When Riku found Axel in the locker room, the redhead was quick to doge Riku and leave. Riku sighed to himself, wondering why Axel was acting all butt hurt when Riku was the one with the actual hurt butt. Of course by thinking such a thought, Riku was only trying to hide the true guilt that burned his conscience. Riku decided to give Axel whatever space he needed, which would give each of them time to think about what it was that he wanted to do concerning Seifer's actions.

Practice ran much smoother than Riku anticipated it to, and afterwards, he decided to shower in the dorm building rather than in the locker room, hoping that maybe if he gave Axel too much space, it would bring the redhead closer to him, something he wasn't fully ready to admit he desired. Nonetheless, after Riku's private shower, he went to his office where Sora was working busily.

"The dance is coming up soon Riku, and we still have so much to do. I think it's time that I sent out a reminder to the heads of each committee to send me an update stat!" Sora nodded to himself.

"Thanks Sora, you're a great help." Riku smiled.

"Of course. Now, only one more think I haven't taken care of," Sora tapped his chin.

"What's that?"

"You still don't have a date." Sora reminded his friend.

"Sora, it isn't your job to find me one."

"Riku, you can't go alone when you should be going with Axel!" Sora grumbled.

"If Axel wanted to go with me, he'd ask me." Riku shrugged, trying to look indifferent.

"Or, you could ask him." Sora winked.

"Sora," Riku whined.

"Well if you won't ask Axel, at least ask Roxas for the update on the attendance. I'll need his numbers before I can send the estimated budget to Luxord to see if he can crunch the numbers one last time." Sora asked, so Riku agreed.

"I'll call him." Riku reached over on his phone. "And of course, the call isn't going through." Riku sighed. "I'll have to get Xigbar to fix this soon."

"Or you could just walk there? It's not even a three minutes walk. I'll contact Xigbar while you go." Sora said with determination, so Riku rolled his eyes before he walked to the door.

"You aren't trying to get me to Roxas' office, just because Axel works there too, are you?" Riku asked with a sly smirk, trying to read Sora's reactions.

"Shh! Riku! I'm on the phone?" Sora pointed as he held up his personal office phone.

"Sora, the lines are down." Riku crossed his arms.

"Just, go get the answer from Roxas and go ask Axel out before I take out the electricity too!" Sora threatened.

"Wait you shut down the phone lines?" Riku asked with confusion. "I don't even know how to do that!"

"It's not that hard." Sora shrugged innocently.

"Sora," Riku grumbled.

"Go on, before we waste any more time!" Sora ran up and shooed Riku out of his own office, locking the door.

"I have my key in my pocket!" Riku yelled to the other side of the door.

"Well I won't let you in!" Sora shouted back.

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going." Riku huffed with a shake of his head.

The president complained to himself as he stubbornly trudged to Keyblade building.

"Oh, hey Riku." Roxas gave a friendly smile.

"Is Axel here?" Riku asked, looking around the small office, relieved to not see any red.

"No, but I can call him if you want me to tell him to get here." Roxas took his feet off his desk to straighten up.

"Don't bother, the phones are down." Riku sighed.

"I know, I was the one who taught Sora how to do it." Roxas winked with a grin.

"Now it makes sense." Riku glared harshly. "You two set me up."

"Finally catching on, eh? Well I can use my cell phone." Roxas began pushing buttons.

"No, don't, it's ok." Riku begged.

"Too late, already sent a text." Roxas smiled. "Now, time to just sit and wait."

"No thanks," Riku turned for the door but froze when he heard the redheads voice coming down the hall.

"Well its either talk to him or hide in the closet." Roxas joked, freezing with wide eyes as Riku began to stuff himself inside the closet. "You can't be serious." Roxas said in disappointment.

"Mention that I'm here and I'll make Sora work all night every night." Riku hissed before he shut the closet door in front of himself.

"Hey, you said it was urgent?" Axel stepped into his office and shut the door.

"Oh yeah, the uh, the phones are down, but Sora is having someone fix it so yeah, never mind." Roxas coughed.

"Oh." Axel shrugged and sat down in a chair.

"Hey Axe,"

"Hm?" Axel began playing with a lighter that he dug from out of his pocket.

"What's the deal with you and Riku?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like, why do you two have to have such a complicated relationship?"

"I dunno." Axel shrugged cheaply.

"Axel." Roxas didn't buy it. "Come on, why is it that you two can't ever get along?"

"It's a long story." Axel sighed.

"Is it?" Roxas asked in surprise.

"Yep, goes back for like a decade." Axel took a deep breath.

"No way!" Roxas was determined to hear the truth. "Go on!" He begged.

"Look, the important part is that Prez doesn't like me and that's that."

"No, there's more to it. Come on Axe, tell me. Please? I'm your best friend." Roxas pressed.

"It's not a fond memory." Axel frowned.

"What happened?" Roxas asked, in a voice that made him wonder if he really should discover the truth.

"What do you remember about Prez?"

"Well, he's very hard working," Roxas started.

"No, back in the beginning."

"He was there for our first year, I think, but then he mysteriously disappeared without even finishing the last term. I didn't see him again until our first year of high school here at the Academy. Nobody knew what happened."

"I know why he left," Axel whispered as Riku gulped, wishing he could interrupt the conversation somehow from the safety of his closet.

"What?" Roxas got all excited.

"Remember when we all first met him, during our first year of primary school?"

"Yeah," Roxas agreed in curiosity.

"He wasn't there for our preschool years. Think about it, most of the kids at this academy have been groomed for it since we learned how to walk, by being enrolled in the most expensive and well-known schooling in all of Twilight Town, since day care. We've all known each other since we were three. It goes for nearly everyone at this Academy, except for Prez. We didn't see him until our first year of primary, around the age of six."

"Ok, so?" Roxas wondered how any of that was relevant.

"Why do you think that is?"

"I dunno." Roxas shrugged.

"We all had the munny for our parents to waste on expensive educational daycare. I remember our first day of primary, I remember everything about it. I remember seeing Demyx and playing with him since I had already known him from daycare. I remember Seifer and Hayner fighting, I remember you and Sora and everyone else smiling and hanging out on the playground, all while Prez watched. He was the new kid, and he was scared. His clothes were worn out, and his shoes were all beat up." Axel thought back to years he hadn't in a long while.

"I don't really remember much from back then," Roxas confessed.

"I do. And I remember everybody giving him shit for being poor. It was obvious that he didn't come from the same kind of families that we did. I remember how everyone would tease him, and make fun of him. And I remember him just taking it, like he was too shy and scared to say or do anything about it. Then, one day, I got tired of hearing kids laugh at him, so I tried to stick up for him." Axel gave a small smile at the memory. "He was so gentle and delicate, but he was so beautiful. I won't ever forget the first time I saw him, walking into our class; I thought he was an angel."

At that, Roxas gave a dramatic, "Awww,"

"Ok I know it sounds cheesy, but I'm telling you. He was just so simple and pure, it made sense to me. When I saw the other kids making fun of him for his beat up shoes and hand-me-down clothes, it angered me. So after a couple days of watching Prez just take it like a poor victim, I went up to Seifer and his little gang and told them to knock it off before I knocked them out, and my little threat worked. From then on, Prez was stuck to me like glue, always following me around silently without question." Axel laughed at his fondness of such a recollection. "That was back then, when I couldn't get away from him if I tried, not like I ever wanted to. He even followed me into the bathroom and would wait for me." Axel smiled in bliss.

"So what happened that made it change so drastically?" Roxas asked.

"Everything. Prez went from being my shadow, so small and frail, silently following me like an abandoned puppy, to how he is now, being annoyed with me whenever he sees me." Axel sighed.

"I'm sure he's just frustrated about the election. I don't think it's personal."

"It is." Axel nodded to himself.

"How do you know?"

"For the same reason that I know why Prez never finished his first year of primary with us." Axel shared.

"Are you going to tell me or leave me here wondering?" Roxas chuckled.

"Ok, remember my seventh birthday party?" Axel asked and Roxas nodded.

"Yeah, it was huge, just like all of your birthdays."

"Well, my family has munny, not like I ask for any of the parties they throw. Anyway, I remember there being so many people at my dad's estate, and I remember not really having any choice for the planning process. My mum said she'd invite my friends from school, but when I found out that Prez wasn't on the list, I made sure to invite him myself. I handed him an invitation, and his face lit up. He was so fucking cute, the way that he would smile so shyly, but never say a word. He was always so quiet too. I told him that I wanted him to come, and that I wanted to show him my room and play with him, and he nodded anxiously. The day of my party, out of the hundreds of people that filled the mansion, he was the only one I really wanted to see. I tried to check in with the staff, asking if they had seen him enter the gates every so often, but my mum was adamant about me greeting her elite guests, like the businessmen that worked for my father; the men that I was expected to take care of when I take my dad's place." Axel explained while Riku gulped behind the safety of closet doors. He didn't want to hear anymore. He didn't want to know what really happened, or if what he remembered was in fact the truth.

"That must have been frustrating."

"It was, but then I caught a silver haired boy walking by, and I chased after him. When I saw that it was Prez, I got so excited, I tackled him for a hug. He was startled, but with the smile on his face, and by the way that he held onto me, I could feel a deep connection with him. He had a teddy bear in his hands, and a small box, and he presented them to me in a way that made me feel like the richest kid ever."

"Uh, Axe, newsflash here, but, you kind of are the richest kid ever." Roxas joked.

"Yeah, but getting a gift from him was far greater than anything else I got that day. Shit, I don't even remember anything else I received; just his present."

"What was in the box?" Roxas asked, but Axel shook his head.

"It was hard to tell. See, right after I found him, my mum scolded me for not doing as she asked: to greet people. So I told Prez to go in my room and wait for me, and you should have seen how adorable his cute little face was as he nodded and quietly did as I asked. After I made him wait for about and hour and a half, I sprinted off to my room, anxious to play with him and spend time with him. The second I opened the door, I caught him, lying in my bed. His timid voice apologized, but I didn't care, so I laid down next to him, and to my own surprise, that delicate little bird snuggled up to me. I won't ever forget how shocked I was, and once the disbelief wore off, the happiness settled in. I held him, under the covers, as we just cuddled silently."

"Damn, I had no idea you two actually had that kind of bond." Roxas sat with wide eyes.

"Crazy to think about how much has changed, huh?" Axel scratched his own head.

"Ok, so you two were cuddling; then what happened?" Roxas asked, interested to discover the truth while Riku shivered to himself, wishing he didn't have to relive such a past.

"He started sniffling, out of nowhere, and when I asked what was wrong, he looked me in the eye and told me that I was his only friend. I was so sad yet so happy, that I felt like the most appropriate thing to do was kiss him, so I did." Axel shrugged.

"Smooth," Roxas nodded with a smirk.

"It was just on his forehead, but then he snuggled closer to me and was holding me all tight like he didn't want to let go, so I kissed his cheek, and when he whimpered, I kissed his lips. God, he was so, so," Axel searched for the word as Riku and Roxas both waited in a silent curiosity. "So precious. He was so scared, but so helpless that I just wanted to hold him and see him smile. And when I kissed his lips and he did smile," Axel paused once again. "It melted my heart, and it was then when I realized that I truly loved him."

"True love at the age of seven?" Roxas asked in disbelief.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I, I just know."

"So, I'm still wondering: why did that kind of friendship end?"

"After our kiss, we just remained quiet in each others arms for a little bit when my nanny came in and told me that my mum was looking for me. I whispered in Prez's ear to wait for me in bed, and that I'd return as soon as I could, and like the tame beauty he was, he nodded. When I went back two hours later, he was gone. I looked everywhere for him, and I asked everyone I saw wandering the grounds if they had seen him, but I didn't make any progress. I was about to give up hope when I walked by the dog's quarters and I heard them barking wildly. I went inside and saw Seifer and his no good friends standing outside of the walk-in kennels, laughing. When I asked what was so funny, they pointed, and I saw that my giant pitbulls were snarling and howling at poor Prez, who was locked inside." Axel looked at his shoes in regret. "I was so pissed off that I hit Seifer before I ordered my dogs to stand down, but by then the damage was already done. I got the four dogs to leave Prez alone, but when I unlocked the cage, I saw the destroyed remains of his gift scattered on the floor. The teddy bear he brought had been torn to shreds, the box destroyed beyond repair, and the sweet innocent boy was huddled in the corner, crying with his face in his hands, shaking violently in a raw terror that made me cry. I walked into the large kennel and offered my hand, trying to calm him down even though I had started crying as well, but Prez was so traumatized that he kept shaking, sobbing wildly. When I finally inched my way to him and kneeled in front of him, he sprang up and took off."

"Holy shit! Poor little guy," Roxas frowned in sympathy.

"I'm sure he told his parents, and they obviously pulled him out of the schooling program because he never went back to primary after that weekend. I didn't see him again until middle school, while we were all at Twilight Town Junior Academy, and Prez was at some public junior high school."

"What was the occasion?" Roxas tilted his head.

"You were there too Rox. We had a soccer game against his public school, and we creamed his team. But Prez was the best one on the team, who worked hard and never gave up, no matter the score. Our coach even asked him to play on our team, but I overheard Riku saying he couldn't afford transferring to such an expensive school. So, coach told him that if he continued to work hard, he could get a scholarship to attend TTA as long as he played on our soccer team." Axel explained.

"I see," Roxas tried to keep up with years worth of information.

"It'd be insane to refuse a scholarship from such a prestigious Academy, so clearly Prez took him up on the offer, and that's how he landed up here."

"So, was it weird when you saw him again at the game? I guess I never talked with him much, cause I really don't remember him all too well."

"He was super quiet, even more so than he is now, so it makes sense that you don't remember. And it was weird, but he made it clear that he didn't want to talk to me. I saw him and tried to make eye contact, but he never looked at me. Before the game, since we were each captains, I shook his hand, but he just stuck it out and looked at the other captain standing next to me. During the game I tried getting close to him, but it never played out in my favor. And after the game, he stood by his coach, which was when ours offered him the position."

"Dude, no wonder you guys have such a complicated relationship. So much drama and hurt and angst. So much left unsaid." Roxas read Riku's mind from within the closet.

"I know. For years I dreamt about apologizing to him, but every time I try, it's like I can feel him telling me not to bring it up. When I saw him on the first day on high school, he didn't acknowledge me. Naturally we had to start talking during soccer practice, but he kept it strictly to soccer terminology, which always ended the minute that practice was over. It wasn't until last year, when we both found out that we'd be captains this season, that we started talking outside of practice. And even then, we still only talked about soccer, in large groups, for about two minutes." Axel tapped his chin before he shook his head. "Yeah our friendship is pretty fucked up."

"Fuck dude, you two have some serious issues to work out. No wonder there's so much goddamn sexual tension. You two have barely even talked in the past few years."

"Well, he never wanted to talk to me. If it were up to me, I'd be willing to do whatever to go back to how things used to be. I mean, I've been single in the hopes that one day he'll forgive me and allow us to move on."

"Damn, I wonder what Riku would say if he knew how many hearts you broke waiting for him." Roxas batted his eyelashes, sounding sarcastic, but being serious.

"He deserves better than me." Axel shook his head.

"It's not like the past was your fault." Roxas shrugged.

"I still feel responsible." Axel frowned.

"Maybe you need to forgive yourself too?" Roxas suggested.

"Probably. I just want Prez to know that I still love him, that I never stopped. And that I'd do anything to prove it to him." Axel sighed.

"Axe," Roxas felt guilty, knowing that Riku was in the closet all along.

"Yeah?" Axel continued to stare at the ground, distraught.

"I, I think," Roxas looked over at the closet, his heart beating as he considering revealing the truth. His conflictions were put to an end when Axel's cell phone went off.

"Hang on," Axel dug his phone out of his pocket before he answered. "Hello? Oh, hey Dem. What? Is it bad? Ok, hang on, I'll be right there." Axel hung up before he stood up.

"Everything ok?" Roxas asked.

"Demyx's CD's are all mixed up and he's trying to put a playlist together for the dance, so he's panicking." Axel chuckled.

"Only Demyx," Roxas joked along.

"Hold down the fort, will ya?" Axel asked before Roxas saluted him.

"Go save Dem!" Roxas cheered before the redhead left. After ten long, silent seconds, Riku slowly crept out of the closet.

The blonde and silverrete made eye contact before Roxas gave a sympathetic smile, followed by a tight hug.

"You ok?" Roxas asked shyly.

"Yeah." Riku whispered.

"Is it true? Is that why you never came back to our school and are still angry at Axel?" Roxas had to ask, but Riku shook his head.

"No." he whispered quietly.

"Then, why?" Roxas' heartbeat picked up in anticipation.

"Ask Axel," Riku took a step to leave, but Roxas grabbed his wrist.

"Riku, what happened?" Roxas knew that he needed to know, only because Riku needed to say it for himself.

"Later that day, the day of his party, I returned to his house." Riku looked to the ground. "I was rejected and asked to leave the grounds. I told the housekeepers that I was Axel's friend, and they told me to wait while they asked Axel if he wanted to allow me in. When they returned a few minutes later, they told me that he didn't want to see me, so I asked them to give Axel a card that I had made for him. They said they would and they told me to leave without returning. I was so…distraught, that I took their words to heart." Riku gulped nervously.

"Riku, I, I don't think Axel would have rejected you." Roxas didn't want to believe Riku's addition to the story.

"He did. And after that, I realized that my social class really could define my friends, or at least, the friends I never had." Riku whispered.

"It's ok Riku," Roxas smiled as Riku stood there in shock, gulping at the hug he barely returned.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

"Please, don't tell Sora." Riku took a step back before Roxas nodded quietly.

"Ok."

"I, I don't want my reputation to change here. I think most students here are like you. They don't remember I was poor, and that I was new both in primary and high school. I don't want their opinions to change. I don't need anybody remembering me for the poor reject I've worked hard to break free from." Riku swallowed down hard, working to repress his unexplainable desire to cry.

"Alright," Roxas nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"Thanks," Riku said before he awkwardly gulped, looking at the exit.

"Riku," Roxas called out.

"Yes?" the president turned around.

"Please, give Axel another chance?" Roxas asked as he bit his lip. "At least think about it," He shook his head in desperation. To his surprise, Riku scoffed.

"I couldn't stop thinking about it if I tried." Riku gave a scared yet sincere smile.

"Thanks Riku." Roxas smiled back before Riku nodded and left.

The blonde let out a relaxed sigh, sat down in his chair, and got ready to work when Axel returned.

"What'd I miss?" Axel asked but Roxas shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Good, calming down Demyx during a music panic attack isn't easy." Axel chuckled.

"I bet! Hey Axe, going back to what we walked about earlier….did Riku ever try to, you know, talk to you after your birthday?"

"No." Axel shook his head.

"Really? Like, he didn't go back that very night and try to give you a card and see you?" Roxas hoped he wasn't being too suspicious, but he was curious.

"No, nothing. Not a word. I figured he hated me, so that was that." Axel shrugged.

"that, that's strange." Roxas thought to himself, but said aloud.

"I beg your pardon?" Axel asked for clarification.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing." Roxas waved it all off. "I just, I think you both have different pieces to this story, and that could be why you two are constantly in these situations were poor miscommunication is hurting your friendship."

"I doubt Prez would even consider us friends." Axel sighed loudly.

"You, you should talk to him, about what really happened. Something is strongly telling me that this puzzle you have is missing half of the pieces, the pieces he has, while you have the pieces he's missing." Roxas wanted to be more direct, but he promised Sora he'd let Riku and Axel work it out on their own.

"At this point I just don't want him to hate me. Once we get past that hurdle, we'll see." Axel said, not really taking the suggestion seriously.

"Axe, is, is that why you call Riku 'Prez', and why you bow to him a lot?"

"What do you mean?" Axel looked over paperwork he had to fill out as chair of the housing department.

"Well, you treat him like he's royalty, and now I see why. It's like you're trying to pay him back, by showing him how special he is to you."

"Cause he is special." Axel smiled, causing Roxas to shake his head. "What's the matter?" Axel asked, confused.

"You two have no idea just how much the other cares." Roxas thought aloud.

"What?"

"Ask Riku how he feels about you. Come on Axe, me and Hayner and Sora are all tired of waiting for you two to get together. Just man up and ask him!" Roxas insisted impatiently.

"He knows I like him, yet he's still pulling away. If and when he's ready, I'll be here." Axel shrugged indifferently.

"The dance is tomorrow Axe. You don't have to go alone. Riku will say yes." Roxas wanted to come out and just spill everything but he knew better than to reveal a secret.

"It's not about him saying yes. It's about him realizing that just maybe he wants me too." Axel shrugged.

"You'll see. You both will." Roxas smiled to himself as he whispered too quietly for Axel to hear.

Author's Note: BAAM! Backstory, explained! Haha, glad I have that out of the way! The pieces are all lining up as histories are being told and behaviors are being explained. The story is slowly closing itself up, I don't have an exact remaining chapter number, but its coming!

Anyway, just wanted to thank you all for all the love and support!

To LovedLikeaLoveSong: Thanks! And yes, Riku tends to have a lot of those moments where bad timing just gets the better of him. Aww, that does sound cute. Sadly I don't have the time to even begin to try to think of where to find said movie, much less actually sit down and watch it….that and as shocking as this may seem….i absolutely loathe chick flicks. I cant watch girly movies, it pains me . I much prefer action movies where things are being blown up and intense car races occur. However, I'll try not to disappoint with this story!

To Nowa-Hikari: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Ah yes, perhaps Axel asked, just to see Riku's reaction? ….you'll get the answer during the next chapter, I think….still need to finish writing everything haha. Here you have your answer, about Riku's past! Hopefully it makes more sense, and the rest will quickly fall into place. Hope you liked it!

To luckycat222: Thank you! Such a great and faithful reviewer, means a lot to me!

To xSonya: Haha, yeah, poor Riku has Axel flying all over the place, but now we see how the tables have turned with the past revealed. Yes, things shall settle soon. Thank you for the review!

Living Legacy, Sarabellum