Six.

Roxas looked down at the blister pack of little blue pills in his hand and promptly hurled them across the room. It wasn't satisfying in the least, the offending square of paperboard and aluminium foil only making a slight clatter as it hit the wall across from him. He stared over the ten, perfectly packaged blue pills and glared. It was like the medication was mocking him…just like everyone else would, if they found out.

Sighing in aggravation, Roxas pulled himself to his feet and headed for the shower. If he ever saw that bastard, Vanitas again, he was going to punch that stupid smirk off his face until he'd have to get reconstructive surgery to put it back on.

He should've known that dick would cheat on him – should've known the asshole couldn't keep it in his pants, and now Roxas was left to deal with the aftermath. He now had a condition that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life.

People were always telling that classic joke; everyone knew it – the Vegas one. 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas – except herpes. That shit'll come back with you,' and yeah, Roxas had always laughed at it too, had always thought that only dirty scrubbers got genital herpes, not people in committed relationships….like him. He and Vanitas had been dating for a while, and he'd never even thought to use condoms, especially when he'd trusted the prick! Now he was paying for his stupidity.

Turning the shower on, Roxas raked a frustrated hand through his short, blond spikes and immediately stepped into the spray. It was still cold. He was fiercely determined to go out tonight with Hayner and have a good time, and just blessedly forget all the bullshit. He was trying so hard to keep positive about it at all, he really was, but there was only one thought swirling around his head, and it wasn't a hopeful one.

Who would want to be with him now?

-0-

Roxas was drunk. Very drunk. Somehow he'd gone from grinding up against faceless, sweaty nobodies in a flashing light, pulsing, nightclub downtown with Hayner, to suddenly finding himself somewhere very quiet – and sucking face with a complete stranger.

He moaned anyway, stuck his tongue further into the other man's mouth and pressed his hips forward into the hard, firm body of his supposed catch for the night.

The man moaned onto his lips, his hands sliding down Roxas' chest, around his hips and grabbing firmly at his ass. Oh man, he felt hot, and damn was he hard. He hadn't had a fuck since Vanitas, and he was definitely not missing him.

"Come on, baby. Bedrooms this way…" The man whispered into his ear, before grabbing up his hand and pulling him away from the wall they'd been leaning against. Roxas finally got a good look at the guy and decided he liked what he saw, a lot. Red, red hair, fashioned into long, cascading spikes (definitely dangerous looking), green eyes that burned with an inner fire (so damn sexy), and were those tattoos on his face?

Roxas breathed out a moan and let the man lead him along further into the apartment. The man was so his type – well built, strong, and wow, that smile...The sexy redhead was ticking all the boxes and Roxas was already fumbling his way out of his jeans.

Unbidden to his mind, his sister's voice managed to penetrate through his drunken, woozy, sex-addled brain.

"You need to tell all of your sexual partners from now on. You don't want to pass it on…"

"…Fuck…"

"That's the idea, sexy," the man chuckled in front of him, and pushed open a door that revealed a large bedroom, the bed itself immediately drawing Roxas' eyes as he tried to figure out what to do.

He was feeling a lot more sober now and idly wondered what his face looked like because the guy he was supposed to be divulging all to, suddenly turned to him, concern apparent on his face. He gently grabbed Roxas by the shoulders. "You feeling okay?"

Roxas' mind raced. God, he did not want to do this at all! He looked up at the tall man, offering him a watery smile. He swayed lightly on his feet. It was now or never! He had to tell this gorgeous, sexy man standing in front of him that he, unfortunately, had genital herpes…

The man looked down at him expectantly, his eyebrows raised, just waiting. Much to Roxas' chagrin, he didn't seem to be intoxicated in the slightest. He seemed like a nice guy, so maybe he wouldn't take it so bad? Wouldn't look at Roxas with disgust and revulsion on his handsome face – wouldn't insist that he should leave…

"…Yeah," he finally managed to speak. "It's just that…"

"Yeah…?" The man breathed, leaning down to press an encouraging kiss to Roxas' lips.

"Er…what was your name again?"

Still clutching at his shoulders, the redhead promptly burst into raucous laughter. "Oh, that's gold! I thought you were gonna tell me you were a virgin or something!"

Despite the lead weight settling into the pit of his stomach, Roxas managed to laugh along, too. "Yeah, sorry. Thought it might get awkward if I yelled out 'Dave' or something later."

The man laughed again and pulled Roxas firmly against him, his hands sliding slowly down his back and squeezing at his hips. "Forget Dave, you'll be screaming Axel by the time I'm done with you…"

Roxas grinned, but inside he was thinking, shit. He couldn't do it. He didn't have the guts.

"You…You've got condoms right?"

Axel grinned at him, and started pulling him over towards the bed. Roxas was lost.

"Course I do. Now forget all that and let me get you out of those clothes…"

-0-

In the morning, Roxas honestly felt like crying. He was indulging the mother of all hangovers, his mouth tasted like arse, and his guilt at not being honest with Axel was eating him alive.

Axel was currently dead to the world beside him in the bed, his mess of spikes falling handsomely over his shoulders and obscuring half of his face. He was indeed very handsome, and had been an amazing lover. Roxas knew all too well how one night stands worked…but there was a very big part of him that wanted to see Axel again.

He scrubbed at his hair wearily and knew without a doubt it was pointless. If Axel knew the truth, he'd never want anything to do with Roxas again. They'd used condoms, and Roxas hadn't let him give him a blow job, but there was still a level of risk in what they had done last night that could've put the guy in a very compromising situation.

Crawling quietly out of the bed and gathering his clothes, Roxas looked over at Axel one last time before he went to get changed in the living room. He'd done something that was morally wrong, and he'd always feel bad about it, but at least Axel wouldn't ever know…

Down on the street, Roxas called himself a cab to take him home. As soon as he got there, he showered and cleaned himself up a bit. He begrudgingly washed down one of the little blue pills with a glass of cold water and shoved the whole mess, that was the death of his sex life, to the back of his mind.

Grabbing his bike jacket off its hook in the entryway, Roxas pulled on his boots and grabbed the keys to his Honda CBR, and stepped out of his apartment.

He really needed to clear his head. A ride on his bike would do him a world of good.