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Chapter Twenty Two

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"Van, I have to- ...oh," Roxas stopped short in the living room, staring into a set of blue eyes.

"Hi, Roxas," Ventus wore a Cheshire-grin, clearly amused by the blond's confusion.

His eyes scanned the older man in front of him, noting that not much had changed since the last time they met. Roxas had to admit, they did look similar like everyone always told them, though Ven was sickly skinny and had dyed his sandy-blond hair jet black to try and look more "metal." His skin was just not a healthy pale and his arms were riddled in scratches and needle marks like always. His eyes were sunken, but he tried to cover it up by wearing dark black makeup around them. All in all, he just looked... like an addict.

"What're you doing here?" he snapped, already irritated with his presence in their home.

The musician just shrugged, "We ended the tour early and Van said I could chill here for awhile."

"I thought you were living with some chick."

"Who, Alice? Nah... she kicked me out before the tour even started."

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Shocker there... Where's Van?"

"Fuck if I know."

"He left you here alone...?"

Ven just chuckled lowly, "You hate me, don't you? ...I don't blame you, really, but c'mon... you gotta give me a chance here."

"Ven, the last interaction I had with you involved you selling my laptop for coke. You're God damned lucky that Van convinced me not to turn you in to the police. Excuse me for not wanting you in my home."

"Say whatever you want, man... I'm clean now," he boasted, crossing his arms behind his head smugly. "Van's out getting us a pizza. He'll be back any minute."

Roxas looked at the time on his phone. He was supposed to be picking up Axel in an hour, but he had no idea what Vanitas was going to say about him moving back in there. Obviously he wouldn't be joining him, since he decided to have a coke-addict houseguest move in without asking him. "I've got to go pack... Don't touch anything."

"Dude... You're so fucking uptight," Ven laughed, "And what the fuck are you packing for anyways? Leaving Van?"

"No, I've got to go stay with my friend for awhile. He just had brain surgery."

Ventus lifted an eyebrow, "So... You won't be around for awhile?"

"Why?" Roxas turned quickly to look at him, immediately finding that suspicious.

"No reason. Just keep packing," he wore a smirk on his face that made Roxas incredibly uneasy.

He tried to ignore the gut feeling he had that something was up as he packed enough to at least get him through a week with Axel. He'd likely be stopping by to see Van often enough that he could just grab some more clothes as he needed them.

"Roxas, you home?"

He poked his head out of the closet and yelled, "I'm back here!"

"...Why're you packing? Oh shit... You're not leaving me, are you?" Van approached him with a terrified expression on his face.

"What? No! Look, Axel needs someone to stay with him while he recovers. I was going to ask if you'd come with me, but it seems as though you've offered the guest room to Ventus again, and I don't trust him alone in our house."

Van stared at him for a long moment, "So you're moving back in with Axel."

"Just until he recovers enough to be by himself again. And I'll come visit you and shit. It's not like I'm disappearing."

"I feel like this isn't really a discussion, Rox. Are you asking me if it's okay or telling me that you're going to do it?"

Roxas scoffed, "Why do I need your permission? I'm just trying to help my sick friend."

"Can't that Saix guy take care of him?"

"No," Roxas grit his teeth at the mention of the blunette, "I mean... He's a surgeon, he isn't going to have time."

Vanitas furrowed his brow, "What the hell do you have against that guy anyways? Every time you talk about him you get all vicious."

"Nothing... I just don't like him, I guess."

"Yeah? So... Is he going to ask Axel out?"

Roxas' nose scrunched up as he tried not to react to the question. He knew Van was testing him, but he couldn't help himself, "He'd better fucking not."

"Why's that?" Vanitas pressed further, only solidifying his theory about Roxas' jealousy.

"He just can't!" Roxas snapped, slamming his suitcase shut and breathing heavily.

Van leaned against the frame of the door, "You're jealous."

"I'm not jealous..." he growled, unable to look Van in the eye.

"Oh yeah? I bet they're gonna sleep together on their first date. I wonder if Saix is as good of a submissive as you are... What do you think?"

Roxas balled his fists up, grinding his teeth together furiously, "Stop..."

"Ooh, I can just picture Saix moaning his name now... Begging him for more..." Van continued to push, watching the anger build up inside Roxas.

The blond's lip started to twitch as he bit back a comment, trying to breathe calmly.

"Just admit it, Roxas. Say it to my fucking face. You're in love with him."

"I... I'm not..." he struggled to find the words to say, but he was lost. "It was an accident, Van..." he finally broke down, bursting into tears as he admitted it.

Vanitas' face fell and he attempted to keep his cool, "All right... So... You do love him..."

"I don't know how it happened, Van... I kept telling myself that he was my friend, but I can't control my feelings..."

"Are you in love with me anymore?"

Roxas turned his gaze to the floor, sniffling a little, "I think so..."

"You either are or you're not, Roxas."

"I... I was..."

Vanitas looked like someone had kicked him in the stomach with a steel-toed boot. "I've been trying so hard for you, Roxas... I've stayed on my meds, I've tried to accept this whole porn thing... I even tried to accept Axel..."

"I know, Van... I know... I just don't feel like we fit together right anymore..." Roxas mumbled, his heart heavy in his chest.

"So... This is it. This is really the end, huh? We're done for good..." Van started to tear up as well, though he attempted to hide it.

Roxas exhaled slowly, "I guess so..."

"Do you want the trailer, or...?"

"No... You keep it. I can stay with ...him..."

There was a long, awkward silence between them. Roxas stood by the bed with his suitcase, Van in the doorway. But then Van suddenly blurted out, "I've been sleeping with Ventus. Not since we got back together the last time, but... it's been going on for awhile."

"...Oh," Roxas was surprised by that. He didn't even know Ventus liked men. "Uhm... Okay..."

"And... you aren't even remotely jealous..." Van sighed, knowing that it truly was over. "Let me know when you want to start packing up all of your stuff. I'll help you out..."

Roxas picked up his suitcase and nodded, "Thanks, I guess. I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. You can't help how you feel. Now... go steal Axel right out from under that surgeon's nose."

He could see how much Vanitas was hurting, but he knew that nothing he could do or say would comfort him. Instead, he just silently left the house, ignoring some backhanded comment from Ventus on his way out.

Now he just had to find the right way to tell Axel that he loved him.

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A/N: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.

...That is all.

Simply Rexene