Spring break soon passed and the campus was as crazy as ever. With the semester half over, students were beginning to worry about the prospects of their finals. Graduating seniors were busy with finding jobs and places to live. Roxas received word his application was accepted for the Twilight Expansion. Axel was thrilled Roxas would be living with him the next year.

As spring came, the snow melted and left large puddles around the campus. Rain soon followed, making everything even soggier than it already was. April arrived with the prospect of warmer weather and green grass. Roxas was sad to see the snow go. He preferred the cold months of winter to the wet months of spring. This year he was dreading the spring even more. Axel's birthday was approaching and Roxas had no idea what to get him.

He finally decided he needed to go to Marluxia for yet another favor. The hard part would actually asking Marluxia. He was swamped with school and business work, hardly leaving his room. Axel was busy studying for finals so he also rarely left his room. This meant Roxas had about a ten second window to ask Marluxia, which proved harder to find than he originally thought.

Roxas wanted to visit the apartment as much as he could so he could ask Marluxia but end of the term projects were piling up and his group members always wanted to meet during the evenings.

Three days before Axel's birthday, Roxas wondered if he was going to be able to even get a chance to ask Marluxia. He lucked out when he drove over to the apartment and spotted Marluxia taking a walk in the park with his cellphone was pressed against his ear.

'He can't be on his phone the entire time, could he?' Roxas wondered. After he parked, he jogged off to the park after the pink haired man. As he approached, Marluxia was listening to the other side of the line.

"No. What do you mean…changed?" Marluxia asked. He chewed thoughtfully on a strawberry Pocky. "No, that's not what I meant. Are you sure? Yes, I can shuffle some dates around. I'll get back to you. Love you too." Marluxia hung up and sighed heavily. "How may I help you, Roxas?"

"Are you doing okay?" Roxas asked.

"I'm exhausted, but I've live." Marluxia sat up on the bench.

"Do you know what Axel would want for his birthday?"

"Besides you covered in cherries and whipped cream?" Marluxia teased, causing the teen's ears to turn pink. "Let's see…" Marluxia closed his eyes and thought deeply. "To be honest, I'm at a loss. Sorry Roxas. Usually I can think of something, although…"

"Although?"

"There was something Axel mentioned once but I can't quite remember what it was. Give me a moment." Marluxia dialed a number and waited. "Yes, hello? I know I'm outside. What was Axel talking about the other day? No, it's not for Roxas. No I won't pay you! No…fine. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Alright. Thank you." Marluxia hung up and rolled his eyes.

"Dear God, Seifer you drive me mad some days. According to the brick head, Axel wanted some headphones like the ones you had."

"Thanks Marluxia." The elder male waved his hand as if to say 'that's what I do'. "If I ask you for any more favors, I'll start owing you my soul."

"And I'm sure Axel wouldn't be too pleased about that." Marluxia offered him a Pocky before they headed back to the apartment.

XxXxX

The day of Axel's birthday came. It was on a Thursday so he didn't have anything special planned. Roxas joined the group for a meal in town. The older students drank a few rounds before they headed back to do their homework for Friday.

Roxas followed Axel up to his room with his backpack. He had some homework to finish as well but he wanted to give Axel his present. Roxas figured he could work on it afterwards. When they reached Axel's room, Roxas sat on the red head's bed. Axel sat at his desk and looked through his calendar for the homework he needed to finish.

"Hey Axel?" Roxas asked.

"What's up?" Axel turned in his seat to face the blonde. Roxas handed him a poorly wrapped present. "What's this?"

"A gift." Axel opened it and frowned for a second. Then he chuckled.

"You went to Marluxia didn't you?" Roxas averted his gaze.

"If he had caught the whole conversation, he would have known I wanted these headphones to give to you for your birthday." Axel tapped Roxas on the head with the package. Roxas's heart fell. "But I have to ask, where'd you get the design for these?" Roxas looked up again. The headphones had flames on the sides. Above the fire was an engraving of a chakram.

"I had them custom made."

"That's awesome. I didn't know you could do that." Axel opened the plastic and placed the headphones on his head. "How do I look?"

"Perfect," Roxas replied without thinking. Axel laughed and set the headphones on his desk.

"Do you want to know what I wanted for my birthday?"

"Me covered in cherries and whipped cream?" Roxas guessed. Axel fell over laughing hysterically. Tears ran out of his eyes as he lay on the floor.

"Where'd you get that idea from?"

"You're friendly neighborhood roommate."

"Oh Marluxia, you have no taste." Axel sat up and slid up onto the bed with Roxas. "No, what I really wanted was a promise ring."

"What's that?" Axel lay back on his bed, keeping his feet on the floor.

"It's a ring you give to someone special. It symbolizes a promise between the two, whatever that promise might be."

"What promise did you want to make?"

"When this is all over, when we leave this world, we'll meet in the next life." Roxas felt a smile blush his lips.

"Close your eyes." Axel obeyed, curious to what Roxas was going to do. Roxas reached behind his neck and unclipped his dog collar. Then he held the back of it above Axel's face. "Okay." Axel opened his eyes. On the back of the dog collar were some Japanese letters stitched in white. "Kitai," Roxas read. Axel sat up and studied the back of the collar.

'I remember seeing those before but I never knew what they meant. I thought it was a brand logo.' Axel thought. Roxas went behind Axel and proceeded to clip it around his neck.

"I promise we'll meet again in our next lives," Roxas murmured. When the collar was fastened, Axel ran his fingers over the outer stitching and short silver spikes.

"But Roxas, this is your favorite!" Axel protested. Roxas smiled soflty.

"Only for my favorite person." Axel felt honored. He wasn't used to having something around his neck but he figured the strangling sensation would soon wear off.

"Thanks," Axel said with a soft smile.

Roxas leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. Axel tackled the teen and pinned him to the bed. They hungrily devoured each other's lips and necks. Roxas slid his hands up Axel's spine. One hand traced the scar with gently fingertips while the other lifted his shirt. Axel got the hint and removed it, tossing it onto the floor. He pressed against Roxas, tangling their fingers together so their palms touched. Roxas closed his eyes, his heart beating wildly.

Axel lifted his head up to breath. He watched Roxas lie under him. The teen's cheeks were bright red and his breathing was labored. His face was a mix of emotions: love, longing, curiosity, and calculation. 'I wonder what I look like to him.' Axel thought to himself. He brought his lips down to the blonde's neck and licked the nerve Roxas was infamous for. Roxas gasped, his body tensing. Axel slipped one of his knees between Roxas's legs. Then he slid his hands down Roxas's back as he kissed the teen breathless. His fingers wrapped around the underside of the blonde's ass and gave a playful squeeze. Axel then brought his hands back up and slid Roxas's shirt upwards.

The white X emerged from underneath the fabric. Roxas moaned as Axel ran his tongue over the scar. "Axel…!" Roxas cried softly as the red head dragged his tongue farther along his chest and gave his nipple a quick bite. He could feel the heat coming from the elder male and it made him yearn to go further. Axel lay on top of Roxas and they entered another round of tongue twirling kisses. Roxas rubbed his toes over Axel's lower legs, massaging the muscles. Axel slid his knee from between Roxas's legs and he pressed their hips together.

Roxas's breathing started getting faster as Axel slowly rubbed his hips over the blonde's groin. Roxas whimpered as Axel started to devour his lips again.

'God just FUCK ME ALREADY!' Roxas screamed in his mind.

The sound of a printer snapped him back to reality.

Roxas turned his head to find Marluxia at his desk working. Roxas's face flushed and his heart tightened. 'Oh God when did he get here?' Roxas asked, panicking.

"Just ignore him," Axel muttered in his hear as he sucked on the upper cartilage.

"You can't be serious!" Roxas hissed.

"Don't mind me," Marluxia reassured him. Roxas looked up at Axel.

"Axel!" he hissed.

"Hey Marly!" Axel called. Marluxia looked over his shoulder. Axel pointed to his ear. Marluxia realized his mistake and plugged his headphones into his computer. Then he cranked the volume.

"Don't mind the printer!" Marluxia said louder than normal. Axel turned back to Roxas.

"See? No problem."

"Don't tell me you do this when everyone else has company over?"

"Sure do. Why else do you think we all have headphones? It's a good thing you have a pair because you're going to need them for next year, especially if you're rooming with Seifer," Axel said in a raspy voice into Roxas's ear. It sent a shiver down the teen's spine.

Roxas felt his body slowly return to its normal functioning. He sighed. 'Damn you Marluxia. You're such a buzz-kill.'

He turned back to Axel, feeling disappointed.

"Sorry," he muttered. Axel laid his head on Roxas's chest.

"It's not your fault. I suppose I took it too far, huh?" Roxas shook his head. Axel smirked. "We'll have to go someplace more private next time." Axel propped himself up on his elbows. "You're like a kitten: you're so adorable when you purr for me."

"Next time I'll have you purr." Axel chuckled.

"That's only happened once and you won't be able to take me by surprise again."

"I'll find a way." Axel kissed Roxas's jaw.

"I look forward to it." They proceeded to kiss softly until late into the night.

XxXxX

With the passing of Axel's birthday, April was coming to a close. May was soon upon them, bringing warm temperatures and humidity. Finals were the biggest priority to all of the students. Roxas didn't go over to the apartment since he wasn't able to concentrate there. As he read over his notes, he noticed Pence was taking down his Deathly Hallows poster. Roxas had almost forgotten about it.

"Packing already?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah. I have finals for the next three days and then I'm done by Thursday afternoon. You?"

"Friday morning."

"Good luck." Pence gave Roxas a sheepish smile.

"I suppose this is the last time we'll be hanging out."

"We'll have to hang out next year. You're living with Hayner in the dorms, right?"

"Yeah. He's not bad but I guarantee he won't be as quiet as you. Are you and Axel doing okay?"

"Yeah. We have plans to go out with everyone on Friday."

"Sounds like fun. That's your birthday, right?"

"Don't remind me." Pence laughed.

"Don't be so glum. You can have alcohol now or at least on Friday you can. Go have fun and hang out for a bit." Pence went to his wardrobe and pulled out a white bag. "Here." He gave it to Roxas.

"What's this?"

"You're birthday gift. I almost forgot about it too." Pence rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Roxas took out the tissue paper before pulling out the contents. Inside were two CD's. They were the latest releases from his favorite artists.

"Where did you get these?" Roxas demanded. "These aren't even in stores yet!"

"I special pre-ordered them. They came in the mail before the release date." Roxas jumped out of his chair and hugged Pence tightly.

"Thank you."

"I should be thanking you!" Roxas released his friend and they laughed together.

"Hey, you want to go get some ice cream?"

"You bet!" They went to the ice cream parlor and ordered their favorite treats, toasting to the end of the year.

XxXxX

When Thursday came, Roxas helped Pence pack up his van. Pence was going home for the summer to be with his family and work at his old summer job. Roxas was sad to see him go. They gave each other a quick hug before Pence drove off. Roxas returned to his room. It felt very empty. All of his stuff was packed and on the floor. The walls were bare and his desk barren. It was his last night in the dorm.

Roxas enjoyed the evening by himself by having a ramen cup and watching an action movie on his laptop. Friday morning came and Roxas felt butterflies in his stomach. After his morning final, he headed over to Axel's apartment. There, he helped Terra and Lexaeus pack their cars. Riku and Seifer were going to be gone for parts of the summer as well but they weren't leaving until later. After lunch, Axel helped Roxas check out of the dorm and move into his new room. As they got there, Sora was moving in as well. They crowded the second floor hall with their bags of clothes and boxes of school supplies.

Once Roxas was unpacked, he could see a definite difference in his side of the room. Seifer's side was very disorganized where as Roxas's stuff was put away in almost an OCD manner. He stopped by Riku's room and found it no longer looked devoid of life. Sora had put up posters and filled his side of the room with various electronics.

The group of ten went out late to eat. Sora was the only one not old enough to drink, as the legal age was twenty and his birthday wasn't until September.

They stayed out late, having fun and not worrying about school for a change. Roxas wasn't a huge fan of alcohol but he had a couple of drinks. When the night got late, everyone headed back to the apartment. The next morning Terra and Lexaeus said their farewells and left KHU behind. The day was filled with video games, movies, and snacks. By the time evening hit, everyone was energetic from eating far too much sugar and processed foods. They went clubbing for the night and came back exhausted.

The weekend passed. By Monday, Seifer, Riku and Sora had left for home. Roxas walked around the empty apartment, amazed at the quiet. He went upstairs to see what Axel was up to and found Marluxia packing several large bags.

"Going somewhere?" Roxas asked.

"Hong Kong. I'll be there for a week before Tifa and I travel together to her next study abroad location: Iceland. What she wants to there for a summer I have no idea. Axel's going to drive me, Demyx and Zexion to the airport tomorrow morning. I'll be gone for twelve days. You have my number if you need anything. And could you please keep the apartment somewhat tidy while I'm gone?"

"Wait, where are Demyx and Zexion going?"

"Jamaica. They're going on a three week vacation together. That'll leave you here with Axel…alone…" Marluxia smiled wickedly. "Now if you excuse me, I really have to pack." Roxas took his leave and went to find Axel in the basement. He was watching a movie with Demyx and Zexion. Roxas joined them.

"So, Jamaica huh?" Roxas asked.

"We just wanted a vacation," Zexion explained.

"Don't be such a wuss! It's for his birthday!" Demyx whispered from behind his hand. Roxas smirked.

"I don't know why you have to plan lavish vacations for me," Zexion grumbled.

"Because you're so damn sexy." Demyx licked Zexion's neck, bringing a smile to the dark haired man's face. "What are you two going to do while we're all gone?"

"Lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling," Axel teased.

"Oh! That's not nice to leave out the details." Demyx pouted.

"I'm sure you'll hear all about it when you get back," Zexion reasoned.

"Perhaps. We'll just have to juice it out of Roxas." The teen's face flushed.

"Why me?!" Roxas protested.

"Because you'll be powerless against me and my sex dungeon, my little greenstick," Demyx said in a cool and venomous voice.

"You wouldn't."

"We'll see how strong you're will is."

"He'll break," Zexion commented. "We know his secret."

"What secret?" Roxas asked.

"We'll dress Axel in grunge and chain him to the wall. That should turn you on to your little sexual fantasies," Demyx teased.

"No…!"

"Don't try to protest, Roxas. We all saw how you were drooling over Axel on Halloween. I don't think Axel would mind if we tortured him a bit to get the details from Roxas," Zexion added. Axel threw up his hands, showing he was neutral in the argument. Roxas was left in a stunned and disturbed silence.

The next morning Roxas woke up to an empty apartment. Everyone was gone. It made the building feel eerie. Axel didn't return until late in the morning. He went back to bed to take a nap, having to wake up at three to drive to the airport. Roxas didn't disturb him.

It was early in the evening when Axel came downstairs. Roxas was making a grilled cheese.

"Hey," Roxas greeted.

"Hey there." Axel walked over and wrapped his arms around Roxas's waist. "Is there room for two?"

"If you want a sandwich, then yes I can make you one." Axel grinned and laid his head on Roxas's shoulder. Roxas made a second sandwich for his friend. They ate in silence and then did what little dishes were left on the counter. As Axel finished drying, he eyed Roxas. The blonde was putting cups away in the cupboard.

"Say Roxas, I never got you your birthday present." Roxas looked up, a bit confused.

"I didn't know you got me anything."

"I did, but I had to save it for when no one else was around."

"Um, okay…" Roxas finished putting the dishes away, noticing how Axel was eyeing him like a piece of fresh meat. They headed upstairs, Roxas feeling the anticipation in his stomach grow with each step.

'What is he up to?' Roxas wondered. When they reached Axel's room, Axel went to his desk and pulled out a box. Roxas let out a held in breath as he realized Axel had bought him an actual gift. Axel gave him the box. Roxas opened it and found a round dog tag inside with the number XIII printed on it.

"Thirteen?" Roxas asked.

"My lucky number," Axel joked. He took the tag and clipped it onto Roxas's red dog collar. "My promise to you: we'll always be together."

Roxas touched the tag on his neck tenderly. It made him feel warm inside.

"Thanks Axel." Roxas kissed the red head happily.

Axel caught Roxas's shoulder as he was leaning back. He pulled Roxas up close and whispered in his ear.

"Don't think that's your only present this year." Roxas face turned red.