A/N: Heya people! Thanx for sticking wiht me through that last chapter. I really don't know what was going through my head when i wrote it. BUt yeah it's there and i can't really do anything about it...hopefully this chapter is better! Thanx again!

Axel's POV

"Roxas? Can I see?" I don't think he noticed the lack of powder on his face.

The cut was red, but only the corner bled. I gave him one of the tissues stuffed in my pocket (a habit of mine ever since Zexion started kicking me in the face).

"Come on, let's try that again shall we?" He nodded and I picked up as much broken ceramic as I could, following him back into the classroom.

Larxene came up behind me while I was at the sink refilling several jars. Roxas was trying to find something back in the supply closet I think.

"What the hell happened? Where'd that bruise com…"

"I don't know." She got the hint and left.

Me and Roxas actually made it across the hall this time and set down the jars in the next room with no further accident (a rare incident that…for me anyway).

"Hey Roxas?" He must've noticed something weird either in my voice…or the fact that I used his full name. Haven't done that for a while.

"The powder's gone." He looked at me, eyes wide, hand on his face.

"The water must've washed it off." His panicked look was setting me on edge.

"Uh…yeah…I fell on the way to my car this morning…" Again with the liar sign…

"Roxas. Please don't lie to me. I'm not asking you to tell me what happened unless you want to. Just don't lie to me. I just want to know if it was an accident." He dropped his eyes and nodded.

That hurt. It really did. He was still lying.

Goddamit. I don't know what that was directed at. Either Roxas' fear, or Seifer. I knew it was him.

"Hey Rox? Can I catch a ride with you? Demyx and Larxene have work today and my brother stole the car." He nodded. He hadn't looked at my face once since I had seen his bruise.

When we got to the apartment, Roxas was gone. Like, speeding bullet gone. I followed close behind, not running, just walking fast.

And because of that, I managed to catch a bit of the conversation before his door closed.

"…o the hell was that, you little whore?!" I heard something else. It sounded like a whimper.

It hurt me like nothing else to walk in my own door and shut it. It felt like my heart was being ripped in half. One half still on the other side of the door.

I walked past Reno, completely ignoring him, and walked to my room.

I did something I haven't done in a long time.

I sat down…and cried. I cried. Because I was too much of a wuss to help Roxas. I was too worried about what he might think of me to try to help him. My anger was now directed at myself.

I had always stood back, never really taking notice of much.

When Mom and Dad died, it had gotten worse. Because I had known why they died. It was the reason that kept me away from Friday night parties. It was the reason I nearly beat Sora into a bloody pulp last year for trying to offer me something.

Mom and Dad had died in a car crash, running into a pole. They had both died instantly, according to the police who got there five minutes later.

They had been drinking. According to the blood tests taken soon after, both of them had drunk enough to kill most normal people. They had been at a party, gotten drunk and no one had been willing to drive them home.

When Roxas said he didn't like people, I could've easily said the same thing.

I was eight and Reno was eleven. But…he might as well have been twenty. Reno grew up. I stayed a little kid. I also grew more reserved, more…distant.

If it hadn't been for Reno, I never would've been able to hold myself up once we were alone.

He must've known. I don't know how long I sat there, being disgusted at myself, before I heard the door open and close. The lights stayed off, and how he found his way to my bed without tripping is a mystery, but he was there, and I soon found myself in much the same position Roxas had been.

Brothers don't need a reason. Friends don't either.

I had fallen asleep. It was also now about eleven. That's all of the clock I could see.

Voices were coming from the living room…but the headache that was blooming behind my eyes kept me in bed.

Normal POV

The four just looked at each other.

The one redhead had claimed the chair, one of the blondes was sitting in the chair by the computer, and the other blonde and purple haired boys were on the couch.

"Reno, can you please tell me why I had to tell my mom to put my dinner in the fridge so I could eat it later." Reno sighed. He had known just from watching his brother and his friends that Larxene was impatient, but it was very annoying to see it in person.

"Can you tell me why my brother just walked in earlier and broke apart? He hasn't fucking cried since our parents died." That got their attention Reno thought. He was seriously troubled. His brother hadn't cried like that in a long time.

"H…he what?" That was the other blonde, who was currently clutching an annoyed looking purple-ette to his chest.

Demyx had never heard of Axel crying. Not once. And he had known Axel going on ten years now.

He remembered when he met the redhead actually.

Flashback

The little blonde ran away, crying. Riku was always mean to him. Calling him weak. Girly.

He didn't expect to see anyone there. He had run to his favorite hiding spot. A giant tree about half a block from the school. It overlooked the park and was the perfect place to watch but not be watched.

Another boy was there. Just watching as the other kids played.

Demyx forgot all about Riku. The blonde may not have been the smartest, but he was sensitive to emotions. Always had been. The other boy…there was no emotion. Demyx could feel it at the base of the tree. It was cold.

His own tears forgotten, he climbed up beside the boy, just then noticing how bright red his hair was.

"You okay?" The boy jumped. He had been too distracted watching other kids to notice the little blonde beside him.

"I'm fine." Demyx frowned. He knew the other was lying, he just didn't know how to get him to open up. No thought of just leaving him alone even passed through his mind.

"No you're not. Come on. Tell me please? I won't tell anyone. Zexion says that when people are upset, it's best to tell someone why." The redhead was looking at him now. Then he snorted in a way that reminded Demyx of his best friend Zexion.

"What would you care? You don't know me." Zexion had said the same thing to Demyx when the two had first met. The same response was also used.

"No I don't. But I would like to." Demyx knew he wasn't smart like Zexion, wasn't strong like his other friend Larxene, but he could understand many things they couldn't. Like how friendship is all some people needed.

The boy stared at Demyx again. It had been a long time since anyone had come near him. A lot of the kids just didn't like him. Called him weird, different. Just because he was never open. He never liked to talk.

He told Demyx. Everything. How he was bullied. How his parents had just died.

He didn't realize till the end he still didn't know the blonde's name.

"I'm Axel by the way." He smiled. It was his first in many months.

"Demyx." His smile was blinding. "Come on, you should Meet Zex and Larxene. You'd like them." Axel nodded, happy for the first time in a long time. Maybe life wasn't as hopeless as he had thought.

End flashback

They had been nearly inseparable ever since, even when Zexion and Demyx finally acknowledged their blaringly obvious like of each other.

The fact that Axel had cried distressed him.

"Yeah. He came home looking like a zombie, walked to his room and broke. I was wondering if any of you have any idea why." Actually, Reno was tearing up his insides, hoping.

Demyx, Zexion, and Larxene traded glances, making Reno feel decidedly uncomfortable. He had forgotten how close his brother's group was.

"We don't…know. But, I can pretty much assure you, it has something to do with Roxas."

"My neighbor?" Why would that boy…oh… All three nodded.

"And why exactly would he be the cause of this?"

"Axel's gotten a lot closer to him than any of us. I mean, he's our friend too, but I think only Demyx has actually talked to him alone besides Axel. There's something between them." Demyx didn't add what he had seen the day Roxas had gotten pissed at Sora.

"Like…dating something?" Larxene shook her head.

"No. Look Reno. We don't know. We just know this kid shows up, all but screaming to be left alone. The next thing we know, Axel is friends with him. You'd have to ask Axel if you want more of an answer." Reno nodded.

"Thanks guys. You can go home. Axel's still asleep I hope." The last part was more to himself than anything. The three kids left quietly.

Reno went back to his brother's room…actually he just stood in the doorway, watching him.

It had hurt him to see his brother cry. His brother had always been the strong one.

Of course, to Axel, that wasn't true. But in Reno's mind, Axel was the only thing he had had left when their parents died. And in all truth, Axel had gotten over their death long before he had.

Reno sighed. He needed his brother, and his brother needed him. But even so, Reno realized, he might not be enough this time.

He closed the door and went back to the living room. Too much thinking for one night.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zip. okay? Okay.

A/N: Hiya people! Okay i'm really sorry no Seifer harm has been used yet, but i kinda wanted to go for a little more emotional chapter on Axel's part. I hope i succeeded. And even if i didn't, i actually like this chap. So anyway, please review!! I love seeing them! Thanx guys!