"Axel, food isn't going to appear if you stand there with the door open."
"Huh? ... I know that, Rox. I'm writing down what we need."
"You don't have a pen. It's okay, you can admit that you were just staring into the fridge."
"... I have an ipod that has a reminder check-list thing. Why would I ... nevermind. Will you drive me to Fresh Foods?"
"Sure. Want me to stick around while you're getting the food?"
"You can, I don't mind."
Axel knew that Roxas wasn't a fan of grocery shopping as it was, and adding on the rude people never helped ... plus, today there was a sale on so that would mean more people, and more rudeness, so Axel never asked Roxas to stay, and he never expected him to. They had a nice arrangement where Roxas would drop him off and pick him up when he called ... But Axel would be lying if he said he didn't wish Roxas would stick around every once in awhile and help him.
Grabbing his coat and keys, Axel walked to the parking lot with Roxas and got in the passenger side.
"Have you ever thought about getting your like, car license and having both the car and motorcycle license?"
"Why? Getting tired of driving your boyfriend to Fresh Foods?"
Smiling and shaking his head, Roxas turned the car on and started the drive to the grocery store.
"Never. I just think you'd benefit from driving a car ..."
"If this is about you being worried that I'm on a motorcycle and I don't have any protection, we already discussed this."
He was now looking at Roxas with an amused, but touched, smile on his face. Roxas always worried about Axel when he went out on his bike. A lot of people didn't care about people on bikes, and they weren't as protected as those in a car ... plus, they were exposed to all the elements and Roxas was scared that something bad would happen to Axel; human or nature caused.
"... When we go up to your parent's cottage you can start teaching me how to drive and I'll take my test ... But I'm still going to use my bike everywhere I go."
"Use a car when it's raining? And in the winter?"
"When it's raining hard, fine. ...And I guess the winter will be fine too. Will you stop driving me places if I can drive myself?"
"Nah. I know you enjoy our car conversations too much."
"Yeah, let's go with that."
Axel smiled at Roxas pulled into the parking lot of Fresh Foods, his smile fading fast as he realized Roxas took the last parking spot.
"You don't have to come in, you know. I know crowds make you nervous and it's going to be really, really crowded in there."
Roxas took his seatbelt off and got out of the car, followed quickly by Axel.
"It's okay, Axel. If I start to panic I'll leave, okay?"
Nodding, Axel walked towards the carts and took out a quarter and put it in the slot to get the cart.
"So, what did you have to get?"
"Hm? Oh, we'll get to that isle. I take it you usually just go isle by isle?"
"Yeah, I do."
"So ... vegetables and fruits first?"
Walking towards the vegetables and fruits section, Axel nodded and picked up a head of lettuce and examined it.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm making sure it's good."
"Oh. Is it?"
"Yep."
Placing the lettuce into the cart, Axel began walking again with Roxas right beside him.
They had gone down many isle with Axel checking off the things he got off his list and had just turned down the section Axel liked to refer to as "guilty pleasures" because everyone who went down this isle tended to hide their purchase and sneak it into their cart, making sure no one else saw it. Axel wasn't one of those people who felt guilty about eating chips or sweet things. He liked chips and chocolate, so why should the purchase of said things make him feel guilty?
Picking up the box of popcorn, Axel glanced at his boyfriend and raised his eyebrow.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I just didn't expect there to be so many kinds."
"Did you come here just to get to this section?"
"Yes. A commercial came on last night for a chocolate bar, and I've been wanting it ever since. I know Nutty makes a lot of different kinds, so I didn't want to explain it to you and since you were sleeping, you didn't get to see it. So I thought I'd tag along and see if they sold it."
"Would it be this one?"
Axel pointed down at a Nutty bar that had "NEW" plastered onto the cover.
"Nutty peanut butter and peanut bar?"
"Yes! That's it!"
Picking up two, Axel dropped them into the cart and winked at Roxas. He had a very soft spot for peanut butter ... well, anything with nuts really. Telling people that always resulted in them smirking or making testicle jokes, but as a gay man Axel could proudly say that he liked all types of nuts.
"Is that all we need to get?"
"I just need to pick up a few more things."
"Can we get a frozen pizza?"
"Yeah, sure. I actually think that's on the list."
"Are you making that tonight?"
"I was going to, yeah."
"Awesome."
Axel smiled, glad that Roxas didn't seem to mind the crowds so much, and when they did get too much they'd move to a different section, or Roxas would move closer to him. He was incredibly proud of Roxas for doing this and this was a giant step for him. He didn't expect Roxas to do it every time Axel went grocery shopping, but it was something.
Checking out, Axel knew that Roxas was anxious. Roxas had a fear of not having enough money when he went to the store and he was now staring at the computer monitor seeing how much it was currently at. Axel could tell he was worried and he didn't even know how much money Axel had on him, or in the bank.
"Rox, why don't you bag the groceries?"
Tossing the bags he had brought with him to Roxas, Axel watched as he glanced one last time at the monitor and went down to where the food was, bagging it slowly as if he was worried they'd have to put it all back.
Paying and moving down towards Roxas, Axel put his cart behind them so they could put the bags into it.
"Did you have en-"
"Yes, I did."
Axel frowned slightly as he watched his boyfriend's shoulders relax.
"You were really freaked out during the check-out, eh?"
"Was it obvious?"
"Only in your eyes, but when I told you there was nothing to worry about you like, relaxed a lot ... you know, you can ask if we have enough money."
"I thought it was rude and personal."
"It's your money too, Rox. Plus, I keep track of how much we spend and add it up while we're going."
"In your head?"
"Nah, with my ipod."
Placing the last bag into the cart, Axel rolled the cart outside and to the car.
"There. Now we get to go home and put it all away."
Rolling the cart back and getting his quarter, Axel returned to the car and got inside, ready to go home and make lunch. Grocery shopping always made Axel hungry.
"So ... would you say that you owe me?"
"What?"
Axel stopped eating his pizza and looked at Roxas.
"I mean, not in like a literal kind of way. But like since I went with you to Fresh Foods, would you be willing to do something you're not comfortable with ... for me?"
"Aw, you're going to use this against me?"
"No, but it was a way of asking if you'd do something for me."
"Depends on what it is."
"Something you're not comfortable with."
"I'm not comfortable wearing high heels for long periods of time, so you're going to have to be a little more specific because I have myself in high heels on a tall building being chased by months."
Snickering and shaking his head, Roxas set his pizza down.
"Come to the shop with me."
"The shop? What sh ... that shop? Ah, Roxas."
"I need to pick up a bachelorette party things and I know they sell penis straws. Plus, maybe we could find something to use?"
"Fine."
Picking his pizza back up and biting into it, Axel wondered what could possibly be in the sex shop that they could use or need.
Biting into his pizza again to stop the smirk that was forming, Axel hummed and began to think about all the things they could use, and the things they needed.
"When did you want to go?"
"How about after we're done eating?"
"Alright ... Am I going to regret this?"
"Why would you?"
"I can see the look in your eyes."
Shrugging, Axel winked at his boyfriend and continued to eat his pizza, glad that Roxas went shopping with him and glad that he now got to go shopping with Roxas.
AN: This was incredibly difficult to write and I have no idea why, so sorry for this, and sorry it's late.