Okay, first of many short drabbles!! I think this one's cute. What do you think? Read and Review!! More to come!!!

Chapter One: August Thirteenth

Roxas rolled his eyes as he walked into his bedroom, tossing the colored paper cone hate on the floor. Furiously he ran fingers through his hair, shedding bits of tissue paper. Ever since they met he had known Axel was an idiot, but today took the cake. Literally. Sarcastic and bitter, he mused on his own wit as he took off his gloves and boots on the chair of the only room he could call his. In castle Oblivion the Superiors had many rooms and there were common rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, gardens, but the small room behind the oak door marked with XIII was Roxas' only haven. He didn't like it that much, but it was nice to escape after a loud, rowdy party.

It had begun with birthdays. No one could remember their real birthdays – lack of existence, and so lack of a real birth, but whatever the reason was didn't really matter. Xigbar, Luxord, and Xaldin needed another excuse to drink themselves into a coma, so after a brief meeting with Lexaeus and a low grunt from Xemnas when he was in a mood, they created a new policy – each member's birthday was on the month and day of their number. January first was Xemnas'; February second was Xigbar's and so on. Five days ago had been Axel's twenty eighth birthday, with presents and an exploding cake and Marluxia in a g-string that no one but Luxord really seemed to enjoy but Roxas supposed the guy needed something to do after being around flowers and Larxene all day for a few months. Even the people from the basements came up to celebrated, and it was very odd to see Vexen in normal light… hopefully that eye thing will take care of itself. Just one thing was off about the whole thing: no thirteenth month. Once again, Roxas was singled out, adding another lazy reason to the pile of why he didn't belong in the Organization. In a way, Roxas had been okay with that idea, but once they started celebrating birthdays, he felt alienated even to his only two friends.

Demyx didn't really notice, but Axel did. He always did. How could he have expected Axel not to? he wondered as he took off the champagne-soaked coat. Axel always noticed things like this, every mood Roxas had was sensed with one flicker of a flame's tongue, and Axel wasn't the type of person to notice things and not do anything. For some reason, all his uncalled for and insane reactions were sweet… sweet? Roxas stopped his thinking, listening to a tiny voice that seemed to come from his chest.

Yes, Sweet. Axel is incredibly Sweet. He organized a surprise birthday for you and got you presents. He gave you a date, a birthday, an identity. Call it stupid like you always do, but he makes you smile, and he does it all for you. What have you done for him?

One blink, the voice was gone, hopping away back into the shadows of a cave. Roxas looked at his feet with guilt sagging in his face. In their friendship, Axel did most of the bonding and Roxas just accepted it. But Axel meant a lot to him, he just never confessed it… he never confessed it because he was afraid of it. For all the times Roxas threw his toughness in other people's faces, there were twice as many times he felt vulnerable and lost around his fiery friend.

Well it wasn't THAT surprising! Roxas yelled back at the disappearing voice. It wasn't as if there was a clear explanation for the moths beating in his chest when Axel's emerald eyes fixed on him, or for the rippling under his skin when he and Axel brush elbows. Not easily ignored, but easily concealed. Was that a victory? Maybe he could tell Axel about these feelings and ask if he felt them too… kind of as a birthday wish.

Suddenly, Roxas looked up to see the heavy door with VIII burned into it swing open. Eyes widened in confusion as Roxas vaguely remembered walking while in his deep thought. But as his blue eyes met deep green, whatever he was going to say disappeared like a smoke ring.

"Hey Roxas, weren't you going to bed? What's up?" Just three syllables of the smooth, warm voice dried XIII's throat to sand. For the first time he could remember, Roxas' cheeks filled with pink. The green eyes above him grew softer and Axel smiled gently at him. Thousands of words began to swarm on Roxas' tongue but his lips wouldn't move for fear of disturbing the moment. His pulse was racing as he cautiously looked over Axel's wild hair, strong check bones and handsome lips. He had to do something before it became too awkward and so Roxas spat out the first two words he could catch.

"I… Thank…you…"

A tiny sparkle left the emerald orbs, but Axel's smile grew. "Sure thing, kid. You better get to sleep, ok?"

"Ye-yea… Goodnight, Axel." Roxas breathed the name out as if it were a prayer. He turned and walked quickly back to his room, putting all he could about what just happened from his mind.