Authors' Note: SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG, WE DO STILL LOVE YOU ALL.

Lamie says, "but lol i love akuroku."

Enjoy!

Dutch Courage

Episode Six: Men are like Rubber Bands

Demyx sighed and flopped heavily onto his back. He felt a twinge of guilt when he looked sideways at the brunet next to him. His eyes were closed and his chest was heaving, his breathing shallow.

In reality, he knew he had no reason to feel guilty. They had made it clear to each other after the first time they had had sex that they felt no romantic inclination towards the other... but Demyx couldn't help it. He kept worrying that Sora would suddenly leap up off the bed and begin screaming at him for ripping him of his innocence.

That was the thing that made him feel most uncomfortable, the fact that he had been Sora's first time. If he had known, he wouldn't have done it. But, unfortunately, before it became painstakingly obvious - it was too late.

It didn't seem right, his first time should have been with someone he actually felt something for - something other than pure lust, that is. However, when he had tried to inform the brunet of this, he had simply stated that he 'wasn't exactly normal anyway, was he?' and that hadn't made sense to Demyx at all.

Another thing that made him feel guilty was the fact that he couldn't wait for Riku to find out. He had never been even the slightest bit malicious, yet he felt as though making Riku jealous would just make him feel so much better.

He stretched his arms above his head, cracking his back, then blinked when his phone started ringing. He rubbed his eyes and reached over Sora to pick it up off his nightstand, raising his eyebrows in both surprise and intrigue when he saw the caller ID.

He sat up. "Hey, Riku."

Sora's eyes shot open and he propped himself up on his elbows, obviously trying to listen to the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Demyx! You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm great." He grinned and winked at Sora. "You?"

"Good. Yeah, I'm fine. I was wondering if you wanted to meet up?"

"Sure, okay. Is it okay if Sora comes along too?"

The brunet's jaw dropped and he smacked Demyx's leg in protest.

"Sora?" Riku paused for a split second and gulped. "Yeah, sure. Course it is. I'll meet you at your dorm in about twenty minutes, yeah?"

"Sure. In a bit." Demyx hung up.

Sora scowled and crossed his arms against his bare chest. "So I'm meeting the ex-boyfriend, huh? Thank you so much for asking, Demyx."

The blonde grinned and kissed his cheek playfully. "Come on, we need a shower."

When Roxas awoke, he noted a sharp throbbing in his cheek. And a dull throbbing in his head. And also a horrible, very uncomfortable stickiness where he was laid on the pillow. He slowly brought his head up and immediately regretted it. First of all, the dull throbbing grew louder and heavier. Second of all, his skin appeared to be attached to what he was sure had been a white pillow the night before.

"Fuck fuck fuckity fuck," he said, trying not to panic. He carefully peeled the browny-reddish pillow away from his cheek, nearly crying out. He felt Axel's arms pull tighter round his waist and he turned around carefully, not daring to touch his face at all. Axel mumbled something about going back to sleep. "Axel, wake up. Axel, you gotta wake up."

Roxas knew he was working himself into a frenzy; his awfully aching head wasn't helping the situation either. He calmed himself down as Axel stirred. "Axel, what happened last night?"

Now Roxas usually prided himself on how well he handled his drink but last night he must've been completely wasted and he could really only guess what he had gotten up to. He could remember that Axel had dumped Olette and being very angry at Axel. He could remember drinking with Kairi who got drunk a lot quicker than he did. He couldn't remember much else though. He thought he might've started singing to something at one point, and then there was another time when he attacked someone from behind but he couldn't remember why. He could just recall going to Axel's dorm, but he couldn't remember why they did that either.

"Urgh..." he groaned, putting his head in his hand, careful not to touch anywhere near his cheek. When he pulled away he had a faint smudge of blood on his hand. Axel suddenly shot up.

"Oh my Yevon!" he cried, clutching Roxas' face.

The next half an hour was a blur. Roxas pulled on jeans and a zip-up jacket, not wanting to catch his face with pulling something over his head. Axel whisked him away to the nearest hospital. They waited for ten minutes before a nurse led him behind a curtain, followed by Axel.

"So," said the nurse, methodically picking out bits of glass and dirt from the cut, making Roxas wince so much so he nearly convulsed every time the tweezers neared his face, "how did this happen?"

She seemed to be telling them off but Roxas knew that behind the stern eyes some motherly instinct was kicking in and she was taking pity on him. Axel lingered by the curtain, looking strained.

"Roxas fell over last night and landed on some glass. We were both pretty drunk so I guess we didn't notice how bad it was."

The nurse "tsk"'d and started cleaning the wound. Roxas squeaked; a noise which he then went on to deny he ever made, but it was the squeak which made Axel finally decide to sit next to Roxas and grab his hand, squeezing it tightly. The nurse didn't comment on it, instead said, "Well, you're lucky. It's not too deep but you might have gotten away without a scar if you'd come here as soon as it had happened. As it happens, you will have a scar."

Roxas bit his lip; he wasn't too traumatised at the thought. He had never been very vain and already had a small scar just below his eyebrow where Sora had knocked him off his skateboard once. But this scar would be a lot more visible, an inch in length on his cheek. He didn't say anything. Axel on the other hand: "On his face?"

Roxas quashed the urge to burst out laughing as the nurse started applying small pieces of tape. She smiled vaguely and said, "It won't be too bad, just a faint white line. At least you don't need stitches though."

Roxas squeezed Axel's hand as the redhead just gaped at the woman.

After another minute she announced that she was done and could Roxas just fill out a small form outside.

Roxas did so and met Axel outside the hospital where he had gone to wait for the blond while he signed the papers. He looked forlorn as Roxas approached. He stared sadly at Roxas' face. When the nurse had cleaned away the blood they'd uncovered many bruises down the side of his face and lots of scrapes around the area of the scar. Although, Roxas felt a lot better now that his face was clean.

Axel looked down when Roxas came up to him.

"This isn't your fault, you know," said Roxas, sensing some sort of guilt. "It was mine for going out and getting really really really really drunk. Or we could blame Kairi – since it was her idea."

Axel sighed and lightly punched the wall behind him. Roxas knew that usually he would take any chance to make fun of Kairi, but something must really have been gnawing at him as he said, "I can't help but blame myself Roxas. You're going to have a scar."

"It'll make me look more manly," Roxas tried to joke.

Axel swung to face the blond, and gripped his shoulders. "Every time I see you I'll be reminded of how I managed to mess up helping you. I mean, I tried but I ended up making it worse!"

"Axel, you're being dramatic." Roxas rolled his eyes but the pained look on Axel's face made him stop. "Alright, you know, every time I look at my face in the mirror I will be reminded of how you tried to help me. And that's all I can ask for."

Axel's grip loosened and his expression became less painful. Roxas grinned.

"You know what we haven't done in a while?" he said.

"Oh, I know," Axel replied, grabbing his car keys.

Pence and Hayner stared at Tifa in disbelief, jaws slack and eyes wide. She clutched her head in irritation and glared at them again, her hand planted firmly on her voluptuous hips. "Come on, you pussies."

Hayner shook his head. "You're mad. I can't go out now, not after last night. I give in; I don't have that much stamina," he admitted, looking only slightly ashamed.

The dark haired girl looked imploringly at Pence, who shifted uncomfortably. "Why don't we stay in for once? I mean, actually, I have a lot of work I could be doing-"

"Okay, seriously Pence? I may not be up for going out right now, but it is still a Saturday night. You can't work." Hayner stated, officially putting his foot down.

Tifa sighed. "You two are pathetic." She collapsed onto the sofa between the two men. "Seriously, why do I even hang out with you guys?"

Hayner scoffed at her. "Whatever, Tifa. What makes us so pathetic?"

"Apart from the fact that I have more stamina than the two of you put together, even though I'm a girl?"

"Touché."

"I mean, honestly," she continued. "Did either of you pull last night? No! Come on, I pulled. Do you know the percentage of gay girls to straight girls? But it's still me who manages to pull. Sometimes I think you guys are in serious need of help."

"Help? From you? I don't think so," the blonde snorted.

"Even Sora pulled."

"Yeah, but he pulled Demyx. I didn't even know he was gay!" Hayner retorted, glancing between Pence and Tifa to see if he was alone in that fact. Both of them shrugged.

"And Tidus got with Yuna again." Pence reminded them. "Are they together now?"

"Tidus isn't exactly the exclusive kinda guy... It's not likely," Tifa mused. "Now, as much as I hate to admit it, you two could even learn a thing or two from him."

Hayner groaned and put his head between his knees.

"That's right," Tifa chuckled, patting him on the back, "you don't deserve a penis."

Axel sighed contently, smiling the smile that only a self satisfied Axel could smile. "So, Roxy-poo."

"Fuck off," grinned Roxas, turning into Axel's side as a lanky arm twisted round his shoulders.

"So, Roxy-Poxy-Darlingly-Beautiful-Lover-Gorgeous-Babe-Loverly-Baby-Duckie-Lovey-Cherry-Chickie-Bang Tidy-Well Fit-Pet Name-poo." Axel received a punch to the chest. He laughed, wincing in pain and amusement. "How was that?"

"Well, you know. Same old, same old."

"I am hurt; I tried really hard that time."

"Oh, I could tell. Just not hard enough."

"You're so nasty, babe."

"I told you not to call me that. It reminds me of that freaky talking pig."

Axel sniggered. He turned his head to the side slightly where Roxas was dancing his fingers

across the right side of his chest. "Then what should I call you, Rox?"

"That'll be fine, thanks."

Axel blew out softly. He could hear birds chirruping outside and cars honking their horns. Roxas' fingers tickled his bare skin but not so much to make it unpleasant. "What do your others call you?"

"Hm?" Roxas looked up, bright blue eyes shining in the morning light. "What others?"

"You know. The others between us." Axel paused. "Ooh, that sounded dirty. I like it." Roxas huffed slightly, something that could vaguely be a laugh. "You know who I mean," he touched Roxas's nose. "The people you use to replace me when you're being a bitch."

Roxas waved Axel's hand away from the general area of his face. "How romantic you are. And they don't call me anything."

Axel gasped theatrically. "They don't even know your name? You're such a slut, Rox."

Roxas growled and ducked under the covers. "You're so childish." Axel pulled Roxas back up and kissed his forehead. Roxas sighed, but not shying away from Axel's hug. "For the record; they don't call me any pet names because I think they're degrading."

"Degrading?" Axel asked, between placing butterfly kisses on Roxas's face and neck.

"Yeah," said Roxas, "you know. It makes me think 'oh, I'm just another shag'. I'm just an object. I don't have a real name because it probably can't be remembered so I'm just called 'honey' or," Roxas looked at Axel pointedly, "'babe'."

Axel stopped kissing Roxas. "Hey," he said, softly. Roxas rolled over. "Hey, hey, hey." He pulled Roxas towards him again. "You," he said, "are not just another shag. You know I don't mean it like that, don't you?" Roxas remained silent. "Besides," whispered Axel, "I can remember your name. I'll always remember your name. It's Rucksack, right?"

"Fuck you, whore."

"Roxas, c'mere," Axel wrapped his arms tighter round Roxas. "I didn't realise you hated it so much. I'll stop it if you want, save it for special occasions." Roxas turned round so he was resting his head on Axel's chest. He sighed and after a while, Axel let his grip go and Roxas fell back onto the pillow next to him.

"What did you mean 'others between us'?" Roxas asked Axel after a long pause. Axel was playing with Roxas's hair absentmindedly, staring at the ceiling.

"What? Oh, you know, the people you date between us... boning."

Roxas shifted slightly. "Then, technically, aren't we the ones between them?"

"What do you mean?" asked Axel, tearing his gaze away from the ceiling.

"Well, if," Roxas thought for a moment. "If I go out with Naminé and then dump Naminé, then I... 'bone' you for a while, then I go out with Yuffie. Then aren't we the ones in the middle?"

"Well, if you put it like that then I s'pose so but that-"

Roxas slapped his hand over Axel's annoying mouth and sat up, leaning over the other slightly. "Axel, you know what I mean." He looked into Axel's eyes purposefully.

Axel retracted Roxas's hand from his mouth slowly. "Then you're right. I'm sorry for my outrageous grammatical error. I take it back."

Roxas's eyes misted over for a second, then he flopped back onto Axel's arm. "Good," he said, quietly.

Axel propped himself up. "So Naminé and Yuffie, eh?"

"I don't want to talk about it. We shouldn't talk about it, it's weird."

"Fine, fine. Just wondering why you picked two girls."

"Pfft. Well I don't go out with guys, do I?"

"What?"

There was a long silence. Axel leaned further over Roxas so the blond had no choice but to look at him. "Oi. I'm talking to you. What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Why do you care anyway?"

"Erm, because I'm your best friend and, as I've just realised, potentially the only guy you've ever had sex with."

Roxas remained still and silent for a while. "So?"

"So that's kind of a big deal, Rox. Why didn't you tell me this when we first started... you know." Axel was all but straddling Roxas now, his face hovering a few inches above Roxas's.

"So you could say boning earlier but now it's turned all 'serious' you can't say it any more?"

"Shut up. You're just a kid. Tell me."

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Roxas tried to break out of the cage of Axel but it wasn't happening. Axel pinned him down further. "I'm not a fucking child. I'm only two years younger than you."

"Yeah, but when we first started you were a kid. You were only eighteen and you didn't tell me. I just- Roxas, why didn't you tell me?" Roxas stared at Axel's worried eyes.

"For Yevon's sake, Axel, drop it. That was three years ago. I'm not a kid any more. It's not like you raped me or anything."

Axel stared at Roxas's face. He stared at his disdainful blue eyes and his wavy blonde hair, slightly messier than usual; he stared at his nose and his peachy pink lips. His gaze slipped down Roxas' face, he looked along the yellowing bruises down the side of his face and the scraping surrounding the ugly cut, pulled together by little bits of tape. "I may as well have done," he muttered.

"You're overreacting, Axel."

"You didn't say anything! You didn't tell me when it hurt and you didn't tell me to stop even though you must've wanted to."

"How would you know that?" Roxas asked, raising an eyebrow. "Axel, you're just being a fucktard. Now, get off me."

"Fine." Axel rolled to the other side of the bed. "So you don't date other guys?"

Roxas stiffened. "Yeah, I just don't really see myself like that, I suppose."

"Well, you always seem to enjoy yourself with me." Axel smirked.

Roxas didn't reply.

"Don't tell me you're faking it."

Roxas still didn't say anything.

"Rox?"

Axel sidled over to Roxas's side of the bed. "Hey, kiddo," he touched Roxas's head. "What's wrong with you today? You're being all moody and thinking and if I'm honest, it's not a particularly attractive quality in a girl."

Roxas slapped Axel's hand away from his head and slipped out of the bed.

"Whoa, whoa. Roxas, where are you going?" Axel grabbed Roxas's hand. "Please come back to bed."

Roxas's whole body shifted as he sighed heavily and sat back down on the bed, next to Axel's now outstretched arm. "Axel," he said, refusing to look at the redhead directly. "Axel, what exactly do I mean to you?"

Axel leaned up, resting on his elbows. "What? You're my best friend. Yeah?"

Roxas looked at Axel from the side, his shoulders tense. "Yes," he said, carefully. He listened to Axel's breathing for a while. "Is that it?"

"Rox? Are you feeling okay? You've been acting really strangely all morning."

"I'm fine. It's just I was talking to Sora yesterday and he asked me what was going on between us. And you know... I don't know the answer to that question any more."

Axel was silent.

"Do you?" whispered Roxas.

Axel remained silent, seemingly unable to answer.

"'Cause, Axel, you know I don't go out with other guys. And I don't think I ever will. It's just..." Axel remained stationary. Roxas shifted further off the edge of the bed.

"It's just you, Axel."

Axel stared. Roxas waited for a second, staring at the wall and then got off the bed and walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Selphie was alone in her dorm. She rubbed her eyes one last time and hoped they didn't look too red and puffy as she was going out to meet some friends later on. She opened the wardrobe to look at herself in the full length mirror there. She was wearing a plain t-shirt, which was a little tight on her, but not too much.

She placed her hands on her tummy.

If she wanted to, she could pretend that it looked as flat as usual. But as she traced a hand around the newly forming curve she could feel a hard contour pushing its way up.

She looked at herself from the side.

She heard Kairi noisily make her way into the dormitory, talking very loudly and very quickly about something or other that had happened at Tidus' party. She gave her tummy one last pat and dried her eyes again, turning to listen to what Kairi was saying properly.

Selphie knew then that she was, indeed, pregnant.

Does Axel know the exact relationship between himself and Roxas?

What will Riku say when he meets Sora?

Who's got Selphie pregnant?

A/N: Well, there we have it. Sorry for the long wait. More reviews means quicker updates though!