So much going on lately, blah blah *insert excuse here*. I got into my favorite college. Woo?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Namine, where's Hayner?"

The blonde turned to Seifer and noticed that, even wearing dressed up for the dance, his beanie was still perched on his head. She smiled sheepishly and linked her arm in Axel's. "He went out of town. I'm here with Ax." At Seifer's raised eyebrow, she continued. "Going with a friend is better than going alone right?" she giggled.

Axel grinned wryly at Seifer and offered to get Namine a drink. When he reached the punch table Olette and Fuu approached him and insisted on making conversation - well, Olette did. He suffered politely through her gushing about Seifer and his 'amazing skills in the sack' until he couldn't take it and tuned her out. He stared past the girls at Namine, and a small smile grew on his face as he saw her mingling with everyone.

"... Secret."

"What?" Axel asked, turning to Fuu, but she looked at him blankly as if she hadn't said anything, but she had and he knew it, he just wanted her to say it again. What did she mean? Now he wished he had been listening to the conversation. Did she know something she shouldn't? Did she know about him and Namine?

He excused himself from the girls and walked over to the blonde, who was laughing with Xion. He didn't bother pretending to listen to what they were saying, just cleared he throat and muttered a 'sorry' before leading Namine away by her elbow to tell her about Fuu.

"Ax, I'm sure she doesn't know. How could she?"

He hadn't really thought of that. How could she have known? "Sorry, Nam," he said, chuckling awkwardly, using the nickname to inject some normalcy. "Guess I'm a little paranoid."

"Don't worry about it, we'll be okay. Dance with me?" She asked as she already began pulling him onto the floor. He let himself be led and placed his hands on her hips, trying to keep her at 'friend' distance, but she closed in and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Nam!" he whispered at her.

"Relax," she whispered back, and he shuddered as her breath hit is ear. "I promise no one will think anything of it." she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek as Axel stared over her shoulder at Fuu, who was staring right back.

The sandlot was packed with people as the first match of the season began. The strugglers from Traverse Town weren't nearly as skilled, and each went down easily. Axel grinned in triumph as he defeated the largest guy from their team, and the crowd erupted in applause. He jumped off the platform and jogged to where Coach Armstrong was waiting for him. The team came together in a huddle, each cheering for his own victory as well as the team's. They broke away, shouting some obscenities at the losing team before making their way back to the locker room. Axel broke through the door first, laughing with the team before his smile dropped.

"Hey Axel!"

"What are you doing here?"

Axel stood in the doorway, looking at Roxas who was dressed in sweats and holding a struggle bat in one hand.

"I want to be on the team!"

Axel lifted an eyebrow confusedly. "But you can't even fight!"

"But I've been practicing! On my own! Give me a chance!"

Axel shrugged and walked in, pulling his sweaty shirt over his head. "You'll have to take that up with Coach."

Just then, Riku walked in, laughing hysterically at the sight of Roxas holding the bat. "Don't tell me! You wanna try out?" He started laughing again. "Oh, this is rich. I'm captain; you wanna be on the team? You have to fight one of us."

Roxas gulped and looked around at all the tall, muscled boys in the room and picked the one that looked least threatening: a skinny, pale kid with what looked to be a combination of a mohawk and a mullet.

He pointed. "I'll fight him"

The boy stepped forward, running a hand through his hair.

"Alright, then," Riku began. "If you can defeat Demyx, you're on the team."

Roxas wiped away the sweat that was pooling on his forehead. He had never felt as nervous as he did at that moment, standing there in the sandlot, waiting for Demyx to pummel him. He tried to remember what had made him think this would be a good idea, and the next thing he knew, the boy ran at him.

Roxas yelped and jumped to the right, narrowly avoiding being smashed in the face with the bat. Demyx ran at him again, swinging horizontally so that Roxas had to jump backwards to avoid being hit, tripping over his feet in the process. He rolled over, climbed to his feet, and saw Demyx rushing at him again. He panicked and began swinging blindly. Demyx grunted as the bat made contact with his torso and stumbled back a few steps. Still swing wildly, with his eyes squinted so that they were almost shut, Roxas whacked the boy in the chest. Demyx gasped for breath and fell on back, as the entire team gasped in shock. Roxas stood there, panting, unsure of what had just happened. He looked down at Demyx, then back at the team.

Axel slowly started clapping, and the rest of the team joined in. Riku stood with his arms crossed, face contorted in anger. He stormed onto the field and pushed Roxas out of the way, reaching out a hand to help Demyx to his feet. Once he made sure the boy was alright, he spun on Roxas.

"Why the fuck did you do that? He has asthma you fucktard!"

Roxas' eyes widened and he gasped as he turned to Demyx. "I'm so sorry, I- I didn't know!"

Demyx, who was up already, waved off the apology with an abstract movement as he tried to regain his breath. "I'm fine, man. Next time, though, no cheap shots, eh?" He clapped Roxas on his shoulder. "Welcome to the team, kid."

Roxas grinned and looked at Axel, who wore a strained smile, and the rest of the team, who still looked shocked. Then he turned to Riku, who was seething. His face was twisted in something akin to rage as he stalked off towards the locker room.

"Fall in!"

Roxas looked around confusedly, and then trailed behind his new teammates as they followed Riku.

Roxas had never seen so many naked guys in his life. Everywhere he looked a guy was taking off a towel, whipping someone's ass with a wet one, or showering. He walked self-consciously through the showers, clutching the towel around his waist so tightly his knuckles turned white. He walked past the wet bodies to the shower at the end. He dropped his towel and let the water run over him.

"Hey everyone, look at Roxas' tiny schlong!" Riku pointed and suddenly all eyes were on him. Roxas' entire body went red and he tried to cover up. He'd hoped unrealistically that they wouldn't notice that he was the smallest one on the team - in every aspect imaginable.

Riku stepped up to him, and Roxas reached out for the one thing that may be able to redeem him. "You know, studies show that the guy with the largest penis in the locker room is probably gay, and can't control the erections he gets when he sees all the naked boys."

The entire team burst into hysterics and Riku turned a horrid crimson. The condescending smirk slipped off his face and was replaced with a vicious snarl.

Roxas picked up his towel and covered himself with it, deciding he'd take a proper shower later when everyone else finished.

Riku turned and watched him walk out of the steamy room. The line had been crossed, and the blond had to be punished.

Axel noticed Roxas lingering and decided to wait out the crowd as well. When the last struggler left the building, he called the blond over to him.

"Hey, Rox, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Roxas looked up at the redhead. "What do you mean? Aren't you the one who wanted me to struggle? You've been trying to teach me for months!"

Axel pulled his hoodie over his head and shoved his things back in his locker. "I didn't mean join the team! The people on this team are twice your size, and the people we're going to fight are even bigger! What if you get hurt?"

Roxas crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "I'm not going to get hurt. I'm not as weak as you think. I beat Demyx, didn't I?"

Axel rolled his eyes and flung his bag over his shoulder. "Not only is he the weakest on the team, which I'm sure you could tell, but he has asthma and you hit him in the back of his throat. And if Demyx hadn't just finished fighting some other guy, I'm sure you wouldn't have won. It was a fluke Roxas, and you're really putting yourself in danger with this."

Roxas' mouth slacked open, and he opened and closed it, realizing he had no response to that.

"Just be careful, alright Rox? That's all I want."

He turned and walked out of the room, waving over his shoulder. Roxas stared conspicuously and couldn't help his eyes lingering, even if he was upset with Axel. He sighed as the door closed and grabbed his things, finally going to take a shower.

Roxas smiled into the spray of water gently hitting his face, proud that he actually made it onto the team. He had never actually felt that he could accomplish anything, let alone making his way onto the struggle team. He tried to forget the truths Axel told him as he ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't wait to tell Zexion -

"You think you can make a fool out of me and get away with it?"

Roxas spun around, cupping his hands over his exposed manhood. Everyone had already left the locker room, and he was completely vulnerable in this state. "Who's there?"

"You think it's funny, embarrassing me in front of my team?" Riku stepped out from behind one of the stalls and Roxas backed up against the wall. He had nowhere to run, and Riku was blocking the only exit out of the showers.

"W-what do you want from me?"

Riku grinned. "I think the question is: what do you want from me? I see the way you look at Sinclair. I know you're queer. The rest of the team may be stupid, but I know things."

"I'm not gay."

"Come on, don't deny it Roxy. Since Sinclair's been screwing around with Namine, you've just been downright miserable. Don't look surprised, I told you I know things. I think I've found a way to cheer you up." Riku pulled his shirt over his head. "All a little queer like you really wants is to get laid right? Now, what kind of teammate, what kind of friend would I be, if I didn't grant you this small favor?" He reached down and slid his belt off.

Roxas backed farther into the corner. "Riku, please. Please don't do this."

"Come on Roxas. Don't deny your body what it wants." He continued advancing. "I know you want this."

"Please, don't!"

"Shut up."

Cliffy? I dunno.

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