Chapter 7

Axel's teeth were starting to itch. After this was finished he vowed to try and quit smoking. In reality he wanted to go and brush his teeth and gargle with some bourbon to burn the stale taste out of his mouth but all his stuff was at, dare he say, home? Roxas' house? He didn't know what to call it, but it meant home definitely wasn't here anymore.

He was sitting in his mother's kitchen trying his best to flip though some important files his mom had tucked away in her closet. He had Demyx stop at a gas station on their way over so he could buy a carton of cigarettes he was going to need if he ever wanted to get though this. He was already most of the way finished with his second pack, having chain smoked all though the calls he had made to his mother's girlfriends. Demyx had long since vacated the tiny kitchen in favor of some fresh air. Axel wasn't feeling much. It had already been a week since his mother had been killed and it was still very surreal.

He contemplated selling the house as is, and letting the people who move in deal with all of his mother's things, but her best friend Frieda insisted she wanted to take the gaggle of friends around the house and grab some memorabilia since they weren't going to have a service. Axel had found a hard copy of his mother's will and it outlined that she wanted to be cremated, just like his father. He didn't care what the middle-aged women did, he only wanted the pictures and a couple souvenirs they had collected from their few vacations they had in Axel's childhood. The rest could burn. He didn't want this anymore.

The more he sat and thought, the angrier and more vindictive he started to feel. This wasn't fair. Sure, the police had said that his parents weren't unique in this particular string of murders, but it was all the same to him. They had wanted money, that much was clear, but the bastards didn't have to kill anyone. They really didn't. They could've taken the damn house, all their stuff, his fish, even his hermit crabs, and his mom's car for all he cared. He just wanted his parents back. If this had never happened, he could've had a normal friendship with all the people he's met. He could've stayed out of their weird personal business, and just have been normal. Normal sounded nice.

But no, he had to sit around and pick up all the damn pieces. He considered going back to the Institute but then he remembered how miserable he was there; he had checked himself out immediately once he had turned eighteen. At least it was quiet there. Quiet and sterile. He didn't have to think about anything there, he only had to worry about keeping himself sane and on the straight and narrow. But man, times like these really made him want to revert to old behaviors just so he could feel numb again. Emotions sucked.

Demyx wandered back in and stood in the doorway, watching Axel stare off into space with a blank expression. The sandy haired man felt for him, he really did but this particular brand of mourning wasn't exactly healthy; when Axel heaved a heavy sigh he could hear a wheeze come from his lungs and it made Demyx' skin crawl. He took a tentative seat next to the redhead in another available chair.

"You really shouldn't smoke so much," he stated.

Axel was silent for a minute before responding, "then go out and buy me like six gallons of booze and I'll change to another habit."

"Eh, that's not necessarily the best alternative."

"Then I'll keep smoking."

Demyx sighed, a shallow one because the kitchen was smoggy with second hand smoke and it was hard to breathe. He leaned back and nudged open a window and a chilly breeze wafted though. "You know, you could always just have someone else deal with all the paperwork. You're only one guy, Axel; you're too young and too inexperienced to take it all on, hire a lawyer. If you did that, you could relax and properly mourn your mom, yeah?"

"I've considered that. I'd feel like I'm passing the buck though. Then again, I'm the only one I have to worry about; I don't have any more family."

"Self preservation is sometimes the best venue to keep your sanity. It's a lot of work trying to move on from something so traumatic. I'm surprised you've held up this long."

"I already went though it once with my dad. I had a lot of therapy when I was younger, the only major difference in scenarios is my age and now I have to do the paperwork. Other than that, it's exactly the same," Axel said flatly.

"Well I suppose it's a hidden blessing then. That experience."

"I guess, though I would've preferred none of it happening in the first place."

"Well of course, who would want this?"

Demyx reached over and plucked the forgotten cigarette out of the redheads hand and snuffed it out in the already overflowing ash tray. Axel didn't protest.

"I've put the boxes in the trunk, I think we should call it a day, for your sake," Demyx said plainly. He was referring to the boxes of pictures and things Axel wanted to keep. There were only four. The redhead nodded before shuffling the papers in a neat pile and stuffing them in their folder again. They closed the window and locked the door behind them.

In an effort to ease some of the stress, Demyx and Axel breezed past a coffee place and got some hot chocolate to go. During the relatively silent ride back to the manor, it dawned upon Axel that Roxas was going to come home from the hospital today. It had been several days since he went and visited the blonde, and he was thankful he would have someone sane to talk to outside of the help. He was tired of having to clean with them just so he could have some simple conversation since he steered clear of Namine as much as possible. Larxene too, he was staying away from that crazed woman.

Has had some mild success with his avoidance of unwanted attention, he had only sat with Namine at breakfast a couple times and mostly saw her in passing. Larxene only passed him twice, both times calling him a 'faggot' but otherwise leaving him unscathed. He had heard Riku was released the day after his visit with Roxas but he hadn't seen him in the house. All in all it wasn't too bad, but he was starting to feel a little lonely.

When the pair pulled up in front of the manor, Xigbar was already there and helping Roxas up the stairs, who was hobbling along on crutches. Demyx exited the car to go help, and Axel waited until they were settled inside before trying to make contact.

***

"So? What'd they find?" Axel questioned. They were in Roxas' bedroom, the blond having been set up in his bed, and Axel trying to amuse the grumpiness away.

"Nothing was done to the bone, but the pin tore though some muscle. They put everything back together and now I have a cast for four weeks. I can do some movement after then but I have to be careful."

"Yuck."

"Indeed. It would've been longer had I not been in such good shape or so they said. I'm not sure what being in shape has to do with outside influences cutting me up inside, but I'll take it as a vote of confidence in my recovery."

"Sounds like a plan. So much for birthday debauchery though."

"Yes well, I would've probably been too busy to have any."

"But you sounded so positive when I mentioned it!"

"And I was positive. But then I was off my IV for a few hours and I gained my wits about me again. I apologize for getting your hopes up," Roxas noted the dejected look on his friend's face before sighing heavily. "If it means that much to you, I'll try my best to do whatever you want to do. I promise."

Axel's face lit up in a doofy smile, "yeah? I'm happy."

"Doesn't take much, does it?" Roxas quipped with a smirk.

"No, no it really doesn't," Axel grinned.

They sat and made small talk for a while before they ran out of things to talk about. Axel insisted they needed to figure out something to do before he went crazy.

"I've been so bored, Roxas!" Axel whined, draping himself across the foot of his friend's bed. He wondered why Roxas even wanted a bed this huge, he barely took up a quarter of it he was so small.

"Go out with someone and see a movie or whatever it is you do. You don't need me to amuse you all the time," Roxas said with a raised eyebrow.

"I would but then that would mean I would have to bother someone for a ride."

"Oh. I see what you mean. Do you have a license?"

"Yeah…" Axel was quite certain where this was going and he didn't know if he felt comfortable with it. Roxas leaned over and opened the side table next to his bed. He dug around in its contents before producing a set of keys and tossing them in front of the redhead. Axel shook his head.

"I don't even want to know what kind of crazy expensive car these belong too, take them back," he held the keys out of Roxas, who was stuck in place and simply gave him a look. Axel tossed them to him and he put them back in his drawer. After he thought about it, he was curious to know what the keys belonged to.

"My Jaguar," Roxas stated simply.

"You drive a Jaguar, of course you do," Axel whined as he planted his face in the comforter.

"If you have a motorcycle license, you can take my Guzzi instead, or the Ducati, whichever."

Axel groaned his face full of fabric and down, "you're missing the point."

"I suppose I am."

No sooner had Roxas finished his sentence, his door was shoved open and it banged against the wall. Axel paled. He recognized that noise, even without looking to see Larxene standing in the doorway. At least this time, she was wearing regular clothes instead of her slinky nightwear.

"Oh my baby!" she gasped as she galloped across the room and threw herself on Roxas, squeezing him into her breasts. He let out a pained yelp as he let his bad leg drape off the side of the bed so she couldn't sit on it, the lesser of two evils for this case. Axel couldn't do anything to stop her so he just watched, making sure she didn't kill him. "Did you have fun with the doctor?"

Roxas let out a muffled response that caused Larxene to let him go and sit up. The blonde was flushed from the pressure of being smashed into his mother and Axel held back a snicker, making a small snort. Larxene whipped around to look at him causing Axel to lose all expression and color.

"You," she sneered with a glare. Axel could feel his testicles retreat up into his body. "What is your faggotry doing in the same room as my innocent Roxas?!" she screeched. "I thought we had a deal. Ah! You're even in his bed trying to seduce him! In his fragile state even! You're a heretic! Disgraceful!" Roxas put a hand on his mother's arm to stop her and Larxene whipped around again, backhanding the blonde across the face.

"Stay out of this! You're only just a boy Roxas! You know nothing!" she bellowed. Roxas rubbed his cheek; a shallow scrape from one of his mother's rings was starting to bleed a little. Axel's blood started to boil.

"That was uncalled for, lady!" Axel yelled. Larxene turned her electric anger back on him, and he waited for her response, prepared for the inevitable smack. She did nothing, but watched him for a minute. She took a deep breath and her demeanor changed completely. She smiled pleasantly. This woman is psycho, Axel thought.

"You and I have a date," she said calmly. Axel swallowed hard. He knew what she meant.

***

Roxas had been moved downstairs. He was grumpy about it but his mother had insisted that he needed to be present to the downfall of 'all that is evil in her house.' Or so she had put it, which inevitably had become a giant show of how asinine his mother could act. Axel looked amused.

Larxene and the redhead had taken one shot of Everclear together before she went off the deep end and started parading around the bar, babbling nonsense to anyone who could hear. When they had started it was obvious she had already been drinking for most of the day and the last one must have pushed her over the edge. She shoved a beer into Axel's hands and draped an arm across his shoulders before leaning in close to slur in his ear.

"I think yer so cute!" she giggled.

"Wonderful," Axel said, setting the untouched beer on the bar. His mouth was still on fire from the shot.

"Buh don' think yer in the clear yet, babes!" Larxene said, grabbing the bottle of Everclear. Axel didn't want any more, he really didn't. The woman took a long pull from the bottle before sloshing it around and looking at Roxas. The blonde was watching the pair with a hard look in his eyes.

Larxene slammed the bottle on the bar before heading around and clattering underneath amongst its contents. She pulled out a shot glass and sloppily dumped the clear liquid in it. She wandered over, spilling half on the carpet and shoved it in Roxas' face. He looked at her and looked at Axel who was shaking his head like 'don't do it!' The blonde didn't say anything, but took the glass from his mother and set it on the table next to him.

This action seemed to upset her because Larxene snatched the glass up and shoved it back in his face with a sneer, "drink." Roxas raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't want this, mother," he said simply.

"Drink it," she insisted.

"I will not."

Larxene stood in front of her son for a brief silent moment. Slowly her face started to crumble and tears poured out of her bloodshot eyes. Roxas sighed as his mother started to sob. "Why are ya doin' this tah me Roxas' lovey?" she said.

Axel watched with surprised eyes as Roxas rolled his eyes and took the half-shot from his mother and gulped it down. He immediately started coughing and looking at the glass like it was poison. Larxene stopped crying suddenly, like someone had flipped a switch. Roxas glared at his mother.

"Happy?" the blonde asked, his voice cracking as he tried to talk though the fire.

"Totally!" Larxene chirped, suddenly very giddy. She skipped over to the bar and sloshed another shot into Axel's glass from before. She shoved it in front of the redhead with a smile. Axel looked at her, then at the glass. He was starting to feel the first one and he really didn't think he should do anymore. Larxene started to dig under the bar for something and Axel seized the opportunity to quickly dump the shot onto the carpet. When Larxene stood again, he was setting the empty glass on the bar and looking innocent. He heard Roxas stifle a laugh from across the way.

Xigbar wandered in just as Larxene was doing another shot of the fire water. He looked at Axel, then at the woman, then over to Roxas, then back to Larxene. The mother was holding onto the bar for stability which made Xigbar sigh and take out his Blackberry and start poking away at the screen.

"Wish you guys would have called me," Xigbar said. "How much has she had?"

"More than I have," Axel said. "How can she drink that shit? I've only had one and I feel fuzzy already."

"Everclear is like modern day moonshine, kid. You're going to feel it a whole lot more in the next little bit, I guarantee it."

"What if you had only a little?" Roxas quipped.

Xigbar looked at the blonde with wide eyes, "she got you too?"

"She started crying when I refused."

The older man sighed and they all turned to look at Larxene who had fallen to the ground with a loud 'thump.' No one seemed particularly alarmed. As if on cue, blue and red flashing lights poured though the window on the far wall, an ambulance had apparently been summoned.

"Roxas, no more drinking. You're not off your pain meds yet, and it was really stupid of you to drink anything. You'll both be fine eventually, but I'm going to take your mother to get her stomach pumped," the older man said, opening the door. There were footsteps echoing in a distance.

"I tried to refuse!" Roxas insisted. "It gets to me when she cries, I can't help it…" he trailed off. Axel would've thought it was cute that the blonde didn't like it when his mom cried if she wasn't so insane.

The paramedics poured though the doorway and hoisted Larxene onto a gurney and rolled her away. Xigbar followed, tapping away at his Blackberry calmly like he had done this many times before. Axel couldn't help but think that he had. Once everyone cleared out, Demyx was there with a bucket he handed it to Axel, who raised a brow in question at the other man.

"It's for when you start to barf," Demyx said simply with a curt smile. The sandy haired man milled around behind the bar for a minute before producing another bucket and handing it to Roxas. The blonde looked at him quizzically then sighed, waiting for the upchucking.

"I don't know about him, but I'll be fine, Demyx," Axel said.

"Oh you think so? That experienced already? Is your stomach made of steel?"

"I can hold my liquor. Believe me," he retorted back with a smile. He was feeling it, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn't completely obliterated. Past experience had built up a good tolerance for him. Roxas, on the other hand looked flushed and disgruntled. A good cocktail of pain medication and booze probably wasn't the best for him.

"You feeling yucky, Roxxy?" Demyx cooed, his voice betrayed the look of concern on his face.

"I'm not a child, Demyx," Roxas said, annoyed.

"Well, I'm sorry to abandon you in your time of need, Roxas but I really hate the sound of people throwing up. I'm going to smoke, I'll be back," Axel said as he stood and made his way for the door. His legs were a little weak but otherwise he felt pretty good.

***

Axel snuffed his cigarette out in his buddy before retrieving his coat. He had taken it off because he felt too warm even though he was outside in the chilly air. Three cigarettes seemed like it was enough time to let Roxas get everything out so he headed inside. He wandered towards the bar area, taking his time, just in case. He really didn't feel like listening to the blonde emptying his stomach, that scenario usually had a chain effect on him. He hears someone vomit, then all of a sudden he's spewing right along with them. He hated it.

The bar was empty, both buckets were gone. In the distance, he could hear the echo of a door being shut, so Axel followed the noise. Demyx was walking out of the West wing with a bucket.

"He finished?" Axel asked.

"He never did anything. I'm proud of him, he held his own. He must have his mother's stomach for the drink," he smiled.

"Oh wonderful, just what he needs." They passed each other, and Axel knocked on Roxas' door before going in. The blonde was set up in his bed again, topless and munching on some crackers. A bucket was next to the bed, just in case. Roxas was chewing absently, a blank look in his eyes and his face was rosy. Axel had to laugh a little.

Axel pulled himself on the bed and sat at the foot cross-legged. He watched Roxas nibble on his crackers, amused with the scene. Roxas looked like he was feeling good, lubed up and calm, like he was in the hospital but less hyper.

"Hi," Axel said quietly.

"Hello."

"You feeling okay?"

"Mhmm."

"Good."

"I fink oo won," Roxas said around a mouthful of cracker. Axel burst into abrupt laughter at the sound. Roxas never talked with his mouth full. He secretly wondered what other things he could get the blonde to do. It took him a minute to calm himself so he could speak.

"I did win. Now your mom has to leave me alone."

"She said that? Was she bothering you?" Roxas said after swallowing his mouthful.

"She was hitting on me a few days ago and when I refused to sleep with her, she called me a faggot and told me to drink with her to redeem myself."

Roxas popped another cracker in his mouth. "I shorry she did dat. She does dat wif Namine's guy fwends."

"Yeah, she thought I was her boyfriend or something. Did you know she's divorcing her husband?"

Another swallow, then a nod. "That explains why he hasn't come home." Roxas dug around in the plastic wrapper for another cracker and tossed one in his mouth before offering the package to Axel. The redhead took one and popped it in his mouth. Roxas sat quietly, thinking. He swallowed again before speaking.

"So, are you gay?" Axel nearly spit out his cracker all over the bed.

He gave the blonde a sideways look, "does it matter?"

Roxas shrugged, chewing "I gueth not."

"Why, are you?"

Roxas made a face like he was thinking very hard. He shrugged. "I've neber had a girlfwendb," he swallowed, "and the only intimate thing I've ever done was with Riku weather I liked it or not."

Well that was a loaded statement, Axel thought. "I've never had a serious relationship with anyone. Girl or guy," then he blushed a little before continuing "I've had both, honestly. I don't… really know where I fit, I guess."

Axel startled a little when he realized Roxas was watching him very carefully, when he met his eyes, Axel had a hard time keeping contact and looked idly around the room, blushing and feeling very nervous. Roxas sighed a little and started shuffling himself clumsily around the bed until his legs draped over the side. He took up his crutches and hopped onto his good foot.

"Paaaardon me," he drawled before making his way for the bathroom. Axel laughed a little at the awkward statement. When the door was closed, he let out a breath he was apparently holding. Such a brash and open discussion about sexuality with Roxas of all people was unnerving. It was not what he had intended on happening. He didn't want to talk about it in general since he had yet to figure it out himself. Was he gay? Wasn't he? Who knows? Does it matter? He could always put the moves on Namine and to see if he was even remotely attracted to her like that. She was pretty, but their relationship wasn't one of intimacy to say the least. The only other readily available woman around was Larxene and there was no way in hell he was touching that minefield.

He flopped over on the bed, exasperated. Roxas exited the bathroom, his crutches clicking away as he crossed the room and stopped in front of a large cabinet that was next to his desk. He pulled it open and clattered around inside. To Axel's surprise, light poured out of the cabinet and he looked over to see it was a refrigerator.

"Whoa, I never realized that was a fridge."

"Fancy fancy, yeah?" Roxas said, still rifling though its contents. "Want anything? If you feel like drinking more, I actually have some beer in here, believe it or not."

"Would you think me an alcoholic if I said yes?"

"Not really," he said, he stood straight and stared into the fridge with a thoughtful look. "Well you'll have to come get it, I can't carry much."

Axel slid himself off the bed and wandered over to stand behind the blonde. The refrigerator wasn't packed to the gills like the one in the main kitchen but it was full enough to serve its purpose. It mostly held various things to drink, juices and water were the majority but in the back, he could see a six pack of some weird beer he had never seen before. The entire cardboard case was in German. Roxas dug around and shoved clear plastic box in Axel's hands as well as a bottle of juice and a beer. He closed the fridge with his foot and clacked away back to the bed and climbed in as well as he could.

Axel sat and gave the juice to Roxas who set it on his side table before opening the drawer and digging around producing a bottle opener and two plastic forks. He gave them to Axel before diving in the drawer again and producing a remote. The blonde dragged the plastic box near him and clicked it open to reveal assorted pieces of fruit, he looked to the redhead before patting the bed next to him where they could both stick a fork in the box and eat easily. Axel scooted his way over and settled into the pillows, popping open his beer.

Roxas settled back as well and held out the remote at nothing in particular. Axel was going to call him crazy when the lights dimmed a little and there was a short 'beep' before a large television screen folded down from the ceiling and hung between the posts of the bed.

"What do you want to watch?" Roxas asked before twisting open his bottle of juice and taking a swig.

"Uuhh… I want to watch you push the button again and see the TV go up and down. That was awesome."

"Are you serious?"

"No, but I am surprised."

Roxas clicked around the channels for a bit before they settled for watching a standup comedian that wasn't very funny. Roxas' cell phone vibrated in his pocket and he flipped it open before bursting into sudden laughter. He held the phone out for Axel to see. Xigbar had sent the blonde a picture of himself standing in front of Larxene who was bent over the edge of the hospital bed, vomiting. The expression on the older man's face was priceless, he was holding a 'thumbs up' and he had an enormous grin spread across his face that went all the way up to his eyebrows. Axel laughed.

"That's a really twisted sense of humor, aren't you worried? You're mom is in the hospital."

"No, our doctors are really good and my mother is there so frequently it has lost its traumatic effect. I would be worried if she wasn't vomiting, because then it would all be in her system still and she would have a serious problem," the blonde said, sticking his fork in a large piece of melon and shoving the entire thing in his mouth. Axel was surprised and watched as Roxas struggled to chew, he chuckled a little which made the blonde turn away from his phone and notice Axel. Roxas blushed a little.

"I thorry, I thuolda bit that," he sputtered.

"No, no, don't be sorry, do it again. You look like a hamster."

Roxas gave him a look, "rerey Axthel? Name callink?"

"Yeah, that's right; I called you a hamster, gimpy."

Roxas slurped and wiped his mouth when a dribble of melon juice snuck out of his mouth. Axel started to laugh as Roxas glared at him and was finally able to swallow his mouthful. "That was a low blow, Axel. Gimpy?"

"Yeah. But it's okay, you know I only say it out of love," he took a swig of his beer. He really wished he knew what the label said, this was awesome beer. Roxas gave him a sideways glance.

"Love, huh? Well if you love me so much…" he said before leaning over and snatching the beer out of Axel's hand. The redhead was only able to utter a squeak of protest when Roxas upended the beverage into his mouth. Axel gaped at the blonde for a long silent moment as Roxas finished his beer, gave it back to him and promptly belched for a good three seconds.

"What. The fuck. Was that?" Axel said, with a huge grin.

"That was a burp."

"Well I know but coming from you it should be called something else. And you drank my beer! Do you know what kind of horrible social faux pas you just committed?"

"That was for calling me a gimp."

"But my beer!"

"Well go get another one. You're allowed to."

"Fine. I will. I may just stand over there where you can't get me and drink them all," Axel huffed, scooting his way off the bed and heading for the fridge. When he looked back, the blonde was unfazed by his empty threat and was comfortably munching on a strawberry, looking up at the television. Axel grabbed a beer and went back.

After about a half hour of unfunny jokes, Axel had to pee. He cleaned up the now empty plastic container and the forks and dumped them in the garbage on his way to the bathroom. When he was finished he came out to find that Roxas was standing, with his crutches of course, at the refrigerator again.

"Are you hungry, still?" Axel asked. He was surprised because they must've downed a half gallon of fruit pieces.

"No, I'm really warm," it was true; Roxas was simply standing in front of the open refrigerator letting the cooled air waft over him. Axel also noticed the light shade of pink that seemed to have washed his entire body.

"Well if you get too cold too fast you'll get lightheaded and pass out."

"I've been lightheaded. Nothing new here."

"Yeah well maybe you should lay down then."

"Yes, mom," Roxas piped, clicking his way back to the bed. When he hefted himself onto the mattress, Axel noted that the blonde was covered in goose bumps but still flushed like he just went on a hike. Axel scooted across back to his spot and stuck a hand on the blonde's forehead. He was really warm. Almost feverish.

"Good god. You're burning up."

Roxas shrugged. "I feel fine though." Roxas sat for a moment before shivering lightly.

"So now you're cold?"

"I did stand in front of the refrigerator for a good five minutes."

"Yes but you're sweating."

He simply shrugged again.

"Maybe we should call it a night; you should probably sleep and let things work through your system."

"I'm not tired."

"Well you should try, come on," Axel started to pull the comforter down near Roxas and yank it out from under him. They blonde didn't protest and moved himself around so the covers could be pulled out from under him. He was already pretty much dressed for bed. He supposed he could do without a shirt for just one night. Axel walked around the bed pulled the heap of blankets over the blonde's lithe body; he blushed a little when he realized he had just taken in all the lines and fine details that made up the blonde's physique. From his pert nipples all the way down the line of his chest and flat stomach to the line of fuzz that ran from his navel and disappeared under tops of his silk pajama pants. Roxas cleared his throat and Axel startled.

"What're you looking at?" Axel was suddenly aware he had been staring and turned a deeper shade of scarlet.

"Nothing," which was a total lie. Axel took the remote off the nightstand and fiddled with the buttons, not knowing which of the zillions to push. He fidgeted nervously, his hands shaking lightly. There was movement behind him and a hand touched his elbow causing him to startle so badly he dropped the device. The hand stayed on him and he looked over his shoulder to see Roxas sitting up and looking at him with an endless sea of blue.

"You're a horrible liar, did you know that?"

"And you're a horrible tease," Axel's hand flew up to cover his mouth in order to keep the word vomit from springing fourth anymore.

"How am I a tease? I haven't done anything."

Axel kept a hand over his mouth, afraid of what he might say. Roxas took a piece of Axel's shirt into his hand a tugged the redhead to sit next to him. Axel did so, but refused to move the hand away from his mouth.

"I suppose I'm a tease because I haven't done anything, yes? What would you like me to do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Are you sure? Because when your pants are stretched that tight, it generally means you want something."

Axel's eyes grew wide as he looked down at his pants. He did indeed have a very obvious erection and he blushed so hard he thought his blood vessels were going to rip through his skin. He snatched a pillow from behind Roxas and smashed it over his lap and looked away.

"You wouldn't say these things if you weren't so doped up on pain killers and booze."

"Probably not so openly, but I would've made an effort."

"You don't mean that."

"I do. Axel…" Roxas moved forward a bit towards the redhead. "It's okay. I'm not mad; you don't have to be so nervous. The truth is I've been trying my hardest to make you less anxious around me. When you came into my room the first day we met and you were so nervous, I was guilt ridden that I had such an effect on you. I never thought that I was the reason I pushed so many people away and basically turned myself into a social recluse. I've since then tried my best to make you comfortable and believe me when I say that I'm flattered that at least your body is on the same page as me, it makes me happy."

They sat in silence for well over five minutes. Axel tried to think past his anxiety and absorb Roxas' speech. In the back of his mind he couldn't help believing that this was all happening because Roxas was under the influence and by this time tomorrow, everything would have disappeared. He wasn't ready to accept the fact that there was some magical switch that someone had flipped in the blonde and all of a sudden he was ready to delve into uncharted waters. He just had to be sure.

"Get some sleep, Roxas. We can talk again in the morning once everything is cleared out."

"Oh…sure. I understand," the blonde sounded unsure.