The darkness of the room flared out at the soft snick of Axel's lighter. The air was dense, and the smoke lingered above their heads on the pillow. The blend was rosewood and toasted cacao leaves, and Roxas could taste it on his lips twisted up with sweat and come and flavoured lube.
"Give us a draw," Riku said, leaning over Roxas's body to steal the cigarette from the lanky redhead.
"Ew," Roxas said. "Don't tell me Sora is on the other side of you right now," he complained.
"Nah, he's on the other side of the room," Riku replied. "Wakka wanted to make a Kairi sandwich." He handed the smoke back to Axel and settled down on the pillow. There was still heart-shaped confetti in his hair.
"Another nice Valentine's Day orgy," Olette murmured with sleepy satisfaction on the other side of Axel.
Axel dropped the butt of his smoke in a nearby beer bottle and got up with a stretch. He tugged his underwear up from his thighs. "Gotta piss."
Roxas watched him go, giving a smug grin at the bite mark on his hip just above the waistband of his briefs. He'd put that there. And now everyone could see it.
"So," Riku said quietly, watching Sora stir awake on the other side of the room. "You hogged Axel again last night."
"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked, and wow he sounded way too defensive.
"I mean," Riku said carefully, "that this is the fourth party in a row that you were with Axel so often nobody could get in on that."
"You're exaggerating. I blew you last night, what are you complaining for?" He grumbled.
"Yeah, while Axel was getting water. And then once you were done with me, you had to go over and make sure that Olette didn't get her hands on him." Riku shrugged. "Everyone's noticed, everyone," he pointed out, "just saying. If you two are exclusive, then you should probably tell the group."
"We're not exclusive," Roxas muttered as Axel came back, carrying a bowl of chips and dip. "Axe, do you think I'm cockblocking you at our group nights?" He asked.
The redhead raised an eyebrow as he sat down, crunching his jalapeño salsa. "Haven't noticed," he replied calmly. "Did someone want to screw around before?"
"Never mind," Riku said, rolling his eyes. He got up and went to sit with Kairi and Sora.
"What was that about?" Axel asked, flicking out a fresh smoke. He caught it between his teeth and gave Roxas a familiar whine that meant 'light it for me, Roxas, my hands are full'.
Roxas picked up the lighter, flicked open the lid with a thumb and then rubbing the flint until the flame burned to life. He moved it up to light the end of the smoke. "Riku says I'm hogging you at all the orgies," he replied. "I had no idea what he was talking about either."
"Nm," Axel drew in a lungful of smoke. "Should we find a bed for the night?"
"You wanna drive me home?" Roxas asked instead. "Tidus's dad always makes us clean the house before we're allowed breakfast."
Axel shuddered and stood. "Yeah. Fuck that noise." He took the smoke out of his lips. "Riku, Sora. We're bouncing. You need a lift?"
Sora waved him off, curled happily between his boyfriend and girlfriend. "Go away. I'm comfy."
Roxas snickered and found his clothes, wriggling into them and bidding everyone goodbye before he followed Axel out of the house.
"I'll never understand those three," Axel said, rolling his eyes. "Kairi is straight and Riku is gay. How exactly do they share?"
"I don't know if they ever have a threesome," Roxas said, "and I don't ever want to think about it. What they have makes them happy. No one can argue with that."
"Yeah." Axel was pensive as he drove towards his uncle's place, rather than towards the Strife-Leonheart house. "That's the important thing," he said eventually, as he parked in the undercover area. "Whatever the relationship is between people, as long as it's all consensual and it makes them happy – then it's fine, right?"
"Yeah." Roxas glanced at him. There was something weird in his best friend's tone of voice, he couldn't figure it out.
"Come on. Let's go to bed. I'm wiped."
Roxas shook his head and followed him up to bed.