-_- Seriously people? No reviews? -_- Maybe I should just stop posting chapters, if no one's going to bother telling me what they think...

Anyway, sorry this is late... I meant to post it last night, but fell asleep, but I had to get up early today. I'm singing in my school's graduation and I have to be there by noon... *sigh* Only three more days of school left...

So, I won't say much, because I have nothing really to say, but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review. Seriously. Please review. Or no more chapters. It sounds shallow of me, but I feel it's reasonable for me to say I want one review so I know what people think of the chapter. If I don't get anything from anyone, I feel that no one likes it, and it's not worth my time to post the chapters on here. I have friends who read it over email, and at school. That's enough for me.

Have fun learning more about Roxas and Axel's new relationship :)

~Sunechirei

Full Chapter Title: "Legally, it's questionable. Morally, it's disgusting. Personally, I like it"

It had been three days since Axel had been released from the hospital. Dad refused to let him come back to work until he was completely better, meaning no bandages, or casts, or bruises; nothing that showed he'd been in a car crash recently would be allowed on Axel's body if he wanted to come back into the office.

So, naturally, if I wished to see my... um... my... uh... boyfriend, I had to make up excuses to go see him. At his apartment.

Let me tell you something; it's really, really hard to come up with good ones without informing your entire friend group that the guy you hated at first, was now the person you were going out with. And that you're now gay...

So, the fact that Ellie came to my office a few hours ago, begging me to go check up on Axel because she hadn't heard from him and she was too busy to, I eagerly agreed.

Well, "eagerly." It was more I nodded, and stayed completely silent as she handed me her spare key and told me that Sora wouldn't be home, and if Axel was sleeping I was supposed to let him stay asleep. Sounds like an easy, good way to see how he was doing and not raise any suspicions about my motives.

Let's just say, that when Ellie asked me to check up on him, I was not expecting to end up in the situation I was in now; pinned to a messy bed, underneath a shirtless Axel, with the door closed, and his hand slowly teasing up my chest.

…. I don't even know how we got in that position. Oh wait, yes I do.

No, I'm not going to say.

"Why hello there, Roxie. I wasn't expecting you to show up here," Axel whispered, "I thought Ellie was going to come visit." He leaned down so his face was only inches from mine. "But I like this better." Before I could answer him, Axel's lips were suddenly placed on top of mine, and though they stayed there for only a moment, my entire body went hot.

I swear, if I didn't know better, I wouldn't have guessed that this red-headed freak had just been in the hospital for three weeks after nearly dying in a car crash. Maybe it was a good thing that I did know, because otherwise I would have punched the guy in the stomach.

You know, because he was being all perverted and what not.

Not that I really minded.

"Thinking of something violent?" Axel asked, just before he kissed me again, "I thought we were over that Roxie."

My cheeks heated up from embarrassment, and I stuck out my tongue. "You're acting like a freak of nature, Axel. Of course I'm going to imagine many different ways to get you the hell off of me."

He grinned, and I suddenly became very, very afraid. "Oh, you wouldn't dare hurt me, not since I just got out of the hospital. And besides, do you really want me to get off you?" He leaned in closer to me, allowing his chest to barely touch mine.

If I were to be completely honest with both myself, and Axel, my answer wouldn't have been an blunt, "No," but I wasn't being honest. I was still trying to keep a small shred of my dignity, even though it was hard to do that after being tackled onto a bed by a sick, injured, guy who'd just been sleeping. Still, even just a small amount would be better than nothing, which is why I said that I would rather face a thousand pissed off Riku's, then spend another moment in this situation.

I should not have said that. Instead of taking it as an insult, like most people would, Axel decided that I was challenging him.

He accepted this challenge.

"Whoa! Axel!" I exclaimed when he started unbuttoning my shirt. "I'm serious, stop!" Okay, as much as I was kinda sorta maybe enjoying what was happening, it had started to go a little bit too far.

But, I was really the only person in the room who thought this, unfortunately.

"Why should I stop," Axel hissed. "No one else is here, so you should be very happy."

"I never said I wasn't," I muttered, looking away from him. If I hadn't said this, there's a chance Axel would have just let me up, allowed me to make sure he was okay, call Ellie, and leave, but no. I had to say that. I just had to tempt him.

"Good," was all he said before attacking my neck with his mouth. Instinctively, I grabbed his thin arm with the hand that wasn't attached to the shitty broken arm of mine, and clenched my teeth. Man, I was so glad that Ellie asked me to stay with Axel until she got off of work, because after he began kissing my neck, I just completely gave up fighting against him.

Not that I was trying very hard to in the first place.

Soon, Axel pulled away from me, a nasty smirk plastered on his face. "What's wrong, Roxie?" he cooed, probably talking about my extremely red face. "Embarrassed."

Hell yeah I was embarrassed. Or turned on. I couldn't figure out which. But instead, I didn't answer him, my eyes traveling down to his bare chest. Stretched across his abdomen was a large scar; the scar that always reminded me of what happened to us, what I had caused. Sure, it wasn't actually my fault, and really the person who should be taking all of this guilt was the man who hit us, not me, but it didn't exactly work that way.

Somewhat daintily, I removed my hand from Axel's wrist and traced the scar with a single finger. As I did this, I could feel Axel shiver slightly, but he was still grinning. You know, no matter what I did, Axel was always smirking at me. Well, unless he was angry or being completely serious. But that didn't happen very often.

"Like my battle scar?" Axel asked suddenly, shifting so he could grab my hand with his own, pulling it away from his chest, and to his face. He kissed the palm lightly, that cocky smile still on his face, and it got wider as I felt my face heat up.

This guy...

Suddenly, I felt the need to make him feel the same embarrassment that I did. So naturally, I moved my hand to the back of his neck and pulled him down, crushing my lips against his. Despite the fact that my eyes were closed, I knew Axel was completely surprised by my actions. His body tensing, the hand on the sheets beside me tightening, and a little gasp were a dead give away.

I was pretty much lost, caught in a battle of desire and reason. I mean, Sora could show up any moment, and see what was happening, then know we were going out. I'd tried too hard to keep our relationship a secret from everyone for that to happen.

Then again, I think the idea of getting caught helped with my irrationality, because the more I thought about what would happen if Sora showed up, the deeper my kiss became.

And naturally, Axel responded with equal, if not greater, intensity.

However, I was sick of Axel being all controlling, so instead of just giving in like I'd done in the past (namely at Twilight Town), I pushed the red-head up, pulling away from him slightly to catch my breath.

When my breathing stopped being labored, my hand moved to the center of Axel's chest, and I shoved him down, smiling a bit. The look on Axel's face was completely priceless; blank, confused, sea-green eyes wide, and lips parted slightly. I couldn't help but let out a little laugh as I straddled his waist, then leaned down, kissing him gently.

Yeah, that's right. I can be the dominate one sometimes. I'm not completely girly.

After breaking the kiss, I whispered to Axel, "I love your 'battle scar.' It's very sexy."

Honestly, I have no idea where that came from, and I didn't get any time to figure out the answer, thanks to a sudden banging open of a door, and a shocked gasp. I looked up, and to my horror, but not surprise, I saw Sora and Riku, eyes wide, and jaws dropped in surprise. Seeing as my worst nightmare had just occurred, I did the only logical thing;

I froze.

Like, completely and totally froze. My thoughts were scattered, going from, "Oh shit, now I'm going to get it," to, "Yay. Finally, they know. Now I can get on with my life."

Axel, on the other hand, didn't seem phased by the appearance of his roommate and Riku, as he just sighed, shaking his head.

"Boys, if you want a show, you're going to have to pay," he said, voice completely calm. I glanced down at him, confused. I guess a part of me knew what he meant, but the other part was bewildered by what Axel said.

Sighing, he grabbed my shoulder and pushed me off him.

"Damn, you guys just had to barge in and ruin the moment." He shook his head. "Five more minutes and I would have totally gotten into Roxie's pants."

I think it was that last sentence that made my mind come back to reality, and I flushed red, even though I could hear the obvious joking tone in Axel's voice. Mainly because he was probably right about that. Five more minutes... I bet if I did get to continue, that is about how long it would have taken for... yeah...

Axel's chest had been blocking my view of Riku and Sora since he'd pushed me off him, and I got tired of not knowing what was going on, so I chanced a glance at the two.

Before that day, I'd never seen Sora speechless, and I never thought I would, but there he was, his hand still on Axel's door knob, Riku standing behind him, with his mouth open, and silent. It was rather nice.

Then, I felt Axel's hand on my side, urging me to get off the bed and leave, probably so the two of them didn't figure it out.

One nice thing about Axel that I didn't notice until a week ago; he was very understanding. He knew I didn't want anyone to know about us, for reasons that I was too embarrassed to talk about, but instead of making fun of me like I thought he would, he just smiled and nodded, telling me that it wasn't that big of a deal.

Anyway, I slid off Axel's bed, trying to act like the scene Riku and Sora had witnessed was Axel's fault, sending him mock glares. I hoped they looked real...

"So," Axel said in that condescending voice of his, "what can I do for you boys, now that you've interrupted my afternoon fun?" At first, I thought they were just going to ignore what they saw, but when I heard a sudden burst of laughter from them, I knew I was screwed.

"Fifty bucks if you kiss Roxie," Sora chuckled crossing his arms, and suddenly I was angry. I'd forgotten about the conversation I'd had with these two before the car accident. The two of them only saw my life as a form of entertainment, so of course he would say that.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," Riku said with a smirk. "Axel's too much of a wuss to try anything with Roxie, especially not with us in the room." I felt my face heat up, but said nothing. "Besides, Roxie here would probably punch him in the face."

I don't really know what Axel did after Riku said that, but it just caused both boys to laugh.

"You know what," Riku continued, "I'm going to go in on that bet. Fifty if you kiss Roxie."

I expected Axel to laugh and tell them that was an invasion of privacy, or something along those lines, but no.

Instead, I felt a hand wrap around my upper arm, and I was spun around before I could get any farther from the bed. Another hand grabbed the back of my head and pulled it down, allowing Axel complete access to my mouth, and another kiss.

It wasn't a light peck, however. Either Axel was desperate for something, or he was apologizing for acting like a complete jerk in front of Riku and Sora because man was he into that kiss. The last time I'd been kissed like that was right before Axel got me half naked in Twilight Town.

If the two intruders weren't there, I probably wouldn't have pulled away, but that would be suspicious. As soon as we parted, Axel whispered a breathy apology, and let me go, turning to grin at his two friends.

"You owe me money, Sky, Finnigan," he said with a laugh. "Pay up."

All I could do was blush, turning away from Axel and dashing out of the room, not caring if I crashed into Sora and Riku or not.

"Jerk."

My phone buzzed in my pocket, sending an annoying shock throughout my entire system. Again. For the eightieth time. Quickly, I whipped it out, trying to hide the fact that I had my phone on me while in a meeting with Ellie and my father, to see who it was. I nearly groaned when I saw the name on the caller I.D.

Red.

Axel hadn't stopped calling me for the past hour, probably trying to apologize in a better way for what happened earlier. I wasn't ignoring him on purpose, of course. I'd been busy since coming back to work, but I had to admit, it was nice having a reason not to talk to Axel.

Sure, the whole kiss thing was just a ruse to make me look pissed so I'd leave and knock the idea of me and Axel having a relationship out of Sora and Riku's head, but it still angered me that he'd been so intimate with me in front of those two. I mean, wouldn't a simple kiss have sufficed? Did he really have to practically make out with me?

I sighed, but before I could press the "ignore" button, my phone was taking from me with accuracy and speed that only my father could accomplish.

Startled, I looked up at him. His face was contorted, like he wasn't happy with what he saw on my phone screen.

"Red?" He queried, glancing between me and Ellie. "Who is Red, and why have they been calling you practically non-stop for the past hour?"

I was speechless.

Ellie was not.

Thank God.

"Probably Axel," she said with a shrug. "That was your nickname for him, right Roxas?"

How did she know that? I was careful never to call Axel "Red," back before I knew his name, and it's impossible for a person to know what goes through my head, even though apparently I'm as readable as an open book. I shuddered slightly, thinking about how Ellie always knew things about the people in this office. I wasn't completely convinced the things she knew were necessary for her job. Maybe she's just a creeper...

"Red?" Dad questioned. "Why would you call Mr. Lea that? And why is he calling you?"

What could I say? I didn't mean to forget Axel's name... I guess I just took his first "got it memorized" as a challenge to completely forget everything about him. Chances are, if he hadn't kissed me, I wouldn't have remembered his name after New Years, either. New Years... man, if Ellie hadn't gotten that concussion, I probably wouldn't be in the situation I was in.

I'm going to have to thank her if she ever finds out that Axel and I are going out.

Which she will.

Man I'm off topic.

"Roxas?"

Sighing, I snatched my phone back and sent a glare towards my father. "I don't want to talk about it." I don't think my father has ever seen me act like this before, and it certainly shocked him. I was always respectful towards my parents unless they really irritated me and I snapped. I probably shouldn't have been so sassy, because my dad knew something was up now, and he got this look on his face that basically told me he was going to find out what it was.

Crap.

Ellie, noticing the tension between me and Dad, clapped her hands suddenly and said, "Alright, I think we're done here. Roxas, may I speak with you?"

The fact that Ellie wanted to talk to me was rather nerve racking, mainly because I wanted to just get out of there, ditch my cell phone so Axel couldn't call me anymore, and just take a nap. If I could just take a nap everything would seem better. Much, much better.

But of course, my father left before I could, leaving me in a room alone with Ellie, so I couldn't escape. She would probably kill me if I tried to get away.

"Can I help you?" I asked, laughing nervously at Ellie's hard stare. She didn't seem mad, or happy, or frustrated... it was like she was brooding over something. "Hello?"

"I need your help with something," she said, sighing lightly. "And I don't care how you feel about this, I really, really need your help."

Ellie was asking me for help? Ellie was?

"What can I help you with?" I asked her, somewhat curious. She never asked anyone for help, no matter how stressed out she seemed or how busy work made her. If she really needed my help for something, I guess the only thing I could do was help.

"It's about Axel," she said hesitantly, gauging my reaction. However, I was calm. Calm and curious, so I just nodded. "Well, it's his birthday on the eighth, and he's turning twenty-six, so I want to put together a surprise party for him."

Right, April eighth... Axel's birthday... twenty-six.

Axel's seven years older than I am. That occurred to me when Ellie reminded me of his birthday, and I had to laugh. I was dating a guy who was seven years older than I am. If it had been two years ago that I met Axel, he would be considered a pedophile.

"He really loves you, and he has for a lot longer than most people would think."

I don't really know why Ellie's words echoed through my head right then. Maybe I'd begun to wonder how long he liked me. Axel didn't seem like the kind of guy who fell into the cliché of "love at first sight," which meant he'd met me before. I'd have to ask him about that.

"Roxas, focus," Ellie said suddenly, snapping her fingers right in front of my eyes. I jumped, then wanted to hit my head on the table for spacing out again. Every time I did something with Axel, my brain was so scattered I spaced out. So naturally, the fact that we'd been making out earlier made my thought process die.

"Sorry," I told her, shaking my head. "A bit tired." A nice lie, but Ellie didn't seem convinced.

"Well, Sora and I are currently planning on a surprise party. Can you help at all?"

A surprise party? I didn't like surprises... but, of course, I really didn't have a say in the matter. Ellie wasn't actually asking me if I could help, more like she was telling me I had to assist. You know, do something in return for getting Axel in a car accident. I know she blamed me for that... I mean, she talked to me once the entire time I was in the hospital, and after that she only spoke to me so she could keep tabs on Axel.

Yeah, she was definitely doing this because she was pissed. At me. For Axel getting hurt.

I'm so glad Axel's gay, because otherwise I'd be thinking Ellie was his ex-girlfriend and she was jealous or something. But no, she's just his concerned friend/cousin who happens to work for my father...

Why do I always end up in such odd situations with such weird ass people?

"Um... yeah. I can help. What do you want me to do?"

I really didn't like the look on Ellie's face when I asked her this, almost as though she were planning something. "I don't need you to do much. Just, keep him away from his apartment for a few hours. Go on a date or something."

I flushed. "Date? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's a figure of speech, Roxas. Calm down," Ellie muttered, rolling her eyes. "Just take him downtown and keep him busy." She smirked. "I'm sure you can do that without much trouble."

"What the hell does that-" I started to say, but Ellie cut me off, shaking her head.

"Doesn't matter." She passed by me, patting me on top of my head. "Oh, and Roxas," she called out when she was by the door. I looked up, letting her know I was listening. "Don't forget to get him a present."

A present. I had to get Axel a present. I didn't know what to get him! This was Axel we're talking about. He never told me anything about what he liked, or much else about him. I tried to ask questions, but it didn't work too well. He just changed the subject on me.

So, how was I supposed to know what to get him for his birthday?

Well, Sora was certainly no help... neither was Riku, and Kairi still wasn't really talking to me. Naminé would get pissed if I asked her for help, and the two of us were finally starting to talk to each other again, so I was all alone in the search for the perfect a good present that would be given to Axel.

Have I ever said that I think the world hates me?

Pondering this, I opened the front door to my house and inched past the living room, trying not to catch the attention of my mother. Sure, I was feeling better, and the doc said I could get my cast off in a few days, (right before Axel's birthday... yay?) but Mom insisted I check in with her whenever I got home so she knew I was perfectly fine.

I'm not a two year old anymore, which is why I refused to go talk to her every day after work (or visiting Axel as in earlier cases). This seemed to greatly irk her, and she started insisting I came home at exactly four o'clock.

Yeah, like I was going to do that.

Luckily, she seemed preoccupied on the phone when I got home, so she didn't even notice when I stumbled over a large box that took up the middle of the hallway leading to the stairs. I gave it a strange look, not sure exactly how to react to it, but continued on before Mom could actually do anything.

Advice for the future: Never ignore a strange box in the middle of the hallway. It could be the one thing that changes your life forever.

But, I didn't find out what the significance of that box was for a while, so I'll just continue on with finding a present for Axel.

Finally, I made it to my bedroom, and when I closed my door, I leaned against it, completely exhausted. It's amazing how much keeping a huge secret can tax a person's energy, especially when they almost get caught in the lie. Briefly, I wondered if it would just be better if I told everyone I was seeing Axel, but honestly, I didn't think it would go well.

I decided I should talk to Axel about it.

Axel...

Birthday...

Present...

I groaned before throwing myself on my bed, nearly screaming. What the hell could I get that weirdo?

Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Slowly, I lifted my head from my pillow and glanced at the bedside stand next to the bed, eyes traveling to the drawer. I reached over to it, my hand shaking slightly at the idea going through my head, and I opened the drawer. It was there, sitting the middle of a bunch of other crap, so I picked it up, examining the specimen carefully.

It was the perfect gift.

I just hoped he liked it.

My hand was frozen in front of the door, not sure if I should knock or not. Sure, Sora had given me the okay to go to his apartment and drag Axel out of the house to go around town while he, Ellie, Kairi, Riku, and, to my surprise, Naminé, set up his party, but I was still hesitant.

What if Axel refused to come with me? He was stubborn like that. Plus, I'd been kinda avoiding him since he'd made a hundred bucks off Sora and Riku for kissing me. I bet that wasn't sitting well with him. He hadn't even tried to call me, even though it'd been five days since that happened.

With a sigh, I gathered up my courage, flexing my recently fractured hand as I prepared to knock.

Finally, I did.

I heard crashing from inside as someone scrambled, probably from the back of the apartment, to the front door. Thinking Axel was already there, I waved hesitantly, smiling a bit.

The door opened immediately.

Standing there, half dressed in normal Axel clothing, was my boyfriend, panting, and looking as confused as I had felt a few months ago. I wanted to laugh, but I was afraid he'd slam the door in my face, so instead I waved again.

"Happy birthday, Axel." The way Axel was staring at me sent chills down my spine, and I took a step back. "Uh... I take it you're busy, so I'm going to just-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Axel reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me not only into the apartment, but also into a warm embrace. I heard the door close behind me, as my face heated up.

"I'm sorry, Roxas," he muttered, "Sora and Riku were just really irritating me, and I wanted to prove them wrong, but I went too far... I'm really sorry."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed for acting like a jerk over something so small, I wrapped my arms around Axel's waist and shook my head.

"You don't need to apologize... I was just... you know, surprised." I laughed, and Axel pushed me away from him slightly, a confused look on his face. Shrugging I held up my left arm. "Look," I told him with a smile, "cast's gone." We both started laughing at this point, unable to deal with the tension any longer.

"So," Axel said after his laughter had calmed down a bit, "why are you here?"

I hated it when people asked my motives for things. Can't a guy visit his boyfriend whenever he felt like it? Was it a crime to make sure everything was alright between you and the one you liked? I didn't voice these complaints, however, as I'm sure Axel would have known something was up, and then his party wouldn't exactly be a surprise.

"Well," I told him, "you've been cooped up inside for the past few weeks, and I thought, maybe, you'd like to come out with me and hang out for a bit. You know, like... um..."

"A date?"

I blushed. "Yeah, a date."

Axel was quiet for a short time, seeming to watch my every move with great interest. Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders and planted a quick kiss on my mouth.

"Hell yeah I want to go." He looked about five years old then, eyes shining, mouth turned up in a goofy grin... if he wasn't at least eight inches taller than I was, I would have suspected he was a five year old... you know, one in disguise.

"Well, you should probably get dressed then," I laughed, pointing at Axel's bare chest. "You'd get arrested for going out like that."

Axel smiled. "Yeah, and we all know what happened last time the police were involved." Flashes of the second time I met Axel appeared in my head, and I let out a groan. Worst day of my life, and he just had to mention it...

"Whatever," I muttered. "Just get dressed so we can go."

"Yes sir," Axel answered me, but he didn't move. I was about to ask what he was doing when an evil glint appeared in his eyes, and I became very afraid. "But first... how about I take my present from you. After all, it is my birthday." That caused quite a bit of confusion on my part. How could Axel know about the present I had for him? Maybe he just assumed I'd gotten him something, or maybe...

When Axel pushed me up against the door and began kissing me, I figured out what he meant.

Sly son of a bitch....

Going on a date with Axel was... well, both awkward and fun at the same time. He was completely convinced that no one would care that two guys were walking around holding hands, but I was hesitant to do anything, one hundred percent sure someone I knew from high school would walk up and see me.

I wasn't exactly ready for the whole world to know that I was dating a guy...

So instead, the two of us went to the large park in the center of town, where almost no one was, and had a few weird ass conversations. These conversations were so messed up, I think a few of my brain cells died... I mean, who talks about squirrels trying to take over Radiant Garden and eat everyone's brains so no one would retaliate and bring out the exterminators?

Axel and I do.

But it wasn't all weird, and by the time I got the text from Sora telling me they were ready, and we should head back now, I was really disappointed the day was ending. Soon, I was going to have to share Axel's time with all the other people we were friends with.

Ellie, Riku, Sora, Kairi, Naminé, Demyx, and that creeper from Hallow Bastion, Zexion. That's all the names I was able to gather from the broken conversations of my co-workers. They refused to tell me anymore than there was going to be a party, and I needed to distract Axel for a few hours while they set up the place...

I can't wait until I'm their boss, and they have to tell me these kinds of things...

So, after I read Sora's text, I made up an excuse about being tired to Axel, and the two of us headed back to his apartment. We didn't talk all the way back, unfortunately. I liked how Axel talked. I never noticed it before, but recently it's been like I'm hyper sensitive to everything he does. I never had that with Naminé...

Finally, we reached the door to Axel's apartment, and I knew that everyone was inside. I wasn't really looking forward to the whole surprise thing. I just hoped Axel didn't mind at all.

"Thanks for today, Roxas," Axel said suddenly, pulling out his key, "I really had fun."

"So did I," was my reply, though I was kind of distracted, wondering if I should stay away from the door when Axel opened it or not. My attention was quickly brought back to reality, however when I felt Axel's warm lips on my forehead.

"I'm serious, Roxie. Ever since I woke up in the hospital, I've been so happy, being with you...," he laughed quietly, pressing his forehead against mine. I was glad everyone in the apartment was hiding. "I love you."

He kissed me quickly, then turned to his door unlocking it quickly. I stood there, shocked. I wasn't expecting him to say that.

Only a loud "Surprise!" got my attention back to planet earth, and I grinned slightly, observing my boyfriend's shocked, yet irritated expression.

It seemed Axel didn't liked surprises either.

"What... what's this?" Axel asked, turning towards me. I brought my shoulders up to my ears, still grinning.

"Surprise," I told him, loving the annoyed look on his face. He glanced around the room where everyone else was laughing at his expression, then his eyes landed on the golden-eyed girl sitting in the middle of the room.

"Ellie!" he hissed, shaking his head. "You know I don't like surprises."

Ellie's reaction was not something I was expecting. She slipped off the couch she sat upon, and walked over to the two of us, her eyes never leaving Axel.

"This, oh dearest cousin, is called payback."

Payback?

What?

I remember sitting near Riku and Sora as the two of them competed at poker, when all of a sudden I was being dragged away by a strong pair of arms. I didn't struggle. I was too tipsy for that.

"What are you doing?" I asked, realizing rather quickly it was Axel who held onto my arms. "They're going to see..." I shut my mouth when the bedroom door closed behind me, and I looked up at Axel, confused. Was he drunk? I couldn't recall seeing him drink anything, and he seemed completely lucid, unlike me. I felt like I was floating in the middle of nowhere, and the only thing keeping me on the ground was the tight grip.

"What are you doing?" I repeated my question after blinking a couple of times. Axel shook his head sadly.

"You, Roxie, are such a lightweight. I can't believe how tipsy you are after only one drink."

"One?" I countered, snapping my fingers together. "I had two, dammit!" I don't know what it was, but something about the look on Axel's face was so funny, I had to start laughing. When he asked me what was so funny, I sent him a nasty smirk and said, "Your face," before leaning against the door, laughing my ass off.

Huh. Maybe I am a lightweight.

"Anyway, Roxie, I had a question for you-"

"Wait!" I held up my hand, pressing it against Axel's mouth before he could say another word. "I have something for you!" This wasn't exactly how I planned to give my present to Axel, mainly because I had no plan, but it seemed to be a good idea at the time. Slowly, I reached into my pocket and pulled it out.

The small jewelry box that had haunted me in the weeks after Naminé broke my heart. I shoved it at Axel, suddenly embarrassed, and muttered, "Happy birthday," to him. When I rethought the idea of giving Axel a necklace, I immediately realized how stupid it was. What if he didn't like it? Or he didn't wear jewelry? He was a guy, after all. "You don't have to keep it," I added after I'd seen that Axel opened the present. "It was a stupid idea-"

The box was thrown in my face. He threw the box in my face...

What the hell?

I glared up at him, wanting to yell that he was a jerk, but he cut me off.

"Shut up, Roxas."

My real name. He only used my real name when he was being serious.

"I want it."

Without another word, Axel slipped the silver chain around his neck, clasping the lock. The blue gem seemed to shine from beneath the dove's wings, signaling something, but in my state, I couldn't remember what. Something the old guy had told me... but what did he know, he was an old guy who ran a pawn shop.

"A dove," Axel muttered, examining the animal wrapped around the gem. "Just like you, you know."

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but I think the alcohol had gotten to me about then, and I slid down the door, closing my eyes. Axel leaned next to me in an instant, asking if I was okay. I just waved him off, knowing it was pointless for him to worry about me. I was just drun- I mean tipsy, and I didn't do well with drinking.

"I'm tired," I said suddenly, before lifting up my arms. "Carry me?" I heard a low chuckle escape from Axel's throat, and he reached down, heaving me off the ground. Snuggling close, I whispered something to Axel, though I don't remember what I said, he seemed to like it, as the next thing I knew he was pressing his lips to mine. Again.

"You're so adorable, Roxas."