AN: Whoo!!!! It's after midnight, so happy birthday to me! XD I've turned 16 and this chapter is my birthday present to myself!! Yay! Sorry, I'm hyped up on sugar cookies. Anywho, in this chapter Larxene, Marluxia, and kind of Luxord are introduced. I really like those three, so I put them in. Oh, also there is a brief mention of Xemnas. And I know Roxas should act all awkward around Axel now but really the dream is kinda pushed to the back of his mind during the day. That's happened to a lot of people, why shouldn't it happen with him? Although he is kinda in denial. Don't worry, this will pop up again later. The yaoi is not ovah! Moving on, to my reviewers:

Riku-Stalker

WishingYouWereHere

the masochist and the sadist

Silver Tears 11

hermione494

Sora Keyblader

Tsuzuki Misaki-Thanks for the critique. Although, I don't think you quite understood what I was trying to do. Sometimes in dreams, we can't really control our actions. See, his conscious mind was trying to make him push Axel away, but his subconscious mind, which is stronger during the night, wouldn't let him. Mostly, this was triggered by Axel telling him he loved him. Also, I don't think I really need a beta. I think I do okay on my own, and other than the occasional typo I don't think you would be doing much. Thanks for the offer anyway.

sanestinsanepersonever

KayChan4U

Terranei Parker

3-2-1xGLOMP

Aly the Trickster

Darkest Soul of Sadness

Thank you all, ya know I love you! -Glomps you all before you can escape- >:D So, without further ado other than the disclaimer, let's get this chapter started!

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine. However, Hartsol restaurants is! If only I could make it into a real restaurant chain...


Roxas buried his head in his knees, trying to even out his breathing. The term 'freaking out' didn't even begin to describe what he was feeling right now. For god's sake, he just had a wet dream about someone he was supposed to hate! What does this mean? He wondered. I know I'm not attracted to him. He's an idiot. I don't like him. The blonde found his mind wandering back to the dream, the part where Axel had kissed him. It had felt so real. And so…No! Don't think it! You don't like him!

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" He groaned, throwing himself backward on the bed.

Almost as if on cue, the lock snicked and Axel opened the door, poking his head in. "Hey, you okay Roxy?"

"I'm fine!" Roxas threw a pillow at the door. "Get out!"

Axel quickly ducked behind to door, using it as a shield, but his head reappeared again just as quickly. "Damn and I hoped that whole 'being nice' thing was gonna last."

"Just go away."

"No can do." Axel grinned, coming into the room. Roxas pulled his sheets up over himself, as if the thin membrane of cotton could protect him. Flashes of the dream kept coming back to him, seeming awfully similar to this situation, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

He felt the sheet being peeled back from his head and Axel's grinning face was clearly shown. "Peek-a-boo," he said teasingly, earning a scowl from the blonde. "Alright," he laughed, "Serious time. I know it must be hard for you to stay here all alone, so I've decided that you're coming with me to work today. What do you think?"

"I think that's a horrible idea," he spat venomously; "I don't want to have to spend more time with you than I have to."

Axel looked hurt. "Well, I guess you don't have to go. I just thought...you might appreciate getting out of here every once in a while, ya know?" He released the sheet, sending it to fall softly back onto Roxas' head. The blonde, feeling a wave of guilt wash through him said, "Alright, fine…I'll go."

"Really?!" Roxas moved the sheet and saw Axel, positively beaming, right in his face. Again he was reminded of the dream and he felt his face heat up. "Y-yeah," he mumbled, "Just…don't get all upset, alright?"

Axel ruffled his hair infuriatingly. "Aw, I knew you cared. Well, get dressed. We gotta leave in an hour."

Roxas smoothed out his hair and went into the bathroom, intending to take a shower. God knows he needed one. However, he decided against it when he realized the redhead would be there to supervise if he did. Right now, he didn't think he would be able to take it. Sponge bath, he decided. After all, he desperately needed to wash up.

After he had cleaned up and gotten dressed, he left his room and went to the kitchen, where he found Axel with some cereal. "I can't cook every day," he explained, "Sometimes I just like to have something simple." Shaking his head, Roxas grabbed the cardboard box and poured himself a bowl.

"Hey," Axel said, his voice muffled by the mouthful of cereal, "Just so you know, I have a weirdo co-worker named Luxord. I would suggest staying away from him unless I'm around, okay? He's…kind of a pervert."

"A pervert? You don't mean that he would…?"

"No, he wouldn't go THAT far…I don't think…but I've seen from experience that he'll flirt profusely with anyone, regardless of sex; Especially cute people. So just watch your back."

Roxas flushed indignantly. "Hey, I'm a guy. Guys aren't 'cute.'"

"Uh-huh…" Axel took a bite of his cereal, "You just keep telling yourself that."

Roxas glowered at his bowl, taking a few bites before deciding he was done. "So, where exactly do you work?"

"I work at one of the famous Hartsol restaurants. You know, owned by that big-shot businessman Xemnas Hartsol." He winked. "I'm the head chef. Best of the best."

"Somebody's humble."

"Hey, when you're this good, you don't have to be humble. Other people can be humble for you." He chuckled, sticking his bowl in the sink and steering Roxas out the door.

Roxas sat back in a booth by the window, bored out of his mind. He hadn't thought spending the day in a restaurant would be exciting but god he hadn't expected it to be this BORING. Damn Axel for sticking him here while he got to go off and work.

A few people had come to talk to him while he had been sitting there, including a girl with a sort of antenna-do in her blonde hair. She said that her name was Larxene and, apparently, she was one of Axel's co-workers. Although, unlike Axel, she busted tables and cleaned the floors and such. "I can't even boil water," she said, chuckling, "But everyone needs money, right?" Roxas, despite himself, immediately liked her. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to talk to him for very long since she had to work. But at least she broke up the monotony a bit.

Another person that he saw was a young boy with pink-yes, pink-hair. He didn't get a chance to talk to him, since he was a waiter and always busy, but he found himself staring at his hair whenever he passed. Seriously, what self-respecting man dyes their hair pink? Honestly.

Glancing at his watch, Roxas groaned when he saw that only two hours had gone by. Axel's shift lasted 9 hours. Only seven to go, he thought bitterly, settling back into the booth. Suddenly he felt tired. The boredom might have had something to do with it. A little nap won't hurt, he thought, letting himself drift off in the uncomfortable booth.

About an hour and a half later, Axel went on break. He grabbed a few dishes he had had some of the others cook up and went to meet Roxas. When he got there, he found him asleep. He set the plates down and reached out to gently shake his shoulder when a sob suddenly wracked the small blonde's body. Startled, Axel pulled his hand back. He watched in amazement as tears started flowing down Roxas' cheeks.

"Sora…" he sobbed, "No…please…" The redhead stared as if in a trance. Sora? Who was that? "It's not my fault…" The blonde continued in his sleep. That seemed to break Axel from the spell. He quickly leaned forward and shook Roxas' shoulder roughly.

The blonde's eyes opened, wide and shining with tears. He stared at Axel for a moment, a look of shock set firmly on his face, before letting out a loud sob and leaning forward onto the redhead's chest. Axel quickly wrapped his arms around him and stroked his hair soothingly. He didn't know what he had been dreaming about, but right now it didn't matter.

"Shhh, it's alright," Axel whispered, "I'm here, I'm here." Despite his soothing, the blonde didn't stop crying for quite a while.

When he had, their lunches had gotten cold and Axel's shirt had become very wet. "I'm sorry…" Roxas mumbled, clutching his shirt with numbed fingers.

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about," Axel said, still running his fingers through the blonde locks, "What were you dreaming about anyway?"

That seemed to have triggered something in the young teen, because he suddenly stiffened and pushed Axel away. "Nothing."

The redhead frowned. "What do you mean, 'nothing'? Roxas, you were crying. AND you were confiding in me. It must have been pretty bad."

"It's none of your business," the blonde growled, his eyes clearly saying to drop the subject.

However, as many know, Axel isn't one for taking hints. "Come on, you can tell me. Maybe I can help…"

"Well, you can't!" Roxas snapped. "Damnit, when someone says it's none of your business, that doesn't mean to press the issue! That means drop it!"

The redhead blinked in surprised. "I was only trying to help…"

"Well, I don't need your help!"

"Don't lie," Axel said, smiling slightly, "Everyone needs help sometimes, Roxas."

"That may be true," Roxas said, his eyes blue slits on his face, "But that doesn't mean I need YOUR help. I never asked for it in the first place, why don't you just…just disappear."

The redhead's smile became sad. "I'll always be here, Roxy. Whether you like it or not." With that, he stood up and went back to his shift, leaving Roxas to fume.


AN: Don't be mad at Roxy for being mean to Axel. He's gone through a lot. -Glomps Roxy-