Roxas held his cheek gingerly, still feeling a slight amount of pain if he moved his jaw the wrong way. He rested sullenly on his bed, after Xigbar had hit him before running away; It had already been a day. It hurt... but it struck a nerve in him to see how enraged and upset Xigbar was, only from seeing them kiss. All the pain, the agitation... all nestled inside that lone eye, the only portal into Xigbar's hidden emotions; Roxas felt a pang in his chest. Did...he make the wrong choice? Then again... seeing how estatic Axel was now, he didn't want to leave the redhead, yet, he didn't want to see Xigbar in so much anguish. He couldn't deny...that he had feelings not only for Axel, but for Xigbar as well. He had started experiencing those feelings about a month after he had joined. Axel was his friend at the time, but Xigbar... he was more; He was strong, funny, and he cared, in his own way... Roxas admired him at first, but then the feelings just grew, then Axel had begun to flirt with him by his second month in the Organization. Only on missions, never at the Castle, so he could keep them safe, but he didn't return them. He was waiting for Xigbar, but they never got the chance; Few missions together, no time alone, and Xigbar was busy so often, made it hard to get anything started. And Xigbar never seemed interested, though he could never tell... Roxas never got up the courage to flirt with Xigbar.

Roxas stood, guilty feelings bumbling around in his mind, sighing as he walked into his bathroom, turning the faucet to cold before removing his gloves. He let the chilly water run over his hand, cupping his cheek with a wet hand; The cold helped dull the slight pain and prevent bruising, knowing he had to take care of it himself. He stared at the mirror, his blond locks swaying softly in the air condition's breeze, cerulean eyes troubled. He could imagine Xigbar, standing next to him and holding his close, a arm around his waist; Then he could imagine Axel, doing the exact same thing. He tilted his head, scowling, not knowing which he preferred. Was... it wrong to think od them both like that? He was with Axel now... He heard a knock at his door and the blond was stunned for a moment, quickly turning the faucet off, wiping his hands on his cloak as he walked up to the door.

"Oh, hey Axel," Roxas greeted the redhead quietly as he opened the door, Axel looking to the left, then to the right, before he walked in, Roxas closing the door.

"Hey baby. You look a little tired.." Axel murmured, caressing Roxas' injured cheek gently; Roxas let out a breath as he held a flinch in.

"A little, haha...Just exhausting missions as usual." Roxas gave a tiny smile, hugging Axel; He suddenly felt.. guilty. It wasn't that he wasn't telling Axel that he was slapped... but that he was hugging the redhead. Suddenly, he felt dirty, but he didn't understand why. His mind wandered to Xigbar, recalling him getting a mission almost five hours earlier, and he could see the guilt in the man's eye even from across the room.

"I'll bet," Axel laughed."Saix's been angry lately so he's handing out hard stuff. Wanna get some Ice cream?"

"No thanks, I've probably got a mission." Roxas answered, scowling. He wasn't in the mood to do a mission, but he had too. Maybe it would clear his mind some. Hopefully, he wouldn't have a partner and he could simply be alone; He certainly hoped he didn't have to go to Fantasia, at least not today...

"That's too bad. Well, I guess I'll see you later, Roxy." Axel said, bending down to give Roxas a kiss on the lips, chaste and affectionate; He didn't notice Roxas discomfort.

Roxas gave a false smile as he waved goodbye to Axel, leaving his room via the door qhile Axel exited through a portal. Down the hallway and stairs towards the Grey Room, he could hear Saix telling Demyx off for being lazy, as usual, even from halfway down the stairs. As Roxas strolled in, he watched as Demyx pouted, moving away from the irritated berseker, who was facing towards the open window.

"Oh hey, Roxas..." Demyx huffed, summoning his precious sitar in a flurry of aqua bubbles.

"Hey Demyx. Getting yelled at again?"

"As always... I'm just not a fighter..." Demyx sighed, walking off."See ya later Roxas..."

"Uh...bye..." Roxas trailed off as Demyx left through a portal before he walked up to Saix, hoping the man wouldn't blow a fuse.

"Number XIII," Saix didn't even acknowledge him, fingers twitching and hair wild, a sign that he was about to go berserk."You have a mission to Olympus, in the Underworld section... There is a unidentified Heartless, destroy it."

"A-Alright..." Roxas took Saix's restrained reply as a warning, exiting through a portal as fast as he could to the greek world.

He was almost blinded by the sunlight, hardly used to any source of light that wasn't Kingdom Hearts or from the Castle itself. The Underworld certainly wasn't the best place to relax or clear your mind, but it would have to do unless after his mission he took a break to another world. Roxas sighed, heading towards the colloseum's exit, kicking up a slight amount of dust as he pushed the heavy ornate doors open to reveal a swirling blue and green vortex. He walked through the vortex, almost tripping as he emerged onto the forest green and black terrain, akin to solidyified slime. He figured the Heartless would be deeper, inside the cave near the river, where most of the Heartless hung out. Roxas summonded his Keyblade, the Kingdom Key, taking the path towards the underground river of breathable mist that made for water; Souls wandered in the form of white, shining orbs of light. Unfortunately, the exit of the area was under the river of mist, which clogged the lungs with disgusting smoke-like air.

Roxas stared down from a floating platform of black rock, boots crunching and send a tiny shower of rocks into the river; He took a breath before hopping into the 'water', landing safely as he coughed. He ran towards the exit, but oddly, there weren't any Heartless, not even the Ghost Heartless, which probably mean the unknown Heartless was a cannibal and ate them for strength. He could feel the current pull him suddenly, sweeping him into the next area, gripping his Keyblade. Roxas let out a cough, breaching the water so he could toss his keyblade onto land, so he could hoist himself to the path before he was swept away by the current; He couldn't die from the water, but he certainly could from the jagged rocks in the river. Roxas took his keyblade in him, standing and brushing himself off. The Underworld's current was never that powerful... which raised some concern.

"Woah!" Roxas yelped as a small quake rumbled through the area, almost knocking himself off his feet. The quake continued, rocks shaking. Roxas grunted as he rolled out to the side, stalactites crashing down from the cave's ceiling, showering rocks on him. The rumbling intensified, and abruptly, huge rocks shot from the ground as a huge hole opened in the ground, Roxas gasping at the whirling drill poking up from it. A massive lime green squid shot from the hole, drill ceasing it's spinning as it landed in front of Roxas, who let out a growl as a rock nicked his cheek. The squid Heartless gave a shriek, lashing out at Roxas with its tentacles. Roxas rolled to the side again, getting to his feet as fast as possible. His keyblade lit up and he shot a burst of lightning at squid, making it shriek and slam it's tentacles against the walls, rocks raining down. He took a chance to dash up to the Heartless, slashing at the squid's break, leaving a cut from which blue liquid spewed from it. Suddenly, Roxas screamed as the liquid landed on his arm, instantly dissolving the black leather and singing from his wrist to his elbow. The waved his arm frantically, casting Blizzard on his arm just to stop the terrible pain. The squid Heartless recovered, slamming a limb into Roxas' back, whacking him into the wall. Roxas groaned as he hit the ground, slumping against the wall in pain, the squid Heartless aproaching him.

"Roxas!"

Roxas' eyes widened at the voice, but he couldn't tell exactly who it was, his head was spinning like a top; Deep inside, he hoped it was Xigbar. His hopes were dashed when a massive burst of blue and red flame exploded on the squid, roasting it alive immediantly. As it faded, heart floating towards Kingdom Hearts, his blue orbs blinked before he focused onto the skinny form running up to him, holding chakrams and housing a head of wild, fire truck red locks.

"Roxas, baby, are you okay?" Axel exclaimed, dropping his chakrams as he bent in front of his wounded boyfriend, holding him close as he searched his pocket for a Hi-Potion.

"F-Fine...A-axel..." Roxas coughed, back screaming silently, and he could feel warmth sliding down his back. Axel brought the bottle of green liquid to his mouth, letting him take a few sips before he drunk the entire bottle. The scrapes on his back healed quickly, muscle and tissue repairing itself at a amazing rate, skin fusing back together, only leaving scars and a dull ache; His arm's pain disappeared, but the wrinkled skin remained.

"I'm so glad I came..." Axel murmured, hugging Roxas."I don't know, I just had a feeling that I should come check on you. Guess I was right, huh?"

Roxas gave a small smile, glad Axel came... but he wanted it to be Xigbar who saved him, Xigbar who held him close. It hurt, even to admit it in his mind, but he knew what he wanted deep inside.

II~XIII~II~XIII

Holding inside feelings deep

Knowing you can't weep

Never knowing, confusion all around

Will realization soon be found?

Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it

Forgive, forgive, I admit

II~XIII~II~XIII

Xigbar let out a shout of animosity; He hit Roxas, he slapped him...in the face! Every chance of them being together went down the drain. He didn't care that Fantasia's seemingly never ending rain was soaking him to the bone; He deserved it, to be cold and wet. The fact that every mission he seemed to get recently was to Fantasia, it made everything worse. His side ached, and he grit his teeth, glad he was feeling every bit of pain. He couldn't bare to look at himself, even in a puddle of water; It made his chest ache like he was getting beaten with a block of wood. How...could he hurt such the perfect, beautiful existence that was Roxas? He wished that Roxas had hit him back, had knocked him to the ground, had beaten the living shit out of him. H-He was just so angry, just a blind rage...but that didn't excuse his actions, he knew it... He just.. had lost it.

Xigbar's teeth chattered in the icy wind, but he didn't care, not even bothering to try and stop it, just reating on a rock somewhere in Fantasia; Did it even matter anymore? He stood, moving to his left to lean against a tree, the damp bark cooling his forehead as he panted. He... yearned to hold Roxas close, just to hug him and say that he was sorry... if he had to, beg for his forgiveness; but Axel was there, they were together. It was impossible. Xigbar bit his lip. All he wanted was Roxas... The sniper couldn't deny it any longer, that he wished they were together, that maybe if he had returned Roxas' subtle advances then, they might be together now... He knew they couldn't -wouldn't- be together, ever. All that mattered now was that he apologized... and that Roxas could find it in his heart, or whatever the hell they had, to forgive him.

"That's it...I have too..." Xigbar admitted quietly, slaming his fist onto the tree's truck. He would never forgive himself, if he didn't do anything; He didn't notice the vines moving towards him, creepy slowly down the tree. As he leaned against it, one wrapped itself around his wrist, and he jerked away, cursing. More, and more, slithering up to him from the ground and the tree. He struggled and yelled, as the vines wrapped around his entire body, some slipping up under his cloak and pants, others gripping his neck, cutting off his air.

"N-No...F-Fu-uck..." Xigbar breathed out as he felt himself loosing consciousness, agonizingly slipping into a world of darkness, eye blinking in a futile attmept to focus and gain his bearings as the vines pulled him into the bushes. Finally, after endeavoring to break free, Xigbar lost his hold on reality, closing his eye as he was dragged into a underground cave system, leaving no trace; Vines covered the drag marks with mud.