eight o'clock.

Well, that's done. The way it looks, there will be two or three more chapters.

Yes, I had a sudden switch to third person in Roxas's POV. Writing this chapter in first person REVIEW wasn't working for me, so I switched. This is the first chapter, the original first chapter is now a prologue. Nothing that changes the REVIEW story, I just decided that it should be that way.

Next chapter is in Axel's POV, set about a week later and before Christmas break.

For those that have this story on your alert/favorites list or have REVIEWed, thank you! And if you haven't REVIEWed, you should.

Thanks for reading!

Serexion