A/N: Small warning…Naminé will seem a bit out of character in this chapter. It's just the way it's going to happen, because she'll be angry in this chapter, and it's not what we're used to seeing in the game. But I have a theory, if you don't get mad you're obviously an android.

Okay, some of you may be noticing I didn't send you a review reply saying that I love you and when this chapter would be out…in fact I'm pretty sure most of you might notice because I'm a freak and who doesn't notice ten minutes out of their lives totally wasted reading a ten page reply only to find out when the next update is…? Seriously? I didn't get any time to reply to all of my wonderful reviewers because I didn't honestly know I was going to post tonight. I just fixed up one of the scenes in here and posted. And it's 10:33 pm here and I have the dreaded school tomorrow, still, with homework to do. SOO! I posted now and decided not to reply. But I will next chapter, because I'll have more time. And I'm hoping to NOT feel so freaking stressed.

Okay much love.

Chapter 16

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We have to succumb to the feelings we can never face. – Driven Under by Seether

Naminé's dinner would have gone perfectly, on Sunday, if it weren't for her cousin.

Kairi, once Marluxia had let slip to her, not only knew how long they had been dating, but also how old he was, had been nothing but a pure outrageous bitch. She glared at the both of them; she sent scathing remarks at them; she even made a point to comment on his pink hair, the very thing that had attracted Naminé to him.

What was worse was that when she cornered Kairi on it, Kairi's mother, Rea, had come to her defence, berating Naminé for yelling 'so un-lady like'!

It was enough to make her want to rip her hair out!

Her parents had been cordial, of course, but they would do nothing to stop Kairi, as if they were proud of what she was saying! But she held her head high, and Marly came out as though this was an everyday occurrence. He was polite, spoke clearly and respectfully, he did nothing that could, in any way, anger her parents, or any of her family for that matter.

So, when he left that night, giving her a gentlemanly kiss on the cheek, she was infuriated to hear her entire family dogging on him. They put him, his work, his manners, their entire relationship down, talking to her, and lecturing her as if she were stupid and stupid for liking, let's leave the thought of loving, him. When she turned to her mother, the one who had demanded this meeting, the one she was sure would fall in love with Marluxia as soon as he opened his mouth, did nothing but look at her with this look of utter disbelief, as if it was impossible for Naminé to be so ridiculous and foolish over a man with pink hair!

The source of this…?

Well, Kairi. There was no possible way it could be anyone else. The others had seen her disdain for him, and had been spurred to follow her thought process.

Of course, they would follow Kairi! Perfect Kairi who could do no wrong. Why would she be wrong about anything in the entire world?

Naminé kicked her trashcan in frustration, having exited her house when the entire family had begun yelling at her. No one had followed her. 'No need to spur her hissy-fit,' Rea had snitted. No need to hear her disputes. No need for one-on-one where she could prove to them she wasn't stupid for wanting him and him alone.

Well…then there was no need to tell them she was engaged to him.

No need to tell them…

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Larxene didn't know why she had left her nightlife to care for Axel. There was nothing wrong with him. He acted like his normal, zealous, pyro-maniacal freak. His attitude hadn't varied at all since the last time she had been on a date, he was eating fine (Or so she thought), and though he hadn't lit anything ablaze since November, she hardly saw him without a lighter in hand (his zippo was still mysteriously missing).

She didn't remember why she had been so concerned over him. This was Axel. Axel was like a book. One could read the book over and over, but the ending never changed. It was the same for any human, even herself. Thus why she was slipping back into her old life routine, and she realized this as she applied the make-up that she hadn't worn in the better part of a month.

With each layer of eyeliner she felt a little bit as if she were taking a step backwards. She didn't know why, life hadn't been especially grand in the time she had stopped her 'dates.' Her parents still regarded her as a failure; she still did nothing around the house; Axel still clung to her side worse than a newborn to it mother. However, she did feel like she was taking a step in the wrong direction, as if the step she were taking was leading her to something bad, and unwanted.

When her lip glass was applied to her thin lips, she pulled her dress on, moving from the floor up so as not to disrupt her make-up. The slimming black dress was maybe a bit more conservative than what was normal but she blamed it on the winter weather going on outside. She wasn't like her brother. She couldn't go outside in thin layers of clothing and be warm all night.

She stepped into the hallway, her brother away on one of his missions from God, which would make her nearly unnoticeable as she slipped out of her house and walked to the end of the block for her 'date' to pick her up. Before she exited the door, she stopped to make a small note for Axel, telling him to remember his homework, and to not wait up like he normally did…

She would most likely be gone all night.

She slipped on her shoes…that Ruxy had vaguely noted looked a lot like her own pair of simple black pumps. She pulled on her on her coat, a stark difference from the black attire she wore, as it was shock pink, and left the house. Though it was not before noting that her parents were in the living room, and had not bothered to call out for her.

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Monday morning, before school started, Xemnas made a round trip around the school buildings for no apparent reason other than the fact that he was bored off his ass and had no students to punish as of yet. And because he was without prey, he turned his attention to his lesser cohorts. Like Vexen!

So he was found in the science building, letter…he didn't really know, stalking closer and closer to his nephew's least-favorite, favorite teacher's room, where interestingly enough he could hear conversation. With most of the other teachers, Xemnas would expect such behavior. But Vexen was one of those teachers who demanded solitude in the early morning hours (such is why most of his first hour students were failing).

Curiosity spiking, he entered the room without so much as a courteous knock on the frame. Vexen was in his normal spot behind his desk glaring irately at the papers he was grading. It was no surprise to find him tapping his pen angrily against the paper, the freshmen…they pissed him off so bad. However, the two students talking, dare he say it, calmly at the table that he didn't remember ever being there is what caught his attention.

His nephew and Axel Wise, possibly the worst enemies in the entire school, sitting next to each other, placating like. Riku was working on his homework, while Axel spoke to him, writing randomly on a piece of paper. It wasn't as if they were talking like best friends. Riku had an obvious dislike for this smeared on his face, and Axel seemed to be doing his best not to strangle Riku, but it's the fact that they were, indeed, sitting next to one another. Above all, Riku's shoulders were relaxed, something Xemnas hadn't seen in his nephew in eons, and Axel seemed to lean into him, like he were talking to his nephew…intimately?

Xemnas' eye twitched. Something was amiss.

Vexen turned his attention to the principal slowly. "Yes, sir?"

Xemnas jumped, almost letting his students know he had been studying them like a hawk, but just avoiding it by snapping his attention to Vexen quickly. "Come see me!"

They exited the room together, which went completely unobserved by the students who seemed to be having a minor conflict and a heated debate. In the hallway, close to where they could stop anything if it were to get out of hand the turned to each other. Vexen smiled, politely asking. "You wanted to see me?"

"What is this about?" Xemnas demanded, his finger shooting up to point at the door.

Vexen turned to stare at the door, his face blank as if he had absolutely no idea what was going on, or what his boss was talking about. "What, Xemnas?" He asked, his cold sage colored eyes never leaving the door.

"What's going on with them?"

"They're doing their work." The science teacher shrugged.

"They're not fighting?"

Vexen raised an eyebrow at the incredulous man. "I would tell them to start a quick wrestling match for you, but that would counteract what I'm trying to achieve with them." Vexen said easily.

Xemnas stared at him for a moment, trying to uncover the mystery that was going on around him. "I…"

"Look," Vexen said, putting his hand up to stop the other. "The teachers and I are tired of their squabbling, so we've chosen to put them together in nearly every class together."

"Why didn't I know about this?"

"I don't see how you didn't know about it. You would've had to sign the papers."

Xemnas waved his hand, dismissing the idea completely. "Vexen, you know I have better things to do then read my papers. If it's on my desk and Ms. Fairbanks knows about it, it obviously needs signing."

"I just got a raise." Vexen said under his breath.

"I don't like this." Xemnas continued, oblivious to Vexen's previous statement. "I think this could be detrimental for both of the students."

Vexen took a quick glance in his room to see his two early morning students conversing quietly, and then he looked back to his boss taking a few steps away from the room. "I can see that you're worried for Riku, but I think this is actually working. Please, sir."

"Riku is having a hard enough time without forcing him to be around someone he obviously hates." Xemnas took a small step back to see the students again. They weren't in the same position as when they had stepped away from the door; Axel now had his elbow propped on the table tiredly, and Riku was fully facing him seeming to be telling a story with how Axel's face features seemed to change every so often. For a second, Xemnas only took back what he had said, but then Axel said something or other, causing Riku to sneer and turn away from the redhead angrily. "He's not one of the luckier boys I've met."

"Riku can handle this." Vexen said, assuredly. "If it becomes to much for him, we'll go back to previous tactics. We'll stop them from working together; I'll make Axel come and see me after school for his detentions; they'll be put on opposite ends of the room. But they have an assignment now that I have required they work on together for a grade in my class as well as in Xigbar's and it will be required before the end of the semester, at the latest, the Tuesday after winter break."

"I'll give it until the end of January." Xemnas said.

Vexen watched as Xemnas walked away, fretting, minutely, about the short amount of time that would give him and the rest of the teachers to work with. However, as he sat down, casting a weary glance at the two of them and coming within earshot of them:

"I'm sorry, okay? Jeez! I'll refrain from mentioning such a touchy subject again."

Riku huffed, obviously milking this a little.

"Who knew one man could be so touchy about pirates."

Vexen wrinkled his eyebrows a little, trying not to think about that particular conversation. More noting the fact that Axel seemed to be trying to appeal to the lunar-haired teen, and that, however much Riku wished to oppose the redhead, he was giving in.

A month is more than enough.

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"Welcome to my wonderful abode!" Axel said luxuriously, waving his arms around as if the kitchen they had just entered into was a grand hall fit for a king and a ball.

Riku, who followed him silently, glared, having been here only yesterday and received the same presentation. He shook his head, moving his silver bangs out of his face, before running around Axel, who still stood with his hands outstretched in front of him. He threw his bag in one of the seats at the kitchen table, where they had sat yesterday at their gay little meeting, and then hurried to the fridge where he hoped there would be lemonade, as he had been reminded of his love for the liquid as soon as he saw it. He looked around for the cups (He swore yesterday Axel pulled them out of thin air yesterday).

Said redhead sat down in one of the other seats, leaving one right beside him for Riku as the fourth chair had been absconded with to suit the needs of the sewing machine (Seriously, why would Ruxy want to keep a table for the children? It was enough for her and Ansem.). He saw the lunar-haired man looking around for cups, or he hoped Riku was looking for cups because he carried the jug of lemonade around. "Above the stove, left side."

Riku followed the instructions and pulled a glass out of the cupboard, pouring himself the lemonade. "Thanks." He said, taking a seat after he had put the jug away.

Axel nodded his welcome, before, unfortunately for Riku, beginning to speak. "Now, where did we leave off?" Axel asked going over the 'notes' he had taken over Riku's scant telling of his life.

"I don't think we had a set questionnaire form. You're just randomly interrogating me." Riku sneered, taking a gulp of his lemonade.

Axel seemed to look through the papers, interestedly. "Oh yes. We did kind of hop around a little didn't we?" He said as if he were a psychiatrist with a patient.

Putting his head down on the table, ear pressing against the wood and facing Axel, Riku sighed. "Not my fault you have a flea size brain."

Indignant, "You know, I recall you yelling at me yesterday for superfluous comments like that."

"Because your superfluous comments were rude. Mine are truthful." Riku smiled menacingly. "How do you know the meaning of superfluous anyway?" Riku asked, doodling over the redhead's paper sulkily. All of the designs were ugly; he couldn't see properly what he was doing with the pen that the other had set down, but it was the fact that he was fucking up Axel's 'notes'.

Axel shrugged, snatching the pen from the younger one's grasp before he couldn't read what he had written anymore. "Read the entire dictionary the summer after I turned sixteen."

Riku's gaze snapped to Axel. "You did? Why the fuck would anyone do that?"

"Got in trouble for playing a small prank on the baseball players the month before summer break started, and was grounded all through summer break."

He looked up at the older with curious aquatic eyes. "Is that when all of their clothing went missing while they were showering?" He smirked.

"Yeah. What's it to ya?" Axel intoned loudly causing Riku rolled his eyes. "What? You've never done something stupid?" Axel raised his eyebrow challengingly.

"I've yet to be caught, huh?"

Axel leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms resolutely. "Give it time. All good things must end."

Riku sat up and turned to fully face his elder, staring at him, maybe with a little too much of a betrayed look on his face. "Gonna tell someone about me?"

Axel cracked a weak smile. "Did I say I was? I've got a great deal out of this. You have to talk to me on a daily basis, and I get a good fuck out of it when you feel threatened." Axel mentally kicked himself for being so crude, but knew Riku would never understand if he tried to explain it as anything else. It was an understanding between them. Riku did this to keep Axel quiet. "It's like, the best deal ever." He finished, ruefully

"Don't tell me you actually want to be my company." Riku grimaced at the thought of Axel enjoying what he did to him.

Axel perked at the look that crossed the other's face, and the small, almost unnoticeable tone of hope in his voice. What if Riku did want to be wanted? He thought for a moment, deciding whether he did or not, the idea was too much to pass the opening up. "What if I did?" He asked.

He scoffed. "You'd be an idiot." He said as if to say 'Duh!'

"Just because you don't think anything's there…"

He met Axel's gaze unsteadily, not really having expected those words to tumble form his mouth. "You're not serious…?"

Axel didn't say anything; instead they stared at each other. The nicotine addict of the two was once again on the verge of running again, struggling with the fact that he always ran from Axel, yet feeling that this would be the appropriate time to do so. Really…what was Axel getting at? His adversary, however, seemed to be struggling with where to go with this. Not that he really wanted to think about his feelings towards the other, but he definitely couldn't deny there was something there, something other than his grade.

They both jumped when they heard a startled screech behind them.

Behind them, Axel's sister, Larxene, stood, with a handful of bags, and a shocked expression radiating directly towards Riku, who looked so much… "How the hell did you get here?" She shrieked, too shocked to properly close her mouth

Axel looked confused, completely missing the look of hatred that had smeared itself across Riku's face. "I picked him up. Larxene this is Riku. Riku this…"

"I know who she is." Riku bit at him. He grabbed his bag from the chair beside him. "I'm out. See ya later." He said angrily, before pushing passed Larxene and leaving the house.

Larxene's eyes followed Riku out of the house before snapping her attention back at Axel. "Riku?" She asked, the name sparking as being one in recent conversation. "Riku Melosine?"

"Yeah." Her brother shrugged. "Why?"

Melosine…oh, god. Sephiroth.

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The entire week after Sora had pressed that kiss against Roxas' lips on Saturday the two had been nothing but completely awkward with each other. They couldn't discuss it. That would lead to one of two things. One: Sora would have to break down and tell Roxas that there was a very strong possibility that he had been in love with the blonde for the better part of a year, or Two: He would have to take the kiss back. Both of which were out of mind's reach to the brunette at the moment.

He knew now wasn't a good time to publicly come out of the closet, even though most the school knew, they just didn't say. Roxas was allowed to be all homosexual in school, if the news got back to his mom, she knew. It was as simple as that. Sora didn't have that privilege. If his mom found out, his life was ruined. He'd be out of the house in two seconds flat, because although his father was bigger and stronger, his mom was meaner and devilish when it came to controlling what his father thought. If Acylone thought Sora shouldn't live with them, dammit! Sora shouldn't live with them.

But even knowing that he had to keep a low profile, that he couldn't just go up to the other and ask him out, or even that he had to watch the other go out with other people, all of whom the brunette knew didn't make Roxas happy, it still hurt to see him go up to Seifer. It hurt to see him talk to the other animatedly, pretending to be excited about the date though he really could have napped for the exact same time period on that Friday night and still been just as happy.

He was so absorbed in his own self-misery, he completely missed the quick glances Roxas kept sending him, a sure signal for 'get me the hell out of this.'

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On Friday, after a particularly interesting episode with Axel, who had only just that morning recognized the fact that Riku wasn't exactly in love with his sister ("Yeah, I kind of hate her guts, if I'm completely honest."), said smoker threw all of his books into his locker angrily. He didn't know what he was mad about. Axel had said nothing about Monday's conversation, nor the project that was due at the end of next week (He wondered how much Vexen loved him this year…). But he was just pissed off.

Normally, when he was angry though, he could tune out his surroundings. He went deaf, blind, and stupid, and just let his internal map take him to his classes. Today, he heard everything. Every fucking snippet of conversation! It was humming in his ears like a fucking terrible opera. And he couldn't help but eavesdrop on all of them.

"Did you hear about Florence?"

"I know he's such a…"

He pulled out his Spanish book.

"I watched the most incredible movie last night! I don't know if you've heard of it. It called…"

He pulled his paper out.

"Hey! Guess what! A killer whale can squeeze a penguin suit out of its skin, and leave a perfect penguin suit. Isn't that…"

He closed his locker.

"Hey, Seifer. Don't you have a date with Roxas tonight?"

"Yeah."

"What are you two gonna do?"

"Go to dinner. Woo him with my charm. Get him in the back of my car. You know they can't resist me."

Riku rolled his eyes. Fucking prick. He really hoped he tried something just so Riku had a reason to beat the shit out of him. Don't ask him why, they had never been friends or anything, but Riku had a feeling he would probably commit murder for the blonde haired boy whom Sora had taken a liking to.

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A/N: I want you all to know I hated this chapter with a fiery passion. Like…woah buddy, hate. It kicked my ass from here to Vancouver.

I love you all again. I'm sorry I didn't find time to reply to your reviews. But I was so behind and this was so late, it was either post today, and beg for forgiveness, or post later and beg for forgiveness.

I chose the lesser of two evils. Because had I not done so there would have been a mob…headed by ChibiFrubaFirl (Who ended any review for every update on any different story that I posted with "Update Listless, kay?") would beat me into a bloody pulp, drag my orange like remains back to the computer and told me to "type dammit. Or no Lemonade." Let me tell you. My love for Lemonade is unparalleled.

InnocentGuilt.