I'm back. I'm sorry for the disappearance. But hey, I've been reading a lot of romance novels to study. Anyone read J.H. Trumble's Where You Are or Don't Let Me Go? I also read Will Grayson Will Grayson, Boy Meets Boy, The Lover's Dictionary, Every You Every Me, and started Thinking Straight.


Reno drove Axel and I home and he stayed for half an hour. He left a cake and a plastic container of cookies. He also stowed some wrapped gifts under our small tree. Reno left small boxes for Mom and Dad. They didn't want to accept, but he insisted. He actually went shopping for us. He gave Mom a fuzzy pink sweater and Dad got a silken blue dress shirt. He even left them both gift cards for the local grocery store, fifty dollars each. I though he was amazing for it, but it made me feel like we were taking handouts. It's pride, you know? The fact he was here, put me on edge, but you really can't blame me for it. Even with his hair styled back and his glasses a little askew, and even a a sweater adorned with a chibi cat, I felt unnerved with him in my house.

"I miss Wakka already," Axel said between bites of a sugar cookie.

"I miss him, too, but I finally get to sleep. And stop eating those damned cookies," I replied.

"Roxy, they're better than breath mints. I know you love it." He placed a bow on my head and I wrapped a scrap of ribbon around his wrist. He dropped his arm around my shoulders and sighed. Like he... ate fourteen meals today. After a moment of silence, Riku came in with Sora hanging from his shoulders.

"We're gonna go walk around and look at the Christmas lights around the neighborhood," Sora announced.

I immediately felt guilty. He can't see them! But he wouldn't care, would he? I think the sheer fact of just being with me would drive him into wanting to go. He might make me describe the displays to him.

"That sounds really nice, actually." Axel rolled onto me and 'looked' down at me. His eyes were brilliant, and the teardrops under them stood out in the shadows.

"Fine." I rolled my eyes at the three of them when I answered.

Mom and Dad entered with coats in hand and wearing their gifts. Mom looked beautiful in her sweater, like this woman I once saw in a movie about this huge group of dogs – it was a sequel. Dad looked fairly dashing in his shirt. They were marveling at each other. It's funny how something like a gift can bring someone's spirits up.

"I can't thank Reno enough," Mom said to Axel. "Please give him my thanks."

"He just wants to be accepted by you guys. He already really likes you." Axel shrugged.

"Well, we really like him, too," my dad added. He stretched his arms out in the shirt. "It fits perfectly."

My gift from Reno was a frame filled with photos of when Axel and I were running around their front lawn. The center of the frame held one of us dancing. Reno gave Sora a new shirt, and bright yellow and something that didn't match anything I already owned. Riku opened a new Struggle bat, Riku gave me his, and he was the one who suggested we write Reno a thank you note.

Night fell fast tonight. We were all outfitted with scarves and knit hats. Axel brought me a new pair of gloves. He said they were to keep me warm. That was sweet and made me blush, dammit. Red. Outside, there was a bit of snow falling. Sora slipped on the stairs outside the door, but luckily, he was caught by Dad and Riku. Axel held my arm and towered over me, but I still felt good. I felt like we were all in a wedding march. The streetlights cast a yellow glow over the snow, and you could see the twinkling from down the street.

"They're so pretty," Mom gasped.

"We're not even there yet," Dad told her.

"Axel," I whispered. "Do you know or remember Christmas lights?"

He looked thoughtful, pondering for a second. "Yeah. A little bit. Not so much. My mom used to put them up when I was at school." He 'looked' at me through bangs. The hat pushing hair into into his eyes made him look cuter.

His hand felt for mine and we followed Riku and Sora to the sidewalk. We waited for Mom and Dad as they locked the door.

"So how do we know where to go first?" Sora asked.

"Well, Sora, someone's going to pick," Dad answered.

"I want to!"

"Sora, hush. Axel! How about you decide?"

"Oh. Uhm." His voice was quiet. I pulled his hand to the left. "How about left?"

"Left it is." Mom led the way, pulling Dad along behind her.

"Do you need me to describe?" I asked Axel.

"Roxas, you don't have to tell me what the look like." He smiled a trademark smile of his.

I thought for a minute and laughed. "What's so funny?" was his response.

"Axel, I don't give a flying fuck about lights."

He huffed and crossed his arms, puffing his bottom lip out. "Fine. You can tell me about the damn lights, Roxas."

"Gladly, darling."

"Darling? I like it."

We passed seventeen times. Axel got bored of my descriptions after house number four. They were just... really boring. Flashy, steady, big. I think he just loved walking with me, I know I did. But there was one house that wasn't so bad. There were yellow and white lights draped on trees, bushes, and even an archway decorated with latticework. There was even a small bench under it that was dusted with a thin layer of snow.

"Come here, Axel." He didn't protest to being pulled and sat on the bench.

"How was your Christmas?" Axel asked.

"Pretty damn good."

"Good, good. You know I have to go back, right?" He looked out at the street and I settled in under his neck. Mom, Dad, and my brothers had moved on.

"Yeah. You've gotta spend time with Wakka and I can't keep you from Reno. But I really want to, Axel."

"You can come over whenever you want and next week, school starts back up. We'll see each other every day. And you can call me."

"Axel, I want to start over."

"Huh?"

"I've been thinking. This is special to me and I wanna do things right – not saying this hasn't been right – but, you know."

"You wanna date? Go out, be romantic. I understand. So, we can still say we love each other, but we're going to start over?"

"Exactly," I laughed.

"Does that mean I can't kiss you until our third date?"

Hmm. I didn't think of that. "... you can't."

"I'm not sure about this, Roxy. It could be a deal-breaker."

I gently mashed my lips to his. We, uhm, danced and broke after a second. Axel sat back and a smile stretched across his face. His eyes closed. He let out an optimistic sigh.

"I guess I can wait. But this means no sleepovers until the eighth date," he stated matter-of-factly.

Wait a second. "Where do you get eight?"

"Just a random number." He smiled like a devil and kissed me again.

"Nuh-uh. Let's go. You've gotta get home." He stood with me and we caught up with everyone else.

Dad let me come with him and Axel back to his house. Reno had candles in the windows out front. I walked Axel to the front door. He held onto my hand, but brought it to his lips. Screw that. I cupped the back of his neck and kissed him goodnight. I felt Dad staring at me from the car. If I had to wait, I'm going to get this out of my system. And it wasn't the kind that leads to raucous sex, but the kind that makes people glow and puts them in a daze.

"Wow, Roxy." His forehead rested on mine.

"What? I love you, Axel."

"I love you, too," he laughed. He let go and went inside. He went to the window and tapped on the glass to see it I'd answer. He waved, just hoping I'd see. I tapped back to let him know.

In the car, Dad laughed at me.

"Roxas, that was a bit of a show."

"Sorry. He and I are starting over. We're gonna date and work our way up. You know, go out?"

"Yeah. Do you want some advice?"

What? Dad didn't get involved in romantic affairs. No one. He was perfectly fine with his twin sons being a gay, but shied away from the endeavors.

"You're actually going to try this?"

"Yes, Roxas. I want to be involved. From what I heard today, it didn't sound like you want me to know what's going on in your life. What made your mother hate this Hayner? I want to know, Roxas."

"Hayner hit me, Dad. He thought we were good, but then he wasn't actually into me. He didn't want his best friend to love or touch him." I didn't really want to do this again today.

My dad looked at me for a minute. I couldn't read him. He looked hurt. I just dropped a bomb biggerthan mine or Sora's coming out. Then he hugged me over the console of the car. My dad really doesn't hug. He's a loving parent, yeah, but he's not touchy-feely. A hug from him was rare, only for my Mom.

"Roxas, I want you to be happy. I want you to be strong. I want you to know I am here for you."

I noticed a couple of tears ran down my face in the exchange and I just don't know from what. Either telling him about Hayner, or him telling me that he really cared about who I love. I had the sniffles, such a juvenile word.

"How do I make things go well?"

"Stay interested. Don't try to speed things along. If Axel is how I think he is, it won't help." He stopped talking. He held a serious gaze. "He needs to know you're in for the long haul. That you aren't going to fuck it up."

There it was again. People who cared for me dropping 'fuck' like the Easter Bunny drops eggs. But this was scary. My dad doesn't say anything other than damn.

"Dad, I think he knows."

"Good. I know you love him, and he loves you. Hell, I even love him for the way he treats you."

Riku and Sora were passed out on the mattress of what I called my room when we got home. Mom was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea. Her hair was up and it framed her face. She looked happier than most times. She was still in her sweater, looking bright.

"Hey, guys," she yawned. Dad refilled her cup and sat down by her.

"Have a good day, Roxas?" Mom asked.

"I did. I really did. You guys?"

"It was a pretty good day." This was Dad.

"I'm gonna go to bed guys." I walked out to the couch and stared out the window at the streets that were getting a fresh blanket of snow.

I shut our tree off and stretched out on the couch. The dining room light went off and my parents said their goodnights to me. I thought of calling Axel for a minute, I mean the phone was on the table by the couch, but I let him sleep. It's time for bed.


Well, thanks for the read. I'm trying to wind this down, bring the falling action into play. The end is coming! Hey, this is almost to 10,000 views! Read, review, and share! Please!