Riku's eyes shuddered into slits before he felt the wave of Axel's tongue slid across his. With a hungry moan, Riku opened his mouth, allowing Axel to push inside with a moist heat.

Riku's head tilted from side to side and back again as his hands rushed anxiously to explore Axel's back with an impatience that only love could define.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to kiss you like that." Axel confessed with a blush.

"Me, me too," Riku shook as he admitted one of his deeper secrets.

"I love you," Axel panted in desperation between sloppy inhaled breath's, trying to compensate for air without sacrificing the kiss.

"I love you too," Riku pulled back to swallow down the rest of his fears.

Just as both boys smiled at the other, the song changed, a reminder that they were in a public setting.

"We uh," Axel looked around, thankful that the lights were still quite dim.

"I think I need some air," Riku fidgeted uneasily as he eyed the doors that led to the garden.

"Come on," Axel took his hand and guided him between the crowds of couples outside.

Axel led Riku out to the garden, where the flowers bloomed under the moonlight, mixed with the hanging white Christmas lights that Sora recycled from the Academy's ice themed Christmas party from the previous year.

"You cold?" Axel asked.

"I'm fine," Riku started along the path, smiling at the few random couples who also preferred the peaceful ambiance of a garden over the cramped dance floor. Riku could feel his heart pound violently in his chest as Axel laced fingers with him, spreading a heated warmth up his arm.

"Would you like to sit down?" Axel pointed to a bench that faced the treasured fountain, a statue of a giant key with a heart on top. At the base of the fountain were treasure chests, each labeled with different traits, such as 'knowledge', 'love', and 'honor'.

"Thank you," Riku sat down, looking at the roses that surrounded them, keeping them safe from the eyes of others. Instead, their own eyes were like lasers, burning through each other's hearts.

"Prez," Axel smiled sweetly.

"Yes?"

"You're blooming." Axel cupped Riku's cheek.

"I, I don't know what you're referring to," Riku gulped as he looked away.

"My precious flower is ready to be admired. You're so beautiful." Axel lowered his forehead onto Riku's, causing the silverrete to shudder in a nervous impatience for whatever was to come.

"I, I just want to know why you stopped caring." Riku knew he wasn't exactly helping their moment, but his past was interfering with his emotions.

"What are you talking about?" Axel sat up straight with curiously blinking eyes.

"On your birthday, those years ago, you rejected me for the poor nobody that I was. Now that I'm here with a name for myself, you suddenly want me?" Riku asked in disgust.

"Prez, you couldn't be any more wrong!" Axel shook his head desperately.

"I was wrong! I was wrong to think that back then I could look up to you and care for you, and let you care for me," Riku ended in a whisper.

"Prez, I don't know what it is you're thinking but I can assure you that I've always cared for you deeply."

"On your birthday!" Riku shouted loudly, standing up in frustration.

"Prez, I swear, it was an accident!" Axel shook his head.

"I, I was so scared" Riku gulped.

"I'm sorry," Axel frowned in pity.

"They hit me, over and over. They made fun of me. They were laughing. Always, they were laughing at me." Riku blinked heavy eyes as he swallowed down their moisture.

"It was never supposed to happen,"

"But it did!" Riku yelled. For years, he thought about having this exact conversation with Axel but now that it was happening, he wanted it to end. He wanted Axel to know, but he didn't want to share. He wanted Axel to apologize, but he didn't want to forgive. All he wanted, was to forget.

"Please," Axel stood up and humbly, his hands clasped together before his body. "Let me make it up to you?" Axel asked with as much sincerity in his eyes as Riku had ever seen.

Riku looked away hesitantly, unsure if he was willing to risk pain and heartache a second time.

"At least let me try." Axel gave a nervous chuckle as he took Riku's hand with both of his, warming up the trembling fingers.

"I," Riku shook his head. "I can't let you hurt me a second time." Riku frowned as he let his hands slip away slowly, their fingertips still connected when the sound of high heels quickly found their way to the young men.

"Axel?" Xion asked in surprise as she looked specifically at the way that both Riku and Axel were still barely holding hands.

"Xion?" Axel asked, a bit surprised and annoyed by it.

"I, I wanted to see if you wanted to dance." Xion gulped, her eyes never leaving the fingertips that were gradually drifting apart on Riku's behalf.

"Look, now isn't a good time." Axel sighed when Riku stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Will it ever be?" The black haired girl asked curiously. Axel let out an impatient sigh before he shook his head. "I see." Xion looked to her black high heels.

"I'm sorry." Axel whispered in the awkward silence.

"It's fine. It's not your fault you want to be with someone else." Xion looked to Riku, who made quick eye contact before shame caused him to swallow hard and look at the ground. "You must be really happy, to have Axel, huh?" Xion asked Riku in her jealousy as Riku coughed with anxious eyes.

"Well I uh,"

"My want isn't mutual, but that doesn't make it any less real." Axel explained as he gently occupied his pockets with his hands.

"Oh," Xion perked her head up, as if hope was returning to her heart. Riku noticed just as a spark of jealous brewed inside of him. The small smile on Xion's face angered him enough to realize that his possessiveness for the redhead really could outweigh the fear of being hurt once again. With that thought in mind, Riku reached for Axel's hand and grasped it tightly.

"The feelings are mutual." He said with a stubbornness like that of a child.

"What?" Even Axel couldn't hold back his surprise as Riku shook lightly in his dress shoes.

"I see. I, I won't get in the way." Xion rubbed her arm.

"Sorry." Riku apologized out of courtesy. "But I just can't let him get away." Riku looked up to Axel, who was still in shock.

"I love you," Axel spoke the words as quietly and truthfully as ever.

"I love you too." Riku gave a timid smile before Axel kissed him. When the two broke for air, they saw that Xion was gone and they were once again alone.

"Kairi's going to kill me." Axel sighed.

"I'm sorry." Riku felt the need to apologize.

"Don't be. I love you. Nothing anyone says or does will ever change that."

"Thank you." Riku said sheepishly.

"Thank you, for giving me another chance. I promise Prez, I won't let you down." The two smiled at each other until the awkward silence proved too much for either.

"So, we have another hour until we have the closing ceremony." Riku cleared his throat. "What should we do?"

"We could go back and dance?" Axel shrugged.

"I think it'd be better if we avoided your sister and her friends."

"Ok, well we can go to your office, get some privacy."

"Yeah, we should," Riku nodded in agreement. The two walked quietly through the garden down the west corridor and into the office building with no more light than that provided by their cell phones.

"It's so dark." Axel complained as he unlocked another door so that they could enter through the hallway necessary to get to Riku's office.

"That's because no one else is supposed to be in this building." Riku whispered.

"No one else? As if we are allowed?" Axel chuckled as Riku rolled his eyes.

"Axel," Riku suddenly stopped walking.

"Yes?" Axel asked curiously.

"I, I just," Riku looked up and down the halls in his nerves.

"What is it baby?" Axel asked with so soft a voice that it tickled in Riku's ears, especially with the loving nickname.

"Hug," Riku uttered the word like a small child needing reassurance. Axel let out a gentle laugh before he held Riku close.

"You ok?" The redhead needed to ask.

"The only fear that's bigger than my fear of being hurt again, is the fear of letting someone else have you." Riku admitted shyly.

"I will always love you." Axel kissed the silverrete's temple. "Come on, let's go in your office so I can show you just how much I love you." Axel smirked as his lips pecked Riku's. The two kissed repeatedly for a short while as they moved to the door of Riku's office, their lips still attached as Riku felt for the keyhole to unlock the door.

The second they pushed the door open, they heard moaning and soft panting, causing them to widen their eyes as they saw a sight they both wished they hadn't.

"Oh god, Roxy! Roxy more please!" Sora whined as Roxas drove his hips further into his brunette boyfriend.

"Fuck Sora you're so hot inside, I'm going to melt inside you." Roxas huffed as he thrusted back into his twin who was bending over, stomach down on his desk.

"Uh," Axel stood with wide eyes as Riku put a hand over his mouth, wishing he could just shut the door and pretend he never saw anything, but Axel had already given them away.

"Wah!" Sora looked up and then let out a scream, his hands covering his face with the mentality that if he couldn't see them, they couldn't see him.

"Oh shit!" Roxas covered his junk with his hands as he stood behind Sora's desk.

"Roxas!" Sora hid his small body behind his boyfriends as Roxas gulped.

"Well looks like you two had a great time at the dance." Axel smirked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Nothing you haven't seen before in the showers." Roxas shrugged as he relaxed his body.

"No but usually you aren't so excited in the shower." Axel lifted up an eyebrow as Sora growled.

"Don't look at my Roxy! He's mine!" Sora shouted from behind Roxas' body which he used as a shield.

"It's ok, I think Axel has his own boy now." Roxas winked as he carefully reached for his clothes.

"Don't worry about it!" Riku put a hand up.

"Yeah, we'll go to my office." Axel took Riku's hand to turn around. "You two have fun. And Sora?" Axel paused before he and Riku shut the door. "You go easy on Roxas. Don't make him sore by giving it to him too rough ok? We have to play our game tomorrow." Axel laughed and shut the door as Sora started yelling at him.

"You love to tease him, don't you?" Riku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh come on, Roxas was giggling too." Axel smirked.

"Well, maybe we should go back to the dance, since our assistants aren't on watch duty." Riku shrugged as Axel nodded.

"Guess that is the responsible thing to do." Axel sighed.

Just two hours later, the last of the girls had left just as they had done at the previous dance with the promise to return the following day for the soccer game.

"Well, that was fun." Axel stretched as he and Riku locked up the gymnasium, all cleaned up thanks to the Planning committee.

"I'm exhausted. Thank god the game isn't until noon." Riku shook his head as he and Axel trudged back into the Dorm building.

"We can go to bed." Axel said with a forgiving smile as he let Riku into his room.

"Did, did you have other ideas?" Riku couldn't help but ask since Axels tone lead him to think otherwise.

"Huh? Oh no." Axel shook his head as he shut his bedroom door behind him.

"Oh," Riku couldn't help but sound disappointed, even to his own surprise.

"Did you?" Now Axel was curious.

"Who me?" Riku asked in avoidance.

Axel looked around his otherwise empty room. "Well I don't know who else I'd be talking to if not you." Axel shrugged with honest eyes.

"Yeah, guess so," Riku said, refraining from addressing Axel's question.

"So…" Axel waited in anticipation.

"We should probably go to bed." Riku cleared his throat.

"You planning on sleeping in your tux?" Axel asked as he started shedding his clothes, hanging them neatly in his closet.

"I guess I can go back to my dorm and change." Riku looked back to the door.

"Nonsense, I have spare stuff that will fit." Axel dug into his closet and retrieved a clean pair of pajama pants and a T shirt.

"Oh, um, thanks." Riku scratched his head.

"Time for bed I guess."

"After you." Riku coughed awkwardly as he watched Axel get into his bed. The silverrete couldn't explain why, but he grew frustrated at how easily Axel dismissed the idea of conversation, or other activities involving their mouths that Riku was sure to follow their love confession. Instead, the school President remained silent as he crawled next to Axel, unsure what move to make, if any. He decided to try to follow Axel's lead, but the redhead wasn't giving much signs to begin with. In fact, he was facing his wall, his back to Riku as he curled up ready for sleep.

Riku stared at the redhead's back, waiting for something to happen; for words to be said or actions to begin, but all in vain as Axel took deep breath's in and out as he prepared for sleep. Riku let out a loud sigh, hoping to stir the redhead to prompt conversation or something in the slightest that would save him from the boredom that possessed him. It was quiet, too quiet, the air still and heavy as Riku gulped with yet another sigh. And yet the redhead moved not.

Riku shifted his body loudly, moving restless for nearly a whole minute but Axel seemed unchanged. When Riku had had enough of the empty stillness, he sat up. With a clear of his throat, he looked down at Axel who remained with closed eyes in a cozy sleeping position.

"Ah-hem." Riku cleared his throat once more as annoyingly as he could. Axel inhaled through his nose and shifted his arms a few inches.

"Ah-ha-he-hem!" Riku made it apparent that he wouldn't rest until he got the attention he was looking for, and he finally got it as Axel rolled onto his back and looked up.

"You ok?" The redhead asked with a sleepy voice.

"Switch sides with me." Riku didn't even bother to ask if it was ok or not as he had lost all patience by then.

"Ok." Axel shrugged and did as Riku requested. "Night." Axel then faced his door, his back once more to Riku as the silverrete rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Really?" Riku couldn't help but ask as he remained siting up.

"What?" Axel rolled back over to face the impatient boy next to him.

"Nothing." Riku grunted grumpily.

"Prez." Axel sat up.

"Well it's just, I, I don't know." Riku was getting nervous and wondered if it was worth bringing up.

"What is it?" Axel asked lovingly.

"I, I thought you'd be happier." Riku looked down at his lap filled with the nights darkness and shame.

"I am happy." Axel gave a genuine smile with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Then why are you ignoring me?" Riku asked like a small needy child.

"What?" Axel asked with another chuckle.

"It's not funny!" Riku gulped with a sense of hurt about him.

"I, no I don't think it's funny I just, I think it's cute." Axel bit his lip before he put his arms around Riku. "If you wanted some loving you should have just said so." Axel smiled before he kissed Riku's temple.

"I didn't think I would have had to." Riku said sheepishly.

"Well I figured after all the shit Seifer put you through, and considering our game is tomorrow, it might be best if we hold off until after the game to do what we'd like."

"What do you mean by that?" Riku looked into Axel's dimmed eyes, his body warm in the redheads arms.

"It's whatever you want it to mean." Axel kissed the soft lips before him. "Now, save yourself for the field. Your energy will be spent there tomorrow. Afterward we can nap, make up from it all," Axel gave a loud yawn with a stretch. "And then do whatever my prince desires."

"I, I'm no prince." Riku's past once again lowered his self esteem. "I'm hardly a person and that's only after all the hard work I put into being here at this academy."

"Prez, it's because you worked so hard that you are a prince. You showed true dedication and perseverance. I admire you, so very much." Axel pushed Riku's hair behind his ear.

"You're the great one. You have the family name, the munny, the athletic skill and grades and looks."

"No, I have a connection that forced me to be who I am. But you. You Prez, you are just naturally perfect." Axel kissed the back of Riku's hand.

"Please, stop." Riku shivered, uncomfortable with the attention he felt was undeserved.

"You can silence me, but you can't erase the thoughts in my mind that honor and respect you." Axel set Riku's hand down gently as Riku swallowed hard.

"I just, I missed you." Riku blinked rapidly. "I missed you Axel." The silverrete didn't want to get emotional but it seemed already out of his control.

"I missed you so much. I promise you I won't let you get away this time."

"I wish there never was a first time to begin with." Riku sighed, his head aching from memory.

"Shh, I know Prez. I swear I'll make it up to you."

"I wish it were that simple Axel. I, I was terrified, for so long. I was ridiculed. Stories went around of what Seifer did, of my reputation as some poor boy who couldn't wear clothes that fit and shoes that let water in every time it rained as I walked three miles to and from school every day all alone." Riku didn't know why he started that conversation, and he already wished it over.

"Prez," Sympathy set in Axels heart.

"It's fine. I just, I worked hard to get here. I don't ever want to slide back down."

"You won't. You are strong. You always have been." Axel nudged Riku for encouragement.

"No, I wasn't. Hell when we met I stuck around you like glue cause I was too scared and weak to be on my own." Riku admitted shyly.

"I thought you were adorable. My little shadow." Axel chuckled with a delicate kiss to Riku's cheek.

"Thanks." Riku blushed.

"Come on, let's get some sleep since we have to be up early for the game tomorrow." Axel laid down and invited Riku into the blankets.

"I must say, I'm surprised you are being so patient with me. I mean, to think of all the times you were so anxious to get me in your bed." Riku gave a cocky grin.

"Please, I've waited all this time to have you; surely I can wait just one more night." Axel smiled back. "Night Prez." Axel gave a relaxing exhale into the cold night air.

"Night Axel." Riku said quietly as he cautiously pressed his body closer to the redheads.

"Sweet dreams." Axel put his arms around the silverrete, holding him as they both slept.

Author's Note: WOW I haven't updated in like a month I'm really sorry! I've been way too busy for my own good but anyway, here's the update. So we finally see progress and it looks like things might be normalizing huh? Good for Axel and Riku lol. I'm just going to be straight up honest and say that I didn't proof read or edit this because I don't have time. I'm going out soon so I need to quickly write review responses and then leave so sorry for the errors!

To hinatauchihashyakuganuser: You're name is a mouthful that was challenging and I probably didn't even spell it right haha. Anyway, thank you for the review!

To Nowa-Hikari: Well we see that Xion didn't ruin anything, and yes those twins are so adorable aren't they? Especially with their little moment haha.

To luckycat222: Awww, I'm glad you liked the Christmas present! Hehe, finally they had the kiss, even after Axel waited so long.

To Xsonya: Thank you, I had a good Christmas and I am thankful for your review, hope you had a wonderful day!

To kindofabadger: Yes, they can finally move forward together the way they should have a long time ago for poor Axel's sake haha! Thank you, hope you had a great holiday season.

To SaYue-San: Well I am happy to hear that you relate to this story and that you enjoyed the last chapter a lot! Makes me very glad to hear such feedback. Yes, some hot action will cum soon enough hehe.

To SoRikuROx: Wow you are on a good point there, and I see what you mean about the misplaced blame but sometimes it doesn't matter who is responsible. When we feel so angry it doesn't matter who we blame just as long as its someone, you know? Anyway, thank you for the review ^_^

To Carni: Awwww I'm so honored that you would ruin your sleeping schedule for one of my stories and I'm glad that the love confession at the end of chapter 22 was worth it all. Thank you for your support.

To MidnightxMusic: Hahaha, I am a fan of roller coasters hehe. And I'm happy to hear that you liked the confession scene. Yes, I was surprised cause I didn't think they would work as a pair but I'm very happy with how this turned out. Awww, well I will make sure Seifer doesn't get away with what he did, but no murder scenes in this story, sorry haha. Thank you for your review, it means a lot to me!

Thank you everyone for your support and patience.

Living Legacy, Sarabellum