Roxas uses the toe of one of his black and white checkboard Vans to prod at the rib of the young man sprawled in front of him. "You wanna get up?"

Vanitas presses a hand to the bruising in his gut and does not respond.

Roxas isn't sure what he can do at this point, but Aqua spares him the trouble of deciding, returning from the back rooms with another oversized cardboard box in her arms.

Both guys jolt at the thump as Aqua's box of accessories hits the sale's floor. The entire thing topples sideways, spilling a cascade of cute plushies and menacing chokers, sunglasses, winter hats with ears and comic book themed bikini tops.

She's at Roxas' side in an instant. "What the hell happened?"

Vanitas groans pitifully, and Roxas glowers, volume rising, "The fuck is wrong with you?" Roxas looms above Vanitas, half expecting to see Venom crawl out of his mouth. He turns to Aqua who stands, massaging her temple and scanning Vanitas for external injuries. "The fuck is wrong with him?"

Aqua connects the dots fairly quickly as Roxas cradles his fist and Vanitas whimpers. She pushes Roxas a step back by the shoulder, and he lets her.

"He's trying to get himself fired," she says.

Vanitas opens his eyes a slit with the sole purpose of glaring at her.

"And he doesn't need your help." Her lips purse, narrowed eyes redirecting to Roxas. "Try not to kill each other while I grab the ice."

"Axel didn't tell me you were certifiably insane," Roxas mutters as Aqua steps off behind the register.

"Me?" Vanitas struggles to sit, doesn't quite make it, lays back down and shuts his eyes. "I didn't know you were in the fucking Fight Club, jackass."

"Black belt, jackass. That's my point. You don't know me, you talk shit about me and my only friend here, and then you come at me trying to…" Roxas' gestures turn vague as Vanitas' eyes twitch back open, amused with the vulnerability that exasperation has brought to Roxas' voice.

"Well, I don't know what you thought you were going to accomplish, swinging like that," Roxas concludes frankly,as the guy's expression goes rigid, "but…"

"Roxas, you are not helping," Aqua seethes from behind and below the register. Do they keep the first aid kit there? Does this happen often?

"Your only friend is…" Vanitas glances to the side, rubs the back of his head, lip jutting out as his thoughts churn.

Roxas knows he shouldn't have said that, but he's made his bed, so he may as well jump on it.

The small blonde leans over him once more, inspecting his knuckles. "Say one more thing about Axel. Go ahead."

"Shit," Vanitas replies breathily, managing to sit up, a wince marring his grin. "Now I'm kind of turned on. Maybe the three of us…"

Roxas sees red. He lunges, but Aqua grabs him by the shoulders and hauls him backward, her long nails digging.

"That's it!" Pale blue eyes shift between them, tone Mom Level angry and disappointed, "I'm calling Xaldin."

Roxas can't remember who Xaldin is, but he doesn't sound like someone he'd want called. "Please, don't." His blue eyes go wide and childlike with alarm, and her grip loosens when he doesn't pull at it.

"What?" Vanitas scrambles to his feet, yanking down his faux uniform blazer, brushing off the dirt. He whirls on Aqua. "Why?"

"Seriously, Van?" Aqua chucks the icepack at his chest and turns on her heel toward the register and the store phone.

"Hey, no. Aqua!" Vanitas objects calmly, waving with the ice pack. "Don't call him. It's fine."

"It's fine?" Her brows rise though she stops. "He just decked you."

"Yeah, but I was asking for it." Vanitas trails her, cocky as ever, a hand against her back. "C'mon. No need to make a fuss. We're cool, now," he pauses, hand dropping, turns back to Roxas whose jaw has borderline detached itself from the rest of his face, "right, Fight Club?"

Vanitas holds a hand up for Roxas'. Roxas wonders if Vanitas has a split personality like Jekyll and Hyde or Betty Cooper on Riverdale.

With a pang, Roxas realizes he could get fired from not just Hot Topic, but the entire mall for this incident.

Merry Fucking Christmas, Roxas. You're never going to pay it all back.

"I..." Roxas wants to say no, keep the asshole knocked to the ground. But he shrugs, shakes his head, "Yeah, whatever, man. Just don't try it again."

Vanitas nods, smile not quite sincere enough for Roxas' liking. "Of course."

Roxas clasps his raised hand. Their elbows knock, their fingers squeeze, and then they brush past each other. "Happy Hunger Games," Roxas says.

If Vanitas is anything like Roxas' ex, Seifer, one display of bravado should be enough to earn his respect, or at least direct his attention to weaker targets.

Yeah. There had been a reason that relationship hadn't lasted.

It seems to work though. Vanitas flat out beams at the jab.

It's Aqua's turn to balk. "Vanitas, are you sure that's how you want to play this? You part ways unlikely friends?"

Vanitas nods, thumbing at his lanyard, rubbing absentmindedly at the bruise on his stomach with the ice pack. Feeling their eyes on him, he turns to Aqua. "Think maybe I should take fifteen and think about what I've done."

"...Vani." She gives him another hard look, but it softens, apparently more convinced than Roxas is that he's resolved himself to making nice. "Alright… We'll let you know if we defeat any Heartless."

"If we..." Roxas straightens his hipster glasses like it'll help him hear, "what?"

Vanitas flashes a gum commercial white smile as he turns toward the entrance. "Knock 'em dead, Blue."

"What…?"