Hey guys! Here's the new chapter!

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER: Everything in Italics is a flashback. That it all. Enjoy.

Ven threw his head back, laughing at some joke Yuffie had made. He was sitting at one of the senior tables in the courtyard (if he had known after he left they would be considered Kairi's territory he would've scratched his name into it).

He noticed Leon's eyes narrow. Turning around, Ven glared when he saw who that redheaded punk had made his next victim: his friend and Leon's longtime crush, Rinoa. The brunette was close to tears, only giving a hurt look to the redhead before running into the school. Leon started to stand up.

"Wait," Ven said, pushing himself off the bench he occupied. "You go after Rinoa. Let me handle him."

Ven approached the table where the redhead sat, plopping down next to him. He checked his watch, noting that he had exactly fifteen minutes before the bus left for Uni so he could finish the rest of his classes.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, before smirking and leaning over slightly. "I'm Axel," he murmured in Ven's ear, taking Ven's hand in his own. "What's your name?"

Ven smirked. "You can call me contestant number eleven. Or Ven, if you prefer."

Axel withdrew his hand. "You know the rules?"

"Rinoa told us on the first day," Ven snapped.

Axel laughed. "I have a thing for feisty blondes."

"We met at lunch one day. Rinoa had just lost, I was angry, and if I didn't do something, Leon was going to do something–"

"Wait, you mean psychology major Rinoa? And kickboxing coach Leon?" Roxas interrupted, a look of confusion on his face.

"They weren't like that at the time. Well, Leon was, hence why I stepped in," Ven said.

The sat in silence for a moment.

"Ven, you don't have to tell me all at once. We could do this in bits and pieces," Roxas said, putting a hand on Ven's shoulder.

Ven gave Roxas a comforting smile. "Why don't I fit in as much as I can before you have to leave, okay?"

Roxas nodded. Ven took a deep breath.

"I have a little brother named Lea, he's practically my mini me," Axel laughed. "My little sister is actually my half sister, and I haven't met her yet. She's supposed to be pretty cool though."

"I have a little brother too. His name's Roxas, he would be a freshman this year, but he goes to school on Destiny Islands," Ven said, stirring the straw in his soda.

Axel smiled at him, the multicolored lights rolling over his face. They were at a smaller party, with more people willing to sit down and talk.

"Destiny Islands? The place with the weird fruit?"

"It's called a paopu! And eating one with someone else intertwines their destinies forever."

Axel grinned. "Might have to try it sometime." And he winked.

Ven tried not to swoon.

"This isn't sounding as bitter as I thought it would be," Roxas said, resting his head on his hand.

Ven laughed a little. "It gets worse, I promise." He took a deep breath. "Roxas. I fell in love. We can skip all the little things I learned about him, because I'm about to tell you the part where everything goes to shi–"

Roxas' phone dings. He looks at the screen.

"It's Axel."

From: Axel

Received: 5:45 pm

I'm outside. U ready?

"He's here," Roxas said, looking at Ven.

"Then go. I'll tell you later."

"But Ven–"

"Meeting the family, remember, gotta make a good impression, right?"

"What, you want me to get involved now?"

Ven sighed, and rubbed his hands through his hair.

"I saw an old friend a few days ago. I hadn't seen them in a while, and everything just came out, and they knocked some sense into me. I've been really fucking stupid Rox, okay? Now go eat and be merry. I love you," Ven said, hugging Roxas.

"I love you too, Ven," Roxas said, leaving the house and sliding into the passenger seat of Axel's car.

Roxas felt acidic green eyes rake over his frame. "You look nice, Rox."

"Think your family will like it?"

"I think they'll lov–like it," Axel covered. Roxas didn't notice, instead choosing to mull over the snapshots of Ven's game with Axel. It definitely had some parallels to his own. Axel started the car and began driving.

One of Axel's hands left the wheel and grabbed Roxas' hand, intertwining their fingers. Roxas glanced up, Axel's eyes still on the road.

"Axel–"

"I want to hold your hand, okay?"

"Yeah."

They arrived at the house, and the first thing Roxas noticed was a smaller redhead waving from the porch, with his coat on but unzipped (It was getting a bit warmer, but mother nature had fakeouts all the time, so).

Roxas smiled. "He must be Lea."

Axel grinned. "Yeah," he said, looking at Roxas only to find the blonde smiling and giving a wave back. Axel's heart melted a bit. Lea even looked a bit shocked himself, giving Roxas a tentative smile. Roxas giggled quietly.

"So, are we going to go inside now?" Roxas asked, blue eyes sparkling as he looked at Axel. The redhead smiled in return.

"Yeah. Let's go inside."

Ven's best friend was a boy–well, man, he was technically an adult, only two years older though–named Vanitas. They had Writing 1 together. Sometimes, they ran together (Leon had given up on trying to make Ven kickbox with him. Besides, when Roxas came home during holidays he was always happy to be Leon's partner). Today was one of the days they ran together.

"So you're going fake falling in love with this guy, as revenge for one of your friends?" Vanitas asked, using his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face.

Ven nodded.

"Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? Or doesn't seem kind of . . . twisted, I guess? Because he did the same thing to your friend?"

Ven blinked once, twice. Vanitas sighed.

"What I'm trying to say is, I don't think you should tell him you love him, because you're not in a good place right now Ven," Vanitas said, wincing when Ven flinched.

"How would you know?" Ven whispered.

"I see you all the time. I know your mom just passed away recently, and that's awful. I know you miss Roxas like crazy, but don't want to ask him to come home because you know he's found his people. I know sometimes you want to talk to your dad, but he's thrown himself into his work and long distance calls are expensive. I know sometimes you want to hurt yourself," Vanitas paused, gently placing his hand in Ven's. "You trace the veins that run across your arms and dig your fingernails in slightly and it works for a while but then you want more. You blame it on animals, running into things, not looking carefully enough. But you want to do it and I couldn't be happier that you aren't. When my dad left I wasn't nearly as strong as you are."

Ven sniffed, his eyes watering.

"I'm just saying, this guy . . . he's just going to add to that, and you're teetering on the edge of a slope I never want to see you go down."

When Ven and Vanitas got back from their run, no one could tell the difference between their sweat and their tears.

Axel's father, Reno, had tattoos on his face.

This was the first thing Roxas noticed upon meeting him. Reno led them into the living room, and motioned for them to sit down. Axel grabbed Roxas' hand and laced their fingers together as they sat down, and Roxas felt tension that he didn't was there leave him.

"So, you're Roxas. And you're dating my son," Reno stated.

"Yes sir," Roxas responded immediately. The corners of Reno's mouth lifted a bit.

"How do you do at school?" Reno asked.

"I do well. I made honor roll, and I have a few advanced classes, sir."

"Roxas?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You don't have to call me sir," Reno said, smiling.

Roxas grinned back. "Alright, Mr. Sinclair."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Just call me Reno."

The blonde visibly relaxes, and Reno noticed how his son relaxed with him. There was no way Axel was actually nervous about this, was he? Reno inwardly smiled, proud of his son. The last person he brought home was crazy.

"So, Roxas, what are your hobbies?"

"I've always been into sports, engineering, and writing. I swim mostly, but occasionally I kickbox. A few months ago I went to a robotics competition on Destiny Islands, and at my old school I was a part of newspaper."

Reno hummed thoughtfully, and Axel knew he was impressed.

"How do you feel about my son?"

"I like him enough to deal with the stress and nervousness of meeting the family."

Reno chuckled. "Well, let's move to the dining room, okay?" he said, standing up and walking out, not waiting for the two teens to follow him. When they entered, Lea was already sitting.

"Big sis will be here soon!" Lea said excitedly, bouncing in his booster seat (he wasn't short, the table was just tall, okay). Roxas smiled and looked to Axel and Reno, both looking less than pleased at the mention of 'big sis'. Roxas figured she was probably a college student or older, and probably nagged and was bit motherly. He imagined Olette as a grown up with more of a temper.

A knock came from the front door, and all three redheads got up from the dinner table, and Roxas heard the sound of the door opening, and Lea's cheer of "big sis!". Roxas could make out the low murmurs.

"Well, look who finally decided to come home."

"Well, Lea wanted to see me and I think Axel's boyfriend could use my support. Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair once he leaves."

"Why don't you come home?"

"Lea, sweetie, your daddy isn't my daddy, and my mommy can't take care of me right now–"

"Stop putting things in his head!"

"Oh, like what? The truth?"

"Guys!" That was Axel. "Please sort this out later. Roxas is here."

A collective sigh was heard. Roxas, took a sip of water and pretended he wasn't listening, waiting for the mysterious 'big sis' to appear.

A soft hand rested on his shoulder.

"Hi Roxas."

Roxas turned, and immediately looked at Axel, who shrugged in an apologetic way. Reno seemed confused at the shocked faces, and Lea just grinned.

And then he looked at Kairi.

"Axel?"

"Yeah Ven?"

"I love you."

"I . . . um," he pauses, then sighs. "Game over."

Wow . . . please leave a review!

xoxo yoyoyo98