Oh my God guys I'm sooooooooo freaking SORRY about the delay. My word processor was down the crapper for a few days and I couldn't write ANYTHING. whines I started to get sidetracked with this really amazing MelloMatt (they're my favorite pairing of all time) story but I was all, "no no NOEZ. I have to finish Make Me Beautiful first or I'll never finish it!!" So that's what I'm doing no matter how much I love my Death Note boys.

Chapter six. Slightly to the Left But In My Path. This is Axel's Story.

He was so freaking cute. His scrawny arms were crossed all defensively and he tried to look as if he didn't want to talk to Namine and I at all, but I know he did. If he didn't he would have left. If I looked at him, he'd shift his eyes real quick away from me with a roll, but I could see him staring at me constantly out of the corner of my eye. I imagined a jar in my tummy, that's right. A jar. Full of butterflies, flapping and smacking themselves fiercely against the glass. To let them out would be sudden death between Riku and I. That's why I have to keep that lid closed shut, because Riku's the only one I want.

But his lips. They pouted so cutely, showing off the fullness of the plump buds. I wanted to kiss them so bad, bite and nibble at them. Which I guess I kind of did…or tried to anyway.

Which got me here…

Axel awoke to face maroon walls and black sheets. He was back in his room. His empty room, he noticed. Riku was awake early as usual, banging around in the kitchen. Coffee snuck into his nostrils, sending them alight with the power of the scent. Strong, black coffee was exactly what Axel needed right now. The readhead shot up in bed, causing thunder to crash through his temples and his palm to fly to his forehead. Maybe lying back down would be the smarter thing to do…

"You're up." Riku's voice was quiet and he sounded very tired. One look at the man and Axel knew he was in trouble. For one, Riku looked tired, meaning he hadn't slept. Meaning he was up all night. Meaning he was either a) worrying about something; b) sad; c) pissed the fuck off. Axel had a feeling it was all three.

Also, Riku was wearing clothes, and a lot of them too. A thick, baggy white pullover (even though it was burning outside), and baggy jeans. With shoes. Riku walked over to the bedside and placed a mug of steaming hot coffee on the table next to Axel, who had just realized he was clothed as well. In exactly what he had been wearing the night before. If it was any other situation, Riku would have stripped Axel in his sleep to make him more comfortable. Another bad sign.

Axel reached for the mug of coffee and scowled. A creepy cow cartoon grinned obnoxiously back up at him.

"Why do we have that? Why haven't we thrown it out yet?" Axel asked, pointing to the hideous thing. Riku just shrugged, causing Axel to smirk. "I know why. Because you secretly like it." Axel gulped down two shiny red Advil. He felt Riku's eyes bearing into his skin.

"You mean the way you secretly like Roxas?"

Ouch. That was a low blow.

Axel just gaped up at the man, his mouth slightly open. Not only was he shocked, but he didn't know what to say, either. Noticing this, Riku scowled and turned to leave, only to be held down by Axel's hand on his wrist.

"Ri. I'm with you, remember? If I wanted that kid I would be with him right now. But I'm not, am I? I love you. How many times do I have to tell you that I love you?"

Riku flinched, as if shot in the chest. The silver-haired man wouldn't make eye contact with his significant other at all. Axel's mouth dropped, and his grip on the man loosened.

That's when I knew.

His heart began to pound loudly in his ears…

How could I have not seen it before?

His breath quickened…

How long? Has it always been like this?

Riku lowered his head…his fists clenching…

Was it all a lie from the beginning?

"Ri..ku.."

No…

Axel allowed his eyes to snap shut, forcing the tears back. He would not cry in front of him. He would not, would not, would not. When he opened his eyes again, Riku was gone. Axel was alone.

Fists clashing against wood. Thumping into the door, causing vibrations, making noise. Pound, pound, pound.

Footsteps padding down the hallways. Toward the door Axel stood, fuming behind. Click of the lock. A brunette's spikes peeked out from the doorway, droopy eyelids crusted with sleep staring back at him, drool specked lips.

"Axel?" Sora rubbed his eyes.

The pyro's fists clenched, his nails digging into the skin, making half moon circles in the flesh. He tasted the metallic bitterness of blood, felt the lick of flames. He smelled burning ash, burning wood. Smoke clouded his eyes. With a harsh shove, Sora was pushed out of the way.

"Where is he?!" Axel's voice was harsh. Angry, loud. Sora knew he wasn't fucking around. "Where the Hell is Roxas?!"

"I'm right here you freak. What could you possibly want?" Axel turned sharply, his wild hair snapping with the movement. His eyes locked onto Roxas's. The boy looked as if he'd been up for a while, he was dressed and his hair was still damp from a shower. Axel could smell him from where he was standing.

He quickly paced in large, rapid movements straight towards the smaller boy. No hesitation, nothing. There was no time for breathing. No time for thinking.

His fingers tangled roughly in Roxas's hair, pulling the boy right onto his lips harshly. He was not drunk this time. No, he knew what he was doing. He was doing what he knew they both wanted for quite sometime.

He felt Roxas freeze in his hands, shocked. Finally fingernails dug into his chest, biting through his shirt.

"Baka!" He was thrown off the blonde as those words were spat out of the lips of his prey. No, this boy wasn't getting away that easily. Another few strides, fistfuls of hair, red and blonde. Colliding of lips like cars, crashing into each other, setting off an explosion of fatal flames Axel knew both of them felt pounding through their veins. Mouths were opened, tongues lapping up all explanations.

Axel could smell it. He could smell the fire raging inside of them as his hands wandered up Roxas's shirt. A push.

"No. This is wrong. We can't, you have Riku."

Axel's eyes shot bullets of lust and pain and anger into Roxas's body. Tears dusted the older man's iris's.

"No." Axel hissed violently, his lips curling in a snarl. His head jerked towards Sora, sliding away and into the corner of the room in a daze. "He has Riku."

AND SO THE DRAMA BEGINS!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.