It's a chapter! Huzzah! I'm really tired, so I'm not going to be as verbose as I usually am in the author's note. Here's a chapter. Hope you like it. The next chapter gets things moving again, so it'll be SIGNIFICANTLY more interesting than this chapter.

WARNINGS: Axel being tackled in the hallway, rainbows and the sun, and Demyx interceding

"Let's go camping!" Demyx shouted one day at lunch.

"Camping?" Zexion raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, camping."

"Why?" Zexion asked, though he already had an inkling. After he and Demyx had realized they would be going to school in different parts of the country, they had made every effort to spend as much time together as possible.

"Because it's fun?"

"It is?"

"Yes."

Zexion sounded skeptical. "Since when?"

"Since always!"

"Have you ever actually been camping, Dem?" Roxas chimed in.

"...Yes."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. Just ask Axel!"

Roxas turned to Axel.

"If you count it as real camping when we were seven," was Axel's reply.

"I don't," Roxas said.

"Oh," Dem muttered.

Zexion sighed and gave Roxas a dirty look. "When are we going camping?"

"Um...today's Wednesday so...in three days? Maybe."

"Works for me." Zexion said. "I'll work on convincing my dad."

"Yay!"

Roxas shook his head. "I don't know. I think I'll pass on this one."

Axel looked at Roxas pointedly. "Do you want to be the one that upsets Demyx?"

"He'll survive," Roxas muttered.

"You're going camping, Rox."

Roxas folded his arms across his chest.

Axel smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Roxas asked bitterly.

"I like winning."

"You didn't win anything."

"Oh, but I did." Axel's smile widened.

"No, you didn't."

"Says who?"

"Says me," Roxas said, "And I'm the one whose ass you are trying to haul camping. I think my say matters."

"Your say never matters."

Seeing that Axel and Roxas were starting to get a bit heated, Xion decided it was time to cut in. "I love camping! Dem, that sounds perfect."

Demyx smiled at her. Roxas fumed over the fact that the conversation had moved on before he got to add his input on where Axel could shove his opinion.

"Xion's stealing your boyfriend, Zex," Axel joked.

"I am not." Xion looked shocked. "Zexion and Demyx are adorable!"

Axel laughed. "I was just kidding."

Xion looked like a puppy that had been kicked. "I would never do something like that."

"I know you wouldn't."

Smiling slightly, Xion said, "Good."

"So it's a plan, then," Zexion said, turning the conversation back to camping.

"This is exciting!" Demyx was grinning like crazy.

Roxas let his head fall onto the table. Axel poked his side. "Cheer up, Roxy."

"Still not convinced."

"You're going and you know it."

Roxas shook his head.

"You just want persuaded."

"...Depends on what you mean by persuading," Roxas said, a slight grin on his face.

Axel rolled his eyes. "You're going camping with us."

"Not willingly."

"Willingly."

"Nope."

"Yep."

"No."

"Guys, please don't fight." Xion looked sad.

"Yes, Roxas." Xion was ignored.

"Good luck with that one, Axel," Roxas said, looking determined.

"Stop being so difficult."

"I can be difficult if I want to."

"You're so childish."

"GUYS," Xion said, sounding angry. "STOP."

Axel narrowed his eyes. Roxas narrowed his as well.

"Thank you," Xion said, returning to normal volume.

No one spoke.

Roxas sighed. "Fine, I'll go."

"Good."

"Only for Demyx, though," Roxas insisted.

"Uh huh."

"Only for Demyx."

"Sure."

"You're infuriating."

"Sometimes."

Roxas just stared at Axel and fumed. Axel smiled innocently.

"Hate you."

"Lies."

"Prove it."

Axel shrugged. "If you hate me, no more kisses."

Roxas shook his head. "How are those even related?"

"You wouldn't regularly kiss someone you hate and enjoy it. So, if you hate me..."

"There's such a thing as hate fucking."

"That's not the same thing."

That caught Roxas' attention. "How do you know?"

"Trust me."

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "This is a story I have to hear."

"Not today."

"Then I don't buy it."

"I hate you"

"Sounds like hate fucking to me, then." Roxas ignored the fact that they weren't even having sex.

Xion had long since given up trying to get them to stop. She sat in her chair humming Disney songs loudly to block out the arguing.

Glaring at Roxas, Axel said, "You are obnoxiously infuriating." Then, he stood up and started walking away.

"Ugh." Roxas rolled his eyes, but he got up to follow Axel. "Sorry, guys. I'll be right back."

"Have fun!" Demyx said.

Xion waved. Zexion yawned. "You two seriously need to do something other than fight and make out."

"But those are the fun parts," Roxas said sheepishly. "Or, the making out is. Not the fighting so much. Either way, I'm off to try and end that whole fighting thing." Rox took off after Axe.

By that point, Axel was already gone from the cafeteria and was a good ways down the hall. Roxas walked quickly, but his legs weren't long enough to keep up, so he broke into a jog.

"Axel?" Roxas had almost caught up to the tall redhead.

"What?" Axel replied, but didn't stop walking.

"This is stupid. Not you. You're not stupid... but this. What are we even fighting over?"

"You being a stubborn midget."

Roxas glared. "Axel, stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop walking so damn quickly, first off. Your legs are too long... but more importantly, stop being so damn dodgy. Also, I'm not a midget."

"I'm walking at a perfectly normal speed, thank you very much. And I'm not dodgy. You're just overly invasive."

"Axel, just fucking stop, okay? I want to talk to your face, not your ass."

"Too bad."

Roxas tackled Axel in the hallway. "I'm not overly invasive. I'm just the right amount of invasive, because if I don't ask, you don't talk. You never talk. If I weren't here, you'd just float away into your own head and never tell anyone anything about yourself."

"I tell people things. There are just SOME things better left unsaid and not discussed."

"Those are the things that need to be discussed most."

"No, they're not."

"Yes, they are."

"Nope."

Roxas scowled. "Axel, I will not get off you until you start talking about it." Earlier in the year, Roxas probably would have let it slide. He probably would have let Axel keep his secrets and just move on. However, now that Axel was his boyfriend, Roxas felt like he was allowed to be a bit nosier.

"Then I guess we're stuck here."

"Looks like it. I won't even take advantage of you. I'm just going to lay here."

"You do that."

Roxas did. Axel closed his eyes with the intention to nap.

"People will eventually be stepping on us, you know."

"Hmm." Axel didn't open his eyes.

Roxas poked Axel.

"Stop."

"Nope." Roxas poked Axel again.

"Stoooop."

"Not until you tell meeee."

Axel glared. "I will bite you."

"Feel free," Roxas said, shrugging. "You've already left enough marks. One more won't hurt anything."

"You like it."

"Well, duh. There's a reason I'm giving you permission. I'm still not moving, though."

"You have to move eventually."

"Meh. I don't care about the whole going to class thing, and my parents won't notice if I'm not around the house. I'm in no hurry." Roxas was determined to figure this out.

"My mom will notice if I'm not around. It's kind of hard to miss it."

"Well then you'll just have to hurry up and tell me."

"I don't want to."

"Not moving until you do." Roxas shrugged, which was surprisingly difficult when on top of Axel.

"Whatever."

Roxas hummed the Jeopardy song and poked Axel. Axel opened one eye to look at Roxas.

"Are you going to tell me now?"

"No."

"Okay." Roxas went back to humming.

Axel closed his eyes again.

"No," Roxas said, poking Axel. "Stay awake."

"No."

"The more you sleep, the longer it will take for me to move. Also, the more likely it is that people will step on you."

"I'm tired, Rox."

"You didn't get enough sleep," he said disapprovingly. If Axel was falling asleep in the middle of the hallway and did not care that he was going to get stepped on...

"I'm aware."

Roxas looked at him. "Wow, you are tired. You didn't even deny it."

"Hmm."

Roxas poked Axel. He was torn-on the one hand, Axel clearly needed sleep. However, Roxas still wanted to know Axel's story. Suddenly, inspiration hit. "Axe, give me your phone."

"Why?"

"I'm texting your mom. You're spending the night tonight."

"I don't know if she'd be okay with that."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Why? It's not like we're going to do anything. I just want to make sure you're getting sleep."

"I feel like she wouldn't buy that, even though it's true."

"That's frustrating." Roxas thought for a second. "Well, lunch ends in five minutes. After that we have almost three more hours until school is done. We're cutting and you're getting some sleep. Just know you're not getting out of telling me that story."

"I have to go to class," Axel said sleepily.

"You're falling asleep. What do you think you are going to learn in any of those classes, Axel? Nothing."

"I can't miss any more."

Roxas sighed. "What classes are they?"

"Shop, Spanish, and Theory."

"You have Spanish with me and Theory with Dem, right?"

"Yeah..."

"We can cover for you. Go to Shop and then get some sleep."

"No, I'm going to class." Axel yawned.

"Axel. Go out to my car after Shop and get some sleep. I can give you the keys before Spanish."

"No."

Roxas poked Axel. "I'm not budging on this. It's not healthy."

"I don't fucking care."

"Well, it's either during class or after, and I can't see you sleeping for only an hour or two. My bed makes you pass out."

"I'll sleep after school in my own bed."

Roxas shook his head. "How will I know you're actually sleeping?"

"You'll have to trust me."

"You always do this, though. You say you're going to sleep, and you get caught up in work and before you know it, it's two in the morning and you still haven't slept, and I have to stop texting you until you go to bed, and then you stay up another hour anyway."

"I don't always do that."

"Nine times out of ten, Axe," Roxas said.

"Six out of ten."

"Seven and three quarters times out of ten, and that's the most I'm giving you. Even that is a stretch."

"Whatever."

"Axe, you need sleep and you need a babysitter."

"YOU need sleep."

Roxas rolled his eyes. Not this again. "Nope."

"You do."

"Not like you do. Quit changing the subject."

"You get probably less than I do."

"Not important right now," Roxas said.

"Sure it is."

"No it isn't."

"It is."

"No. All that is important is that you aren't sleeping enough."

"You aren't either, though."

"Irrelevant."

"Not really."

"Axel," Roxas said frustratedly, "We're worried about you, not me."

"I'm worried about you."

"Why?"

"I just am."

"Well, that's ridiculous." Roxas didn't want to hear about Axel being silly anymore, and he looked up at the clock. "One minute until passing time. Do you insist on going to class, still?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad you agree it's ridiculous."

"I didn't agree with that! I was answering your question, doofus."

"You do agree with me. It's ridiculous. I'm a-okay. Now, if you're going to be an idiot and go to class, I'm going to have to get off you, I suppose, which is a problem." Roxas' leg was asleep.

"It's not ridiculous."

"It is." Roxas rolled off Axel and sat in the middle of the hallway. "It's absurd."

"It's not."

"It is. You've never worried about it before."

"I have."

"Why? I'm not dead."

"Neither am I and you're worried."

"That's because this is a new trend for you," Roxas pointed out.

"Except not really."

"You always stayed up late, but never like this. At least, not in the beginning of the year." Roxas realized he only knew Axel for a year, and didn't have much to base his opinion on. He knew that Demyx was a bit worried about Axe, too, though... and Demyx had known Axe for forever. If Dem was worried, Rox had reason to be as well.

"I wasn't as busy then."

"Axe, you don't get enough sleep for you."

"Sure I do."

"Nope. Nope nope nope nope." Roxas stood up.

"Yes." Axel held out a hand to Roxas. "Help?"

Roxas grabbed Axel's hand and pulled him up. "No."

Once he was on his feet, Axel shook his head. "I'm getting plenty of sleep. When I start missing full days of school is when you should worry."

"Axe... maybe you shouldn't go camping. Dem probably won't let us get any sleep. He'll want us to stay up and tell ghost stories or sit around the campfire and stuff, if he's scared of ghost stories, because there is a 50/50 chance he is. Is he? Either way, you won't be able to catch up on your sleep, which concerns me."

"He is. And he knows better than to force me to stay up."

Roxas frowned. "If you're sure." At that point, there was little he could do.

"I'm sure."

Roxas kissed Axe on the cheek. "You're not off the hook telling me about hate fucking."

"I know..." Axel looked rather resigned about it.

"Good. Good luck in class."

"Yeah, thanks."

"If you don't sleep, I'll knock you out and drag you to my bed."

"That sounds a lot like kidnapping, Roxy."

"Kidnapping for your own good." Roxas grinned.

"Doesn't make it any less illegal."

"I'll tell your mother?"

"She wouldn't be okay with it."

"Okay, so maybe I need to knock you out and drag you to your bed. What does your mother think we're doing?"

"What do you think she thinks?"

"I think she thinks we're fucking. Why does she think that, Axel?"

"Ask her."

"I'm possibly slightly intimidated by her mother bear instincts," Roxas said sheepishly.

"Aww, poor Roxy."

"I haven't seen her angry, but something tells me it's terrifying."

"This is quite true."

"I'm not keen on asking her. Does she hate me?"

"No."

"Good." Roxas looked up at the clock. "You've got four minutes to get to class. Love you."

"You should still ask her. I don't really want to." Axel smiled. "Love you too."

"I don't either, Axe. She's your mom. It's your job. Either way, I have to go." Roxas waved and went off to class. Axel rolled his eyes and left too.

That night, Roxas didn't sleep. It wasn't that he had a lot of work. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep. He knew his body could probably use it. He hadn't been getting a ton of sleep lately. Although Axel and Sora and Riku were silly to worry, they were right that he was getting less.

Usually, Roxas could pull off a few hours of sleep. One or two REM cycles was enough. However, that night, he did not get any. He just did not want to sleep.

When he went to school that morning, he was a bit tired and slightly crabby. The prospect of finally getting some answers brightened his mood slightly, but he knew it was going to be a long day.

"So," Roxas said, plopping down next to Axel. They were early to homeroom, and the room was empty. "Sleep?"

"Yep."

"How much?"

"Enough."

"How much is enough?" Roxas asked.

"Just enough."

"Hours?"

"Enough."

"Axel." Roxas looked at him. "We're going to do some serious talking, so it's wasting your energy being dodgy on the easy answers."

"Just accept that it was enough and move on," Axel said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Axel."

"Roxas."

"Fine, it's either that or talking about the other thing. Pick your poison."

"Neither. Don't you know that poison is bad for you?"

"Only if you let it be, You're changing the subject."

"I'm pretty sure all poison is bad, whether you let it be or not."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Shut up and talk about it."

"I am talking."

"About hate fucking."

"Nope."

"Why?" Roxas demanded. His foul mood was starting to return.

"Reasons."

"That's bullshit. Now talk."

"Fuck off."

Roxas had had enough. "Is that what you really want?"

"Sure."

Roxas stood up and walked out of the room, not looking back.

Axel put his head on his desk and closed his eyes.

Roxas walked out to his car. He decided to skip school and drive home, which probably wasn't the safest option. He was running only on caffeine, and he knew that he probably shouldn't drive when he was angry and tired. However, he didn't really have any other option, and he made it safely to his house. He intended to go back to his room and try to fall asleep, but he ran into Sora on the way.

"Sor, what on earth are you doing here? You should be at school."

Looking startled at Roxas's sudden appearance, Sora stuttered for a moment. "Um...I...Er..."

"Reasons. Spill. Now." Roxas didn't have the patience for more run-around.

"I didn't want to go to school?"

"Why not?"

"Just didn't." Sora shrugged.

"Go to school, kid."

"No."

"Fine," Roxas said, frustrated. "Do whatever the fuck you want."

"Go take a nap, Mr. Grumpy Gills."

"Won't help. Axe hates me and the world is falling. That might just be the dizzy stage, though. That should pass soon."

"He hates you?"

"Who the fuck knows? He doesn't talk to me for me to actually have a fucking clue."

"Rox..."

"Yes?"

"I don't think he hates you... I think he just has stuff he doesn't want to talk about. Everyone has that."

"He's fucking dodgy about fucking everything, though. It's fucking ridiculous." Roxas wasn't in the mood to be reasonable.

"I dunno." Sora looked miserable.

Roxas sighed. Sora's unhappy face always got him, even in moods like that morning's. "Are you okay, kid? I know I'm a piece of work, but I don't mean to make you unhappy."

"S'not you."

"What is it, then?"

"I have a really bad headache. That's the real reason why I'm not at school. I was going to get something for it when I ran into you."

"I'll leave you alone, then." Roxy went to his room looking dejected.

A few minutes late, Sora poked his head in. Roxas was in his bed, throwing a plush soccer ball at the ceiling. Sora walked in the room, curling up on the bed next to Roxas.

"Oh. Hi. How's your head?"

"About the same. I just didn't want to be alone."

Rox sat up and gave Sora a hug. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"I probably didn't make it better."

"It's okay, though. Ranting helps."

Roxas shrugged. "It wasn't ranting so much as going on a mass cussing spree."

"Still..."

"Still nothing. Just come here and give me a hug, okay?"

Sora hugged Roxas.

"We'll just hang out here and wait for the meds to kick in," Roxas said.

"Mmkay."

"Did you let Riku know you were skipping?"

"Crap..."

"Do you want me to text him?" Roxas pulled out his phone. He found it slightly concerning that even after getting as little sleep as he did, he was still more together than Sora. Sora didn't used to be nearly as much of a mess.

"Please? Bright stuff makes my head hurt more."

Roxas quickly shot Riku a text, and Riku responded.

"He says feel better, and he'll make sure someone sends you notes."

"Awesome."

Roxas put his phone away. "Are you tired? Will sleep help?"

"Maybe. I dunno."

"You're free to pass out if you want."

"I probably won't. I can never sleep when my head hurts."

"Okay."

Not long after, Sora yawned. "I think the headache stuff is kicking in."

"I'm glad." Roxas smiled.

"Yeah."

"I should pass out."

"Have you slept at all?"

"No," Roxas said.

"Sleep."

"No."

"Roxas."

"No."

"Roxas."

"Sora."

"Go to sleep."

"No."

"Roxas, go the hell to sleep."

"Fine." Roxas agreed, but he did not actually plan to sleep.

"Good."

Roxas sighed. "You can leave now, then?"

"I don't really wanna..."

Roxas frowned. This was putting a kink in his plans, but he didn't want to kick a lonely, headache-y Sora out of his room. "Okay. You can stay, then."

"Thank you."

Roxas sighed. "I really don't want to sleep."

"You really should, though, and you know it."

"I should," Roxas admitted.

"Try?"

"I don't really want to."

"Please?" Sora gave Roxas puppy dog eyes.

"Soraaaa. I dun wanna."

"Your whining hurts my head."

Roxas stared at him.

"What?"

"Fine." Roxas fell over onto his side. "Happy?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're talking and not sleeping."

Roxas closed his eyes and pretended to be dead. Sora poked him.

"I'm sleeping."

"Lies."

"Well, I was until you started talking to me."

"Sleep, dammit."

Roxas stuck his tongue out and closed his eyes. Sora curled up next to him again.

"Love you, kid."

Sora 'hmm'ed, having already started to doze off. Headache medicine always made him sleepy.

Roxas cracked open an eye, and seeing that Sora had fallen asleep, he smiled. However, there was no hope of him ever getting around Sora to get out of bed, so it appeared he was stuck there for a while. He decided that he might as well just sleep. It wasn't like he had any other option.

Roxas passed out fairly quickly.

Some hours later, Sora woke up. His headache was still kind of there, but it wasn't as massive of a pain as it had been earlier.

Roxas felt Sora stirring against him, and it jostled him awake. Yawning, Roxas looked around blearily. "What time is it?"

"Like noon..."

"Ugh."

"What?"

"My mouth tastes like dried carpet."

Sora made a face. "That's disgusting. Why do you know what that tastes like?"

"Long story. Why are you on top of me?"

"Didn't realize I was."

"You are." Roxas grinned. "We're going to have to get untangled at some point, or Axel and Riku'd get the wrong idea."

"They're not here."

"I wouldn't put it past Axe to burst in unannounced. We both have a habit of doing that."

"He's at school."

"True. He did say he couldn't skip anymore."

"So, it's all good."

There was a knock on the door, and Riku walked in. "Are you gu-" Riku cut off when he saw Sora sprawled out all on top of Roxas. "Knowing Sora, there is an entirely reasonable explanation for this, so I'm just going to sit down over here and pretend this isn't weird."

"We were taking a nap..."

Riku smiled wryly, "That's probably true, but that doesn't make it sound any better, Sor."

"...I love you."

"Does that come with a 'but I just decided to leave you for my best friend' attached?" Riku teased.

"No."

"Then we're all set. How was your nap?"

"Not long enough," Roxas said.

"Shh, he wasn't talking to you."

"I was talking to both of you, actually," Riku said.

"My headache is almost gone," Sora replied.

"I won't pass out from exhaustion," Roxas said. "That always sucks."

"You both are insane, but I am glad the nap helped," Riku announced, plopping down on the foot of the bed.

"'m not insane..."

"Sure you're not, Sor."

"I'm not!"

Riku smiled. "I love you, silly."

"I'm not silly."

"Shush it and get a room that isn't mine," Roxas said yawning.

"To the room next door!" Sora said as though it were a battle cry.

"You're shouting in my ear. Gerrof," Roxas said, nudging Sora with his knee.

"Shush. You're comfy."

"Sora," Riku said. "Next room?"

"Will you be my pillow there?"

"Well, for the hour I have before I have to get back to school, sure."

"...You're probably not going back."

Riku frowned. "I should. I can't skip class for no reason, Sor."

"You have a reason."

Riku looked at Sora. "You are a good reason, but I would feel bad missing school."

"Would you feel bad for leaving me alone?"

"Yes, but it's a different kind of feeling bad."

"If you leave, I'm sleeping on Roxas again."

"I trust you two," Riku said.

"Are you suuuuure?"

"Sora, if you cheat on me with Rox, I don't know that I'll ever be able to look at you two the same way again. I've seen you both naked."

"When?"

Riku almost laughed at Sora's incredulous face. "You were both too drunk to remember it, but trust me, it's burned into my memory forever."

"I've only been that drunk once, though..."

"Yup. I can't imagine you would remember it. You both had your shirts off, for some unfathomable reason. I went to the bathroom and came back with you two shirtless. Roxas was naked because his pants got caught on fire. I do not remember exactly when your pants came off, but I vaguely recall you taking them off in 'solidarity'."

"But, that would just leave us in our underwear...not naked."

Riku shrugged. "I don't know how it came off, I was too busy freaking out because ROX WAS ON FIRE."

"He probably deserved it."

"Why's that?"

"Just did."

"That's bullshit," Roxas said. "Now are you getting out of my room or not?"

"You're really comfy though."

"Riku's bigger and comfier, I'm sure." Roxas yawned, and then remembered something. "You guys are going camping with me this weekend."

"You smell like rainbows, Roxas."

"Get off. I'm kicking you out. Go sleep more," Roxas said, nudging Sora.

"But the rainbowsssss."

"Out."

"But, Riku smells like the sun."

"So go fuck him and you'll smell like the sun."

"But rainbooooooowwwwwssss."

"Sun. Get out."

"Rainbows."

"Sora, come on," Riku said. "Roxas is just a little grumpy. It's not our fault that he is sleep-deprived."

"I am not grumpy, I just want to be alone for a while."

Sora pouted.

"Come on, Sor," Riku said. "Let's go back to your room. And sure, camping sounds good, Rox." Riku had long since given up questioning things like this.

"Carry me?"

"Sure," Riku knew it was an odd request, but he also knew it was the best way to get Sora to agree to leave. He picked Sora up off the bed and headed towards the door. "See you, Rox. Get more sleep."

Sora snuggled into Riku. Roxas waved, and Riku headed back to Sora's room.

It was Friday morning. Roxas was sitting in homeroom. He was there early, and he was completely alone. He could have gone to hang out with the others-they were meeting by the lockers that day. However, he wasn't in the mood to deal with Axel after their disagreement the day before. Rox knew he had overreacted, but he was tired, and Axel had been a ginormous dick. Roxas wasn't entirely at fault, and he was getting sick of their cycle of fighting over stupid shit.

Also, he was ignoring Axel. But mostly, he was trying to be mature. He knew that if he saw Axel, he'd want to fight, and that would be bad.

Soon, people started filtering into the room as the late bell got closer to ringing. When Axel walked in the room, he debated what to do for a second. He normally sat near Roxas, but after what happened the day before, he wasn't sure if that would go well. In the end, he opted for a seat not directly next to the blonde, but not particularly out of the way.

Roxas saw Axel sit down, but he didn't say anything. He wasn't sure if he should be sad or relieved that Axel didn't sit next to him. On the one hand, it meant he knew he had fucked up. On the other hand, Roxas missed him.

Axel didn't like not sitting by Roxas, but he didn't want another fight, and he had this feeling that one would happen if he got too close.

Neither of them said a word to the other for the entire period.

Lunch had rolled around, and things were not any better. Roxas and Axel just weren't talking. The others picked up on it, of course. It was hard NOT to notice. The tension was palpable.

By the end of lunch, Demyx had had enough of it. Instead of walking to class with Zexion like he normally would, he went in the same direction as Roxas. Roxas noticed Demyx following him, and he turned around.

"Hey." Roxas knew he was going to get a lecture, but he knew that he couldn't avoid it. It was Demyx.

"Hey," Demyx said back, although it sounded a bit more clipped than usual.

Roxas winced. "This is the part where you chew me out for not getting along with Axel, isn't it?"

"Yes and no. This is the part where I chew you out for upsetting him...again."

"He upset me."

"Hurting people for hurting you never accomplishes anything."

"I didn't mean to hurt him," Roxas said. "He just... he said something mean, and I wasn't in the best frame of mind, so I had to remove myself from the situation."

"This isn't just about yesterday morning."

"When else?"

"By now you should know that if Axel says he doesn't want to talk about something, then you don't persist with it."

"He doesn't want to talk about anything, though, Demyx." Roxas sounded frustrated.

"He talks about the things that he thinks are necessary to talk about."

"I've been dating him a month and a half, and I still can barely tell you the basics about his life."

"Tell me what you know."

"He loves his mom and had a screwy dad. His birthday is in January and he dated Larxene because she blackmailed him. He dated other people before, but I know absolutely nothing about the people that came before her. He doesn't have siblings or much money, and he's been friends with you for ages. That's about it."

"So, you don't know the simple things. Like say...his favorite color or favorite food?"

Roxas shrugged. "His favorite color is burnt orange, which I've never understood... he likes it, though. As for favorite food, I don't know exactly... he likes french fries a lot, but I don't know if it's his favorite."

Demyx nodded approvingly. "Good. Anyway, the point of that was... just shoot for the simple things and if he wants you to know the big things, he'll tell them to you on his own time."

Roxas frowned. He wasn't good at focusing on the simple things. He wasn't a details person. He picked things up, and he remembered them, but it wasn't what he focused on. He liked looking at the big things and the big picture and learning the secrets.

"It's hard, Dem." Roxas sounded tired. "I'm so bad at this."

"Try." Demyx sighed. "He hates fighting with you, you know. Says it makes him feel like he's doing something wrong."

"It's not just him. It's both of us."

"I know that, and I think deep down he knows that, too. But, it's Axel..."

"I'll talk to him," Roxas said quietly. He didn't want to, but he was going to have to suck it up. He was sick of them not talking.

"Thanks, Rox."

"You're going to be late for class if you don't hurry." Roxas pointed up to the clock. Class started in two minutes. Roxas was right outside his classroom, but his classroom wasn't Demyx's classroom.

"Yeah, I know. But, taking care of people I love takes priority over school, and he doesn't want to listen to me much anymore, so..."

Roxas frowned. "Why not?"

"He says he's heard it all before. I think he needs a new voice to knock sense into him."

"Okay." Roxas nodded. "I'll work on it."

"Thanks, kiddo."

"I love you, Dem, but only Axe calls me kiddo and gets away with it."

"Not stopping me." Demyx grinned at him before looking up at the clock. "See ya!"

Shaking his head slightly, Roxas waved and walked into his classroom.

Roxas waited until after school to go talk to Axel. He walked up to him, feeling slightly angry still, but mostly just guilty. He blamed Demyx for that. Stupid Demyx Roxas thought to himself.

"Hey," Roxas said, tapping Axel on the shoulder.

Axel turned to Roxas. "Hey."

"How are you?"

The reply he got was a shrug.

"I'm sorry." Roxas hated admitting he was wrong, and he still didn't feel like he had much to apologize for. Still, Rox knew it was what he needed to do.

"I am, too."

"I pulled an all-nighter the night before, so I wasn't exactly thinking rationally... and I shouldn't have pushed things." Roxas shrugged.

"Did you at least end up getting some sleep?"

"I took a two or three hour nap."

"Better than nothing."

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you at least got some sleep."

"Axel..." Roxas looked down. "You worry about me a lot, don't you?"

"Maybe..."

"You don't need to, you know. I appreciate it, but you should spend some of that energy worrying about you."

"I don't need to worry about me."

"No, that's my job." Roxas kissed Axel on the cheek. "I'm sorry if I push too much sometimes. It's not because I want to be nosing around in your business. I just don't want you to bottle things up. I worry about you, too."

"If I thought something would hurt me if I didn't talk about it, I would talk about it. But my secrets are my secrets. And, I'm sorry if I do it to you."

Roxas sighed. He promised Demyx he would try to get along with Axel. Besides, even though he didn't like what Axel was saying, he did understand it. He had his secrets, too.

So, instead of pushing, Roxas said, "I love you."

"Love you too, kid."

[TBC]

R&R