Title: Boring System

Author: comeandgetmebabe

Disclaimer: I own a wondrous trip to Maryland and Delaware to look at colleges (death)

-NOTE- Here we are, back again.

I LLLLLLIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVEEEEEEE!!!!!

Sorry this took so freaking long. Third quarter started up and it was like "HOLY FUCKING SHIT SAT AP TEST FINALS COLLEGE SHOPPING OHMIGOD AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!"

And I bought Pokemon Leaf Green and Final Fantasy XII. That had a tiny bit to do with it. But when I say tiny, I mean tiny. Most of my free time has been devoted to sleeping and studying. And writing this.

I really am sorry about the delay, since I got a lot of people asking "WTF WHERE ARE YOU!?" which is nice, because it let's me know people care about my story :D And knowing people care stopped me from freaking out when I realized I didn't know what the Sherman Act was.

So thanks guys.

This chapter is not the best one, not at all, but it does its job. And that's what really counts.

CONSUME!

/o/O/o/

When Roxas was younger he had a crush on Namine.

It wasn't really a crush, looking back on it. It was more like "Sora's with Kairi and Namine is there." And, as it turned out, Namine didn't even like him anyway—at least, not like that. She wanted to go muff diving with Kairi (and Roxas would never forget how hard Namine had smacked him when he said that aloud). But still, Namine had been a good friend when they were younger and had turned into a great friend when they got older. So if Roxas was going to talk to anyone about Axel and all of that, it was going to be with her. Because God knew, he wasn't going to try to talk to Sora again. Not after his goddamn boyfriend rushed into their house at eight in the morning and woke both of them with a cry of "HEY ROXAS, HOW WAS YOUR DATE?!"

How Riku and Sora could be so perky at eight in the morning when they got home at two was beyond Roxas.

After spending an hour at home after he woke up, Roxas knew he had to get out of there. As always, Riku came over Saturday morning to "watch cartoons" with Sora, which really meant they slobbered over each other on the couch. Roxas had endured an hour of this before deciding, you know what? He didn't really need to watch his twin do that. So he grabbed his cell phone and left a very happy Riku and a rather concerned Sora behind him.

Roxas was dialing Namine's number as he left his building. After a few rings, she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Where are you?"

There was a moment of silence. "…I'm a home Roxas. It's nine o'clock on Saturday."

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No, I woke up early to paint the sunrise. What's up?"

"I need to talk to someone."

Roxas could see Namine sitting in her room, the walls and furniture the purest of white, gasping to herself. Roxas wanted to talk? About what?

"Uh, sure. Come over. Did you have breakfast?"

"No, Sora and Riku were fucking on the couch."

"They were not, Roxas! And don't talk like that." The boy smiled at her irritation.

"No, Namine, I did not have breakfast!" he said in a loud voice, hoping she could hear his grin.

Namine smiled on the other side of the conversation. "I'll order something up for us, okay? You like waffles?"

"Sure. See ya in a minute Namine." And then he got on the subway and his service went out.

Ten minutes later, Roxas knocked on the door to Namine's apartment He could hear her mother in the other room listening to some riot grrl music and digging her paintbrush into a canvas. Namine rolled her eyes as she opened the door and smiled softly at Roxas. "Morning."

"Hey," said Roxas. He looked around Namine's front room, the loud colors sprayed everywhere from the time where Namine's mom had insisted on redoing the apartment color scheme. One room she hadn't been able to touch, however, was Namine's room. It was as pristine as ever, pure white from the floor to the ceiling to the furniture. The only spots of color were the drawings and paintings Namine had tacked on the walls.

"What's wrong?" Namine asked as they sat on the floor, a breakfast of waffles and juice laid out on a snow white blanket before them. Namine hated getting any dirt in her room.

"Who said anything was wrong?" asked Roxas, taking a waffle and eating it with his hands. Namine stiffened but didn't say anything about how messy he was.

"Roxas, you never want to talk. Something must be up. Is it Sora again?" Namine had been the second person Roxas had told about Sora. Hayner had been the first. But Hayner had just laughed at him, unable to believe Roxas had to live with a fag. And then Hayner had started making the gay jokes and kept saying how much he'd like to get with Roxas and—

"No, it's not Sora," said Roxas, wanting to get his mind off that subject. "It's…me."

"What is it?" asked Namine. She reached out and touched his hand that wasn't covered in waffle crumbs and Roxas thought about how he used to have a crush on her. Back before she admitted how she liked Kairi. Roxas wondered, in the back of his mind, what it would have been like to actually date Namine. She'd make a great girlfriend. But at the thought of romance, Roxas's mind raced back to

"Axel," he said, looking down at their hands.

"Your tutor?"

"Yeah, I…" Roxas reached for his juice (orange, God did Namine know him) and took a big gulp, trying to hold off the inevitable. "I think I…" he began, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and trying to ignore how Namine's eye twitched as he did. He looked down at his plate. "I think I…I might…"

"Like him?" asked Namine softly.

Roxas's head snapped up. "What?"

"You think you might like him?"

"I…how did you…"

"Roxas, you're not as hard to figure out as you think you are," said Namine with a smile. "The past month, whenever you even mention him offhand your whole face lights up and you get this…goofy grin. The kind Riku gets when he's around Sora."

"Oh God, do not compare me to Riku…" muttered Roxas, looking away. Namine giggled but looked solemn once more.

"Roxas, what's the problem? Is it that you like a guy and you feel like—"

"No! It's just…I mean…I don't like guys."

Namine blinked. "What? But you said—"

Roxas sighed and explained about last night. About how he and Axel went to the club Atlantica and he had felt so uncomfortable and so alone and he hated all the guys there, especially Luxord. He spoke about how gorgeous Axel was, how he'd never felt that way about anyone before, man or woman, and how he just didn't understand how he could like one guy so much and hate all the others. How he could think Riku and Sora and maybe Hayner (you could never tell with him) were abnormal, but the second he looked at Axel all Roxas wanted to do was be swept away by him (or fuck his brains out, but he didn't tell Namine that part).

"…and it's like, I like him but I don't like other guys but, I mean, I still think girls are hot but I don't want to be with them like I want to be with Axel and…you know…fuck, I have no idea," finished Roxas. He fell backwards and stared up at Namine's pure white ceiling. He sighed stared at one lone dust spot on the surface. "What do you think?"

Namine didn't say anything for a moment. "How long have you known him?"

"Christ, like a month. That's another thing, how the hell does someone fall for something as bad as I have in a fucking month?"

Namine was silent once more. Then she stood and walked over to Roxas. She sat down next to him and looked up at the ceiling as well.

They were both quiet for a long time, Namine obviously thinking and Roxas's stomaching tightening.

"So?!" he burst out. "What do you think?"

"…I mean, it's possible," said Namine, still looking at the ceiling.

"What's possible?"

"For you to fall in love in a month. I mean, you hear about love at first sight in books and stuff. It has to come from somewhere. You're just a textbook example."

"Okay, whatever," said Roxas. He sighed once more. "But what about, you know, how I only find him attractive? I mean, shouldn't I think all guys are cute or something?"

Namine laughed at that. "Do you think Sora thinks all guys are attractive? Do you think I think all girls are attractive? We all just like what we like, Roxas. You like Axel. Simple as that."

"How is it that simple."

"Some things in life just are. My mom likes bright colors. I like white. Sora likes Riku. You like Axel. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and everything in between is open to interpretation." She smiled more to herself than to him. "People fall in love with people they shouldn't fall in love with and people fall in love with the person they're meant for. It's as simple as that."

"Love isn't simple."

"No it's not," she said. "But it's not complicated."

Roxas stared at Namine. Namine stared up at the ceiling. The sunlight streaming in through her white curtains made her hair glow, a soft butter yellow halo surrounding her head.

"When did you get so…so…"

"Wise? Sage-like?"

Roxas grinned. "I was gonna compliment you, but now I'm not so sure I should."

Namine smiled down at him. "I think…you should go for it. I mean, you obviously like this guy a lot, and he kissed you back, so that's got to mean something. When are you seeing him again?"

"Tomorrow. He said he'd take me to a movie."

"Wow, Roxas, you move fast."

"Shut up," he said, but he smiled. She smiled back at him.

"Go to the movie, Roxas. And tell him everything you told me. How you've been feeling about him, how you like him, things like that. Don't force yourself on him, but just try to explain how you feel."

Roxas was silent once more, staring at Namine's small form covered in her little white sundress. "What if he rejects me?"

"Then you come back here and we'll eat ice cream and cry together."

"That's way too girly for me."

Namine smiled. "Then maybe you shouldn't have come to a girl for advice."

Roxas smiled back, feeling calmer than he had in a month. For a fleeting moment he wished that he had fallen for Namine and she for him. It would all be so much simpler that way.

"Thanks Namine. For the waffles and…you know."

"I'm always here, Roxas," said Namine, helping him to sit up. "Don't worry. You'll get your man."

"Yeah, well…Namine, don't tell—"

"Not a soul," said Namine, putting a finger to her lips. She smiled at him as he stood. "Where are you going?"

"I dunno. Just…walk around, you know? Why, you wanna like…chill or something?"

"No, I'm meeting up with Kairi later." Roxas noticed a blush form on her cheeks. "We're, um…we're going to the zoo."

"Pride Rock Park?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Hope you have fun. Oh, and Namine?" he said, before exiting her pristine white room. She looked up at him. "You'll get your girl."

Namine's eyes widened for a moment and then she looked down at the floor, her hair in her face. But Roxas could see her cheeks rising in a smile.

/o/

"Hey."

Demyx looked up from the guitar magazine he was reading and nearly fell off his stool. Standing in his shop, after a two weeklong absence, stood Axel. As a general rule he and Axel talked at least six times a week, so the weeks without the redhead had been odd. Demyx had spent the first few days of last week fuming about what a stupid asshole Axel was. Then, when Axel didn't return, he began wondering if maybe he had over reacted about the whole "My boyfriend threw me on the ground but I LOOOOVVEE him" thing. Then, as Monday rolled around once more, the musician began dialing Axel's number on the phone but never actually calling him. Demyx had actually decided that that Saturday he was going to call up Axel and try to apologize. Just as soon as he finished his magazine. And closed the store. And had lunch with Zexion. But seriously, he was going to call Axel and try to talk. And then Axel had ruined all his plans by showing up at his shop while he was still reading.

"Hey…Axel," said Demyx, after getting over the shock of seeing Axel back again (Axel had a history of holding grudges—he still hadn't forgiven Marluxia for calling him a whore during the fight where they broke up, years ago; it was shocking for Axel to be coming over to Demyx). "What's um…what's up?"

"Nothing much. Just wanted to uh…get some…music," said Axel, not meeting Demyx's eyes. And the brunet noticed that Axel, for the first time in a long time, looked…hung over.

"Dude, did you go out drinking last night?" asked Demyx.

"Kind of…took some Tylenol, it's totally working, I can barely feel my head…um…" Axel sighed and ran his hand through his spiky hair. "Listen, Demyx, you know I'm not good at this…I'm sorry about…you know…"

"Nah, it's…it's cool," said Demyx awkwardly, running his hand through his strange mullet. "It was dumb. Both of us were dumb."

"Yeah…" said Axel, looking around the store. He had huge bags under his eyes and looked like he'd rather be back in bed than in Demyx's musty store. "Demyx…can I…talk to you?"

"You're doing a pretty good job of it right now," said Demyx jokingly.

"Ha ha ha," said Axel sarcastically, a smile on his lips. Then the smile vanished. "Seriously, I need to—"

"Look who it is."

Demyx and Axel both looked up to see one of their oldest friends, Zexion, standing in the doorway, holding a bag of take out. The silver haired boy looked slightly surprised to see Axel, but nothing really surprised Zexion.

"The Amazing Axel decides to show his face once more," said Zexion blandly, placing his bag on the counter. "Thank God I got extra."

"Hey, Zexion," said Axel. It'd been a long time since they'd last seen each other. "What you got in there?"

"Chinese," said Zexion simply. He looked at Demyx. "Close the shop. I don't like being bothered while I'm eating."

Axel snickered into his hand. Zexion hadn't changed at all. "Good to see you too."

"Hmmph. How's Psycho Boy?" Zexion's visible eye, the one that wasn't covered by hair, glared coldly into Axel's green ones.

"He's…um…fine," said Axel uncomfortably. Zexion had been very vocal from the beginning about how much he disliked Saïx—that was one of the main reasons he and Axel hadn't spoken in a while. "He's on a business trip right now."

"So that's why you're out of the house. Golly, Axel," said Zexion, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I thought you'd be getting all your little housewife chores done, but it looks like you've decided to be a man again."

"Fuck you, Zexion," snapped Axel, taking some rice out of the bag and placing it on the store counter. Demyx came back from putting up the "Fuck Off—Food" sign on the door and began looking for paper plates under the desk. "Last night I was so manly I got in a fight at a club."

"You went to a club?" asked Demyx, looking up from his crouching position.

"You went to a club?" sneered Zexion, handing Axel a pair of chopsticks. "Why'd you do that? I thought Psycho Boy hated when you went out."

"Yeah, well, Saïx is gone for a week or two, so I went out."

"With who?" asked Demyx, doling out lo mien on the plates he'd finally found.

"Um…" Axel busied himself with shoveling noodles in his mouth. He sat on one of the three stools Demyx had behind the counter (for the days when the shop was busy, which it never was) and looked over at his two best friends, although he hadn't spoken to Zexion in a while. Zexion was right—he had been a bit of a housewife since he'd gotten together with Saïx and stopped going to clubs. And he was sure his friends were happy that he'd gotten out, finally. But when they heard with whom…

"That's actually what I came to talk to you about, Demyx."

"Far be it from me to become involved in your conversation," said Zexion blandly.

Axel chuckled. Even if he was a fucking dickhead, sometimes you needed a guy like Zexion to keep your head clear. "Naw, it's okay Zex. Listen, remember that kid I'm tutoring?" and he went on to explain about last night, about beating up that weird blond guy and about how Roxas had kissed him and about how he, Axel, couldn't stop thinking about it.

After the finished talking, he looked up to see Demyx frozen, his chopsticks half way to his open mouth and Zexion biting his finger, sniggering.

"So, uh…what do you think I should…do about…" (Demyx's lack of movement was freaking Axel out) "…this?"

"…Pffft, HAHAHAAA!!" Zexion began howling with laughter. "You made out with a goddamn teenager! Oh man, Axel, I thought you could sink no lower."

"What the HELL, Zexion shut up!" yelled Demyx. "Axel, what are you…that kid is like…a kid! What are you—"

"I know, I know, but he's…God, I dunno," said Axel, running his hand through his hair. "He's sweet and smart (except for math) and he…he…"

"Pays attention to you?" asked Zexion, eating more food and looking totally unperturbed.

"No! I mean, yes, he does, but so does Saïx. What are you trying to say?"

"Yeah, but Saix freaks out all the time and smacks you around," said Zexion. "This kid seems to actually want you and not get pissed off when you do something stupid. Like get drunk and beat up some other dude."

"If someone's—hey, how did you…" Axel turned to gape at Demyx. "You told him?! You told him?!" he yelped, jerking this thumb at the highly amused Zexion.

"If my friend asks how you are and you've just told me your boyfriend threw you on the ground I'm allowed to tell him!" snapped Demyx. "But Axel," he continued before Axel could yell at him, "about...Roxas? Is that his name?"

"Yeah."

"About that…first of all, man, it's illegal. And I know you don't care about that kind of stuff, but it is. Also, you have a boyfriend. Who you live with. Who you've lived with for two years. I think that's pretty significant." Demyx sighed. "Listen, Axel, I know you're used to having guys coming after you, but from what you said this kid really likes you and you know you can't…you know, be with him or whatever. So I say let him down slow and—"

"Was he a good kisser?" interrupted Zexion.

"What?" asked a confused Axel and an outraged Demyx.

"Was he good at kissing? Did you like it?"

Axel thought for a moment, ignoring the pinched look on Demyx's face. "Yeah…I did."

And he had. Axel had spent last night dreaming about Roxas, another little fact he neglected to tell Demyx and Zexion because it would seem too weird. He had dreamed of Roxas in his arms, of his soft blond hair tickling his nose as Roxas cuddled into his chest. He dreamed of Roxas's eyes, heavy lidded after their kiss, gazing into his as they moved together. Axel had dreamed of touching Roxas's chest, which he'd only gotten peeks at when the blond leaned down to get something from his bag. And when he woke in the morning with a raging hard on and a guilty conscience, Axel remembered how a month ago he had tried to ignore the way his hand kept touching Roxas's during tutor session. How a month ago, a little more, he'd noticed that the kid was utterly adorable. And now he thought the kid was…something…more. That was a good word for it. More.

And the worse part about this whole predicament that reeked of pederasty was that he didn't just want to…touch Roxas (he refused to say "fuck" even in his head). The worst part was Axel wanted to hold Roxas's hand and kiss and cuddle him and…okay, fuck him. And he had no idea how do deal with that. Even with Saïx he'd never fooled himself into thinking he wanted to fall in love, not in the beginning—it had just turned out that way. But now…with Roxas…

"…I think our friend's silence indicates that he wanted to do a bit more than kiss the kid," said Zexion. And with that, Axel was snapped back into reality.

"Fuck you, Zexion," Axel said.

"I believe it is that Roxas kid you want to fuck," said Zexion, smirking. Axel felt like throwing his noodles in the silver haired man's face.

"Shut up, man!" cried Demyx. He turned to Axel, a look of pleading in his eye. "When's your next tutor session?"

"Monday, but I'm going to a movie with him tomorrow—"

"WHAT?!" shrieked Demyx while Zexion howled with laughter. "A MOVIE?! Axel, NO! You're leading this kid on! You have to tell him you can't see him anymore and—"

"Ohmigod, that's so ROMANTIC!" gasped Zexion, shaking with laughter. "Axel, we need to hang out more, you're hilarious! Oh God, wait 'til I tell Larxene, she'll have a fit! You're seeing a movie?! What're you gonna do afterwards, drive up to Lover's Lane in your dad's car and hold hands under the stars?"

Axel sighed heavily. "There's no point in talking to either of you."

"Axel, listen to me," said Demyx, grabbing the redhead's shoulder. "You have to stop this! I know that look you get when you wanna...you looked that way when you and Marluxia used to go out. You have to let this kid go. Call him up and tell him you can't make it."

"To the movie or the session?"

"To everything!" yelled Demyx as Zexion tried to compose himself. "You can't do this! Remember what Saïx did to you when you got angry with him? Imagine what he'd do if he found out you're seeing someone else! A young someone else! You gotta stop this Axel, because God knows the kid isn't going to."

Axel was silent, imaging what Saïx would do to him if he found out. Something terrible probably. Something worse than kick him out of the apartment. At the thought of Saïx, Axel felt his stomach tighten. No matter what happened, he couldn't tell Saïx about what Roxas…what Axel had done. Because if Saïx got angry that Axel had kissed Roxas on the cheek, God knew what he'd do to both of them if he found out that Roxas had kissed Axel and Axel…Axel had kissed him back.

And once again Axel was swept away to that moment outside of his building. He felt the young blonds' lips ghost over his, felt Roxas's slim hips press against his. Saw the scared, needy look in Roxas's eyes when they pulled apart.

"I'll do what I'll do," said Axel ominously to the annoyance of Demyx and the amusement of Zexion. Because part of him wanted desperately to stop what hadn't even truly started yet. To keep Roxas safe from Saïx, to keep Roxas safe from himself, to keep Axel safe from everything that would happen if he continued.

But another part of him wanted to say, "fuck you" to safety and give into the danger of want.

/o/O/o/

Once again, not the greatest of chapters and I am SO SORRY it's sooooo late. On the bright side, the next chapter is already half written. You'll find out more about Roxas's day, about what Saïx is up (that crazy kidder), and someone from a past chapter will return. Mysteerrrriiiooouuussss….

I love Namine. I really do. She is beautiful in every way.

MUSIC DROP!

You know that iTunes commercial with the weird cRaZy colors and everyone dancing and the song goes "Ba da dad a DA DA DA, ba DA dad a DA DA DA" and repeats? The band that does that is called The Fratellis and that song is called Flathead. However, the song I'm telling YOU to listen to is called Henrietta, also by The Fratellis, because it is just so much fun. For some reason I think of mutants from X-Men (the comic, dammit) kicking ass when I hear it and I really don't know why. It's not all that epic and it's totally not about kicking ass. Guess it's because I'm a dork.

Up from the vaults, I bring you Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz. You all remember that song, or you should. And even if you don't it's okay because I think it came out when I was, like, two.

Finally, from the rock front, I tell you to listen to three songs by Rob Zombie (no, I don't care what you say about him, I like him). The songs are Brickhouse 2003 (guess what he's covering)m Dragula, and House of 1000 Corpses, a song that is MUCH better than the movie it's based after. (That movie was so funny for all the wrong reasons. And that whole scene where he's shooting the guy? I wasn't shivering in anticipation for the bloodshed—I got bored.)

So, there it is. Hopefully I'll have some more stuff to put up, because EVERYTHING I HAVE is in great need of an update. And until then, Happy St. Patrick's day to all of you. And any other holidays I missed.

Please review and tell me what you think! And wish me luck, I gots me a math test on Friday and if I don't ace it I am boned.