Axel was sitting in the class room, glancing at the door every two seconds as he lightly tapped his foot against the floor. Roxas hadn't been gone for three minutes, and already he wanted to run out the door after the boy. From the moment he walked into the class room he knew something was wrong, hell, he'd been acting a bit off for the past five days. But something was definitely wrong today. He was a lot more on edge. He hadn't gotten the chance to pry though when Larxene decided to come up and drop a fucking bomb on his head. He'd been pissed, but he still found himself looking at Roxas when class started, and his anger slowly started to fade away as he watched the blonde try to fight off a panic attack. And then he just up and ran off to the bathroom. With his... Bag? Why did he need his bag?

Axel's eyes widened as realization struck him like lightning. He shot out of his seat, gaining the attention of the entire class room as he bolted down the isle and out the class room door. He ignored the teacher as he tried to call him back. He was going to get in big trouble, an he knew it, but Roxas was far more important than anything right now. Running was so not his forte though. He was already tired by the time he got to the bathroom. He stopped right outside the door, taking a couple deep breaths before slowly opening the door. He released a sharp gasp as his eyes widened, landing on the blonde in the middle o the bathroom. He sat on the disgusting tile floor, his wristbands pulled off and stuffed in his pocket. He held a bottle of pills in his left hand, some of the pills having spilled onto the floor as his hand was flipped over so his scarred wrist faced upwards. In his right hand he held a blue knife and the silver blade was pushed against the scarred flesh as he visibly shook.

"Roxas..." Axel said slowly, carefully so not to starle the blonde. Roxas visibly tensed when he heard Axel and he noticed the grip on the knife tightened suddenly. Panic shot through his body as he worried that Roxas might swipe that blade across his soft pale flesh even with Axel there. He quickly stepped over to the blonde, crouching down and gently grabbing his wrist, knowing it was still hurting, then pulled his arm back so the knife was safely away from his wrist before he pulled it from his tight grasp.

"Fuck." Roxas breathed out as Axel pulled his arm away. When he released it his hand dropped into him lap as he started to shake again. Not as violently as he had before, but enough for Axel to be able to notice.

"Roxas." He said again, a bit more firmly to gain the others attention a he flipped the knife closed an stuffed it into his pocket. Roxas just barely turned his head to show that he was listening, but Axel didn't want him to listen right now. He wanted him to look at him.

"Roxas, look at me." Then, as if to purposefully tick him off, Roxas turned his head farther away from Axel.

"Roxas!" He said sternly, finally gaining the boys attention as he whipped his head around with a horrible attempt to glare at the older boy. He was far too over come with, what appeared to be fear, for him to give a good glare. He felt his chest tighten at the sight of the blonde's face and he quickly pulled him into a hug, surprising the younger boy.

"Roxas you promised." He said quietly into the golden locks. He heard a choked sob, slightly muffled by his chest, then Roxas started to tremble in his arms as more sobs echoed through out the empty bathroom and Axel could feel his shirt getting wet with tears. They sat there for a few minutes, Axel rubbing his back as he allowed Roxas to just cry in his arms. They weren't alone for very long though as Axel heard the door open behind him. He whipped his head around to see a random student, standing at the door in bewilderment at the scene before him. He quickly bolted out though when Axel turned a deathly glare on him for his intrusion. When he turned his attention back to Roxas, who was slowly pulling away as he wiped at his eyes. He kept his eyes on the floor as he took a couple deep breaths.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, a slight whimper to his voice as he spoke.

"For crying?" He asked stupidly. He knew it was a stupid question, but that's all he could think of at the time. Roxas chuckled and shook his head.

"No. For almost breaking my promise... And for not telling you the whole truth. This is why I didn't want to promise you. I was afraid something like this might happen, and I didn't want that." Roxas explained.

"Wait, what didn't you tell me?" Axel asked, looking curiously at the blonde. Okay, maybe he was a bit oblivious. But he wasn't concerned with that right now.

Roxas slowly held up the bottle of pain killers and stared at them. It was a sad look, but it was almost... Longing too. It kind of scared him.

"I'm addicted to pain killers. I used to take four every day till the incident. Then I had to take them for my ribs and my wrist."

"And now your going through withdrawals." Axel finished when Roxas did not. A hand covered his eyes as he slowly nodded his head. Axel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of what to say next. He watched as Roxas slowly curled into himself, his legs pressed tightly to his chest as he hugged his legs and rested his head on his knees.

"Please help me, Axel..." He whimpered out, his body starting to shake slightly as he began to cry once more. "I don't want to do it again. I don't want to live like this."

Axel's brows pinched together as he turned his gaze on the tiles and scratched the back of his head.

"You're going to hate me." He said quietly. He heard a sorrowful chuckle from the blonde.

"I don't think I could possibly hate you." Roxas choked out. He sounded amused, but he knew the blonde was being serious. Axel sighed once more and got off the floor, running a hand through his hair.

"Come on." He said, reaching his hand out to Roxas to help him up with a soft smile on his face. "Let's get you cleaned up then go back to class."

He knew that going back to class meant facing his utter doom, seeing as he would definitely get detention for just running out of class like that. But it was worth it in his mind. He kept Roxas safe, and that meant more than anything in the world to him.

Axel quickly weaves his way through the crowded halls of his school. He had detention soon, but he had a quick stop to make before then. Though the halls were currently packed with students, as he made his way over to this area the students were growing thin to the point that he didn't even have to watch where he was going. He still did though as he searched for the unforgettable head of pink hair. Soon enough he finally found Marluxia at his locker, Larxene next to him as she waited for him to gather his things. He marched over to his locker, glare settled on his face and hands balled into fists. Larxene was the first to notice him as he approached with a sadistic smile.

"Hey fag." She said. Axel ignored her though, walking right passed her and grabbing Marluxia's shoulder to turn him around. The pink haired boy slowly turned to face the red head, brows pinched together in confusion. Axel didn't even give him time to blink, for once he was facing him the red head reared his fist back and hit Marluxia square on the nose. Marluxia fell back into his locker, his hands flying up to grab his now bleeding nose. Larxene gasped in surprise at the action, looking at Axel incredulously.

"What the fuck, Axel?!" She yelled. Axel turned his harsh glare on her and took a step forward.

"You leave Roxas the fuck alone, or I swear to god you both will be walking away with a lot worse than a broken nose." Axel said in a low venomous voice that seemed to actually startle the blonde. "Do I make myself clear?"

Larxene nodded slowly, glaring at Axel, then with a quick nod he turned on his heel and stalked away, heading for his detention.

Roxas was sat in his room when Axel walked through the door with a small box in his hands. Roxas watched him curiously as he disappeared into his bathroom for a minute. He could hear him rummaging around, then as he reemerged he stalked over to Roxas's desk and started going through the drawers.

"What are you doing, Axel?" Roxas asked as he slowly got off his bed and made his way over to the red head. He looked into the small box and saw all the pills and liquid medicines from his bathroom. And his... Razor?

"I'm removing the temptation." Axel said as he finally found what he was looking for. He pulled out three knives from the bottom drawer and dropped them in the box on top of all the medicine. Roxas blinked in slight surprise, but said nothing. He understood the reasoning, and even if he said something it would just blow up into an argument that neither of them would want to have. So Roxas went and sat back on his bed, watching as Axel rummaged through his belongings for all sharp objects. He finished up in Roxas's closet and the box was almost full. Did he really have that many knives?

Axel was heading towards the door, but paused just short of it and turned on his heel towards Roxas. The blonde raised a brow as Axel walked over to him then held out his hand.

"Hand it over." He said. Roxas cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

Axel rolled his eyes and sighed, placing his hand on his hip. "Your knife. I know you always carry two on you, now I took your blue one, where's the other one?"

Roxas's brows furrowed and his lips pursed in irritation. "I don't have another knife on me Axel. You have all of them."

Axel huffed and placed the box on the floor, Roxas watching curiously. Then suddenly, Axel pinned him to the bed. His eyes widened as he stared up the the red head that was straddling his hips and pinning his arms to his sides. Slowly, he leant his face down to Roxas's then pressed his lips against the blonde's. Roxas was beyond confused, but as Axel continued kiss him, the younger quickly found himself melting into the kiss. He barely noticed when Axel released his injured arm and started to feel at his hips. And he didn't notice when that hand dipped into his right pocket. It didn't click in his head what the red head was doing until Axel pulled out of the kiss and held up Roxas's favorite knife. The switchblade Axel had given him.

"You didn't have another knife huh?" Axel said with a triumphant smirk. Roxas's eyes widened in horror as Axel climbed off him with his knife. He picked up the box and started to head for the door.

"Axel no! You can't take that one!" Roxas said as he shot off his bed and ran in front of Axel, blocking the exit.

"And why not?" He asked, looking at Roxas incredulously.

"Because it's special dammit! I promise I won't use it for that! I promised myself when I got it!" Roxas said determinedly.

"Yeah, cause we all know what promises mean to you!" Axel rolled his eyes and placed his hand on his hip.

"Axel I swear on... On Zack's grave that I won't use that knife on myself!"

"Why do you need this so bad Roxas? Don't you want to get better? Because I'll tell you now Roxas, you won't shake this addiction if I leave you with this knife!" Axel snapped. Roxas could feel the tears pricking at his eyes, but he held them back for the time being, not wanting to cry in front of Axel again.

"Axel please! You can take anything you want, just not that knife. I'll do anything if you just let me keep that knife." Roxas pleaded. He felt like he was about to go into hysterics over the whole thing.

"What is your problem?! Why is this knife so fucking special?!" Axel yelled, startling the blonde, making him jump and press himself into the door. He was bracing himself, but for what? Axel didn't understand, why was he bracing himself? He couldn't give it much thought though as he was too angry about the current situation.

"Well? Why's it so special?" Axel asked impatiently. Roxas mumbled out his answer, but Axel couldn't understand what he'd said.

"What was that?" He snapped. Roxas suddenly looked up at him with furrowed brows and narrowed eyes.

"I said; you gave it to me jackass! But if you can't even remember something that fucking important then keep it!" He barked out, finally moving to the side and crossing his arms over his chest. Axel was taken aback by the outburst, but he quickly recovered, only to narrow his eyes at the blonde.

"Fine! I will." Axel said, opening the door. The minute he stepped out it slammed loudly behind him. He settled a glare on the large piece of wood.

"I told you you'd hate me." He quietly muttered before stomping his way down the stairs and out the front door.

Roxas felt terrible about their fight moments after it happened, but he wasn't going to apologize. That was his favorite knife and he still hadn't used it for his addiction, and he never planned to. No matter the internal battle that would possibly ensue, he loved that knife too much, and he would never defile it for something so petty. So for the next week Axel had ignored Roxas, just as the blonde had ignored him. They didn't even sit next to each other in class, making it obvious to everyone, including the teachers, that they were having problems. It wasn't long before students started spreading rumors of their none existent break up and teachers that actually cared stopped them after class or in the halls to ask if they needed to talk. Demyx, though not involved in the fight, was also having issues with all of this. He didn't know much about what was going on, but he was having issues figuring out which one to spend his time with. Axel had been his best friend for years, but he didn't want to leave Roxas on his own. But he was also worried he'd upset Axel if he hung out with Roxas. The decision was made for him though as Roxas told him to just hang out with Axel. Every now and again though he'd catch Demyx staring apologetically at him.

Then, to top it all off Xigbar still wasn't talking to him. He would have been fine with that if Axel was still talking to him. At least then, upsetting the older boy would have been worth it, but without Axel it just seemed pointless and he was slowly starting to feel even more terrible for it.

After school one day he had finally been able to catch Xigbar. He was standing outside the junior high entrance, seemingly waiting for someone. Roxas looked at him curiously and stopped to watch him. He wasn't running away or anything, just staring at the ground and trying not to acknowledge Roxas.

"Xigbar?" He said cautiously, as I the older boy would suddenly vanish. He glanced up at the blonde, but said nothing. Roxas balled his hands into fists around his backpack straps and looked at the ground as he contemplated what to do.

"I'm sorry." Roxas said quietly. That got his attention. He turned his gaze to the blonde then closed his eyes with a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's fine." He said. His voice sounded broken. Roxas looked back up at the older boy, brows pinched together.

"No it's not. Otherwise you wouldn't have been ignoring me. I went too far and I understand that. It wasn't nice to say and I'm sorry." Roxas said. Xigbar looked at him suspiciously.

"This doesn't have to do with you and Axel fighting does it?"

"No! I wanted to apologize before, I just thought it would upset Axel if I had." Roxas explained, placing a hand on his hip and running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Look, I don't care if you never talk to me again. I just wanted to let you know I was sorry for what I said. I'll leave you alone now."

Roxas turned and started his way down the steps, but was stopped by a light chuckle from behind him.

"You don't know how much you just looked like him kid." Xigbar said amusedly. Roxas turned back to look curiously at the elder.

"Come give me a hug and your forgiven tiger." Xigbar said with a smirk. Roxas stared at him for a moment then looked around cautiously before stepping back up the stairs and allowing Xigbar to pull him into an embrace.

"So what's going on kiddo? What happened with you and Axel?" Xigbar asked as he pulled away from Roxas.

"He took all my knives. Including my favorite one." Roxas explained, looking at the ground.

"You mean the blue one your friends gave you?" Xigbar asked. Roxas slowly shook his head.

"No. Axel gave me a really nice switchblade for Christmas and he forcibly took it from me." Roxas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That was the nicest thing anyone had ever given me, it meant a lot to me and he just fucking took it! I hadn't even used it once to cut and I had no intentions of ever doing so."

"He's just trying to help you Roxas."

"He didn't even know why it was so important to me Xigbar." Roxas asides, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the ground.

"Hey-" Xigbar started, placing a hand on Roxas's shoulder, but he was interrupted as the school doors swung open and Axel came walking out. He stared at the two of them for a minute then anger contorted his face and he walked past them in a huff. Roxas's eyes widened and he looked between Axel and Xigbar, trying to figure out what to do.

"Axel wait!" Roxas said quickly, hurrying down the steps and after the red head, leaving Xigbar looking after his retreating form worriedly.

"Axel!" Roxas said, grabbing his arm, only to have it yanked from his grasp as Axel turned on him. His skin was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. His tattoos under his eyes weren't covered with make up, but rather standing out and seeming darker in contrast to his skin.

"What? What do you want Roxas?" Axel snapped, making Roxas cringe and take a couple steps back so he was out of arms reach. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't really thought much on what he would say to him, he just knew he needed to stop him when he walked past.

"I-I don't... It's just I... It's not..." He struggled with what to say. If he said the wrong thing Axel would be even more angry. Finally though, Axel became rather irritated and with a huff he turned on his heel and walked away from the blonde. Roxas stared after him sadly, tears welling in his eyes. He looked back at Xigbar, who was still in front of the school, but was now talking with Larxene and Marluxia. His eyes were on Roxas though as they spoke. Larxene's attention was solely on Xigbar, where as Marluxia appeared captivated by his nails. The pink haired man looked like shit though as he had bruising around his nose.

Roxas stared at Xigbar for a minute before biting his lip and turning back around, heading for home.

Roxas walked into his room, slamming his door behind him and locking it. His mother wasn't home yet, but even so he didn't want to be bothered. He stood there, in the middle of his room, just staring at the floor.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelled, kicking a random book on his floor and raking his fingers through his hair. He stood there for a moment before he went about wrecking his room even more. He threw any books on his floor at the wall along with his pillows and a mug full of pens that sat on his desk. He then proceeded to toss the papers and school books off the wooden surface, making papers flutter through the air towards his floor.

He gripped his hair as he plopped onto his bed, staring down at the floor as tears ran down his face. Several papers fluttered in front of him, some of them random notes that Axel would pass him in class others pieces of scrap that he'd use for homework. As he saw some of Axel's scrawled hand writing, he remembered something. The note Axel had given him along with his Christmas present. He never read it...

He slowly got off his bed, getting on his hands and knees and searching through the papers, picking up everything with Axel's hand writing till finally he came across a familiar piece of paper with his name scrawled neatly across the top. He sat himself on the floor, Indian style, and unfolded the letter, slowly reading over the neat lettering.

Roxas,

I would try and say something really awesome that explains what you mean to me, and how much I love you, but I'm really bad when it comes to words...

I love you more than anything else in the world, you always
make me happy when my days have been absolute shit, and you mean more
to me than life. I've loved you for a while now, and will continue to
love you until the end of time.

I'm always a little worried though,
because I'm afraid I'll do something to make you hate me and leave me and go back to Xigbar. Because everything I make contact with seems to break.

I love you Roxas. Commit it to memory.

Forever yours,

Axel

Roxas felt his throat constrict while he read the letter, and each time he had to remind himself how to breathe. Tears were streaming down his face and his chest ached more with every word he read. He gripped the letter tightly in his hand when he finished, just staring at it then hugged it to his chest, doubling over as his body was wracked with tremors. Loud sobs escaped his mouth as tears flooded from his eyes in a non stop stream.

Roxas walked into the cafeteria the next day, determination clear on his face as he looked over all the students for the red head he was in search of. He honestly hadn't gone to lunch for the past week, not wanting to be the weird kid sitting alone in the cafeteria and not wanting to see Axel. He felt like something bad would happen if he did. Today was different though, cause today was the day that this stupid dispute. ended.

Finally, he spotted the red head, sitting with Demyx and idlely listening to Demyx as he picked at his food. He weaves his way through the students and tables till he got to Axel's table. The older boy either didn't notice him or was flat out ignoring him as he seemed to show no recognition as Roxas stood before him. He pulled the neatly folded note out of his pocket. It was wrinkled some from him hugging it the day prior and from being in his pocket, but other wise it was in perfect condition. He then proceeded to slam his hands down on the table top, note in hand. That finally got his attention.

Demyx jumped, but Axel just looked up at the blonde, anger written clearly on his face.

"What?" Axel snapped, clearly not wanting to talk to the blonde. He looked just as tired as the day before and his tattoos were showing again, even though it was against school rules.

"I'm fucking done with this." Roxas said firmly. Axel's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Done with what?" He asked.

"This fight! It's fucking retarded!"

"This isn't retarded Roxas! I'm just trying to help you, but you're too fucking stubborn to let me do that!"

"You know that's not true Axel! I let you go through all my things and take all my fucking knives! I understood and I accepted it, I didn't try to stop you!"

The entire cafeteria had gone silent at this point and all eyes were on the arguing couple. Roxas knew this, but he payed it no mind, cause he knew if he really started to think about it he'd find a way to chicken out and walk away. And they weren't ever going to get back to normal if this wasn't handled.

Axel suddenly stood from his seat, placing both hands on the table top like Roxas. Said blonde cringed slightly at the action, but otherwise held his ground rather nicely.

"Oh is that right? So why is it that when I wanted that last one you decided to freak out? Huh? Why was that knife so God damn important?!"

"Because that was the nicest thing anyone has ever given me! And you went through so much trouble to make it this amazing, one of a kind knife! And it's not like it came from like Demyx or Xigbar! It came from you! You, my boyfriend!"

"It's not like I was going to throw it away! I was going to hold onto it until I could trust you with a fucking knife again!"

"Um... Guys?" Demyx's quiet voice cut in. Axel and Roxas's heads whipped around to look at the other blonde with glares fixed firmly on Demyx.

"What?!" They snapped in unison.

"Well, it's just... You guys are making a terrible scene."

"I don't care!" They yelled before turning their glares back onto each other.

"Axel, you're being childish!" Roxas snapped.

"Excuse me? I'm being childish?!" Axel asked incredulously.

"Well you're the one that's been ignoring me like a child!"

"And you're the one that's been talking to your ex behind my back!"

"That's such bullshit! You wouldn't even fucking care if it weren't for the fact that we dated! You're just jealous because we had a good relationship and you're worried that I'll leave you to go back to him!"

"And so what if I am! You'd be pissed if I left you to go back to Demyx!" There was a resounding gasp through out the cafeteria and Roxas glanced over to said blonde to see him hiding his face in his hands.

"Yeah, I would be fucking pissed! But I'd shut the fuck up and get over it! Because if that's what you really want and he makes you happy then that's- ow!" Both Roxas and Axel grabbed their heads as a fist collided with the top of them.

"Now listen up you bloody wankers. I don't know what this fight is about, but from the sounds of it your both acting like childish little fucks! And dragging poor Demyx into this spat is just ridiculous and unfair to him! He's got nothing to do with this fight! Now if you want to have your little blow up fight I suggest you do it else where when the entire school isn't around to hear. Do I make myself clear loves?" Luxord said, hands on his hips and looking rather irritated over the whole thing. Axel and Roxas nodded slowly. Luxord nodded once, satisfied with his work, then moved over to Demyx, who he took along with him to a different table.

Roxas and Axel looked at each other for a moment. The cafeteria was deathly quiet as all eyes were still on the couple. Axel was the first to move, reaching his hand up to run through his hair. Roxas misunderstood though and quickly took a step back, staring at him with wide eyes. Axel's brows furrowed as he looked confusedly at Roxas. Just as he was about to speak the blonde turned and quickly walked away from the red head, leaving Axel staring after him. He finally sat down with a huff and stared sadly at the table as regular conversation refilled the cafeteria. As he sat there he noticed a folded piece of wrinkled paper sitting on the table. He stared at it for a moment before curiosity got the better of him and he snatched it off the table. As he slowly unfolded it he noticed there was a second piece of paper. One of the notes had his hand writing, he recognized it as the letter he'd given Roxas with his Christmas present. The other was in Roxas's hand writing. It was a poem.

The utter silence

A fragmented tale

A world without you?

Some how,

Life wouldn't seem fair

Like a guardian angel

You've saved my life

My grace,

You have given me

New serenity this night.

I'll love you forever and even after then, so please forgive me for all my past sins.

Forever and always,

Roxas

Roxas was just leaving the gym after practice, bag slung over his shoulder as he stared down at Xigbar's phone. He was texting Demyx about that afternoon. He'd told him he was sorry before practice, not wanting to start shit between the two best friends just cause he told him to his face. When he finished track he noticed his reply from Demyx then as he got ready to leave they started talking about what had been going on. Apparently Axel hadn't told him a thing. And Demyx wasn't one to pry so he just left it be.

So, he was texting Demyx as he left the gym, not paying much attention to his surroundings, this he didn't notice the red head that stood right outside the gymnasium doors.

"Hey Blondie." Axel said, making Roxas's head snap up in surprise at the sound of his voice.

"Axel..." He greeted slowly, cautiously.

"You left something in the cafeteria." He said, holding up the folded piece of paper. Roxas nodded slowly.

"I know." Roxas said, slowly taking the offered paper and shoving it in the pocket of his hoodie. Roxas nodded his thanks after a moment of silence between the two then he started making his way down the hall. Axel watched him for a moment then;

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked. Roxas froze mid step, his body tensing slightly. He took a moment to breathe before he slowly turned to look questioningly at the red head.

"Excuse me?" He questioned. Axel rubbed the back of his neck as he slowly started to make his way down the hall, towards the blonde.

"Whenever I yell, you cringe away from me. If I move my hands too suddenly you brace yourself like I'm about to hit you. You did it a week ago when we got into this fight. You backed yourself into the door and braced yourself. Then you stepped away from me in the cafeteria when I went to run my hand through my hair. You did the same thing on Christmas Eve after Reno called me. I didn't realize till today though what you were doing." Axel explained stopping just as he came up to Roxas. He stared down at the blonde, brows pinched together and a frown on his face, his eyes shining with worry. "Do you really think I'd ever hit you?"

Roxas stared up at the taller boy, unsure of what to say. He seriously remembered all of that? He payed that much attention, even through his anger?

"I would never hit you Roxas. I couldn't live with myself if I did." Axel said, slowly reaching up and running his fingers along his cheek.

They stood there for a moment just staring at each other in the deserted hall way.

"I'm sorry." Roxas said, breaking the silence. "For everything. I should have told you about Xigbar and I should have trusted you wouldn't thrown out the knife."

Axel bit his lip and scratched the back of his head. "I actually had every intention of throwing it out, until you reminded me that I gave it to you. I guess I just didn't think the knife would mean that much to you. I'm sorry for making such a big deal out of all this and making you so upset."

Roxas couldn't even find it in himself to care that he originally intended to throw out that knife as Axel pulled him into a hug.

"Just take good care of it okay?" Roxas muttered into his chest.

"I don't need to." Roxas looked up at the red head curiously. "I'm going to let you have it back. But if you use it to harm yourself I'm taking it back. Got it?"

Roxas stared up at the red head with wide surprised eyes.

"Really?" He asked as a smile started to spread across his face. Axel smiled back at the blonde as he nodded then reached into his back pocket, producing the switch blade. Roxas practically squealed in delight when he saw his precious blade then slipped his arms around Axel's neck, pulling him down into a deep loving kiss.

"I love you." Axel said as they broke the kiss, looking lovingly at the blonde. Roxas beamed at the red head.

"I love you too."

Roxas and Axel broke away from each other, Axel handing the knife over to Roxas, who immediately slipped it into his right pocket.

Axel slipped his arm around Roxas's shoulders as they started to make their way out of the school to head home.

"I think you need to tell your mom about this." Axel said suddenly, startling Roxas.

"What?!"

"You need to tell your mom about your addictions." Axel reiterated.

"Why?" Roxas asked nervously. He didn't want to tell his mother. She's fucking flip. She'd throw out anything remotely sharp in the house and all the medicine would go in the trash. He didn't really care about that, but she'd even get rid of the letter openers.

"Because I'm not always going to be around to make sure your not cutting or taking pain meds. I need someone to watch you while your at home."

"Can't you just live with me forever?" Axel chuckled and shook his head.

"I wish I could, but my mom would kill me." Roxas pouted and bit his lip, contemplating what to do.

"Fine, but only if you tell me why you got those tattoos." Roxas said. If he was gonna do this he was going to get something out of it for himself. Axel made a face and seemed to think it over for a moment before he finally responded to Roxas.

"Seemed like scarring my skin for life was a better idea for dealing with depression than conning adults into buying me cigarettes so I could smoke my problems away." Axel explained.

"You were going to smoke?" Roxas asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah. I figured you'd smell it on me though, so I decided a tattoo would be better." Axel joked, but he didn't found very amused.

"Why were you depressed?" Roxas asked, slightly confused by the current information he'd received.

Axel shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Zack's death, you getting put in the hospital. Plus my father's death was on my mind."

Roxas slowly nodded in understanding.

"Do you know the doctor's said there was a possibility that you wouldn't remember anything when you woke up. That scared the shit out of me." Roxas's eyes widened and he had to take a couple deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I didn't know that." Roxas said breathily. Axel slowly nodded his head.

"I was so scared, I thought you might forget me." Axel admitted. "But anyways, you'll tell your mother now right?"

Roxas sighed and slowly nodded. He wasn't happy about it, but he'd do it.

Roxas had been right, his mother freaked out about the news and immediately headed for the knife drawer to toss it out. Axel had to stop her of course, thinking she was taking it a bit far. After all, she couldn't really cook without knives. Nor would they be able to cut their food when eating. He explained most of the situation, informing her that he had taken all of Roxas's knives but one and that he tossed out all his medications in his bathroom. She seemed quite alright with Roxas having the knife when she found out that Axel had entrusted him with it. As expected though, once Axel had left she tossed out all the medicines in the house and found a place in the kitchen to lock up all the knives.

Life became pretty alright after that. His relationships with Axel and Demyx became stronger after the whole ordeal. Luxord had also become a good friend with the group. He avoided Xigbar for the most part, not wanting to upset Axel again. And he didn't really need him. Opening up to Demyx about his fight with Xigbar had opened the door for him to talk to Demyx about any Axel related problems. Larxene had stopped bothering him, seeming to much rather avoid the boy like the plague. Roxas wasn't complaining though. And for a while he still had the urges to cut, but he always managed to shake them off, just taking to getting his mind off it with either homework or calling Axel. Or his hobby that he had picked up after reading Axel's note. Poetry. He was pretty good at it, blowing away his English teacher when he actually started trying in class.

Also, with his father in jail, he was able to spend more time at home with his mother, learning more about his deceased brother and even getting to see what pictures his mother had been able to take of the baby before his death. It surprised him to see how much the boy had actually looked like him.

Things were good, and months started to pass quickly for Roxas. Graduating from junior high came and went, then summer vacation happened. Roxas spent every day with Axel and Demyx. He even got to revisit the island across from the main island and Twilight Town again. They'd even taken Demyx with them once. When they visited Twilight Town with Demyx they'd gotten to talking about the old mansion.

"When we're older, we should buy this place." Axel said suddenly as they were sitting around the fire place. Roxas and Demyx shared a confused look before turning their gazes on Axel.

"Dude, this place is a dump!" Demyx said, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"So we fix it up! I'm going to be a psychiatrist, Roxas will be a writer and you'll be a musician! We'll have the money." Axel said excitedly. As the two blondes continued to stare at him like he was crazy he let out a disappointed sigh. "Come on guys, don't you think this would be a really nice place to live? I mean, we fix this place and it will look amazing! Plus it's nice and secluded, we wouldn't have to deal with any of the nonsense in town cause most people here are afraid of the woods. It's perfect for us, don't you think?"

Roxas stared at the red head. His eyes sparkled with mirth as he spoke excitedly about the house. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"Yeah, I do... I think it's a great idea, lets do it." Roxas said, smiling brilliantly. Axel grinned back with equal enthusiasm. Soon enough Demyx caved and agreed with the couple. They then spent the rest of the night talking about the old house and all of the things they'd fix up.

Soon enough, summer vacation passed and school started up again. They were going into high school, and they couldn't be more excited. Reno was now in college, so Axel couldn't get rides from his brother anymore and was now stuck riding the bus. It was now a week after school had started, Roxas and Axel sat together with Demyx in the seat in front of them. He was sitting with his back to the window so he could look back at Axel and Roxas to talk to them. Since he wasn't paying much attention, only Axel and Roxas noticed when the bus stopped and a new student got on the bus. Axel was the first to notice and slapped Demyx on the arm.

"Check it out. New kid." He said. Demyx looked up at the boy that was slowly making his way down the isle. Long slate colored bangs covered the right side of his face. He kept his gaze down, but they could still see his cobalt eye. He wore a straight black hoodie over his dark blue t-shirt and gray skinny jeans with old beaten up black converse. He wasn't very tall either, appearing around Roxas's height. The blonde would be delighted by that fact.

Demyx's eyes widened at the sight of the boy and he quickly moved to stop the boy.

"Hey! You can sit here!" Demyx said quickly. The boy blinked a couple times in confusion before a nervousness swept over his features. Demyx moved his bag off the seat beside him, placing it in his lap then patting the seat while beaming up at the boy. He hesitated for a moment, but the yell of the bus driver telling him to sit made him quickly take the seat while clutching his bag to his chest.

"Are you alright? You look kind of scared." Axel said, looking a bit worriedly at the boy.

"It's his first day Axel, of course he's scared." Roxas said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well you weren't scared your first day in high school." Axel countered. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"That's different Axel, I had you and Demyx with me. Plus we already knew Luxord. He doesn't know anyone yet, so of course he's going to be nervous."

"Don't mind them, they do this a lot." Demyx said to the boy with a smile.

"Anyways, I'm Demyx and this is Axel and Roxas." The boy nodded slightly as he seemed to relax into his seat.

"I'm Zexion." He said quietly, holding out his hand for Demyx to shake. Roxas and Axel quickly turned to look at each other questioningly before turning their attention back on the boys in front of them.

"It's nice to meet you guys." Zexion said as Demyx shook his hand.

"Like wise!" Demyx smiled brilliantly. Though the couple didn't miss the flash of disappointment on his face when Zexion said it was nice to meet them.

"Here we go again." Axel said quietly as they watched the boys converse.

"Let's just hope they have it a bit easier." Roxas said as he slipped his hand into Axel's.

"I don't know." Axel started, squeezing Roxas's hand. "I don't think I'd change a thing about everything we went through."

Roxas smirked. "Even me getting the shit kicked out of me?"

Axel thought it over for a moment.

"Though I hate that it happened, no I wouldn't. If that hadn't happened your father wouldn't be in jail right now and you'd still be dealing with that asshole. So no, I wouldn't." Axel explained. Roxas nodded slightly then rested his head against Axel's shoulder. They were silent for a moment, then;

"I love you, Blondie." Axel said suddenly. Roxas glanced up at the red head then smiled, closing his eyes as he relaxed into the older boy.

"Love you too, Red."

I kind of can't believe this is over. I'm gonna miss this story.

Anyways, I'd like to dedicate this story to someone really special. You've been there for me through thick and thin. You've helped me through some of the hardest times in my life and you'll never truly understand just how much that has meant to me over the years. At the stake of being a complete and utter dork, I have to say, your the Axel to my Roxas, the Masamune to my Yukimura or even the Dante to my Nero. That's right, I just went video game on your ass. But anyways, you mean the world to me. I love you with all my heart and will continue to love you into eternity. You know all there is to know about me, even things my best friends and brother don't know, and that's why this specific story is dedicated to you. You were my inspiration as I wrote this story. Thank you for all the love and kindness and support that you have given me over the years. I love you hun, forever and always :) :P

Now, I would like to thank all of you lovely readers for all your love and support through out this story! It means a lot to me, and I hope that you guys will stick around for future stories that I will write.

StubbornBlonde (aka DatGuest) You have been amazing through out this entire story, and I have to give a huge thanks to you. You're just one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and it's all because of this that I can now call you a friend. Thank you so much for everything! Much love to you as always!

Xionnevermore, you have been such a joy to talk to and do business with! And I promise you I will get your Akuroku plushies to you as soon as I possibly can! I'm just trying to figure out Roxas's jacket! But even when our business is done I do hope you'll keep in touch, cause you are just so awesome to talk to!

Yukisaintclare, you have probably been one of the sweetest and most amazing person I've ever had the pleasure of talking to! You wrote me a poem for this story, which is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, and I feel so honored by you for all your kindness! I can't thank you enough hun!

Lazy. Elegance

Yushikoyuki

ALostNobody

Roxie Pox

MidnightsFantasy

Raiden Amour

SympatheticMemories

Tobi-luvs-Itachi

Amazing Salmon

Twilighttimefan

Hellomoto27

And to those who didn't leave a name, thank you all so much for your amazing reviews! I love you all so much, your so fantastic, and you guys are why I continue to write!

This is my final farewell for this story! So I bid you a goodnight, good morning, good afternoon and good evening!