Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or any other sort of franchise mentioned in this story. This story is mine, however.

Author's Note: Welcome to Chapter 4! So after that little bit of Hayner/Seifer flair in the last chapter, I was reminded of the first time I played Kingdom Hearts 2 and I seriously thought the "gang rivalry" between the two groups was straight outta Westside Story. Seriously, someone should make a KH fic that's based off of Westside Story, only it's set in Twilight Town. Ha ha ha ha ha! But who would be Maria? Hayner? XD Roxas? O_o Well someone's gotta sing "I Feel Pretty" y'know. If anyone knows of a story like that which already exists, PLEASE share it with me. I will love you immensely.

The unique thing about "Blush" that really makes this story interesting is the fact that I'm pretty much just writing each chapter as it pops into my head. I had originally intended to kick off my fanfiction career with a story called "My Sanctuary" that was also AkuRoku-centric (and also a college fic), but with a little more depth and organization. I still have all of the ideas for that story, as well as new ones that I've added in since the creation of "Blush" and such. I'm not sure what compelled me to begin with this story instead, but it doesn't matter. I'm enjoying this one just fine (and I hope you are too). :)

I also have a one-shot in the making. Nothing smutty (sorry fangirls), but it's just a little something I came up with the other day. I'm sure I'll get it on here eventually. Just letting you guys know what's in store! Thanks again to all of my wonderful reviewers, subscribers, fans, etc. I love each and every one of you! 3

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It was Wednesday.

Wednesday.

Somehow over the past few days I had managed to survive two midterms, one massive essay, an emotionally unstable roommate who had only recently come out of the closet, an angry Kairi who was consistently plagued by the nightly romps my brother and his boyfriend had in the room directly above hers, endless teasing and taunting over my "date" (it is so not a date) on Thursday night, Sora's horrible singing voice, and a mild power outage that nearly resulted in disaster as Hayner hadn't saved his eleven page essay. Thank God for technology, I seriously would have feared for my life had his laptop not backed up the file.

All in all, a few pretty uninteresting days. At least, I had pretty much deemed my life uninteresting ever since a certain red-haired man had wandered back into my life. Pathetic, isn't it? It was as if the world was colored in dull, dingy colors; although Axel could certainly bring a splash of color into my dreary life.

So, it was Wednesday. I was lying on my stomach across my bed and typing away at yet another assignment for my creative writing class. It was a class that was entirely focused on short stories, and to be frank, I was worried that I'd run out of ideas before the semester was over. My professor was like a madman, expecting a fresh new idea every other week. My nineteen year-old brain felt like it was being wrung dry, slowly squeezing out the last remnants of ideas which trickled down into my fingers and were then transferred into my laptop to churn out yet another half-baked story. I don't know how the hell my professor expected all of these to be any good. I had exhausted all of my creativity a long time ago. I'm ready for a break.

Hayner had left for class over two hours ago. He was about a far from a morning person as one could possibly be, so he dealt with it by taking only night classes. Sure his day may not have started until two in the afternoon, but then he'd be in class until it was past ten o'clock. I didn't mind him stumbling in at ten thirty with an armful of books, but it certainly made making plans to go out at night difficult. Everyone had to work around the fact that Hayner was in class all night and Sora was constantly working the closing shifts at the restaurant he worked in.

Sora didn't really have a choice, seeing as how nights and weekends were pretty much the only times in which he was available, but it was Hayner's own fault for taking all of those night classes. Whatever floats his boat I guess. He had yet to mention anything about his "Seifer problem" since Sunday, and I wasn't about to press him for information. I knew my friend, and I knew that he would come to talk to me if he wanted. I just wished that the girls would stop pestering him so much, as I would ultimately be the one to suffer when he would explode after one of their interrogation sessions.

"So tell us more about this Seifer guy!" Kairi would ask excitedly. Ever since Hayner had officially come out of the closet she would not leave him alone for a second without asking him something about his love life.

Hayner grunted, mouth full of Lucky Charms as they ate breakfast together in the dining hall.

"Aww, you're no fun!" Selphie would whine. I really felt bad for my friend when the girls would gang up on him like this.

"At least tell us if he's hot!" Kairi chirped.

The glare that Hayner shot her could have burned a hole in a brick wall. I couldn't tell if they seriously did not get the hint that he wanted to drop the conversation or if they were just stupid.

"What does he look like? Is he tall? What kind of clothes does he wear? C'mon Hayner pleeeeease?" Selphie pleaded. She hadn't changed a bit since high school, still living off of the latest gossip.

Yeah I know, I came to college with my friends from high school. Judge me all you want. It's not like we all went to Twilight Town. Namine had gone of to some prestigious art school in Radiant Garden, and Tidus and Wakka were both on sports scholarships at the University of Olympus. I won't deny that I'm thankful for having so many of my friends here with me at college. It made adjusting a whole lot easier. I had made new friends (like Axel, although none were quite as good-looking), but it was always nice to have a "safety net" of sorts to fall back on.

Back to my desperate quest for creative genius.

So this was my life right now. I had been staring at the same sentence for about ten minutes straight; glazed eyes refusing to take in the meaning of the words I myself had just input into the computer. My heart just wasn't into my work today. I mean, I guess I've just been distracted. It's hard to focus on school when you have a very sexy redhead on your mind, one who promised to call you or text you before Thursday.

Which is tomorrow by the way.

Because it's Wednesday.

Ugh. I can't believe I'm getting so hung over some guy. It's disgusting.

My actions betrayed my thoughts however as I pushed my laptop away and pulled myself into a sitting position, back against the wall. There was no way I was going to get anything productive done right now anyway. How long am I gonna let these thoughts of Axel torment me like this? I mean, it was just a kiss, and we barely know each other. I mean, this was the first time I'd seen the guy in what, four months? Ridiculous. I'm being utterly ridiculous.

But unfortunately I know that my will won't ever be able to hold its own against this rush of emotion that I feel every time I even think of Axel. It's like he's got this invisible hold on me, and I hate it. I don't want him to have this much power over me. I've been hurt before, I don't want to get too attached. But somehow, I can't seem to help myself. I inwardly kick myself, knowing that I'm setting myself up for disaster. Again.

C'mon Roxas, didn't you learn your lesson last time?

So the issue stands: let myself go and bask in the splendor of temporary pleasure of the deity that is Axel, or put up a wall and save what's left of my fragile self-esteem.

Pfft.

As I'm resting my head against the wall I close my eyes and allow myself to slowly visualize Axel's features. Nobody else can see my thoughts, so I shouldn't feel embarrassed over thinking about him this much. I can think whatever I want to fucking think.

I start with his angular face, drawing in each curve and corner of his face. His features look so sharp. I want to touch them to see if they're really as sharp as they seem. I know plenty of guys (and girls) who would kill to have such a gorgeous profile. I swear, it's like his face was sculpted by some great artist. I don't know how anyone could be so… beautiful. It's not fair.

Next, that lovely face of his. I go crazy over the smooth texture of his pale skin. I wonder if he's ever had a zit in his life. Probably not. Lucky bastard. His complexion seems flawless, and so soft. His face always seemed so soft. Something so pure can't be altered with hard expressions, for I had seen his frustration melt away right in front of my very eyes. Soft. His face must be very soft.

His hair was always something that captivated me. That's definitely the brightest shade of red I've ever seen on anyone, at least without it looking obviously dyed. That's the thing, I can't tell if it's his natural hair color or not. I want to ask him. I want to run my fingers through those long tresses and feel each fiber between my fingertips. At first glance, his hair seems to cause alarm; it's as if a flame is bursting forth from his scalp. This may seem appropriate at first, and it is, but it is only after careful consideration that one can truly inspect the ruby red locks. When looking closer, they don't look dangerous at all. In fact, they look rather… touchable. It's like a magnet that is taunting my fingers, begging them to come closer; to test the theory. Like his personality, he seems so rough and dangerous at first, but it's only after closer inspection that one can truly see the softness to him. It's something I feel should be respected. Not many people can put up the confident front that is secretly backed by compassion with quite such skill.

Green. It floods my world whenever I look at him. Yes, his eyes are green; but the most wonderful shade of green on the planet (at least I think so, and therefore everyone should). Piercing. That seems to be the most appropriate word to describe just now powerful his eyes are. It's as if they can see right through you, straight through to your soul. I really came to believe this was true after the numerous times in which he seemed to see right through my poor attempts at trying to cover up something.

"You always suck at lying Roxas, I can see it in your eyes! C'mon, just tell me!"

My face flushed red, I couldn't believe that he had figured me out again.

"Fine. I leaned in to kiss her and… I don't know. I just got so nervous, like I knew I would do something wrong…"

I could see him leaning out of his seat towards me. I almost hoped he would fall over. At least that would give me something to laugh at him for instead of the other way around for a change.

"And?" Axel asked with an expectant grin. It was almost as if he was holding back a tirade of laughter, as if he knew my response would be beyond embarrassing.

"And I ended up kissing her kind of half on her nose and half on her upper lip." I finished as I hung my head in shame. How did he always manage to get these stories out of me?

Sure enough, he flung his head back, hair rippling like wildfire, and burst out laughing. Despite how flustered I felt, his laugh always made me melt. It was the most beautiful sound in the world in my opinion, and these were the thoughts that really had me questioning my sexuality lately. Pushing this thought from my mind, I smile and just admire the laughter that ripples through Axel's features and out of his mouth.

"Way to make me feel like I fail at life." I say drearily, trying my best to make him feel bad for what he did.

Still laughing, Axel wipes a few tears from the corners of his eyes before responding, "Sorry Roxie, but you totally set yourself up for that."

My face flushed. "I set it up? You were the one who asked me to tell you about my first kiss!"

"Yes but you were just so bad at making it sound casual, it was adorable. I couldn't help myself."

I laugh, remembering our playful banter during last semester. Bringing myself back to the present, the noise startles me, as I have grown accustomed to the silence. I shake my head, feeling silly for startling myself with my own laughter. How stupid.

Now, where was I?

Those tattoos. Hmm. I still can't help but wince whenever I see them. Facial tattoos are some kind of pain, at least from what I've heard. Still, they make Axel look so unique, so dangerous, and so… sexy. I want to hear the story behind them. I want to discover the secret reason behind those extraordinary facial markings. The warrior's war paint. I want to trace them with my fingertips, almost like some sort of test to see if they're really there, or if I can wipe them away with the simplest touch.

Axel's mouth is both the epitome of all things sexy, as well as all things that should never be said. Sometimes that guy doesn't know when to keep his trap shut; but in a way it's something that I love about him.

Oh I did not just use the l-word. Fuck that.

I'm sure that devilish smirk of his had made many ladies swoon, as well as irked many unknowing bystanders. That signature smile is probably one of the biggest contributors to the confident, arrogant appearance that Axel puts forth when seen for the first time. He is a little intimidating. And some of the shit that comes out of that mouth? Of course he is always seemingly unfazed by whatever nonsense he comes up with, whether it's a dirty joke, an inappropriate assumption, or just a snide remark, Axel takes nothing back. Conviction. It's really an admirable quality.

What a curious individual. I always find myself wondering if anyone else is as captivated by this man as I am. I feel myself feeling slightly possessive, not wanting anyone to discover this hidden treasure of mine. I'm incredibly intrigued by him. I want to learn more about him. I want to hear what's really going on inside that gorgeous head of his. I want to feel him. I want to trail my hands across his heated skin, across each muscle, memorizing each and every inch of him until I know him better than I know myself.

I want him to touch me. I want to feel his strong hands greedily grabbing at me, telling me they want me. I want to feel his lips again, pressed to my lips, my neck, my entire body.

My eyes snapped open. Holy shit, am I getting… aroused? I looked down at my pants to see a considerable bulge growing there in-between my legs.

Fuck. I can't believe I just turned myself on just thinking about the bastard. Well, Hayner won't be back until much later, and if I lock the door then I don't have to worry about unwanted visitors while I take care of this problem…

I shudder at the thought of Kairi bursting in on me jacking off. I'd never hear the end of it for sure.

Wait, am I suggesting I jack off to thoughts about Axel?! A guy I knew for a few months who, as far as I know, considers me as a friend? Well, maybe friends with benefits. We did kiss.

Aw hell, I'm just gonna do it.

I get up off of my bed, uncomfortably, and walk over to the door. I slide the lock into place. Awkwardly I walk back to my bed and let out a deep breath. I seriously can't believe I'm about to do this.

Slowly, I lower my pants and let them slide down my legs and pool around my ankles. I kick them off and crawl into bed. I involuntarily let out a low hiss as the fabric of my boxers graze across my now prominent erection as I begin to slide them off of my body. I slowly encircle my fingers around myself and begin to pump.

And then my phone rings.

Ugh. It's probably Sora calling to ask about something stupid like how to unstick the shopping carts at Target (or something even more ridiculous). Opening one eye I glance down at the front screen of my phone with the intent to ignore whoever decided to call me and continue with what I was doing. The name on the caller ID pops up and I pale.

Axel.

Well, knowing Axel he had to put something clever when he input himself into my phonebook. It actually says Axel the Sex God. I snort. Typical.

This certainly isn't a call I should ignore, or want to for that matter. Feeling a little embarrassed with my current predicament, as well as disappointed with this sudden turn of events, I reach for my phone with my free hand and press the "send" button before bringing it to my ear.

"Hello?"

Roxas! It's me, Axel! I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. Miss me?

Yes.

"Well seeing as how we saw each other three days ago I'm not sure I had enough time to miss you, Ax."

Aww, that breaks my heart Roxie. And here I thought we had something special.

I can hear the laughter in his voice. Two can definitely play at this game.

"What makes you think I'm not just playing hard to get?" I say with mock innocence, a satisfied smirk painted across my face.

He waits a moment or two before responding, but when he does I feel my face heat up.

Mmmm… I always do like a challenge. Don't worry baby, I'll get you to see things my way.

I can almost visualize him winking. I didn't even try to hide the shudder that ran through my body when he purred into the phone like that. Axel is positively oozing arousal right now. Is it just me or did his voice seem to sound lower all of a sudden? I slowly bring my left hand back to my throbbing erection; the need for release outweighing the shame of getting off to Axel's voice over the phone.

"H-ha ha. Well we'll see about that. So what did you really call for? I seriously doubt it was just to hit on me," I ask, trying to sound as normal as possible. I hope that he didn't hear the break in my voice.

Just wanted to hear you speak Roxie. I do enjoy hearing the sound of your voice.. Also I have details about tomorrow night that I figured you'd probably want to know.

I shiver. There he goes again, throwing out these comments like they're nothing. If only he knew just how much I was enjoying the sound of his voice right now. My hand speeds up, pumping slightly faster than before.

"What kind of details?" I say through gritted teeth. I'm honestly amazed with myself for even making it this far and sounding remotely normal.

Well first of all, would you prefer it if Demyx and I picked you up from your place, or do you just want to show up yourself? I didn't know if you were busy beforehand or…

I smiled. I pictured Axel sitting cross-legged on his bed, scratching the back of his head as he asked me whether or not I wanted him to pick me up. Insecure Axel is very cute. Of course, this further inhibited me as I continued to pleasure myself to this image. I wanted to hang up and finish without embarrassing myself by moaning into the receiver or doing something else horribly shameful, but I just couldn't tear myself away from hearing his seductive, tantalizing voice.

"If you guys would pick me up that'd be great," I paused, afraid that he'd be suspicious if I gasped in-between words. "I live on-campus in Sandlot Building E."

Sandlot, E, got it. Ok so I guess we'll come get you around 9. Good?

"Unh. Perfect." Oh no. I hope he didn't hear that obvious groan just now. Please, please let him have overlooked it.

Alrighty then Roxie, I look forward to seeing you again. I'll let you get back to… finishing whatever you were doing.

Fuck him and his soul-seeing abilities. I could almost hear the smirk that was tied to the end of his words. Why does stuff like this always seem to happen to me when he's involved?

"Sure whatever, bye." I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. I hope it worked, but I seriously doubted it did anything to repair the damage that I had inflicted upon myself. I hung up the phone and dropped it onto the mattress as I allowed myself to, as Axel so eloquently put it, "finish what I was doing." My head was filled with thoughts of Axel kissing me, talking to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I allowed myself to replay his voice over and over again through my head, like my favorite song on repeat. I imagined what it would be like for him to whisper sweet nothings into my ear, to trail his fingers across my skin like fire, to ravage my mouth with passionate kisses, to fuck me senseless up against my bedroom wall.

I let out a strangled cry as I came, making a mess all over my hands and stomach. I panted, slowly coming down from my self-inflicted high. As the stars disappeared from my vision, I looked around at where I was sitting. The damage to the bed sheets was minimal, but I'm too much of a neat freak to just continue using them. I bundled up my top sheet and threw it into the dirty clothes hamper after using it to clean myself off. Hopefully Hayner wouldn't notice. That would be an uncomfortable conversation.

"Hey Roxas, why is only your top sheet missing?"

"Well you see, it got dirty when I was jacking off on the phone with this guy."

Yeah like I'd seriously ever say something like that.

I grabbed a few tissues from my desk and cleaned the mess off of my hands. I balled up them up and threw them into the trash. I sighed as I pulled up my boxers, followed by my pants. What's done is done, no matter how embarrassed or ashamed I may feel about what I just did. I fell backwards onto my bed, slinging one arm across my eyes. I decided to just lie here for a minute; perhaps basking my afterglow, or simply allowing myself to rest. Ever so slowly, a smile crept onto my features.

I was going to see Axel, and I was going to see him tomorrow night.

There was definitely a skip in my step as I got up and unlocked the door before walking out into the hallway and out towards the dining hall.