Shugo: Ugh... sorry this took so long. Really XD

And since I can't remember who reviewed when, I'll just THANK YOU ALL. :D

No, seroiusly, you guys are great.

I wish I would write my chapters faster but there's school and all that crackk and I'm slipping in some subject (A student XDD)

omg I made Roxas cry again ((facedesk))

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sunshine in a bag

CHAPTER o5 : decorated emergency
-Roxas' POV-

''I'm two quarters and a heart down, and I don't wanna forget how how your voice
sounds these words are all I have so I'll write them, so you need them just to get by.''
-Fall Out Boy Dance Dance

I finally woke up at around six forty-five (what do you expect from going to bed at eight?) and the first feeling I got was the one you get after you go to a rave, get really drunk, fall asleep, and wake up with the most painful goddamn hangover in your entire life-span.

I groaned, sitting up and looked at the clock. The numbers were too bright and the room was too dark and everything else was just plain blurry. Plus, it was freezing. Last I remember, I think it was the beginning of August. Unless, that is, time fast-forwarded while I was asleep.

Vague pictures of what happened yesterday spilled messily in my mind. I groaned again remembering that Axel kissed me...again...

The consant noise of the cars outside seemed to be louder than ever. This is what I get for getting and apartment in the middle of a city.

...Okay, when did it just become the Ice Age? AND I GOTTA KEEP AXEL AWAY FROM ME!

I rubbed my arms and tried (note the word 'tried') to get to the bathroom, stumbling three times in the process (that's where my 'try' comes in).

Barely realizing what I was doing, I turned on the faucet watching warm water flow out. I put my hands under the water and sighed contently. Well.. at least my hands aren't cold anymore. Now, about the rest of my body... Ugh. What was wrong with me? My hands were shaking so badly that I think I got toothpaste in my hair as I was brushing my teeth. And my eye. And.. woah, okay, how did it get over there?

I leaned my head against the cool tile of the wall for a moment. It felt good considering the fact that I was unbearably cold. I 'tried' to get back to my room but ended up collapsing in front of Axel's door in a coughing fit. I must've been loud because Axel peered out of the door moments later, blinking sleepily, and finally looked at me.

''R-roxaaas?'' he said, brutally murdering my name with a huge yawn. ''Whutcha doin' up so early?''

I opened my mouth to answer but went into another coughing fit, my throat burning. Axel kneeled down next to me, rubbing my back. His warm hand met my forehead and he suddenly drew it back and I leaned forward slightly wanting that warm contact back. My lungs felt like they had been poked with needles and my throat burned and I was cold.

I want to die. Now.

''Roxas, you're sick. I knew you'd get sick,'' he snickered.

''I'm n-not s-s-sick.''

''Aha, Rox, you're cold? You're like, over a hundred degrees!''

''S-so? Wh-what's your p-point?''

Axel only shook his head and chuckled. ''C'mon.''

He hoisted me up by my arm but I stubbornly refused to leave the spot on the floor. So he threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Do I look like a vegetable to you? DO I? I DIDN'T THINK SO!

He threw me on the couch and was gone before I was able to see straight. I sneezed and my headache got so bad that it felt like my head exploded seven times repeatedly. When I finally opened my eyes, my vision was black. For a second there, I thought I went blind. My hands reached for my face but only met with soft fabric. So I thought the obvious and pulled the whatever-it-was off my face. It was black (no surprise there) and it was a comforter.

''Is th-this yours?'' I asked Axel, who was leaning in the doorway to his room.

''No, the tooth fairy's,'' he replied with a roll of eyes.

Two can play at this game..

''W-well then, tell her she owes me money for ripping me off.''

Axel chuckled. ''Ah, that'll have to wait. She's vacationing in the Caribbean with the Easter Bunny.''

Oh, he's good.

Axel frowned and crossed his arms.

''What?''

''One sec, I have to call your brother.''

''What? Why? I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!''

Axel raised an eyebrow. ''Um, yeah, Rox, you're sick...''

I stuck out my bottom lip angrily. ''One, I'm not sick! And two, stop calling me Rox!''

There was a chuckle and a shake of the head. ''Sora, gives me the same look... speaking of which. I don't have any medicine, so I'm calling him. Okay, Rox?''

''I'M NOT SICK! AND STOP... Achoo!''

''Bless you.''

Smirk.

Glare.

So a few minutes later Axel got off the phone with Sora and turned to look at me.

''He'll be here in a bit.'' He shrugged.

My eyes narrowed at him and he stared back. Okay, there's not much I like about Axel (I LIE!) but he had the most attractive green eyes I've ever seen. Call it cheesy or whatever you want, I don't give a shit. There can't possibly be any other person on the face of this earth with greener eyes than Axel. I should know. I like green... Since when was his face was so close to mine...?

A yelp escaped my mouth as I jumped back. How did he get from waaay over there to the couch?

Axel sighed and leaned back against the armrest. ''I could really go for a cigarette right now...''

He smokes? ''You smoke?'' His apartment definitely did not smell like smoke.

''Sometimes. I'm not, like, addicted to it. I'd like to keep my lungs for at least another ten years thank you very much.'' He leaned over the side of the couch and reached for something.

''You keep cigarette's under the couch?'' I asked as he pulled a box out. And... even if he did barely smoke, it didn't mean he wouldn't get sick in ten years.

''No. It just happened to be where I last left it. When was that...?'' He lit one and took a drag. ''...What, Rox? Want one?''

I instantly felt my throat close up. And not because of the smell of the smoke. I've smoked before. But...

''Axel, don't,'' I said, tugging the cigarette out of his mouth.

He didn't snatch it back like I thought he would. He didn't say he could smoke all he wanted and I couldn't do anything about it like I thought he would.

All he said was a simple, ''Okay.'' And then, ''Why?''

My gaze lowered involuntaringly. I remembered so much and yet when I tried to recall it, not much would come.

''A guy I knew used to smoke.. and he got really sick. After that, I never saw him again. I think Cloud had said he moved. I don't remember much because I was little, but I remember I cried a lot when he was gone.''

''He moved because he smoked?''

''Well... yeah. I know it sounds weird. He smoked heavily. Maybe he went to get help... I...really don't know...''

Roxas stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the walk signal to turn on. A brown-haired teen stood next to him, cigarette in his mouth, his hands casually in his pockets. Roxas looked up at him, blinking his large blue eyes. The teen smiled and leaned down.

''Hey kid.''

''...Hi.''

''Why are you here by yourself?''

Roxas shrugged.

''Well, there must be a reason you're out here on your own. You meetin' someone?''

Roxas nodded and then half-shrugged. ''I was s'posed to meet my brothers. But they weren't at the park.''

''How old are you?''

''Um.. seven.''

''So your brothers ditched you?''

''I dunno. I can't find them. They said they were gonna be at the park.''

''Ah. You up for ice cream?''

Roxas looked at the ground shyly. The teen took his hand and walked across the street as the signal changed.

''Hey, mister? Why are you being so nice to me?''

The nameless person laughed. ''Mister? No, no, no, name's Leon.''

''Oh. Leon, why are you being so nice to me? You're a stranger.''

''Yeah, so? That's the point. Plus, you didn't look all sunshine a daisies.''

''Oh,'' said Roxas, blushing slightly. Then he smiled.

''So, Shorty, you got a name?''

Roxas pouted. He wasn't that short. ''Roxas.''

''Ah, okay. Roxas. Nice name.''

''Mist-Leon, you smoke?''

Leon's smile faltered for a second-only a second-before he smiled again and said, ''See this cigarette?''

Roxas nodded.

''Don't ever smoke, Rox.''

''But.. you're smoking.''

''Haha, I know. And I guess it doesn't make sense that I'm telling you not to smoke while I'm smoking right in front of you. But tell you what. Don't ever start. Ever. It's addictive.''

''But, why don't you quit?''

''It's not that easy. Because once you start, you'll have hell of a time stopping. It's not good for you.''

''But.. you're gonna stop, right? Right, Leon? You're gonna quit,'' Roxas asked (almost pleaded) and took the cigarette from Leon's mouth.

Leon smiled. This kid was amazing. Simply amazing. ''Yeah, I promise.''

I felt cold one second and then very warm the next. Another second passed when I finally realized Axel was hugging me.

Wait, what?

''Roxas, you're shivering so hard that someone might think you're having a seizure.''

I sighed and leaned against him. He was so damn warm. And so comfortable. So much for keeping Axel away from me. My arms slowly found their way around Axel's waist. Yeah, and he called me skinny.

The scent of smoke lingered around him but it didn't smell bad at all. In fact, it smelled sweet. It was everywhere, in that small little bubble that was around Axel and I. It floated in the air, around the couch, seeped into his shirt. I buried my face in his chest and inhaled.

It wasn't enough...

We stayed like that for a while before I started shifting around, trying to stretch out the ache in my back.

''Heh, I thought you had fallen asleep...'' Axel mumbled.

I shook my head. ''Wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to.'' I even coughed for emphasis.

''You whiney punk,'' Axel laughed, ruffling my hair. ''I'd kiss you better but I don't want your sickly germs all over me.''

I frowned and swatted his hand away. ''I wouldn't want you to kiss me anyway.''

''Oh sure.''

''Shut up before I stuff this comforter in your mouth.''

''Ooooh, scary.''

I rolled my eyes.

How long have I known him now? A little over a week?

''Axel...''

''Mm?''

''Why... why do you care so much about me? We've only known each other a little while. Why...why do you care so much?''

Axel seemed to find this highly amusing.

''Cause that's what friends do. Look out for each other.''

I gave him a weird look. ''We barely know each other and you call us friends?''

This time Axel rolled his eyes. ''Jeez man, what rock have you been hiding under all your life? Man, you're lame. You don't need to know a person too long to become friends. It just comes naturally, y'know? Why don't you open up a bit?''

I looked away stubbornly.

I didn't see any point in that. But maybe that's because I never really had any true friends. And maybe I never had any real friends because I never opened myself up to anyone. And then this Axel guy just comes along and he's reading me like the pages in a book. A book whose spine is broken and the pages are worn and faded and dusty, but he can read still me so clearly and he's being so careful about not breaking my fragile spine or ripping any pages.

And...since when did I cry so easily?

I brushed away at my eyes, and felt my throat tighten, burn.

''You wouldn't know,'' I muttered darkly. ''It's like my existence isn't even aknowledged! I'm only here to be shunned. My parents hated me. They never said anything but I could tell. Anyone with enough common sense could. You know who I was? I was that lonely little kid in the corner during Christmas watching his parents give all their attention to his two brothers. It was always like that!''

Axel was shocked at the sudden burst, I could tell, looking at me like I was a time-bomb ready to explode with pent-up emotions.

And I was.

And I did.

''IT WAS NEVER ME! THEY HATED ME!'' I shouted, loud enough to make my throat tear, and slammed my fist into the back of the couch so hard that I felt it shake.

I was breathing hard and my hand was shaking before it fell limp and I fell against Axel. He never flinched once.

''Why... do they... hate me so much? What did I...What did I ever do wrong? What did I do wrong, Axel?''

I had expected him to say I don't know. But he never did.

''You never did anything wrong, Roxas.''

That was the last thing I heard because then, I think I passed out from my fever. Or maybe it was something else.

I think my spine broke and my pages flew out.

x.x.x

Shugo:...wow. That was unexpected.

er... yeah... I don't like this one. I think it's okay. I could've probably done better. ((fails life))

But wait. ((pokes ending)) It that a plot I see? ((shrug))

Hahaha blah wtf review kaythnxbai.