DISCLAIMER

I do NOT own any of the Kingdom Hearts I & II rights.

Warning: Shonen-ai, boys kiss & hugs, language below.

Chapter 21

-- Gym --

Axel walked up to Riku.

"Captain," The redhead said, "I'm not practicing today. I need some sleep."

"You guys are ridiculous." Riku complained, "None of Demyx, Leon or another one came. We're having a competition next month with Hollow Bastion University. If we don't practice more and get kicked in the ass…"

Axel placed a hand onto the silver-haired man's shoulder, "I'm sure that our team will be fine with a good Captain like you."

"Yeah right." Riku frowned, "Just go."

-- Exhibition hall --

"Let's welcome the revival of our Christmas trees!" Xigbar grinned as he led the group to clap. The gang was standing in a circle, each with their trees respectively; Axel was in the middle but his tree was clothed. After the others finished clapping, the redhead smirked and unveiled his tree. The entire group was immediately attracted to it.

"Even though it doesn't look very creative…" Leon commented, "But come to think of it, Roxas' version..."

"It gives you some feelings!" Xigbar remarked.

"That's because Axel did a good job making it." Demyx laughed.

"What say you?" Leon asked the silent redhead, "It lacks creativity, you can even say it's so simple that it's boring, but…"

"But how come it became our spotlight?" The eye-patched man questioned.

"I don't know how to describe that feeling…" Demyx tilted his head multiple times.

"Bliss." Came the answer from Axel. The group immediately stared at him with awe. "Maybe only the innocent ones would truly understand what bliss is." Axel finished, "Alright, I'm tired to death. See ya tomorrow, bye." The redhead said it all in one line while walking away.

"Axel!" Demyx shouted, stopping the redhead in his tracks, "Keep up the spirit!" Axel only chuckled and left.

-- Two days later --

Axel stood with Roxas at Tiger City Mall; his friends were looking bitterly at the 24-feet tall Christmas tree before them.

"I couldn't believe that we still lost in the end." Demyx sighed.

"They chose the tree from Olympus Coliseum College; they never looked at ours." Xigbar said sourly. The blond mohawk looked around at the smiles on the faces of the people around the tree, "But when you compare their smiles with the result of the competition, the results seem pointless."

"I'd go as far as worthless." Leon added.

"Wow… The season of blessings is really here." Roxas exclaimed.

"Oh really?" Axel responded idly.

"Yeah really." The blonde looked over at his step-brother, "Don't you feel warm in your heart even if the weather is cold?"

"Does everyone have to put on a smile and mix into that kind of fake mood?" The redhead spat.

"That's not true!" Roxas frowned, "We're all happy from the bottom of our hearts."

"Yeah, I'm the only one that isn't adapted to it." Axel waved away casually.

"I think you're just scared." Roxas started.

"You're so noisy today," Axel looked away, "I'm leaving." And he left.

It feels more like you're scared of losing the warmth, Roxas thought as he watched Axel leaving, so you just stay cold and away.

After much admiring the huge Christmas tree, the blonde strolled along calmly by himself. Suddenly, a little girl came up to him, "Hey look at that!" She pointed towards the balcony of one of the bridges the mall has to get across the mass of land. Roxas' gaze followed her finger to a small silver reflecting object. It was Axel's tree. Grinning widely, the blonde dashed towards the staircase and up to the balcony. Axel was already standing there, tree in his hand.

"Blessings never belonged to Devils." Axel remarked, "Just like I said, those warm, cozy moods are driving me crazy, that is…until you appeared and let me draw the shape of bliss and love."

"My drawing was uncreative though…" Roxas pouted, "But I'm happy."

Axel smiled, "Because of you, this is the first time the Devil himself has fallen in love with winter."

"So you can't resist the warmth." Roxas smiled, "And you don't want to be alone anymore."

"I can't resist it." Axel reassured. The blonde's smile widened and he ran up to Axel, tackling him into an embrace.

"My promise in this season is to give you this piece of love." Axel said after pulling away; he tipped his head towards the ground next to them, which Roxas turned his head to look at. There on the corridor of the bridge, laid a sparkling Christmas tree shape formed by electric Christmas tree decoration lights.

But did they notice some certain person seeing them accidentally?

"Hey look!" Roxas pointed at a choir with one hand; his other hand holding Axel's, "That's Marluxia!! He's in a choir?!"

"Yeah." Axel grinned. The blonde listened intensely to the beautiful sound the group of singers was producing.

"I never knew he can sing… Now that I think of it, I've never really heard him talk at all!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Now you know why," Axel smirked, "Because when he talks," He pinched his throat lightly with two fingers, "It sounds like this!" The redhead's voice came out in an unusually high-pitched hiss, almost like a duck. This caused Roxas to laugh out loudly.

-- Roxas' apartment --

The silver glowing small tree was placed onto Roxas' head dresser next to his bed. Round ocean eyes filled with awe were admiring it. Suddenly his cell vibrated in his hands.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Roxas." Came an old lady's voice, "I'm Maleficent."

"Oh hey Grandma." Roxas greeted, "How are you?"

"I'm good. Listen, I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"I saw you and Axel together."

Roxas nearly dropped his phone. His mouth left agaped, "You mean…I was with him just now, well we were just looking at the Christmas Tre-"

"No, Roxas." Maleficent cut him short, "I saw him hugging you."

Oh my god, was the first thing in the blonde's mind, I. Am. So. Dead.

"I see that our little Axel has quite a difference from normal people," The elder continued, "I assume your mother knows nothing of this?"

Mom! The conscience in Roxas' mind snapped, "No! S-She doesn't know yet… Please don't tell her! Please!"

"Then what do you plan to do?" Maleficent backfired, "Just continue going out with Axel secretly while your parents marry?!"

"…"

"I won't tell her." Maleficent's voice suddenly sounded suspicious, almost mischievous, "On one condition. Our enterprise needs more sponsor and we can only do that by having Axel marry one of the sponsor's daughter, Naminé. You need to stay away from Axel now and agree to let him marry her."

She's kidding… Roxas' eyes now widened, "…I…"

"Do you want to give up Axel or your parents' happiness? It's your choice." With that, Maleficent hung up.

-- University --

"What?!" Sora's chin dropped to the floor; Olette had an equally shocked face. "You're saying that she wants you to make a choice between Axel and your parents?"

"Yeah…" Roxas sighed, "What should I do?"

"This is a really tough choice…" Sora also heaved a sigh, sitting next to Roxas on the staircase. Axel came by.

"Hey, Rox." He called casually, "Tomorrow's weekend and Dad told you to go to this address." He handed the blonde a piece of paper, "I don't know what he's up to. It's your choice to show up." Then he turned to leave. Roxas looked at the address absentmindedly until the brunette next to him nudged him awake.

"Huh?"

"Aren't you gonna tell him about Maleficent?"

"Uh, no." Roxas shook his head after looking at Axel's back one more time, "This is just my problem, my choice. I shouldn't bother him… Let's go." He stood, but almost simultaneously he fell flat onto the floor, scaring the ghost out of his two best friends.

"Roxas!" Sora yelled, his loud voice making the disappearing redhead turned. Emerald eyes broadened before their owner sprinted back to the fainted blonde.

Roxas' cerulean eyes woke up to slightly bright light and his usual ceiling. His eyes took time to focus on the face beside the blonde. Red hair soon came into sight. Roxas jumped up, "W-What happened?"

"Jeez how old are you?" Axel taunted, "You fainted from stress and strain; what an old man."

"Well… I was worried these few days so I couldn't sleep…" Roxas pouted, "You know, your trees were destroyed, and Zexion was having a bad time, and your trees weren't chosen…and…and…" The blonde stopped himself before saying anything about Maleficent and when he saw Axel spacing out, looking dissatisfied with himself, "Did you take me home?"

"I drove you home." Axel raised his brows.

"Oh…" Roxas replied, disappointed that Axel didn't hold him in his arms.

"But I also put you into your bed." Axel smirked. Roxas drifted off into his fantasy of Axel holding him bridal style.

"Looking at your short and thin frame," Axel laughed, "I didn't know you werethat heavy."

"Hey!" Roxas frowned and turned to the redhead sharply, but Axel swiftly pushed him back onto the bed. The blonde could see Axel's face moving closer…

"Be a good boy and stay in bed." Axel whispered before kissing Roxas on the forehead and promptly leaving the room.

Sneaking out, Roxas peeked into the kitchen.

"Axel." He murmured softly.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?" Axel said without looking up from the pot he was cooking into.

"Sorry."

"You fainted because you worry too much." Axel sighed.

"I don't." Roxas whispered quietly in a pout, "It's all because of you…"

"I what?" Axel backfired, "Can you please take care of yourself first? You don't even take care of your own body, how can you worry about the others?"

"Yeah so I like to worry, so what?!" The blonde raised his voice slightly.

"I don't like it when you do that!" Axel growled at him, "Seriously, who else will force themselves until they faint?!"

Roxas' pout turned into a grin, "Are you worrying about me?" Axel didn't reply, but returned to his cooking.

"Are you cooking something for me to eat?" The blonde continued to ask.

"No, I'm just doing it for fun." Axel replied sarcastically.

"Is this the first time you're cooking?" Roxas chuckled, "I'm happy; you're doing something you've never done before for me." The redhead remained silent. "Let's make it Axel's First Time Cooking Day today!" Roxas exclaimed happily, "Even though I haven't eaten it yet, but just I'm sure it's just like what Uncle Wakka said, 'The feelings of a cook', that means Axel your feelings, right?"

Said redhead opened the refrigerator and bent down, hiding behind the door. "Because…you're my most important person." He smirked and took out some seasoning before standing back up and returning to the pot.

'I really hate myself. I just thought that I don't need to do anything other than to give my heart for you.' Roxas recalled that night after the dinner with Maleficent, 'That's enough.' 'I don't deserve to be your most important person.' 'Did I say you're my most important person? Did I?' Roxas was chuckling to himself and failed to notice Axel approaching him until the redhead scooped him up into his arms.

"Waah!"

"I'm not done cooking your porridge yet." Axel said, "So you are staying in your bed."

Roxas looked at his own torso and the way Axel was holding him, "Wow, it really is the bridal style!" Axel only rolled his eyes and started heading for the blonde's room. "And I can even eat Axel's hand-cooked porridge! Oh I'm so lucky!!" Roxas started giggling and swaying around excitedly.

"You're noisy, y'know." Axel sighed, although contently.

"I'm not!" The blonde argued childishly.

"Yeah, just like a kiddo!"

"Am not!"

"Gosh you're heavy! You're so fat!!"

"I'm not fat!"

"Yes you are, get a diet!"

…

TBC. Leave reviews to make me smile, please?