Quick side story: I was sitting in my living room at 4:30 p.m. writing this with KHII paused on the TV and a pic of Cloud I have been drawing for days to the right of me. I hadn't showered yet and was in miss matched pj's when my incredibly gorgeous ex boyfriend decided to pay me a surprise visit. It's been three dammed years and I still get nervous around him. Yep, it was awkward.

Moving along. This chapter is Roxas/Axel's story. I figured I should just tell it all now instead of throwing snippets in throughout the rest of the story.

Sora/Riku shall return tomorrow. Along with what actually happened at prom.

Rated M for language.

T for everything else

I don't own these characters...BTW...

Loveless Lies

Chapter 2: Playing Catch-Up

Roxas walked out the front door of Riku's house. He turned around and sighed.

It's going to work out for him. I know it, he thought as he walked to his cavalier and got inside.

Roxas lived in a rather nice apartment complex approximately 4.2 miles from Riku's monopoly house development. Roxas had lived with Axel since he had turned 18 back in December. It was now June, and everything was perfect between the two. Almost sickeningly perfect.

He pulled up to the three-story building and glanced to the second floor. He saw a small light shine down from one of the windows. Axel's reading lamp, probably.

He walked through the half empty parking lot to the front door. A light breeze ruffled his permanently spiked blonde hair. He grabbed the door and pushed the button to buzz Axel.

"Finally home. I was worried sick. Why didn't you answer your cell?" Roxas heard through the intercom.

Axel could definitely act like the woman in the relationship sometimes.

"Just let me up. I'll explain," Roxas replied as a loud buzzing sound game from the door. He pushed it forward and made his way up the staircase.

He opened the door to his apartment only to be dive tackled to the ground by an over zealous Axel.

"I thought for sure you were cornered at your parents house being screamed at because of me. I thought they would talk you into leaving me and moving back and changing…" Axel pouted as he held the blonde close to his chest kissing him on the head.

"Axel, it's okay. I got the rest of my stuff and left before they could say a word to me. It's all in the car. I went to Riku's around 9:00," Roxas held his scared boyfriend tightly.

They stood up, and Axel took Roxas' hand. Axel led Roxas into their bedroom. Second door on the left.

"How is he doing? Sora still hasn't called, has he?" Axel asked while laying down on their king size bed.

"No, but I don't want to get into that right now. I have graduation practice in the morning," Roxas said as he pulled his black HIM tee shirt over his head and pulled down his jeans to reveal black and red-checkered boxers.

Roxas laid on his side next to Axel. Axel nuzzled close to Roxas' back, putting an arm around the blonde's waist. Roxas turned around and found his lover's lips and placed his against them.

"We're lucky," Axel whispered into Roxas' mouth.

"I love you," Roxas whispered back.

"I love you, too. Goodnight, sweet dreams," and with a kiss Axel was off to dreamland.

I am lucky, Roxas thought as he stroked his boyfriend's crimson hair.

Axel was a junior when Roxas started high school. They knew each other from elementary school, but lost track of each other in junior high.

The first day of high school, Roxas literally ran into Axel on the way to class. Roxas realized it was the red headed friend from his past, he also realized his old friend was making out with some random guy he had never met.

Roxas was shocked. It was the first time in his short 14 years of existence that he had seen two men kissing. Not that he had a problem with it - it was just different.

After that, Axel started hanging around Roxas like the three years they hadn't spoke to each other never happened. They did everything together.

Roxas would even bring his girlfriends along whenever he and Axel would go out.

This seemed to bug Axel, even though Roxas didn't seem to care whenever Axel's boyfriend, who turned out to be some kid named Demyx, would hang around.

It wasn't until the next year that it all started to make sense.

It was the week before homecoming when Demyx and Axel broke up. Axel refused to enlighten Roxas with any information regarding the sudden break up. Roxas wasn't too worried about it, Axel would tell him once he was ready.

Axel seemed perfectly okay. The only problem on his mind was that he would have to attend his senior homecoming by himself.

At the moment, Roxas was girlfriendless. He couldn't keep a girl for more than a month or two. His heart wasn't in it. Maybe it was because he was 15, or maybe it was something else...

Anyway, Roxas told Axel he could go with him, Riku, Sora and Sora's girlfriend Kari to the dance. They were all chipping in and renting a limo.

Axel smiled at Roxas' offer and quickly accepted.

The night of the dance changed everything.

The limo ride to the fancy Italian place, La Dolce Vida, that Axel had picked out, was filled with Riku embarrassing Sora about his new girlfriend and Axel commenting Roxas on his suit or hair or smile. For some reason, Roxas didn't mind the compliments and would blush every time one was thrown his way.

The dinner was short and sweet. Axel insisted on paying for Roxas. His excuse was that he had a well paying job and Roxas was only 15.

It was true; Axel had landed himself a glorious job for not even being out of high school. Axel had gone to the career center throughout high school for half a day. He took game programming courses, which landed him a job with game designer Kingdom Tokyo's Destiny Island branch half way through his junior year. He was already making over 30 grand. That sum would increase significantly when he could work full-time.

Axel held out his hand to help Roxas out of the car when they reached the school.

Why is he being so nice? I don't get it… Roxas thought.

Then it hit him…

Axel likes me.

It made perfect sense. They had spent countless hours with each other over the past year. Most of those hours were spent with Roxas playing Final Fantasy while Axel made food or watched.

He never complained about Roxas' lack of an interesting social life. Whenever they went out, it would always be with Riku, Sora, Kairi, Roxas' current fling and Demyx. Same people, different day. Even then, they would only go out to Applebee's for half-off appetizers or to Denny's for pie. Nothing too exciting.

Definitely not what Roxas thought a senior in high school would want to be doing.

Roxas was glad that Axel was always around. And now he stood in the moonlight looking into green eyes that he had never truly seen before.

Maybe I like him, too, Roxas thought as he put his arm through Axel's. The simple action shot chills down Roxas' body. Okay, no maybe, I do like him.

The next two hours were a blur of emotions. Roxas couldn't help but play out every situation he could remember Axel and him being in together. Sure enough, every time he found one or two ways Axel would subtly show how much he cared for Roxas. Even was Demyx was around.

One time, Roxas was dating some girl named Yuna. He thought he actually liked her, hell, maybe even loved her. Axel and Roxas were out at the movies when he saw Yuna kiss another girl from afar. Roxas immediately started crying. Axel took Roxas into his arms and cursed the girl who had made his Roxas cry.

What had he said? Think…oh yeah…

"I would never do that to you, ever," Axel had muttered.

Why didn't I hear that before?

Roxas shook his head and looked up. His eyes met Axel's.

"Roxas, dance with me," Axel half asked, half demanded.

Roxas took his hand. This whole night at first felt strange and out of the blue, but the more Roxas thought about it, the more he realized that this is where he should be.

Some sappy love song played in the background. It didn't matter. Roxas had his arms draped around the redhead's neck and couldn't take his eyes off of his.

It was the last song of the dance. Everyone around the couple was either making out or walking towards the door.

The chorus of the song repeated. Roxas knew it would be over soon. Without thinking he lifted the heels of his feet and found Axel's soft lips and held onto them with his own.

Axel tightened his grip on the blonde's waist and poured his heart onto Roxas' lips.

And with that, Roxas/Axel was born.

Everything was perfect between the two. Axel had a great job close to home that Roxas could walk to in 20 minutes or less.

The only problem was Roxas' homophobic parents.

He managed to hide his relationship pretty well. Whenever his parents asked why they hadn't seen a girl over, he would just tell them that they were all younger and couldn't come over to a boy's house, or he wasn't dating at the time. Roxas' parents were always out of town anyways. Business calls.

It wasn't until this past December that they found out about Roxas and Axel.

It was Roxas' 18th birthday and Sora had thrown him a party. Everyone left around midnight except Axel who was waiting to give his lover his birthday gift.

Axel pulled Roxas away from the front door and kissed him roughly on the lips as he led Roxas to the couch.

The blonde found himself under his lover's gorgeous body.

Axel reached to the end table and found a small package. He held it with one hand and used the other to prop himself up.

"Roxas, I love you…"

Roxas tried to speak but Axel shook his head in disapproval.

"I love you. I have always loved you in one way or another, but now I want you to know that I will always love you," he said as he opened the small black box with one hand to reveal a small silver band with the letters A+R in script engraved on the inside.

"Take this, not as an engagement, but as a promise that no matter what, I will always be there for you," Axel whispered as he kissed his boy's cheek.

"I love you, Axel. This is…perfect," Roxas took the ring and placed it on his left hand. Where a wedding band would naturally be found.

They weren't even kissing when Roxas heard the front door open. Before he could react, his mom was screaming at the top of her lungs. Someone was home early from the business trip.

"Mom, please, let me explain. It is what it looks like, but I love…' Roxas attempted to explain.

"Get the HELL out of MY House. Now," his mom shouted. She ran off to her room, crying.

"How dare you disgrace my family. You're my only son," His dad said in a rather tame voice. "Get what you can carry and leave. We'll leave the rest in the shed. You can get it whenever."

Roxas sat in awe. He knew his family wouldn't react well to the news, but was this really how it was going to be?

"GET OUT, NOW!" suddenly his father was infuriated.

Axel ran out to his car and started it up while Roxas flew around the house throwing everything he could into bags.

Roxas headed towards the front door. He turned and took one look back. His eyes met his father's as a tear slid down Roxas' face.

"Just leave," Roxas' dad said.

From that day on, he lived with Axel. Things were great. Yeah, he missed his family, but he had started one of his own. Axel had a promising future, and Roxas had everything he could ever need.

One day they'll come around. I hope, Roxas thought to himself.

He glanced at the clock. 1:01 a.m. and sighed.

Thank God I have him.

Roxas put his hand on Axel's, which was still around his waist and fell into a deep sleep.

That's it for tonight. Another update coming either tomorrow or over the weekend. I have to work and attend a TLOTR Risk party.

I know, I'm a loser.

Enjoy! Comment if you wish.

-- Emily