Disclaimer: Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of boy's love. Can you smell it? Well I can, and it smells like me not owning Kingdom Hearts. Yup... Chapter 7 folks.

Axel was in the ICU for the next few days. That left the ward very boring. Or at least that's how it felt to Roxas. The second week of his reprieve from chemo his family managed to steal him away from the ward. It was good to be home, and to goof off with Sora and Cloud and play video games for hours on end. Hayner, Pence, and Olette with a mountain of homework in hand.

Around lunch time on the second day Roxas began to feel run down. By evening he was back on the ward with a round of antibiotics.

Unfortunately, Axel was already asleep by the time Roxas was settled down in his nitch. Demyx was also knocked out, his MP3 blaring in his ears. Since Zexion was no company, that only left sleeping as well.

Roxas always had vivid dreams. When he was seven he camped out in Cloud's room for a week because of a nightmare about a monster in his closet. His dreams tonight were haunted by a different sort of monster. A monster with flaming red- hair.

It was all too vivid. Color in shades a thousand time brighter than Roxas had had ever seen. He could see all the pores in Axel's skin, every stand of Axel's hair. It was almost like some kind weird whacked-out drug induced dream. Only better.

Axel's mouth enveloped Roxas'. His hand wound itself in Roxas' blond hair. The kiss deepened. The two continued to press and move and-

Roxas awoke in a cold sweat. "Damn." He muttered as he fell back in bed and ran a hand threw his hair, "Damn it."

"Dreamin' 'bout you girlfriend?"

Roxas' head shot over to the side. Axel was lying on his bed, back toward Roxas. The blond hadn't even realized, "Oh yeah."

Sure, if said girlfriend was actually a boyfriend who wasn't really a boyfriend, and said almost boyfriend was Axel.

"She cute?"

"Unbelievably so..." Roxas found himself saying.

"Cool." He faked a yawn signaling the conversation was over.

Roxas ran a hand threw his hair, "... unbelievably... cute."

The blond shuttered.

Even by the next morning, Roxas still couldn't shake the impact of his dream. Just the weird result of a fever some weird drugs.

He didn't have long to ponder the meaning of his dream however the door swung open and the hulking figure of Dr. Lexaeus strode into the room. With one hand he brushed his wiry hair; the other was holding a clipboard. His eyes skimmed the papers before he strode over to Roxas' bed, "Good morning." He muttered.

"Yeah, morning." Roxas grumbled back.

"So..." Lexaeus skimmed the clipboard, "You had a slight fever, but because of the nature of your case, we have you on IV antibiotics. We'll let the drugs run their course for another two days then set you back on chemo in four days time. Sound good?"

"Sure." That's what Roxas liked about Lexaeus; he didn't beat around the bush.

"Right... I'm sorry, I've got to go." He stood, "The entire ward's backed up. Luxord and the rest of the nurses are doing the best they can, but I have no idea what Dr. Marluxia's up to." Lexaeus mumbled, striding off.

Roxas distinctly heard Zexion add a "Good riddance." to the last bit.

The nurse who was supposed to come for Axel was late. The red-head used this opportunity to lie in bed back turned to the rest of the room. It occurred to Roxas that maybe Axel was put off by the 'girlfriend' comment. After all he'd almost kissed Roxas- the blond attempted to forget he'd almost kissed Axel back. Then again Axel must have been handsome before this mess began; he probably had someone special too. Roxas brushed the thought from his mind-along with all the other thoughts of his dream. If it didn't happen... well it didn't happen.

Eventually, Larxene came up for him.

The blonde nurse brought him up again, too, once physical therapy was over.

He continued to ignore the other three. Which was fine by Roxas. He was ignoring the red-head as well. Except... when he thought no one was looking.

And the days rolled on.

Roxas was taken off antibioltics, and Demyx was moved up to the ICU for pneumonia resulting from his seizure. Zexion burning threw another book, and Axel continued to ignore the world. Meanwhile Roxas continued to dream of Axel.

He even made a guest appearance in the 'I-went-to-school-without-putting-pants-on-dream.' He was in boxers as well.

Chemo started up again. Starting up the usual aches and pains associated with the treatment.

It was the third day of chemo when Roxas began to wonder if maybe Axel had grown bored with them all. Perhaps, he longed to be home with his friends, to slack off and shoot hoops. Besides his mother and his brother he hadn't gotten any visitors. His brother brought in his homework, although occasionally he'd pass on a message or two. But no real visitors.

Maybe once Zexion had friends, too. Good friends who he discussed plot points in books with and gushed over other boys with. Then he got cancer. And they found someone to replace Zexion. And he retreated into the world of Russian novels which Roxas couldn't decipher the names of. Maybe, one day they'd all retreat into something. Demyx into his music, Axel into his memories of his glory days, Roxas into his mind. Maybe Zexion wasn't the weird bookworm who never talked to anyone, but the three of them once the ward had broken them.

"That should be it for today." Vexen, the chemo-tech, interrupted Roxas' revel. Roxas' hated his place. It was like a mad scientist's lab, and Vexen really looked the part. Especially, what with the whole 'injecting people with strange chemicals' job. You couldn't pay Roxas enough to do his job.

Which was why Roxas liked to high tail it out of there as quickly as humanly possible. Rather, as fast as the nurse would allow him. Fortunately, Larxene led him off as Vexen was beginning yet another long explanation. He'd be pissed. Somehow, Roxas failed to care.

Zexion had managed to squirrel himself away somewhere. Big surprise. Axel was off in the emo corner. Big Surprise.

"Tch..." Roxas dropped into the bed.

"What?" Axel asked.

"Oh-ho, so the Big-man on the ward finally decides I'm worthy."

Axel looked up, eyes glaring, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing just that you went from being practically my best friend to completely ignoring me in a couple of days." Oh, niiice move Roxas.

"Tch--" Roxas cut Axel off mid-disgust.

"Yeah, I get it. None of us here are really friends!" When the words started, it was hard to stop him, "None of the little kids like Demyx's music and all the nurses are too old for you, and nobody will leave Zexion alone like he wants! I get it! We only talk because we're stuck in the same room! I get it! You wouldn't like me, and I wouldn't like you!" Ouch.

The red-head looked away, "That's not what I was going to say."

"Oh? Oh?" Roxas laughed, "What were you going to say?"

Axel bit his lip, "Um..."

"No, 'cuz none of us wouldn't be friends. This is all just a fluke!" Roxas growled, "It's stupid to think otherwise."

Axel sat up slightly in bed, "Naw... we're just different."

"Do you understand the concept of clichés?"

"So..." Axel mulled it over, "... what? We're friends now right? Who cares?"

"I care!" Roxas heard his voice rise and struggled to get it under control, "I have great friends who don't even visit me in the hospital! Great friends, I don't need you guys!"

Axel looked down, "I have friends, too..."

Roxas ignored him, "Then you traipse into my like and suddenly-" the blond struggled, "You and me and I... and a couple of weeks ago you came this close to... kissing me, and now you won't talk to me. What am I supposed to think? Demyx and Zexion--" Roxas shook his head, "You can't keep ignoring me--everyone!"

"... I'm scared ok?" Axel yelled, "I've lost a leg, lost any chance to be normal! Lost all my friends- I'm losing my mind- I." Axel gritted his teeth and shook his head, "Are you happy now, huh?"

"No!" Roxas yelled back.

"Well--good! Misery loves company, right?" He grinned though it was more of a grimace, "Got it memorized, Roxy?"

Roxas glared back.

Both teens leaned back glaring steadily forward waiting for the normal routine to kick in. After a few long minutes Axel consented to say, "... you almost kissed me too, you know."

Roxas grimaced; he'd been repressing that, "So?"

"Well, ... what about your girlfriend?"

Shit. Time to save a little face, "Tch, do you see her around?"

"No... but..." Axel surveyed him, "Over before it started?"

"Yeah..." The whole shove-tongue-down-Olette's-throat failed miserably. Somehow he hadn't found the will to. Plus, she'd get upset.

"Well the..." Axel paused, "I don't have a girlfriend either."

"... what are you saying?"

"Nothing, nothing." Axel looked down.

Roxas noted a dilemma. It was difficult to helpfully let someone know you're interested in them from about five feet away. However, he couldn't just get up and walk over to Roxas' bed...

There were plenty of reasons why Roxas shouldn't move over. Axel would definitely know he was interested-- which he wasn't. He'd worked hard to prove to people at school he wasn't gay, this would totally ruin it. He felt like he was going to puke...

But there was really only one reason why to go over there, and it was staring him in the face.

Roxas slid out of bed and walked over to Axel's praying that nobody'd walk in on them.

"You were right." Axel muttered, "You, me, Dem, and Zex wouldn't be friends if this was real life, but it ain't! Nobody's here to judge us. Nobody will say anything. An' it's better than being alone, right?" Roxas didn't answer, "Nobody'll care, Roxy."

Roxas felt like saying 'I will', but instead he replied with, "Then what about when one of us gets out of this place?"

The red-head bit his lip, "Well..."

"Exactly."

"... Inch by inch life's a synch."

"Dr. Lexaeus told you that."

"... I... don't want to hook up over cancer."

"Look, Roxas." Axel leaned forward dangerously close to Roxas, "We could die. Do you really want to die without knowing? Let me die? Nobody... will know except people who won't care... when it ends it ends but we might as well have a little fun."

Somehow what Axel said made a little sense.

"Ok, then..."

Axel grinned happily--mischievously, "Great then."

"... This is the part where you're supposed to ki--" Axel cut him off, his mouth overlapping Roxas'. The blond felt himself melt. After a short moment Axel moved away.

"Happy now?"

Blushing deep red, the blond muttered, "Yes."

Roxas shuttered.

In this week's new it's PA appreciation week! I kinda wish Luxord could have been in this chapter to celebrate.

Wow. Some actual gay that Roxas didn't interrupt. It's a PA's week miracle.