CHAPTER ELEVEN!

Summary: When a disgruntled Sora lets his parents sign him up for a summer climbing camp, he's less than enthusiastic. But with some interesting new friends, crazy counselors, and a handsome, infuriating boy to deal with, this week might be more interesting than he thought...SoraxRiku, AxelxRoxas, AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but Author sama277 informs me that I now own a super-sexy Riku plushie. Sweet.

Author's Note: 300 reviews? WOWZEE! Did you guys know that my first chapter (when I first posted it) only got 9 reviews? We've come a long way from then, and it is all thanks to you guys. Yays.

In other news…if you feel so inclined, check out RedBlackandWhite's story Riku's Foster Surprise (unless he's changed the title by now). I may be biased 'cause my darling Alysa is a main character, but it's a cool story and if you can't get enough of her wild hijinks, check it out. –grin-

Reviewers: I have zero time to make this ready for online, so unfortunately, my darlings, I can't respond to reviews this week. But next time, I promise I'll be back with more than ever…

Anyways. On with the crazyfullness.


"Breakfast! Breakfast! BREAKFASTIME!"

Sora opened his eyes, but immediately closed them again. Bright dawn light streamed in waves through the thin fabric of the tent, making everything glow dreamily around the edges.

Owww…my poor vision…

"Are you guys deaf, or something? I said it's time to BREAK that FAST! How much louder do I need to scream?"

A beat of silence as Alysa waited for a response. None came.

"That's it. Doug, get me a fork."

"What are you going to…."

"Or a ladle. A ladle will suffice."

"Alysa, you're not going to…stab anything, are you?"

"Of course not. Don't be preposterous. Now surrender the ladle!"

A grudging sigh. Alysa's voice sounded satisfied as she said, "Rightio. Now, where's that frying pan…."

"Oh no," Sora murmured into his pillow. "She wouldn't…she wouldn't dare…"

"She could, and she would…" Roxas mumbled sleepily, wrapping his pillow around his ears just before….

CLANG CLANG CLANG BANG BANG CLANG BANG

"WAKEY WAKEY, CHILDREN!"

"My poor eardrums…" Roxas moaned. "The pillow does nothing..."

"I HEARD THAT! And if you're awake enough to complain in there, you're awake enough to complain out here. Chop chop! Besides….I'm making breakfast!"

Sora sat up very quickly, still clutching his pillow to his bare chest. He cast a quizzical eye at Roxas, who looked, at the moment, like a very surprised hedgehog. Sora reminded himself to lend Roxas a comb after…

"You're making breakfast?" Roxas said, and his voice was laced with suspicion.

"Don't worry, ducklings. I'm actually an excellent chef. And I left all the arsenic at home!"

"That's supposed to reassure us?"

"Look, I don't know about you, but conversing with the wall of your tent is getting real old real fast. Come out. I promise I won't bite."

Roxas opened his mouth.

"Not. A. Word."

He shut up.


"What…is it?" Sora asked, eyeing the yellow and brown goop bubbling in the frying pan, which Alysa had vacated in order to cook….well, whatever it was she was cooking.

"French toast, sillies!"

"I'm pretty sure French toast isn't supposed to be green…" Riku said, extending a hand toward the mess.

Alysa slapped his hand with a spatula.

"Hey!"

"What?" Alysa asked innocently, spatula behind her back.

Riku sighed. "I give up."

"Wise of you," she said with a little smile, flipping over the French toast.

The other side was hardly better. Sora was trying to come up with words that could describe what he was seeing. Perhaps he could say it was like a third grader had grabbed tubes of black, yellow, and brown paint and splattered it until it made that icky browny-gray shade. He wondered it the concoction was liquid or solid. Or maybe some dire combination of the two…

"Almost ready!" Alysa sang out.

The six campers exchanged uneasy looks. "Nose game," Axel murmured under his breath, reaching to grab his nose quickly. All quickly followed suit, except…

"Sora!" Riku crooned out triumphantly. "You tell her."

Sora gulped.

"Hey, Alysa…?"

"What is it, oh-camper-of-mine?" Alysa said cheerily, turning around. There was a spot of charred bread on her cheek. She didn't seem to notice.

"Um…well…do you remember how on the first day we had that talk about our safe zones? And how this is a safe environment, and how even though you encouraged us to take risks, we could always say no if we felt like we were in danger or at risk in any way?"

"We did?" Alysa said, confused, then turned to Doug. "Did you tell them that?"

"You were there!"

"Sure," Alysa murmured. "Sure I was. Anyways, make a point, Sora."

"Well…about that….I, I mean we…we just….breakfast…."

"Use your words, Sora. I don't speak Incoherent Babble."

"I'm afraid of your French toast," Sora burst out, then took two steps back, out of spatula range.

Alysa looked blank for a moment. She looked in the frying pan. She looked at her campers.

They looked back.

She narrowed her eyes.

They flinched.

"You don't like my cooking?"

"Well…it's not that we don't like it…persay

"...just that...you coudln't pay us to eat it," Axel finished.

Alysa, to their surprise, hadn't gotten slap-happy yet. In fact, she looked thoughtful. "Actually, I'm not much a cook. Something about all those careful instructions I had to follow…"

They all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Doug delicately leaned in and plucked the spatula out of Alysa's hands. "I'll take over from here."

"I can pour orange juice!" Alysa said cheerily, rummaging in the cooler.

"Your talents are astounding, Alysa," Riku said dryly.

"I would whack your for that, if I had my spatula."

She shoved the cups into their hands. "But drink up! You need your strength, especially since this is the last day of climbing before the exam…"

Roxas nearly spat out his orange juice. "Exam!"

"Oh, how silly of me," Alysa said, twirling her hair. "I forgot to mention it."

"Funny how that keeps happening…" Axel muttered darkly.

Alysa smiled innocently. "For the last day and night of our trip, we'll be setting you young ones out on your own, to brave the wilderness, to conquer the mountains, to set off into the great unknown..."

"Alone?" Sora asked, his voice wavering only slightly.

"Well, not technically alone. After all, your partners will be there!"

"Doug. Give me that spatula."

"What?" Alysa said, trying for a look of innocence and failing miserably. "I think it'll be peachy!"

Glares all around.

"Fine. Be that way. Anyway, you rudely never let me finish. Today we'll be climbing all the way up to the top of the ledge, so pack a lunch; it'll take you all day. But there is a light at the end of this metaphorical tunnel! There's an observation platform on top, along with lots of tourists. So there's an opportunity for fun in all of this, right?"

Roxas sighed. "You sure have a twisted sense of fun, Alysa."

"Is there any other kind?" she said with a small smile, before reaching out and snagging the first piece of French toast, fresh off the pan.


"I'm tired…."

"You're only fifteen feet off the ground!"

Sora hung off the rope and briefly considered sticking his tongue out at Riku. "It was a difficult fifteen feet, okay?"

"Uhuh. Whatever you say."

Sora harrumphed. "I still don't understand why you get to be lead climber…again!"

(A/N: I usually hate putting these in the middle of stories but I think this will confuse some people. Lead climbers are the ones that go first and put in all the hardware aka things that will keep both partners from falling. The second partner is on the ground at this point, belaying them if they fall. When the lead climber reaches a ledge or somewhere they can rest, they will chill out there, and then the second climber will head up, using the hardware placed by the lead climber and being belayed by the lead climber. So Sora is basically grumpy because Riku gets to go first and do all the important stuff.)

"What can I say?" Riku said, his face only a tiny dot above Sora's. "You're just slow, I guess."

"That's not fair at all."

"Life isn't fair, Sora."

Sora sighed. "Like I haven't heard that a thousand times before."

He made a neat little move that brought him up another few feet, leaving him hanging, eyeing a handhold just out of reach.

"I mean, would it kill you to go second for once in your life?" Sora grunted, reaching up on his toes and just barely getting a grip on the handhold, his feet scrambling to follow suit.

"Yes. It would, actually."

"I think that's a sign of an arrogance problem," Sora sang out. "You're like on of those anal teachers that can't stand it when their students are smarter than them."

"I am not anal! And you're not my student! That is a horrible metaphor!" Riku shouted down, yanking the rope perhaps a bit more tightly than was really necessary.

"Sorry. That's just how I see it," Sora said with a little smile.

It probably wasn't healthy how much fun he had tormenting Riku. But on the other hand, he just made it so easy…

"I am not anal," Riku was muttering under his breath. "And I am not arrogant."

Sora looked up at him, not saying anything, but those big blue eyes teased him.

"I think Alysa is a bad influence on you," Riku muttered.

Sora only smiled.


Sora was still grumpy when Riku started up for the second time.

"I mean, at least you could let me be leader once. Just once. I know you're anal and arrogant and all that, but please. Come on."

Riku only grunted and pulled himself off the ground, his feet deftly finding footholds.

"I mean, I'm just as good a climber as you. Right? Every bit. I have every right to complain about the current situation."

Riku pulled himself up another foot and grinned sadistically. "But I do present a nice view, do I not?"

Sora snapped his gaze away and busily tried to pretend he hadn't been looking at Riku's…

Well, he wasn't going to go there.

Riku paused for a moment to look back down at Sora, and was surprised to see the other boy was blushing. With the fair afternoon sun glinting off his hair and his cheeks the color of strawberry milkshakes, Sora was biting his lip and gazing off into the distance, his blue eyes- the color of the horizon- wide and innocent as a breeze ruffled through his clothes…

"RIKU!"

Riku hit the ground with a thump, the rope falling in a messy coil on top of him. He gasped in pain, clutching his knee, and was surprised to feel something wet and sticky pouring over his hands.

Oh shit. I'm bleeding.

What happened? I was looking at Sora and then…well, then I was in considerable pain...

"Riku! What was…you scared….are you bleeding? I'm so sorry, I was looking away and all of a sudden you just let go of the wall and you were falling and now you're bleeding oh crap oh crap…"

"I'm okay," Riku said faintly, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the swooshing sound his blood made as it all rushed into his head.

"What happened? Why did you just let go?" Sora said breathlessly, concern written all over his face.

Riku tried to shrug and discovered that hurt, quite a bit. He said sheepishly, "I just forgot to hold on, I guess."

Sora's eyes rolled practically back into his head. "You…forgot to…."

He stomped a few steps away on the ledge, rummaging through his backpack, murmuring, "And he says I can't be the lead climber, oh no, forgetting to hold on the wall!"

He inched back over to Riku's side, a white plastic box dangling from his grip. A large red cross was stamped onto its side.

Riku almost laughed. Almost. "You have a first aid kid in your backpack?"

"You never know," Sora said defensively. "An accident could happen at any time…for instance, your climbing partner could, theoretically, forget to hold onto the wall!"

That shut Riku up quickly.

Sora surveyed the mess that was Riku's knee. "That looks bad."

Riku looked down and, if possible, got paler. "Yep," he agreed, his voice a little squeaky.

Sora sighed and popped the first-aid kit with an authoritative click. He reached inside and pulled out a small bottle of something that Riku was instantly wary of. He had never like bottles.

His suspicions were confirmed when Sora uncapped it and poured it all over Riku's ruined knee.

"OWWWWW! What's in that? Red ants?"

"Oh, don't be a baby," Sora said calmly, putting it away. "It's to prevent infection."

"I didn't realize preventing infection included torture," Riku said bitterly, eyeing Sora, who was unwrapping a long roll of gauze. "What are you going to do with that? Muzzle me?"

"My, aren't we sarcastic when we're injured," Sora remarked dryly. "Relax. I'm just binding your wound."

Riku was aboutto make a teasing remark, but just then Sora deftly ripped off a few squares of gauze and began to dab lightly at the bloody mess that had formerly been Riku's knee.

All desire to speak left him as Sora's hands swiftly and gently cleared away the blood and dirt, sweeping gently over his skin to assess the damage. Sora's hair fell in his eyes as he worked, and he wore an expression of great concentration as ripped open a band-aid and pressed it gently on Riku's skin, his fingertips making light contact as he sealed the edges.

"Thanks," Riku said finally, in what he hoped was a calm tone.

"No problem…partner," Sora said with a little grin, snapping his kit closed.

"So….are we done, Mrs. Nightingale?"

Sora scowled at him. "Feel free to keep climbing, Riku. Just remember to hold onto the wall this time, please."

"Point taken," Riku said with a small grin, standing up on wobbly legs.

As he propelled himself up the ledge, he made an effort not to look down. With even move he made, he could feel his knee throbbing in pain, and with every ache, he still feel the ghosts of small hands brushing across his skin, chasing the hurt away.


"Newton?"

Riku gave Sora an incredulous look. "Pardon?"

"A Fig Newton. Do you want one?" Sora asked, thrusting the small yellow package under Riku's nose.

He pushed it away with a grimace. "No…thanks."

Sora shrugged and shoved the entire snack into his mouth. "Don't know what you're missing," he said around a mouthful of fig paste, though Riku assumed he could have said, 'Won't throw what you're hissing,' and it would have sounded pretty much the same.

The two of them were sitting on a large outcropping the rock, ropes twined loosely around their waists. Sora had started complaining of hunger about a half hour before they found this spot, and they had cut it pretty close at the end; Riku would have agreed to eat anywhere, anywhere at all, if Sora's stomach had rumbled one more time. Riku swore that it sounded just like a full-fledged traffic jam, horns included.

"Nice view," Sora said, swallowing heavily and looking satisfied.

Riku nodded, silently agreeing. From the spot they had chosen, they could see for miles, mountains rising gently in the distance to cap the blue horizon, miniscule trees ruffling in an unfelt breeze. Riku brought a bite of his sandwich to his lips and was surprised at the contentment he felt, sitting here with Sora, looking at the mountains.

"Can't believe this is the last summer," Riku said musingly, the breeze playing with the bangs of his hair.

Sora looked at him quizzically. "That last summer before what?"

"Before college, stupid."

"Oh," Sora said, balling up the remainder of his lunch. "Why is that a bad thing?"

"I didn't say that," Riku said. "It's just going to be…different, you know? We'll be adults…grown up, not kids anymore. And we'll have to get jobs, pay bills…"

"You make it sound like a death sentence," Sora said, leaning back on his elbows. "Weren't you listening to Alysa a couple nights ago? It's exciting, growing up. More freedom…a chance to branch out, try new things…"

"You didn't like high school, did you?"

Sora turned to look at Riku, who was surveying him with half-lidded eyes. "What?"

"You heard me. You're one of those kids who just couldn't wait to leave, right?"

Sora, flustered, said, "Well, sure, I guess I was happy to go…"

Riku laughed softly, "Oh man. I knew it. You were a outcast, weren't you?"

The other boy flamed red. "What? No!"

"Don't lie. I can tell. After I, I was one of those popular people you loved to hate."

"You…you were…."

"Yep." Riku sighed, leaning back onto the sun-drenched stone. "Alpha male status, in my school. But then again, I can't say I was sad to leave it behind."

"Why not?" Sora asked, genuinely curious.

"Well…it's harder than you think, being…like that. Always having to please people, to say the right thing and play the right sport and make the right snide jokes about the right teachers at the right time….always had to be dating the prettiest girls, most of whom were total bitches…."

"Poor you," Sora said, unsympathetic.

Riku sat up, eyes flashing. "Hey. I didn't ask for your opinion."

Sora avoided his gaze. "Sorry."

A moment before Riku looked at him. "That's okay, I guess."

There was a beat of silence as both boys looked toward the view, taking in the vast expanse of landscape stretching away beneath them, both content in their quiet, at ease with each other.

The conversation, however, dragged heavy on Sora's mind. He had never heard Riku talk like that before, never heard him why he sometimes acted like a pretentious asshole. It felt almost like an apology—the best he would ever get.

And, strangely, he felt himself accepting it wholeheartedly.

"So," Sora started, feeling a smile creep onto his face. "Can I be lead climber now, oh popular one?"

Riku let out a long-suffering sigh, but his eyes sparkled as he turned to Sora. "I suppose, oh misfit of mine."


Sora, twenty feet above Riku, looked down over his shoulder and flashed him a white-toothed smile. "See? Not that bad being on the bottom, is it?"

Riku grumbled under his breath and only pulled the rope tighter around Sora's waist. He supposed it wasn't all that awful, being here on the ground. Looking up and seeing Sora, dangling twenty feet above him. Sora, with little face pointed in concentration and his lithe legs stretching higher to reach harder holds…

Acually, Riku was enjoying this more than he cared to share.

His eyes carefully trained on Sora, he follow the younger boys' progress as he stepped up one on foot, teetering awkwardly, then grabbed for a handhold in the nick of time.

Momentarily stumped, Sora surveyed the smooth walls around him with a perplexed expression.

"Riku? See anything?"

"What about that hold way on your left? Can you reach it?"

Sora leaned far left, his tanned arm outstretched. His t-shirt bunched and peeked upward to display a thin ribbon of tanned flesh. Riku had to actively stop himself from craning his neck to check out Sora's stomach muscles.

But then again…why stop?

He peeked. Oh. Sora had nice abs.

Sora grabbed the rock and the t-shirt lowered again. "Thanks, Riku, I got it. Do you see something else?" Sora looked down. "Why are you scowling?"

"Huh…..oh! I mean, yeah. Why don't you stretch for that one, reallllllly high on your right."

And then maybe you could take your shirt off….

Sora stretched. Riku craned. This time he focused on Sora's legs, prominently displayed by his shorts, muscles taught on one pointed toe…

Oh. This is defiantly unhealthy. Stop looking at him. Stop looking at him…stop looking at him, Riku!

"There are no handholds here!" Sora shouted.

"Just keep looking…a little higher!" Riku shouted out before he could stop himself.

That was bad.

Sora stretched…and stretched….and stretched…

Bad in a way I am totally enjoying. Oops.

"Almost there!"

Sora glared down at him. "I'm not that flexible, Riku!"

"We'll see about that," Riku murmured under his breath.

Oops. Did he say that out loud?

He had. He noticed Sora's cheeks turn that delightful pink color again, but the other boy said nothing, just turned back to the wall and studied it for his next move.

"Hey, Riku! There's a handhold, like, three inches away! Why didn't you tell me about that one?"

"Hmm. Didn't see it."

Sora chose to ignore that. "Alright…almost at the top…fifteen more minutes, probably…"

"Can you see any tourists yet?" Riku shouted loudly.

Sora glared reproachfully at him. "Shhhh! They might HEAR you."

"You make them sound like murderous insects, or something. Relax. The worst that can happen is you get bashed with a camera. A few stitches, no biggie."

"A good reason not to annoy them," Sora hissed.

"Well, Alysa did say we could have some fun. And she's the counselor, right? We always have to listen to our counselors."

"What did you have in mind?" Sora asked grudgingly.

Riku smirked. "You're going to love this…."


"Oh my GOD!" Sora staggered up onto the observation platform, crashing into the fence with a loud rattle. "Riku!" he called out hoarsely, holding his rib cage. "RIKU! WE MADE IT!"

Riku pulled himself up to his knees, coughing dryly. He looked around; a few dozen stunned tourists stared back at him. "Oh, thank the good lord. We made it! WE'RE ALIVE!"

"Are you boys okay?" asked one of them, a woman wearing pink spandex shorts.

"What DAY is it?" Riku demanded, pushing himself to his feet and clinging to her shirt. "Be straight with me. I can take it."

"The….the twenty-first?" she offered weakly.

Riku moaned despondently, staggering over to Sora. "Five days in the wilderness…no food, no water….we made it, solider," he said, a tear glistening in his eye. "We made it."

Sora leaned heavily on him, one eye closed. "After the bears…I didn't think we would be coming home," he said, sniffing heavily.

There was a quiet click as one tourist took a hesitant picture.

"Did you boys climb up this thing?" The woman asked, looking horrified.

Riku nodded despondently. "And we made it…through wind, through fire, through…through stinging insects!"

"You poor dears!" another woman chimed in. "Are you alright?"

"We'll be fine," Riku said heavily, draping and arm over Sora's shoulder and squeezing tightly.

Sora had to suppress the inexplicable urge to grab Riku's hand and pull, to wrap himself more tightly in the older boy's embrace.

Must resist…must…

"Cause I've got some trail mix, in the car," the woman was saying in a helpful tone. "I would be happy to…"

"Well," Riku said heavily, inclining his head, "I guess we can't say no to the snacks of kind strangers, after our perilous journey…"

'Right," Sora agreed, trying his best to look manly and war-worn.

"Follow me," the woman said worriedly, and they set off after her down the beaten trail.

All the way, Riku didn't remove his arm.


They were five pitches up the rock, and Axel hadn't fallen yet.

And that, strangely, was upsetting Roxas. Very much, actually.

Roxas knew that was horrible, and evil, and probably marked him a future serial killer, or something. But Axel's falls had become something of a running gag for him, and he wanted to be able to croon triumphantly, "Hah! You FELL!"

If only to have something...anything…to say to Axel.

"Still no falls!" Axel said cheerily as his head popped above the edge of the ridge.

Roxas nearly jumped out of his skin. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," Axel said, still smiling brightly. "I just wanted to inform you that I haven't fallen once today. Not once. Nada. Zip. Zero."

"Shut up," Roxas said crossly, helping Axel up onto their current resting point; a large ledge, wide enough for both to walk around.

"You're supposed to be encouraging me, Rox. I encourage you."

"A little too much, sometimes," Roxas said under his breath, remembering Axel's description of his climbing.

Axel looked up at the next few feet of rock. "You ready? I'll go first."

"Okay," Roxas agreed, not really caring, and grabbed the belay rope.

Axel started climbing, making neat, nimble moves up the face. "Partners should be honest with each other, anyway. C'mon, tell me how proud you really are of me."

Roxas swallowed sharply. "I'm…I'm proud of Alysa for threatening to super-glue that helmet to your head," he said triumphantly.

Ha! Avoided that one!

Axel scowled. "I'll take that as a warped concern for my safely. You know you're proud of me. Just be honest. After all, I'm honest with you. I tell you everything, like how stupid your hair looked this morning, or how gross blueberry pop-tarts are, or how cute you look right now…"

Roxas, who had been absently sucking on his lip, almost swallowed it in surprise. "WHAT did you say?"

SHIT! You didn't hear that. I didn't just say that. No words just came out of my mouth. COMMENT BEGONE!

"What? I didn't say anything. You must have been imagining it. It must be the heat. Or the humidity. Or the heat," Axel babbled, tackling the rock wall like a dying man clawing at a life-raft.

Roxas wondered if he should pinch himself. Had Axel just…had he really…

"Actually I heard some brain tumors can cause random bursts of conversations that didn't really happen…you should check that out, wouldn't want you to die or anything—wait, that sounded wrong…"

"Axel. Just shut up for a second."

"Nope, nope, I'll just keep talking, drown your mind in words so you can't sort them all out, my master plan to scramble your brain so you can't remember a thing, aha!"

"Axel. Shut UP!"

"I mean, I don't want to mess with your mind, but you're clearly delusional, are you sure you're not heat-stroking?"

Roxas was scarlet-faced now, staring fixedly at Axel, who was ten feet off the ground and climbing.

"AXEL. SHUT. UP!"

And with that, he gave the rope a sharp and lethal tug.

Axel landed in a heap, his limbs all tangled up with the rope. Ouch. That hurt. He opened his eyes and saw Roxas, standing over him with a mutinous expression on his face.

Axel tried to jump away, but there was no room; he was trapped with his back to the wall. Roxas took another step in.

Shit. Shitshitshit. Is he going to kill me? Does he have one of those Swiss army knives? Oh god, my greatest fear, being killed with a Swiss army knife…

Well, if he was going to die, he was going to take it like a man.

Axel stood up, brushed off his clothes, faced Roxas, and prepared to bid a sweet sayonara to life and the hot boy who was about to take it away from him.

Roxas took another step forward, until he was practically at Axel's chest. His eyes, when he raised his face to look at Axel, were half-closed. His heart hammered in his chest, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and even, a light whisper that carried through the space between them.

"Don't you ever just…shut up?"

And without really knowing--or caring--why, Roxas took a deep breath, leaned forward, and pressed his lips lightly to Axel's.


It took Axel a moment to recover, as he was momentarily distracted by the fireworks of joy exploding in his mind. But when he realized what was happening; Roxas's lips, light and dry and insubstantial as a butterfly, pressed hesitantly against his own—well, he couldn't really be expected to control himself, could he?

Roxas gave out a muffled yell of surprise as two strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him against the rock wall, Axel's head swooping down to deepen the kiss considerably, pressing hungrily onto Roxas' mouth, their lips sliding together messily.

Axel broke the kiss a second later.

"Sorry," he gasped out, gesturing the compromising position Roxas was now in. "Did that hurt?"

"No, not really," Roxas said thickly, feeling like he was about to fall down.

"Good, cause I thought it might be romantic, but then I second-guessed it after you yelped…."

"God, just shut up," Roxas murmured throatily.

Axel smiled softly, and his eyes suddenly looked very dark beneath his lashes. "Happily."

And he swooped in and claimed Roxas's soft lips in another bruising kiss, his hands snaking up Roxas' sides, tickling his shoulders, settling on the back of his neck as he deepened the kiss, making the fine hairs on Roxas' neck stand up.

Axel nipped hungrily at Roxas's bottom lip, putting weeks of pent-up frustration into this moment, this kiss. And when Roxas parted his lips, finally, he slowly explored the space between Roxas' lips, his tongue, his cheekbones and his eyelashes, leaving a trail of soft kisses down his neck and his shoulder before he nipped playfully at the other boy's collarbone, making Roxas think that he would have surely fallen down, right then and there, had Axel's hands not been reassuringly tight around his waist.

Roxas leaned up on his own, kissing the side of Axel's neck hungrily. He didn't quite know what he was doing or why, or if this meant he was gay or bi orclinically insane, but all that he knew was that this felt...right.

A few long moments later, Axel finally pulled away and said softly, "So are you proud of me now?"

Roxas chose to answer him non-verbally.


Down at the bottom of the cliff, Alysa pulled the binoculars away from her face to reveal a smile that would make a clown jealous. She handed them to her very stunned co-counselor, smugness radiating off her in waves.

"You owe me twenty bucks."


Well. That was fun. Who guessed it would be this chapter? Extra brownie points for you. FYI, this is also my first time writing any sort of fluffiness, so let me know how I did!

Next Chapter: You all thought that it would be all peachy-keen from now on, didn't you? Well...you're WRONG! I have one last plot twist up my sleeve…to be revealed next chapter…

Review for cookies….