Sorry for the long posting delay. I've also been writing a Godchild fanfic that's taking up a lot of time and doing my artwork so please bare with me. This is one of my favorite (and the most hard to write!) chapters of them all, I think.

--Chapter 7—

Roxas didn't bother to go to the Usual Spot the next morning. Instead he made his way back to the mansion where he was sure he would find Axel again. He lowered himself slowly into the grass and waited. As he sat, he picked through the new memories he had access to. Each one had something to do with Axel, and although it seemed he didn't have all the pieces, he began to put together his past.

It was made apparent that he had been a member of some club or group that had thirteen members… Or eight. Did an X mean five or ten in Roman numerals? However, he had tried to leave because he was unhappy there. They had caught him and beat him or… something along those lines. He had tried to leave a second time and this time he had succeeded.

It was like getting a new personality in mail order. He was thrown off by how much he had forgotten.

"Namine says you're making headway." Roxas eyes opened quickly and he turned to find Axel lying in the grass next to him.

"I… I remember you now." He drew his knees up to his chest and plucked blades of grass from beside his feet. Axel was silent. He plucked a clover flower and dropped it onto the redhead's chest. The man smiled and picked it up between his forefinger and thumb, smelling it curiously.

"I…" Roxas wasn't sure how to voice what he wanted to say. "I remember… You and I… we…I said… said I loved you." Roxas was trembling internally with nerves. He hugged his knees in a death grip. When Axel didn't respond, he kept going as calmly as he could.

"And you said it too."

"I say what I mean and I mean what I say." Roxas smiled embarrassedly at Axel's quiet response.

"How old are you, Axel?"

"About 17… Maybe 18… Maybe older…"

"You mean you don't know?"

"A Nobody does not have the right to know… so there's no way I can be sure."

"Nobody…" It felt like a violent swear word on Roxas' tongue. He flopped down in the grass next to Axel and shielded his eyes from the blinding sun.

"So Roxas… What do you think?"

"Huh?" He turned and squinted at the older boy beside him.

"What are we?" Axel held his arms up, reaching towards the sky in a questioning gesture.

"Uhm… Well… I kind of figured that we were still…"

"Boyfriends? You can say the word. It won't kill you."

"B… Boy…" Roxas pretended to stumble over the word. He screwed up his face in mock agony. " I just can't seem to say it!"

"B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D-S. Boyfriends. Got it memorized?" Axel tapped his temple and Roxas snorted in laughter.

"Yeah. Whatever!"

"C'mere you little punk!" Axel rolled over and grabbed Roxas by the waist, tickling his stomach just under the hem of his shirt, relishing in the chiming laugh. He rolled them over in the grass so that he was on top, looking down into Roxas' face. The boy was laughing hysterically. Eventually he calmed down, though his face still glowed with smiles. Axel picked a clover and put it on the boy's lips. Roxas spat it back.

"Axel, your eyes are so green!" He giggled, a bit delirious. Axel laughed in pity. They lay for a second, not saying anything. Roxas picked a dandelion from beside his shoulder and put it behind Axel's ear, causing him to laugh yet again. When he was finally able to breath, Axel rested his forehead against Roxas'.

"God, I've missed this so bad."

"I… I missed you too…" Roxas began to tremble again, knowing what was coming next. He decided he would let it happen and figure out later whether it was right or wrong. He was so tired of hurting Axel.

Axel's lips met his own and he stopped shaking. There really wasn't anything to be nervous about. As a matter of fact, it seemed like they belonged this way. He bravely licked Axel's bottom lip, tasting salt. Axel took the hint and Roxas' lips parted faintly, allowing Axel to use his tongue. A cold shiver darted up his spine; Axel's heat was intense, like the fire he had under his control. He curled a bit of Axel's red hair around his finger, surprised that it was silky, not chunky with hair gel. This had all been his and it was his again.

"Roxas! What the-?"

SUSPENSE! It's killing you! O.O Who spoke? Find out!