It was Sora who opened the door for Axel slightly after noon on Sunday. "Come on in," the brunet said by way of greeting before turning his head to yell into the house. "Dad! Axel's here!"

"And does Axel still have his eardrums intact?" The wry voice came from the top of the stairs, where Roxas was making his way down to the ground floor. "Hey Axel."

"What'd you say?" he shouted back mockingly, cupping a hand to his ear. Roxas grinned while his twin rolled his eyes and huffed as he headed toward the kitchen. "Hey Roxas," Axel nodded in greeting when the blond was standing beside him. They followed the direction Sora had gone, the smell of hot pizza getting stronger as they got closer and closer to the bright kitchen.

"Go ahead and grab a plate, Axel." The redhead turned to his right and saw a hand holding a plastic garbage bag into the house through the partially open patio door. "Roxas, put this in the garage, please." Sora handed Axel a paper plate as the blond twin moved to take the bag from his father's outstretched hand. Moments later, the rest of Cloud's body emerged from the doorway after giving a final "no, stay!" to the dogs in the yard. "We got our usual pizza, which has mushrooms, onions, peppers, sausage, bacon, chicken, and tomato on it, and also a pepperoni in case you didn't like ours. Though come to think of it, we should've made it cheese, in case you were a vegetarian…"

Axel laughed. "Don't worry. I'm a firm believer in meat. I think I will stick with the pepperoni, though," he said as he grabbed a slice, quickly transferring it to his plate before any of the cheese could drip onto the floor. "Yours sounds a little too … unique for my tastes."

"Our family has a lot of strange tastes," Sora remarked as they moved towards the small kitchen table one after another after grabbing their lunch from the boxes on the countertop. "Like Rox and his ice cream. Have you ever had sea salt ice cream?"

Axel's eyes slid to Roxas, whose own eyes slipped down after contact to stare at his pizza. "Once or twice."

"It's weird, but kind of addictive, y'know?"

The redhead nodded as he swallowed the bite of pizza he'd taken. "So what's on everyone's agenda for the afternoon?"

"Taking Pluto and Red to hang out at Tidus' place."

"Office."

"Library."

"Library?" Sora's brow furrowed. "Isn't that where you went after work yesterday?"

Axel thought this slip-up might throw Roxas off. He didn't want the blond getting in trouble for hanging out with him, not to mention how it might look for Axel's professionalism. Roxas, however, seemed unfazed by the question as he shrugged. "They didn't have what I wanted, but it's supposed to be coming back in today. Besides, it's way too hot to sit and read on the beach."

"Speaking of which," Cloud chimed in, effectively changing the subject and relieving Axel of his slight worry, "Sora, please make sure you take a bottle of sunscreen with you to Tidus'. I don't want you coming home again redder than … well, Axel's hair."

The redhead snickered slightly at this, not offended in the least by the comparison, and Roxas' water very nearly came out his nose as he tried to choke back a laugh. "You okay there, Roxas?" Axel asked as the blond across from him attempted to regain something vaguely resembling composure.

"Fine," he managed to wheeze before choking one last time.

"Geez, Rox, it wasn't that funny." Sora rolled his eyes as his brother shrugged.

"Says you. I thought it was hilarious."

"Well, it is kinda really red…"

Axel cleared his throat. "Totally still in the room, guys."

Cloud glanced at the glowing green clock on the microwave and stood from the table. "Does anyone want another slice before I put the leftovers in the fridge?" Axel and Sora both stood to grab more pizza, while Roxas claimed that he was full, even without eating his crusts. The tall blond placed the remaining pizza in the fridge in a plastic container, minus a few slices of pepperoni; these he wrapped in foil, telling the real estate agent that they were for him to take with him on the ferry ride home. "Sora, are you sure you can handle walking both dogs to Tidus' house?"

"Yeah, Dad. I'll be fine."

"Alright then, I'm off. I'll throw the pizza boxes in the garage for now, but Roxas, I want you to collapse them properly later. I should be home by dinner. Axel, I'll talk to you tomorrow to find out how things went. If anyone needs anything, my cell phone is on." They heard the garage door opening, and then the sound of the minivan backing slowly onto the street.

"I should get going, too," Sora remarked as he threw his empty paper plate into the trash bin under the sink. "Rox, did you want to come with me, since Tidus' house is on the way?"

"Nah. I want to check up on a few other library materials before I leave, so I know exactly what I'm there for when I get there."

"Why don't you just use the computers at the library?"

"I hate waiting for the library computers. And they're slow. You go on ahead. Are you coming home for dinner?"

Sora shook his head. "We're watching the blitzball game together at seven. Dad's picking up the dogs on his way home." The brunet moved into the hallway as Axel and Roxas threw out their own plates, Roxas grabbing one of the uneaten pieces of crust first.

Breaking the starchy food in half, the blond moved over to the patio door. He held a piece of crust in each hand as he slid the glass open. "Boys, sit. Sit!" Axel assumed the dogs must've sat, because the crusts were quickly gone from Roxas' hands. "Okay guys, go see Sora. He's gonna take you for a walk."

Roxas moved aside, and the golden retriever and yellow lab made a mad dash for Axel. Laughing, he greeted the canines with a pat on the head each as he struggled to remain standing. "Red, Pluto, come on! Walk time! Walk! Come get your leash!" The dogs left the redhead, loping towards Sora's voice. "Sit! Stay!" There was a clicking metallic sound. "Okay guys, let's go! Later, Rox! Bye, Axel!" And the front door slammed shut behind the brunet.

"Smooth, Roxas. Real smooth," Axel commented as he turned to the blond, who was wiping his hands on his pants in an effort to remove the dog slobber.

"What?"

"Looking up materials at the library. And the whole 'book coming in today' thing."

Blue eyes glanced towards him. "Who says I'm not going to? I do have a life beyond hanging out with our real estate agent, you know."

Axel placed a hand on his chest mockingly. "You wound me, Roxy."

The blond visibly bristled at the name, hissing between his teeth, "Don't call me that."

"…Okay. Sorry if it was forward of me or something. I figured we were at least kind of friends."

Roxas shook his head with his eyes closed and collapsed onto the beige couch in the sitting room. "No, I mean … I guess we're friends or something. It's just…" He trailed off for a moment before speaking again. "My father called me Roxy."

"Really? I don't think I've ever heard him use anything other than your full name."

"I don't mean Cloud. I mean my biological father." He gestured toward the end table, upon which was a wedding photo of the man and woman featured in many other pictures around the house. "That's him, next to my mother, Aerith. His name was Zack."

"Cute couple."

Roxas nodded his agreement. "You probably got at least part of the story from Dad." Axel made a sound of affirmation. "He's not much of a talker around most people, but he does like to talk about us. Cloud and Zack raised us, since Mom died giving birth. Some people might argue that's how I ended up gay, being brought up by two dads."

"What about your brother?" Axel was curious. He'd seen things in newspapers and on television every now and again when someone had a new theory on why people were inclined to mate with the same sex.

The blond shrugged. "He has yet to show interest in anything that isn't four-legged and fuzzy."

"Eighteen and no dates?"

"I haven't exactly had much experience, either."

There were so many ways Axel wanted to tease the younger man at that moment, but he refrained in favour of learning more about his intriguing acquaintance. "How come? You can't possibly tell me you're still in the closet. You told me yesterday, and we hardly know each other."

When another shrug was his answer, Axel began to wonder if maybe the reason had something to do with the blonde's social skills. "No one caught my interest."

"Ah." He turned back to the photograph. "So, two dads, huh? Didn't that get confusing?"

"Not really. Cloud was always 'Dad' and Zack was always 'Pops'. I'm sure people talked, and I don't think Pops' personality helped his case, either."

"Oh?"

"He… Well, he was a lot like Sora is now. Bright, bubbly, and very easily excitable. In all honesty, I think Sora took it hardest when he died, since Cloud's always been pretty subdued, and I tend to take after him." Roxas must have realized at that point how much he'd been talking. "Anyway, the point is that was Pops' nickname for me, and I haven't let anyone call me that since."

It was Axel's turn to shrug. "Fair enough." He replaced the photo of Zack and Aerith on the table. "Is 'Rox' okay? I've heard your brother use it a few times."

"'Rox' is fine. I don't think anyone I know under the age of, like, thirty uses my full name regularly."

"Well, I also happen to be under the age of thirty, so that works out."

"Hey, what's up with that, anyway? I mean, you're – " Roxas cursed as they heard the front door open, followed by a quiet 'hello.' He scrambled for something to throw over his head, or a place to hide where the visitor wouldn't see him dashing into place. Axel's eyes darted around the room, and he spotted a red bandana sitting on a mounted shelf beside the patio door that must have belonged to one of the dogs. Practically lunging for it, he threw it at the blond and composed himself before walking around the corner to stall the newcomer while Roxas attempted a shabby disguise. He recognized the woman in the foyer as the one who'd stopped by the day before, with the ailing grandmother. She was accompanied today by a tall blond woman, an equally tall dark-haired woman, and a man with graying hair and thin glasses.

"Hi again, and welcome," Axel greeted them smoothly. "I'm just finishing up some business in the kitchen with another party, so if you wouldn't mind touring the rest of the house first…"

"Not a problem," the woman, whose name escaped Axel, responded amicably.

Returning to the sitting room, he had to bite back a laugh. Bandanas did not suit Roxas in the least, but it was at least a passable disguise. Axel hoped that the family didn't look too closely at any of the pictures. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and handing some money over to a slightly confused blond. "Here. I'm buying today. And…" He reached for the nearest piece of paper, a memo pad beside the cordless phone. "You have your cell phone on you?" Roxas nodded. "Write down your number, and I'll let you know when they're gone."

They both headed for the front door. Their hopes of getting Roxas out unseen were crushed when the family walked down the stairs just as the pair reached the foyer. "Oh! Hello again." Evidently the woman remembered Roxas. "We keep running into each other here. Isn't it a gorgeous house?"

"Yeah," Roxas agreed. "It's great."

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Selphie Tilmitt, and this is my family." The people she gestured to muttered polite greetings, clearly used to their kin's friendliness.

"Zack. Zack Gainsborough," replied the blond man, and Axel wished he'd come up with an excuse to leave as fast as he'd come up with a name. Evidently the two were on the same wavelength, as Roxas continued. "You'll have to excuse me, though. I have somewhere to be." Reaching out a hand toward Axel, the redhead wondered where he was going with this charade. "Thank you, Axel. You'll let us know if anything changes?"

"Of course."

Roxas exited the house, and Axel was able to give his undivided attention to the family. Selphie looked rather put out. "Did he put in an offer?"

The redhead now understood what the blond had done before he'd left. "He did. Were you also interested in putting in an offer? I could present both offers to the homeowner tonight before I leave."

"Shut up, Axel." Roxas was scowling as he shoved his ice cream into his mouth. The redhead had been cackling like mad the entire time Roxas had tried to set his hair back after yanking off the dog's bandana. He was finding it hard to breathe.

"Ahem. Sorry, Rox."

"Geez, and after I did you a favour, too."

"Nice going with that, by the way."

"So it worked?"

Axel smirked. "Not telling."

"You're evil."

"Thanks. I try."

Silence settled between the pair as they ate their ice cream bars. It was broken by Roxas after a few comfortable minutes. "So, how did you end up with this job, anyway? I mean, you're barely older than me, right?"

"Let the record show that I am, in fact, almost twenty-two."

"Four years isn't much of a difference."

"Whatever. So, I graduated high school, and my parents tell me to get a job since I have no interest in higher learning. I should've been working for the family, but I hate flying, so – "

"Wait," Roxas interrupted. "You're a Highwind and you hate flying?"

"Yes. I'm a terrible disappointment, a black sheep, et cetera. Can I finish answering the question you asked now?"

"Yeah." Roxas got up from the couch to throw out the wooden stick from his ice cream. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"Okay. So I got a job at a construction company, but in demolitions. I did good in chemistry, and I like fire and blowing things up."

"I feel so safe in this room with you right now."

"Shh. A year later, my parents decide I'm still too much of a freeloader, and kick me out to live on my own. Then the company goes under. By this point Demyx – who I've known since midway through high school – is dating Zexion, who is working for the Organization. He tells me about their job opening, I spew some bull to the boss, and now I'm sitting in your house."

"Huh."

"Great story, isn't it?"

"Absolutely riveting. I don't think I've heard anything that exciting since Sora's dream about talking furniture."

They continued bantering and sharing stories for the rest of the afternoon. Axel hadn't bonded so quickly with a person since he'd met Demyx after a prank gone wrong had left the redhead soaked and covered in bits of coloured rubber. For some reason, Roxas was easy to talk to, and he kept up with Axel's fast-paced wit. He told Roxas stories from his childhood, living in so many places, and in return learned more about what life had been like for the blond growing up.

"Favourite colour?"

A blond eyebrow arched. "Are you serious?"

"I ran out of stories to tell, and I don't want to stop the whole male-bonding thing we have going on."

"Male-bonding? Doesn't that usually involve cars, sporting events, and copious amounts of alcohol?"

Axel shrugged. "We're males, we're bonding. I'd call it 'becoming friends' or 'getting to know one another' but that just sounds too damn girly."

"I suddenly regret ever climbing in that window."

"No you don't, Rox. Now come on; favourite colour."

Roxas sighed, but it was clear that he was going to give in to Axel. "Blue."

"Same as mine." There was a pause. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to ask me something?"

"What is this, twenty questions?"

"Kinda."

"Because this isn't girly, either?"

"Nope. It's only girly if we refer to it as 'Truth,' or giggle."

"I think every feminist in the world currently wants to kill you for stereotyping."

"Just ask a damn question, Roxas."

"Fine. When's your birthday?"

"November fifth."

"May tenth."

"Favourite book?"

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

Axel had expected something in the science fiction genre, since Roxas seemed to own more of that than anything else, but he'd also expected something more modern. "Huh. I haven't read anything in years, other than what you lent me. But I liked Winnie-the-Pooh as a kid."

"Do you play an instrument?"

"Are you kidding? I could barely play a triangle in elementary school."

"I play three, none of them particularly well."

"How come?"

"I stopped violin when Pops died because he's the one who wanted me to learn anyway, my drum instructor moved away and I never bothered to find a replacement, and I just stopped enjoying playing the keyboard."

Glancing at the clock, the redhead was surprised to see that it was actually almost 4:30. He stood from the armchair he'd been lounging in and stretched. "Well, Rox, it's been awesome, but I gotta jet if I'm going to make the ferry on time."

"Don't forget your pizza."

"Oh, right." He placed the cold foil package on top of the papers in his large briefcase. "Tell your dad I'll be in touch with him tomorrow about the house. See you." Pulling his car out of the driveway, Axel spared a last glance at the large house before zooming away toward the docks.

End Notes: I'm not particularly pleased with this chapter. Something about the narrative bugs me. The dialogue is fine, especially the banter, but… I don't know. What do you, dear readers, think?

In the next chapter, we get Roxas' point of view! Yay! It'll start somewhere around the time of Chapter 2, and move forward from there, showing snippets of what you've already seen from Axel's point of view, and then it'll progress beyond this chapter to push the story along.

Reviews are highly, highly appreciated.