A/N: Hiya people, thank you for your lovely reviews. They really lifted my spirits! And heaven knows i needed that...anyway, enough of my self pity! So this one is still kinda short, but it is longer than the last one, so i hope you like this chapter!

Axel's POV

Next Monday…

Xemnas. Needs. To. Fucking. Die!

He changed the due date from next Friday to this Friday. The only good thing that happened today was that all classes were canceled except for first period. For the rest of the week (something about a teacher's meeting in another state, no subs agreeing to come, and about fifteen teachers out sick)

And Xemnas seemed pretty content to let us do whatever we wanted within the limits of the law.

Me, Demyx, Larxene, and Zexion were all sitting on the bleachers, talking about anything and everything that came to mind. I loved these moments. The world just seemed…relaxed. No teacher was breathing down our necks, no parents were yelling at us for some reason or another. It was just an awesome feeling.

"Is that Roxas over there?" Demyx was squinting out over the football field.

"Where?" Larxene bent down to Demyx's eye level, trying to see what he was seeing.

I couldn't see if it was Roxas, but there was someone walking in our relative direction.

"Looks like him. I figured he'd be in the art room though." Demyx was gone in a second.

He was also back in a second, dragging poor Roxy…Roxas (goddamit! I mentally slapped myself) behind him.

"Demyx? Why are you dragging that poor kid behind you?" Thank you Larxene. I swear she steals the words from my mouth before I even know I'm gonna say them.

"I need his help. Come on Roxy!" And with that he dragged him farther down the bleachers, away from us, depositing him on one.

They were out of earshot. Damn…

Zexion and Larxene went back to talking (Larxene doing the talking). I would add my input at times, but I was too interested in staring at Roxas and Demyx.

Roxas had been overly tense when Demyx had first dragged him over there but after five minutes, he was relaxed. His mouth was even relaxed, with the possibility of the smile hanging in the air again.

Something hit me in the side. Mentally not physically. It was gone before I could figure out what it was though.

I watched the two, studying Roxas really.

I hadn't noticed really how small the kid was until now. I expected him to be skinny with his height and all, but this was…just wrong. His clothes were big on him.

I also noticed his eyes. I hadn't truly noticed how bright and at the same time how dull they were. The possibility of them being able to blind anyone who looked at them was there.

He smiled. It was small, just like the first one I had seen, but…it was beautiful. I don't care anymore. Roxas was beautiful, or had been at one point. Every time he relaxed or smiled that beauty was there.

That thing in my side was back. I knew what it was now.

Jealousy.

I was jealous of Demyx. Because he had been able to make Roxas smile. I don't know why the thought was there. It's not like I liked the kid. Sure he interested me. But I didn't like him…at least…I don't think so…

Fifteen minutes later

Demyx came back over with Roxas who, once again, had that cold neutral look on his face.

"Hey guys! Me and Roxas are gonna go to the art room, wanna come?" Zexion nodded, as did Larxene. I shrugged and followed.

Apparently Demyx had asked Roxas to help him with his project. The stylized music note I believe it was.

Eh I was here, why not work on mine?

I flipped open my notebook and looked at what I had drawn.

Oh. Wow.

This is what happens when I don't look at what I drew for several days.

I had drawn Roxas. I had drawn him the way I had seen him on Thursday. Messy and completely…natural.

For some reason, my talent in drawing lies with drawing people. If I see the person a few times, or even if I just make them up in my head, I can draw them pretty well.

I knew I couldn't draw Roxas for my project though. Want reasons? Alright. One, I don't think he'd appreciate it. And two? I don't like rumors and this would definitely cause rumors.

But that didn't mean I couldn't keep the sketch, and turn in something else.

I tried a few more things, before finally coming up with a thought.

I didn't bother sketching it. Instead I raided the closet for the canvas' Ms. Kotta kept in the closet and the paints there too. (She had left a note on her door saying any student wanting to work on their projects was free to do so as long as no mess remained)

"..xel? Axel?! YO PYRO!!" My brush nearly smeared right across the canvas. Thank the lord my reflexes are good…

"What Larx?" I glared at her for a moment before turning back to the painting. I had only painted in the streetlamp, the sky, and a bit of the street.

"It's five minutes before the bell rings moron."

"I missed lunch?" She stared at me weird for a second.

"You wouldn't respond when we told you we were heading out to lunch. When we came back you were still here painting." Oh…oops.

"So you coming or what?" I looked at my painting again.

"We practicing again today?"

"No. We talked it over with Roxas. But we are practicing tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday."

"I'm gonna stay here for a bit okay?"

"All right. Just don't die alright? And call your brother so he doesn't have a heart attack." I nodded and gave her and Dem (Zexion was already outside) a salute-wave, which they returned before they disappeared. Just as the bell rang.

I only planned to stay a few more minutes. I didn't want to finish my painting too soon. I mean I didn't expect to finish it soon anyway, but if I got too far ahead, it would be harder to make changes if I needed to.

"You're a good artist." I once again had to save my painting from disaster by moving my brush away from it.

"Do you,"

"Do I always have to do that?" I stared at him. Did I miss something?

He wasn't as much of a mess, as in no paint was splattered on his clothes, but his hair was mussed up and…there was a smudge of red paint on his cheek.

"I don't know. Guess I'm just quiet. It's not something I can control." That's when I noticed how he was standing. He was actually leaning against the cabinet behind me. I hadn't seen him recline ever. His arms were also crossed. He looked…normal.

"What do you plan to put in the middle?" It took my slow brain a moment to figure out what he was talking about.

"Oh. I have an idea, but I don't really know yet. Guess I'll figure it out when I get there." His lips twitched. What was that?

"How'd you help Demyx? I never really got the whole story of that." His lips twitched again (why the hell was I noticing this?!)

"Demyx just needed help making a part look right. I showed him an example of maybe what he was looking for and helped him draw it in his own style." Ah. Well at least he hadn't just done it for him.

"I was wondering if…" He looked uncomfortable. Not like tense uncomfortable, but like…hm…just fidgety uncomfortable, if that makes any sense.

"If? Come on Roxas, it's not like I'm gonna say no and laugh at you right?" He looked at me with surprise. It was one of the first real emotions I had seen from him.

"I was just wondering if…you could help me clean up the mess I made in the other room." He head had ducked down as he said that. Like asking for help was embarrassing or…something else. I also saw him flinch when I started to speak.

"Sure. I was about to put mine away. So how about you help me then I'll help you." His head snapped up. Sheesh. You would think no one had ever said yes to him…before…

Axel you are one stupid guy.

His painting was just starting to get some color up in the corner. But the rest was light colored lines that didn't look to have any rhyme or reason to them.

He caught me staring.

"I know it's bad, but you don't need to gawk."

"Roxas? I never said it was bad." He shrugged. "But what is it?" He looked at it.

"I honestly don't know. I guess I'll know when I'm done." Hm. Sound familiar?

I tried another tactic. I think it's time Roxas started talking.

"How long have you been into art anyway?" He looked at me, then turned away. Fast. Going back to cleaning. I thought he wasn't going to answer.

"I don't know when I started really. I can't remember not drawing or not writing. I guess it's just become a part of me." Hm. Interesting.

"What about you?" Is that a personal question I hear?

"Mine sadly hasn't been that long. I started right after my parents died. It just became a way to express things you know? It worked a hell of lot better than yelling at my brother." He looked at me again.

"How did your parents die? If you don't mind me asking…" That entire statement was almost a whisper I had to strain to hear.

"You don't need to be scared about asking me questions Roxas. I'll answer them or I won't. But I won't be mad at you for asking. Everyone has a right to be curious. As for my parents? They died in a car crash when I was eight. I miss them but…you know? It doesn't hurt to talk about them any more." He refused to look at me. At least that's the way I read his stance. And I'm pretty good at reading body language.

"What ab…" I stopped. Let's not go too far there Axel. It didn't seem like he had heard me anyway.

Actually he had started shaking. It wasn't overly visible, but again, I'm good at reading body language. I heard near silent sniffling. He was…crying. Oh shit! What'd I do?!

I resisted the urge to go to him and try to stop his tears. I got the feeling he didn't want me to know. I could respect that. He didn't know me, he could hardly be expected to open up to me yet.

I made the decision then and there.

No matter what, I would get Roxas to open up. I would find out what had made him so…broken was the best word I could use to describe it.

Disclaimer: Yeah yeah yeah, me own nothing. I wish i did. Then i really could make Axel a smart ass in the game, but sadly i must deal with imagining his attitude (as wellas Roxy's, Demy's, Zexion's...)

A/N: I'm so sorry this is so short people! My writes block is still here but its going away little by little which is why this one was a little bit longer. Give me few more days and i'm sure it will be gone, hopefully for good! Anyway, please review! Reviews are great cures for writers block, and i just like to read them!