Roxas stared at his drink before taking a drink. Next to him was Demyx and Zexion, who were the ones who dragged him to the bar/night club they were currently in. He sighed before finishing off his beer and ordering another.
"Wow, you're really throwing them back tonight, huh?" Demyx said as he took in the multiple bottles in front of them.
Roxas lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "Guess I'm just thirsty."
Zexion reached over and took the bottle from his hands. "I think you've had enough."
He took it back and glared at him. "Well, I don't really care what think right now." He pushed away from the bar. "Screw this, I'm going home."
Demyx chased after him and grabbed his arm. "Rox, hold on! Calm down, don't take your anger out on Zexion." He sighed, "I shouldn't have invited him, I thought you wouldn't mind, since it was Axel who—"
"Don't talk about him!" Roxas shoved him away, feeling anger bubbling up inside him. "Just leave me alone! You don't know anything! Just run off with your damn boyfriend and leave me the hell alone!" he clenched his fists, squeezing his eyes shut, "This is all your fault! You couldn't just leave me alone! You always have to mess around with stuff that you have nothing to do with! I-I…I hate you! I hate you so much! I never want to speak to you again!"
Demyx bit his tongue and fought back tears. "You don't mean that…" He grabbed the younger boy's thrashing arms and forced him to hold still. "Please, tell me you don't mean that! Take it back!"
Roxas stared at him, feeling his malice melting away. He crumpled and fell against him, realizing what he'd done. He'd taken his anger out on his best friend, who only wanted what was best for him, wanted him to be happy. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I-I didn't…"
Demyx hugged him tightly. "I know."
"It hurts, Dem. It hurts so much." Roxas whimpered into his shoulder. "No matter how much I try, I can't stop thinking about him. I don't know what to do anymore!"
Zexion's voice startled them both, "There's only one you can do." When they turned to stare at him he sighed. "Have you considered, I don't know, talking to him? Or, more likely, yelling at him? For closure, if nothing else."
Roxas shook his head. "I can't."
"Can't, or won't?"
"Both."
"No, you will." Demyx said, grabbing Roxas's hand. "I'm not going to sit around and watch you destroy yourself over him. You're going to go to his apartment and talk, scream, maybe even get a punch in, whatever you have to do to get out all your pent up anger." Roxas opened his mouth to protest but he cut him off, "Please, do it for me. I don't think I can take a repeat of tonight."
Roxas cringed. He nodded. "Alright, Dem…but then we never have to talk about him ever again, deal?"
"Deal."
BORDER
Axel sat in his apartment and watched as Yuffie practiced karate in the middle of his living room. They were alone in the apartment, Cloud and Leon having gone out for their annual 'date night'. Needless to say, he was bored out of his skull. He leaned forward and propped his elbows up on his knees.
"Yuf, I'm bored, entertain me."
Yuffie grinned at him. "Wanna help me practice?"
Axel rolled his eyes. "And get my ass kicked again? I'd rather not." He rubbed his cheek, remembering non to fondly the bruises from the last time he'd helped her 'practice'. It was more along the lines of her hitting him repeatedly while he vainly tried to shield himself.
Yuffie shrugged and started doing a series of kicks. "Not my fault you can't fight an adorable little girl."
Before he could lovingly insult her in response, there was a knock at the door. "Now who in the world could that be? Yuffie, answer the door."
"Oh, yes, Master. Right away, Master." She said sarcastically. She opened the door and scowled. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Who is it?" Axel leaned to the side and caught a glimpse of a familiar head of blond hair. Emerald met cerulean. "Roxas."
Roxas looked away and stared at Yuffie. "I need to talk to him."
Yuffie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "And what would a little traitor like you want to talk to my Axel about? Come to beg him to take you back, 'cause that ain't gonna happen."
Roxas flinched. His eyes became downcast. He was silent for a second before looking up, a fierce look on his face. "It's none of your business. I just want to tell him what an asshole he is and how much I hate him and a few other things I don't feel right saying in front of a girl."
Yuffie gaped. "Why you little—"
"It's fine, Yuf." Axel said, standing and crossing his arms. "I guess I should at least hear what he has to say, maybe get a few things off my chest as well."
Yuffie looked skeptical before nodding. "Okay, but if anything goes wrong I'll be right out in the hall." She walked out, sending a glare to Roxas who merely glared back.
Axel scowled. "Well, what did you want to say? I want you out as soon as possible."
Roxas clenched his jaw. "Ok, I don't know exactly what I did to piss you off so bad, but it can't be so horrible. But I don't care, I can't take it anymore!" he walked over and jabbed him in the chest. "You're the one who started all this shit! You said you liked me too much to leave me alone, but apparently your feelings are so fickle you couldn't keep your promises! So you know what? Fuck you! I didn't do anything wrong!"
Axel glared. "Like hell! You know what you did, unless you're a bigger idiot than I thought. What? You think I wouldn't if you went off fucking your ex?"
Roxas got a surprised look. "Wha…you thought I was…sleeping with Naminé?! What the hell would give you that idiotic idea?!"
"I saw you and her at the beach! You were holding hands and she kissed you for Christ's sake!"
"What? You don't hold hands and get kissed on the cheek by your friends? I've seen Cloud kiss you and I didn't freak out about it!"
"If you and her are just friends, why was she naked at your apartment?!"
"Because she took a shower! She wanted to wash off the sand and salt water from the beach so I let her take a shower since her hot water was broken at her house! I care about Naminé the same way I care about Demyx or Cloud! And in case you forgot, thanks to you, I'm gay!"
Axel worked his mouth wordlessly. It all made sense, now that he thought about. "But…I…"
Roxas pressed the heel of his hand against one of his eyes as tears threatened him. He stared in Axel's eyes. "I loved you. Still do, no matter how much I don't want to." he said coldly before turning around. "I just thought you should know that. Good bye."
Axel watched silently as he walked out, his words echoing through his mind. Yuffie looked in the door. "Ax? How'd it go?"
He covered his mouth and stared at the floor. "He…said that he loves me." He spoke slowly, as if trying to taste the words.
"Whoa."
"He didn't cheat on me."
Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what are you going to do now?"
He looked up at her. "What can I do?"
She frowned and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, I don't know. Be a man, maybe? Go after him?"
He looked down again. "He wouldn't take me back."
"Oh, quit being such a pussy!" she grabbed his arm and shoved him towards the door. "Grow a pair and go after him! If he doesn't take you back, then that sucks and it's gonna hurt, but you won't know until you try! And it's not as if you didn't give him a share of pain, from the way it sounded."
Axel sighed and ran down to hall. That's when he realized that he didn't have any idea where Roxas went. The only place he could think of was the blond's apartment, but Axel knew that it wouldn't be wise to go there, less he was prepared to face the wrath of Sora. He was broken out of his thought process by the sound of soft crying. Following it, he was led to the stairwell, where he found Roxas seated on the top step, hunched over with his face in his hands. He felt as if his heart was being crushed, knowing that it was his fault.
"Rox…" he spoke softly.
Roxas's head snapped up and he hurriedly started wiping at his face. "I'm leaving, I'm leaving." He rasped standing. A gasp escaped him as he was pulled to Axel and embraced tightly. He squirmed. "What are you doing? Let me go!"
"I'm sorry." Axel whispered, burying his face in his hair. "Please, forgive me. I'll do whatever you want, anything. You don't have to take me back, just forgive me. I promise I'll never hurt you like that again. I can't promise that I won't get mad or that we'll never fight, but I'll never…" unable to think of the words, he settled for tightening his hold. "Please."
Roxas looked away but didn't pull away. "You hurt me, Axel. Not just emotionally; I can't be with someone who when they're mad they'll hit me."
That sent a cold stab through Axel's heart. "I'll regret that for the rest of my life. But can guarantee that I'll never do anything like that ever again. I'll kill myself before I let that happen." He placed his hands on either side of Roxas's face and looked into his eyes, "I'll never let anything hurt you again, I swear it."
Roxas, unable to control himself, stood on his tiptoes and pressed his mouth against the redhead's. His eyes closed when he felt Axel kiss back. He relished in the feeling of warm lips against his, the feeling of fingers threading through his hair; all feeding the growing warmth in his chest.
Axel smiled against his lips. "Roxas…" he breathed. "Rox, Roxxy, Roxas…" he punctuated each word with another kiss.
"Axel…" Roxas pulled back slightly and looked at him hopefully. "You promise?"
"I promise."
"And you'll do anything?"
"Anything."
Roxas smiled a smile that, frankly, scared Axel.
BORDER
Axel squeaked in a very unmanly way as he tried to become one with the wall against his back.
Sora stood in front of him with a murderous gleam in his eyes. He let out a seemingly inhuman growl. "What are you doing here?"
Axel let out a nervous laugh. "Well, you see, the thing is—"
"Who gave you permission to speak?" he stepped forward. "Do you have any idea just how pissed I am right now?" he clenched his fists. "No one, no one hurts my brother like that and gets away with it. I trusted you to be good to him!" he growled again. "Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Axel was nearly shaking fear—only a slim grasp on his pride prevented it— and looked over at Roxas, who was leaning against the wall across from him, smirking.
"I'm really, really sorry? And I'll never do it again?"
"And how do I know you mean that?"
"Hey, I'm here, aren't I? At your mercy."
Sora crossed his arms and appeared to think about it. "Hmm…you have a very good point. Very well, I shall allow you to date my brother again you on one condition."
Axel smiled. "Yes, I'll do anything."
"You are to bring me a package of cookies every time you come over or take my brother out. Think of it as a rent fee."
To this Roxas protested. "Hey! I'm not some movie you can loan out!"
"You have yourself a deal, Sora." They shook hands. "But do you think you could spot me one package?"
Sora nodded. "Sure."
Axel grinned. "Thank you." He walked over and picked Roxas, slinging him over his shoulder. Heading to Roxas's room, he declared happily, "Let's go make up for last time!"
Roxas squirmed. "Put me down you sex fiend!!"
TBC
Kainichi: There we go, sorry to keep you all waiting! I know I promised I'd update faster since school's out, but inspiration was eluding me like a fox during the hunt. Ha! See, I still have the brilliant mind of a writer! –strikes pose–
Roxas: –shoots her–
Demyx: Oh, and this chapter was dedicated to 4LLi3 for the lovely fanart she drew of this. Kainichi loved it and she'd say so if she wasn't so –looks at her corpse– dead.
Axel: –gives her a Phoenix Down–
Kainichi: Ah, yes, thank you! One last note, I'll probably be ending this soon, so I hope you're all looking forward to it!! Kainichi signing off!