Yay new chapter of this story! It's exciting right? It's so very close to being done. And just because I don't know which one people are more prone to read, I'll mention it in both beginning and ending ANs. I have a new story! It's another AkuRoku cuz I love them, simple as that. Now if you read this chapter, you can find out more at the end. *bwahaha*

The sound of the door opening was honestly startling. Reno's eyes peeled open, his head sent into a swimming throb as the yellow light slowly flooded into the apartment from the hallway. He tried to sit up but it proved to be too much, so instead, he laid. He stared blankly into the darkness of the living room, listening to the sound of footsteps softly padding against the carpet. He didn't bother looking up or shifting his position, he knew who it was. The heavy body of his roommate sat in the reclining chair across from his feet, he still didn't move.

"I know you're awake," Zack said quietly, laying his palms against his knees as he leaned forward slowly.

"I'm not pretending to be asleep," Reno replied haughtily, refusing to give him the satisfaction of eye contact. He didn't even know if he had any right to be angry, but that sure as hell wasn't going to stop him from being as furious as he pleased. They sat in silence, each one stubbornly awaiting the next words. It was a battle, waiting for the weakest one to finally utter something, anything. "How could you do that." The redhead stated simply, inducing a smirk from Zack as he silently expressed his gratitude for the darkness. Of course Reno spoke first, he was always the weaker one.

"Reno, I didn't-"

"I honestly don't wanna hear it, so never mind." He groaned wearily as he sat up, his hands pressing into the cushion of the couch. "You can be such an asshole it's unbelievable." He whispered, his voice too tired to try and say it any louder. It was obvious what Reno wanted to do, he wanted to be angry and tell someone off so Zack would let him. He settled into the chair, ready to listen to anything Reno had to throw at him. "I don't...I don't have anything else to say. You're just an asshole." He stood slowly, feeling his knees whine as he straightened them.

"That's it?"

"What?"

"I was expecting more, you usually have a lot more to say. You tend to ramble." Reno was at a loss for words, for once. There was more he could've said to Zack, so much more. He wanted to yell at him and be angry and unleash his rage, but he couldn't. He was too tired, he was too upset, he was too hurt. But when Zack said that, he felt his heart drop and his fury grow.

"I can't stand you, I don't even want to look at you. Before you came home, I was just mad, but now I fucking despise you. I was trying to just let it go, because you know what? You were right, that was just Roxas being Roxas. But you still shouldn't have done that." The man on the chair sighed with relief. He knew if Reno was talking, it wasn't that bad. But if he had nothing to say, there was something seriously wrong. "And then you come back here like it's no big fucking deal when it is!" He fell back, bouncing gently. He stared at the ceiling, watching the unmoving whiteness of the crinkled plaster, trying not to get over-emotional. He was upset but he didn't want it to be painstakingly obvious, he was sick of being the wimpy one between he and his roommate but he couldn't really help it. "How could you do that?" He asked, practically silent.

"Because I'm not very smart," he admitted with an unseen frown. He felt sick, he hated when Reno got upset, especially if it was his fault. It wasn't just the uncomfortableness of the situation, it was this uncanny need to make it better. "Can we get over this yet?" He asked, slightly desperate for approval from his roommate, but he only shook his head slowly, still surveying the ceiling with calm indifference. "Would it help if I apologized?" Reno thought momentarily, Zack had never apologized for anything before. He had never even offered to apologize.

"Maybe," and with that allowance of regret, Zack shifted. He knelt, pressing his knee into the carpet as he stared at the man on the sofa, the man who was still refusing to look at him despite his heartbeat quickening. He could feel it trying to thump out of his chest, he felt his palms start to sweat, his head was swimming again. He tried to be furious, but it was almost impossible. Damn that gorgeous face.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He laid his hands down on the other man's knees, telepathically urging him to look at how sorry he was, to just make some freaking eye contact. It was making him insane. "I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice even softer as he rested his head against his leg. Reno was practically bursting at the seams but he couldn't falter. He was mad. He knew that Zack was only taking advantage of this ridiculous crush, trying to get himself out of trouble.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you were gay?"

"You never asked."

"But you knew I was gay, you've known forever that I've had this stupid thing for you and-"

"Wait, you had a thing for me?" And then the redhead's heart stopped. Apparently Zack wasn't as intuitive as he had originally thought and now, he had just given himself away. He shifted again, sitting cross legged on the floor as he smirked at Reno. "You have a thing for me?"

"Not anymore." He said sternly, feigning a dominance that they both knew he didn't possess.

"You're lying," Zack said with his same god damn smirk as he clambered up onto the sofa, his eyes focused on Reno. "You know how I know you're lying?" No response met him, bitter refusal to participate was still persistent but that wouldn't stop Zack from holding up his end of the conversation. "I know you're lying because every time you lie, you tap your fingers." He said softly, running his own fingers over the forcibly stilled ones. "When you said 'not anymore' just now, you tapped your fingers."

"I did not," Reno tried to say with some sort of tone of control, but it came out as a weak protest, almost a whimper.

"You did so, and if I wasn't holding your hand right now, your fingers would be tapping again. I can feel them under mine, they wanna tap but you're resisting."

"Why are you doing this?" Reno asked, unable to decide if he was more annoyed, turned on or tired. He pulled his hand out from under the other mans, finally letting his gaze leave the ceiling and meet Zack's. "Why?" He shrugged lazily, barely noticeable in the darkness. He listened to the other man sigh gently and saw his figure in the dark move. And then it happened, the thing he had been craving for three whole years. He felt lips press against his own in the dark. He tried not to be taken aback, he tried to remain furious and he tried to push away but what his mind willed him to do, his body would not comply with. And finally Zack pulled away for him, leaving his exhausted mind saying thank you and his exhilarated body wanting more.

"I feel like no matter what I say right now, you're not going to believe me. You're gonna stay mad, so I just wanted to do that before you decide to really despise me like you say you do."

"Zack if you think kissing me is gonna make me forgive you, it's not. Now you're just taking advantage." Finally his brain spoke up.

"You can believe that, or you can listen to me for a minute." Reno didn't move, inviting the explanation. "We have been friends for three years, living together for two of them. Have you ever seen me bring home anyone? A chick or a guy?"

"So what, you're asexual?"

"Reno, shut up." Zack said with a smirk. "I'm gay but not...I'm not good at it. I came from this small town where it was not ok to be gay and now I'm just not good at it." Reno's eyes widened slightly, trying not to look too surprised. This was not the direction he was expecting this story to go in. "Every guy I've ever seen has been secret, and I haven't seen anyone since we moved in together. I can honestly say that I am not smart enough or observant enough to have realized you had any sort of 'thing' for me."

"I don't know if I believe this or not," Reno said quietly, his brow arched as he watched his roommate.

"We can't all be as comfortable in our own skin as you are Reno," he responded with a grin that popped from the darkness. "I guess it doesn't matter if you believe me or not, I just thought you'd like to know how that whole stupid thing with Roxas even happened."

"Roxas came on to you..." He came to the realization.

"And who am I to resist the temptations of that kid?" Zack smiled as he laid his hand down on Reno's once more. "So will you please please forgive me." He whispered, nuzzling his nose against the other man's jawline, softly pressing his lips against his temple. He could feel him tense up beneath his touch.

"This isn't fair," he whined breathlessly, his eyes half lidded in elation. "I'm trying to be mad at you."

"Mad later, sex now."

"I can work with that." He sighed out before Zack began eagerly kissing his neck, moaning quietly as his hands wrapped around his roommates muscular body. The long wait was over.

~0~

This was the first day of the new school year Roxas hadn't bothered going to. It was four in the morning when he decided, as he stared at the dull blue of his computer screen, that he would never be able to sleep and school just wasn't worth the suffering. And so, he laid in bed all night, all morning, all day until his phone finally rang around noon. Once he saw the name, he dreaded answering it. So he simply didn't. The phone clanged with the sound of a new voicemail seconds later regardless.

"Pick up the phone." He verbally commanded himself, but his hand didn't obey. The kid groaned in annoyance as he finally sat up after hours, feeling his entire body try to fall back, but he was persistent. He bit down on his lip nervously as he finally picked it up.

"I need to talk to you." He heard Axel's firm, obviously upset voice on the other end. He only rolled his eyes as he continued listening. "I know you're not at school. And even if you are, it doesn't matter. I'm in the hall and I'll fucking wait til you get home." The blond boy let his face fall in surprise as he cautiously stood, trying to silently tiptoe towards the door. He lifted himself as high as he could to look through the peephole, and of course, just as it was promised, Axel stood. The only thing he could see was the back of his head, his thick, red hair pulled back into a ponytail. If he hadn't known for sure that it was Axel, standing patiently, angrily, he would've assumed it was Reno. And then, like the clumsy buffoon he is, Roxas fell as he tried to quietly step back. The sound of his ass hitting the floor seemed to last forever. He sat in shock as he hoped, prayed that Axel hadn't heard it. But he knew his prayers went unanswered when the pounding on the door started.

"Shit," he hissed quietly, staring at the door, almost visibly bouncing as Axel banged on it.

"Roxas! I know you're in there!"

"I'm not opening the door!" He screamed back.

"God dammit Roxas!" Another furious pound on the door, and then it ceased. Roxas stood after a moment of silence, looking through the peephole once more and there he was, sitting in the hall, his back and head resting against the door. The kid pressed his back against the door, closing his eyes as he slid down, finally sitting. They sat silently, not touching, separated only by two inches of wood. The phone rang in his hand, he answered without looking. "I just need to know why." Axel said on the other line. The kid massaged his eyes, digging his thumb into the corner, silently cursing himself for picking up that damn habit.

"Because this is who I am Axel."

"I don't buy that. I don't buy that at all."

"You just have to get over it, it's how I am. You knew this when we met, obviously, and now you're just angry that it backfired on you." Roxas sighed, trying his best to sound dismissive, casual, completely indifferent. The gnawing in his stomach had been worsening, especially now. It was honestly harder than he expected to be so nonchalant. He knew he shouldn't let himself get attached.

"No, no. You're different, I know you are."

"You're lying to yourself sweetie." Axel vigorously rubbed his face with his free hand, finding himself trying to bury his thumb in his eye as he squeezed the bridge of his nose.

Son of a bitch.

"Roxas, you're acting like a fucking child."

"I am a child."

"You're not. We both know you're not."

"Axel, you're the one who has to grow up. You had to have known this was coming, you had to have known." Roxas felt his breath catch in his throat, but he wouldn't let himself do this. He was stronger than this. Axel was silent on the other end, he didn't want to own up to it. He didn't want to admit that he knew it was inevitable, he didn't want to face that feeling of regret that he had in Reno's apartment. The redhead was fully aware that in the back of his mind, he had always known. Holding Roxas at night, running his fingers through his short, spiky hair, letting their fingers entwine as they walked down the street. It was too nice, it was too good and Axel knew that it was going to end eventually. He still wouldn't admit it though.

"Can you open the door?" He asked, knowing how sad and anguished he sounded. He tried not to care. Roxas almost lifted his hand, almost turned the doorknob, almost let him in, but he wouldn't let himself. He couldn't face Axel right now, he wasn't sure what would happen. He shook his head, only to realize Axel couldn't see him.

"N-no, I can't." He hadn't meant to stutter. Of course he hadn't meant to, who ever did? It was a sign of weakness he was now going to be intent on not showing again. Too bad Axel heard it, he heard that sign of weakness loud and clear, ringing out like a bell.

"Roxas, I just...I just thought-"

"Axel stop. I am not doing this. You just need to get over it." And with that, he hung up. He felt his heart sink into the unyielding pain of his stomach. Half hoping Axel would call him back or knock on the door again, half hoping he would just stop, he pressed his ear against the door, desperately trying to hear what was going on in the hall. All he heard was shuffling outside the door and finally footsteps. Footsteps walking away from the door. "I'm sorry," he whispered to himself, feeling his eyes well up. He hated crying but he couldn't seem to hold it in anymore. There was no one to look strong for anymore.

Poor everyone. Well, except Reno and Zack cuz they is bizz-ay getting laaaaid. Right then. Anyways! Do you like akuroku/fanfic/yaoi/my writing/abnormal psych/awesomeness/all of the above? Then I'm just gonna suggest my newest story, The Crack in the Lifestyle, I promise it's gonna be fun/interesting/at least fairly good. :D