Rox3l: So, I know that I haven't updated anything in a long time and I am sorry about that; I just have no inspiration for any of my stories lately.

~O~

Roxas just stood there and gaped at the figure standing in his room. "I-What?"

The redhead chuckled at his obvious shell shock. "I'm actually really surprised that you can see me. I mean, no one else has been able to."

Roxas took a breath and swallowed hard, "You're joking right? You're not really...dead, are you?"

Axel snorted and examined his fingernails, "Listen kid, the last thing I would joke about is death. It's a serious bitch."

"So, you're a..." His mind was having trouble functioning. "A..."

"A ghost?" Axel supplied. "Yeah."

"Right," Roxas said letting his backpack slip off his shoulder.

"Roxas? Who are you talking to?"

Roxas' head snapped around to see Ventus standing just behind him with a look of confusion. "You don't see anyone?" He asked astonished, glancing back into the room where Axel was standing, plain as day.

Ventus' brow furrowed, "No." He said slowly. "Are you okay, Roxas? You're looking a little pale. Are you sick?"

"God I hope so," Roxas murmured. "I'm gonna lay down for a while, can you tell Mom and Dad not to leave me alone?"

Ventus gave him a look but nodded, "Sure man."

Roxas then slipped into his room and closed the door. Axel was grinning at him as he threw himself down onto his mattress. "Told you you were the only one that could see me."

"This is weird!" Roxas whined into his pillow. "I hear your story at lunch today and now here you are standing in my room."

"Technically, this is my room, kid." Axel piped up settling himself down at the foot of the bed.

Roxas was startled to feel that Axel had mass. He sat up and gazed at the other male. "You don't look like a ghost. Aren't I supposed to be able to see through you or something?"

Axel shrugged, "I don't fucking know. This is the first time in ten years I have been seen by a human. I'm just glad to have someone to talk to."

Confused, Roxas turned over and pressed his hand against Axel's chest. The solidity of the touch made him shiver, and what felt like sparks raced up his arm. He was about to pull away when Axel grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand more firmly over his pectoral. He leaned his head back, "God that feels fucking amazing..."

A blush crept up Roxas' neck and colored his cheeks, his fingers tingling as he yanked his hand out of Axel's hold.

"So...you're dead?" He said after an awkward moment.

"Yup," Axel replied.

"Like, really seriously dead?"

"Yes," Axel said.

"Truly?"

"Yes," Axel said again a little annoyed.

"For serious?"

"Fuck kid," the redhead hissed. "Yes, I am dead. Really, truly, fucking fo' serious dead. I can recount to you the manner in which I was killed, 'cause I remember it. Vividly."

Roxas ducked his head away, "Sorry, It's just hard so to believe..."

"Well believe it," Axel sighed. "Because I'm a ghost and you're the only one that can see me."

Roxas made a face. Axel seemed kind of obnoxious and in your face; the kind of person that Roxas did not usually get along with. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?" Axel asked absently, his brow furrowing.

"Dying," Roxas said bluntly.

Axel blinked a few times and looked over at the blond. "Wow kid," He said slowly. "It's kind of insensitive to ask a dead person if dying hurt."

Roxas shrank back guiltily, his gaze falling to the floor. "Sorry," He muttered. "My brother is always telling me that I should think before I open my mouth because I always say insensitive shit and that's why people don't like me."

Axel grinned, "No biggie. It's just, dying is not a fond memory, ya know?"

Roxas nodded and side glanced at the redhead, "I can imagine."

The two fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes. "So, you said you heard about me today?" Axel said breaking the silence.

Roxas looked at him for a moment before replying, "Oh, yeah. From a girl named Olette. She said that her older sister had known you."

Axel started, "Seriously? She was just a little girl when I last saw her. I think she was about seven or so. I didn't really know her, just seen her a couple of times. I remember her sister though. She was a nice girl."

Axel looked sad for a moment and Roxas felt kind of bad for him. "How old were you when you, ya know, died?"

Axel gave a longing sigh, "Sixteen."

Roxas did the simple math in his head. If Axel had lived he would be 26 now. He probably would have had a girlfriend, a job, maybe even a kid on the way. The thought of Axel's unlived life made Roxas sad. He seemed like a decent enough guy from the few short moments that he had spent with him. A little full of himself sure, but not a bad guy.

"Can I tell my family about you?"

Axel looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "There aren't really any rules here, kid. But I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

Axel snorted, "'Hi Mom and Dad. There's a ghost in my room of this murdered kid named Axel. But I'm the only one that can see or hear him.'" He shook his head. "They'll be shipping your ass off to the loony bin before the end of the day."

Roxas looked back down at the hardwood floor and frowned. Axel was probably right. His family wasn't one to believe in the supernatural. His parents would probably laugh at him. Sora would definitely laugh at him, and taunt him till the end of his days. His twin was like that, never knowing when to drop something. Hell, Sora was still teasing him about things that had happened in 3rd grade.

"Okay. No telling my family then." Roxas bit his lip, his mind churning, trying to recall every movie he had ever seen that had ghosts in it. There was supposed to be something keeping Axel here. Unfinished business or something. He glanced back at the redhead examining him. Axel was rummaging through a box that was sitting next to the bed that was full of CDs and video games. He pulled each one out, read the title then placed it aside.

"No way! They made three more Halo games?" Axel had Halo Reach in his hands and was inspecting the back of the case.

"Yeah," Roxas said slipping onto the floor and scooting next to Axel. "They're coming out with Halo 4 in a month but Bungie left Microsoft so now I'm really on the fence about how good it's going to be."

Axel was currently digging Roxas' black 360 out of the bottom of the box. "You any good?"

Roxas gave him a smirk even though the redhead couldn't see it. "Yea, I'm pretty good. But you haven't played since the first one, you've never even played online."

Axel whipped around, "You can play online?"

Roxas smiled, "Yeah. They implemented it in Halo 2. Wanna play?"

Emerald eyes lit up, "Fuck yeah."

~O~

"What the fuck!" Roxas cried as he jerked his controller slamming on the right trigger button. "Dude! Someone take out the fucking Warthog!" He scream into his headset. "You guys fucking suck at this game! Kill the God damn sniper."

Axel chuckled at Roxas exuberant behavior and concentrated on not getting killed himself. It had been way too long since he had played a video game and Axel was just realizing how much he had really missed it. A moment of dismay came over him, there really were a lot of things about being alive that he missed and hadn't thought about too much till Roxas walked into his room. He side glanced at the blonde. Dating was something he missed a lot too. For all the hell that Ansem had put him through, he had still loved the feeling of falling in love. It had only happened to him once, but it was something he cherished even more now that he was dead. Those first flutterings when that special someone would talk to you. The excitement of the first date, the first kiss. Axel sighed as he watched his screen go from first person to third as a member from the enemy team assassinated him.

Roxas swore again but looked over startled as he noticed Axel had put down the controller and moved away from the love seat they had been sitting on. Furrowing his brow Roxas set his own controller down and got up, moving up behind Axel where he stood looking out the same window Roxas had first spotted him in. "You okay?"

Axel shrugged and didn't turn to look at the other boy. Roxas was at a loss with what to do or what was wrong so he placed his hand on Axel's back, trying to give him some form of comfort. They both gasped and Axel's hands grasped at the lace curtains, almost pulling them from their rod as he tried to steady himself. Roxas yanked his hand away and the two of them eased. The blonde's heart was racing, it was this weird electricity feeling when he touched Axel. Kind of like the first time but not, more. His whole body was tingling with the sensations. Axel was all but swooning where he stood. After another moment he gave a low moan. "Fuck man. I don't...it's like this rush of really good foreplay when you touch me."

"W-what?" Roxas spluttered his cheeks reddening.

Axel turned his head slightly and looked at the boy over his shoulder. "Sorry but there really isn't any other way I know how to explain it. I mean, I'd turn around and show you, but I'm sure that you wouldn't appreciate that."

Axel let the implication hang in the air and Roxas recoiled, moving over toward a few boxes against the wall and began to pull at the tabs that held the content inside. Axel watched him go and chuckled at him. It was way too easy to ruffle this kids feathers. Even more, he was sure there was a slight bulge as Roxas had moved away from him. So it wasn't just him that reacted when they touched, Axel mused. He filed that little tidbit of information away. Of course he hadn't talked about sexual preference with Roxas yet, having just me the boy less the 2 hours ago. But he had said that he had read the article about how he had died, and he wasn't treating Axel like something to be avoided. So Axel was pretty sure in his own mind that the boy was at least bi. Which for reasons Axel wasn't sure about (and not about to give thought) made him all the more appealing.

"So where are you from?" Axel asked trying to fill the now awkward silence.

"California." Roxas responded as he was pulling more clothes out of a box and placing them into the dresser that was sitting against the far wall. "My dad got a really good offer from a company here, so we moved." He words were slightly tinged with a bitterness that Axel quickly picked up on.

"Didn't want to move?"

Roxas snorted, "Fuck no, man. I had to leave my whole life behind. Friends, boyfriend, the house I grew up in. Everything."

"Boyfriend?" Axel questioned.

Roxas froze and slowly turned to face the redhead. "Uh...yeah. I hope that doesn't bother you...with everything that probably happened to you..."

Axel gave him a grin and waved him off, "Don't sweat it. I'm gayer than a three dollar bill..." He went quiet for a moment. "Guess that's why I attracted Ansem's advances...he never touched my brother, just me..." Axel's eyes went dark with the memories that were flying across him mind.

Roxas bit his lip. He had never even known anyone that had gone through the kinds of things that Axel probably had, so he was way out of his element for trying to console the other boy. Axel turned and looked back out the window. There was an uneasy silence between them now and Roxas was trying to think of something to say to fill the void but before he could there was a sharp knock at the door. Startled, Roxas abandoned the boxes he had been sorting through and moved to open the door. Sora was standing there grinning at him.

"Hey."

Roxas nodded in Sora's direction, "Hey. Need something?"

"Nah, mom just wanted me to let you know that dinner is in half and hour."

"Okay, thanks."

"What are you doing?" Sora asked pushing past Roxas without even asking if he could come in.

Roxas gave an exasperated sigh, "Unpacking, what does it look like?"

Sora looked over the room then back at his brother, "I don't know. I heard you talking to someone."

Roxas went still for a moment. "Alright you caught me, I was playing Halo. Satisfied?"

Sora grinned at him, "What-evs little bro. I really don't care that you were talking to yourself."

Roxas shoved Sora back toward his bedroom door, "Oh come off it. You are three minutes older than me."

"Three minutes I'm never gonna let you forget!" Sora yelled as Roxas slammed the door shut behind him.

Axel was staring at him with a slightly bemused look on his face. Roxas gave him a small smile and went to sit back down on the little sofa that he had in front of his TV. "I miss that."

"Huh?"

Axel waved a hand in the direction of the door, "Brotherly spats. Me and my brother got along real good, he was my best friend."

"What happened to him?" Roxas asked. He remembered that the article hadn't specified what had happened to the other boy.

"He survived. Had to go through year of physical and mental therapy, but he's doing okay. Last I knew he had moved as far away from here as he could."

"What's his name?"

"Reno. He was two years younger than me. I tried to protect him, thought as long as I was satisfying Ansem he wouldn't hurt him."

Roxas was quiet for a few heartbeats. "I'm sorry all that shit happened to you, Axel. You seem like a pretty decent guy to me."

Axel gave him a quirky smile, "Thanks. You seem pretty chill too. A little uptight in my opinion but you're nice."

Roxas gave him a look, "Do I take the compliment or bitch about the insult?"

Axel laughed," Just take the compliment, Roxas."

~O~

Rox3l: Eh, it's short and I am sorry but it's here so I guess that is better than nothing, yes? Let me know what you all think.