Author's Note (5/9/11): This is my first fanfic. It was written before I gave a damn about editing so there are a ton of grammatical issues here.

It also doesn't help that FFnet took away my scene dividers so the story bleeds into itself. They did it like... a third of the way through my second fic and I have yet to go back and edit anything for this story. I apologize in advance for all the confusion. I really need to muster up the patience to edit this thing.

Some day I will. Some day.

Chapter 1

Axel yawned. It wouldn't be long before the brisk September air gave way to the chills of October. Soon, he might have to think about putting legitimate pants on. But for now anyway, he was comfortable with his khaki shorts and sandals with only a windbreaker standing between him and goose bumps.

He exhaled the last bit of his cigarette before smashing the butt into the metal bleachers his ass was freezing to; he supposed that no one would show today.

"Ah well," he said aloud to himself as he stood and headed back to where he had his bicycle chained up, baseball mitt and ball tucked under his arm. After a short distance he could already see there was a major problem.

The bike rack was empty, and several chains were hanging loosely, swinging back and fourth in the wind. There were three others standing around the rack, cell phones in hand no doubt calling a ride home, or the police. As he approached them he over heard tidbits of conversations mostly consisting of 'uh huh' and 'only about an hour,' so he just kept on walking past.

"Fuck." His ride was gone. He knew the culprits would be long gone and that something this petty wasn't worth the headache of a search and rescue attempt for his piece of crap bike anyway. He figured that whatever money the crooks could get for his bike was probably not worth their effort so kudos to them for wasting their time. They'd figure it out soon enough.

Walking out of the park, he ran his fingers through his fiery hair a couple times before digging in his pocket for another smoke. Just as he looked up from his lighter, a glittering black Lincoln Town Car passed him and stopped about five yards away at the park entrance. Axel could help but stare a little. It was just so damn shiny.

The back door flung itself open as a pale leg stepped out in a half-run.

"Selphie!" squealed a female voice as a young blonde girl flew out of the luxury car and into the entrance, arms flung open wide. Another set of arms belonging to a brunette girl with gravity defying hair appeared from the entrance before the blonde plowed into her with an audible 'oomf.'

For the sake of curiosity and wanting to try to see inside the car, Axel decided he should probably take his bike chain after all and wandered his way back, keeping an open ear on the girls and peeking out the corner of his eye at the car. There were two boys at the bike rack in matching school uniforms; black slacks with shiny black loafers, white button down shirts with red plaid, v-neck sweater vests and the knot of a black tie poking out the collar, the crest of the local private school embroidered on their chests. The matching pair were talking quietly amongst themselves, their cut bike chains dangling from their hands. Axel picked his up, and took a long drag from his almost-forgotten cigarette before turning and tossing the chain in a nearby garbage can.

"Hey," he heard a voice and turned to see the pair had faced him and were taking a couple steps towards him to close the gap between them.

"Uh, hey."

"You too huh?" the pudgy brunette boy said, holding up his useless chain and looking forlorn. Axel nodded. His friend, a kid with lightly tanned skin and sandy blonde hair scowled.

"The bastards, I just got that bike like three weeks ago. We already called the police. You got a phone? You want to call too?"

"Nah, I'm okay. Thanks for the offer but mine was a piece of junk anyway. I don't even know why they bothered," Axel said as he dropped his cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out under his sandal. The three boys heard a squeal and simultaneously looked in the direction of the two girls only to see the blonde clasp her hands together gleefully and wag her hips around like a hyperactive fish.

The brunette girl twirled around and walked back towards the trio before taking the sandy haired kids' hand.

"Namine said she would drive us all home, Tidus. Is that okay with you Pence?" she questioned before she looked over at the pudgy boy and he nodded.

"That's fine. What about you buddy?" Pence asked, looking over Tidus' shoulder at Axel. He blinked, confused. Was this kid really offering him a ride home? In that awesome car? Or rather, offering his friend to offer Axel a ride home in that awesome car?

He didn't want to seem rude. He looked at the girl, before looking back at the pudgy kid. "Well, I don't really mind but I don't exactly know any of you. Seems kindof weird to accept."

"Oh Namine is social like that. Plus, she's not really the one driving," Selphie said, turning to point at the car. Axel looked over and noticed a man with silver and grey hair with a horrendous scar on his face, leaning his arms on the roof of the car watching them patiently. Or at least he hoped the guy was patient; he couldn't really tell, the guy had sunglasses on. Axel blinked again, taking it all in. Then he shrugged.

"Sure, as long at he doesn't mind. I only live about three miles away."

"Holy crap! You rode your bike for three miles to get here?" the girl exclaimed, wide eyed. "Ugh! I can't even get through P.E. with my fat ankles!" Axel had to smile at the comment.

It was a done deal. The four of them headed for the town car, picking up the blonde, Namine, on the way. The driver stood straight and held out his hand in protest.

"Whoa whoa whoa, kids. I only agreed to take the four of you, who's this guy?" he asked while pointing at Axel. Axel looked at the kids for assistance in this awkward moment, realizing just how much taller and out of place he looked with his facial tattoos and unnatural hair amongst them.

"His bike was taken too, Xibgar, isn't that right?" Selphie said, looking to her gal-pal, before looking back at Axel.

"That's right. I'm Axel. If it's not cool with you, I can walk."

Xigbar walked around the front of the car and stopped in front of the redhead, running a scrutinizing eye over him from head to toe. Axel quirked an eyebrow, who was this guy? The driver snorted.

"Fine. But he sits up front with me. Which way you going?"

"South, to Livingston."

"We're going North, you get off first."

"Thanks."

The group all piled into the car, and Axel took a tentative seat up front with Xigbar, clicking his seatbelt as soon as he got in and laying his glove and ball on his lap. The car was indeed very nice. The seats were soft black leather, and the dashboard console was covered in a bunch of glittering buttons Axel couldn't even guess what they were all for, aside from maybe the radio. The girls were whispering in the back and giggling to one another and the boys sat quietly. Xigbar plopped himself next to Axel and adjusted the rearview and pressed a couple buttons before starting the car and heading south.

"Namine, put your seatbelt on," Xigbar huffed.

"Aw, but I want to talk to Axel," she leaned forward and folded her arms over the back of Axel's seat clearly ignoring Xigbar and she smiled. The driver didn't ask again, only sighed and dug around in his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and pulled one into his mouth. He felt his pocket again, before feeling the pockets of his pants and grumbled. Axel instinctively dug in his pocket and flicked his lighter for the man, and held it out for him.

"Thanks," he said before taking a drag of the flame and giving Axel a sharp look out the corner of his glasses. Axel noted his eyes were hazel, before turning his head completely and meeting a sea of endless blue. Namine smiled wide.

"Hi," she said.

"Uh, hi?"

"So, where do you go to school?"

"Nowhere, I graduated last June."

"Oh really? I thought you were way older," she said plainly. Axel didn't know if this was good or if he should feel insulted. If he looked old he might be able to buy beer without an ID right? "I graduated three years ago myself, would you believe it?"

"Whoa. Seriously? Which school?"

"Trinity. You?"

"Hollow High," he said, feeling a little less of himself. Namine went to the local private school. There were three schools in the immediate area. There was Trinity High, Hollow High, the local public school, and then there was the Academy. Hollow Bastion Academy for Young Gentlemen was a boys only private school that only had about a hundred students. The main purpose of the school was to groom young boys into being the future leaders of the world or some bullshit. All Axel knew was that his family wasn't near rich enough to even think about sending him there.

"That's cool. I always wanted to go there," Namine said while her brunette friend giggled in the back seat.

"You only wanted to go there because Riku went there, Nami."

"Yeah, so? He's gorgeous," Namine said dreamily, looking past Axel and out the car window.

"So, is that where you all go then?" Axel interjected before the conversation went all girly on him, looking into the back seat at the silent boys and Selphie, who was still holding hands with Tidus. For the first time he realized Selphie was wearing a red plaid skirt with a white button down blouse with the same crest as the boys'. They all nodded.

"We're all seniors," Selphie said, poking her friend in the butt, which was conveniently jutting out for just such an opportunity.

"Where am I going kid?" Xigbar blurted, his voice sounding a little less tense. Axel turned his attention to the front of the car and took in his surroundings, then proceeded to give the man directions to his house.

When they pulled up to his mothers' bungalow the blonde squeaked and smashed her hands up against the door window. "Your house is so cute! It's so yellow!"

"Yes, yes it is. My mom likes yellow. Coincidentally, she also likes flowers and other mom-like things," Axel said flatly. Namine giggled. He turned to the driver "thanks for the ride, I appreciate it." Xigbar only nodded.

"Hey Axel," piped Pence from the back as Axel stuck a foot out of the door and onto his moms tree lawn. He turned and looked at the pudgy kid.

"Yeah?"

"You like baseball right?"

Axel held up his glove, "yeah, why?"

"Wanna play a game sometime? Tidus is a mean shortstop," Pence said with a small smile. Tidus looked at his friend and then to Axel and nodded a bit.

"Oh! Oh! I got second base!" Selphie quipped.

Axel looked at her, then to Pence, then at his glove. "Sure. I don't have much else to do. When?" Then he thought. "Well, actually I'll have to find a ride first, mine was ganked remember?" He smiled a bit.

"Don't worry about it," Xigbar said.

Axel's eyes widened a bit before looking over his shoulder at Xigbar, "really? And I thought you didn't like me," he said with a grin.

"Kid, I thought you were in your thirties when I first saw you," Xigbar grinned. Axel's eyes widened before Xigbar barked a laugh "Oh lighten up."

"Xiggy that was mean!" Namine squealed, punching the older man in the shoulder. Xigbar kept laughing.

He stopped after a moment, "no seriously kid. Its fine, don't worry about it. What time should we come pick you up?"

"Doesn't matter, I don't have school, and I'm off of work tomorrow."

"Okay, three thirty then. Gives these four time to get home and get changed after school. See you then."

Axel finished exiting the car and stood on the tree lawn waving goodbye to the group through tinted windows. The windows opened enough so the kids could stick their hands out and wave before they were too far away. Axel sighed once they were out of sight and walked into his house.

"Ma! Whats for dinner?"

Three thirty. It came and went. Axel waited on the front stoop of his mothers house as the ducky looking woman was trimming dead buds off her summer flower beds, preparing for autumn to take full swing.

"What time should I expect you home, sweets?" she said in her gentle voice. She was a nice enough lady; she had strawberry red hair, like Axels only hers laid flat and went down to her shoulders. Her cherub-like features were nothing like his long angular face but their eyes were almost identical and therefore she could never deny that Axel was her son. Their height difference was substantial, having inherited his fathers' legs and Axel tried his best to not make fun of how short his mom was every day, but it was hard.

"If they ever show up you mean," Axel sighed.

"Aw baby don't be like that. I'm happy you're making friends again. I'm optimistic, and you should be too."

"I know ma, I know," Axel said as he ran a hand over his face before looking at his watch. Almost four. He dug in his pockets for a smoke and was taking his first drag when his mother quipped.

"Yuck, Axel."

"Don't want to hear it, shorty," he said around his cigarette with a grin.

"You're so mean to me sometimes."

"I know, but you know I love you."

"Love you too, sweets."

There was a glitter from down the street as a black Lincoln Town Car drew closer and closer. Axel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding before scraping the cherry out of his cigarette on the step and stuffed the half smoked stick back in his pack. He gathered up his glove and ball, and went to give his mom a kiss. She laid a sloppy one on his cheek and grinned, knowing how much it made him cringe.

"That was for calling me short. Be back by midnight please. So I can sleep."

"Yeah yeah," he said with a smile, wiping mom-slobber off his face.

The car was stopped in front when he turned around. Xigbar was standing with his arms over the roof of the car as he spied Axel's mother.

"When should I have him home by ma'am?" he said in a raised voice so she would hear him. She turned and waved a hand flippantly.

"He knows when to be home, but sometime before tomorrow would be nice."

"Can do," Xigbar smiled and climbed back in the car.

Axel was a little embarrassed by the exchange they just had. He wasn't a kid. But he somehow felt that it was a natural thing for Xigbar to do, considering the company they had less than twenty four hours ago. Axel was halfway in his seat before he heard Xigbar pipe up again.

"Sorry kid. Habit," he grinned sheepishly from behind his sunglasses.

"It's fine."

"Hi Axel!" a now familiar squeal echoed from the back. Axel didn't have to turn away from fastening his seat belt to respond.

"Hi Namine, how was your day?"

"Oh fine fine. I had my boring classes today; did I tell you I'm in college? I don't remember. I'm an Art major at HBU." Axel heard a grunt from the back followed by a low phlegm filled cough from behind him. When he turned to see who it was, he saw Namine's elbow nudged in the ribs of another blonde.

"Whoa, hello. I didn't see you there," Axel said with a raised eyebrow. The kid was obviously sick. His nose was red but his face was ghostly pale. He had endless blue eyes just like his sister but was a stronger shade of blonde than she. He also had a weird cow licked hair style that made Axel think the kid had too many swirlies from the bullies at his school. He was slouched in his seat, hands folded over his stomach in a uniform Axel had never seen before. He had on white loafers that shined like glass, grey slacks, a white button down dress shirt, with a blue and green harlequin patterned pullover, the knot of his tie was clipped with a gilded broach with some weird crest with an opal inlay. His book bag was situated between his legs on the floor with an instrument case next to it. The kid looked at him briefly before digging in his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief and coughing a few more times into it. He waited for the coughing to stop before stuffing it away again.

"Hello. I'm Roxas forgive me for not shaking your hand," he croaked before sniffling lightly.

"Wow kid, you look terrible," Axel blurted before he could stop himself.

"I'm aware of that. And I'm not a kid, thank you."

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm seventeen."

"Oh," Axel managed to stop himself before he told Roxas that he looked like a twelve year old.

"We were late because Roxas' instructor called and wanted us to come get him from his lessons because well, yeah. He's sick," Xigbar said. "We dropped the others off at the park, swung by and grabbed Roxas before heading here, sorry for being so late but we didn't have your number. Otherwise we would've called."

"I apologize," Roxas said before coughing into his 'kerchief again.

"No problem. I wasn't busy," Axel said flatly.

The car stopped in front of the park and already Axel could see the baseball diamond in the distance with some active bodies on it. He smiled a bit before unbuckling himself. He was about to get out when he felt a warm meaty hand on his arm.

"Wait kid," Xigbar said. "Give me your personal information."

"What?"

"Phone number. Address. That stuff."

"What? Why?"

"So if you happen to break a leg off or die or something I can call your mother, and tell the paramedics where to drop your body off."

"I'm not gonna.." Xigbar held up a hand to stop Axel. He dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a Blackberry and a stylus. Axel blinked.

"It's my job kid. One. Two. Three. Go."

Axel spilled out his home address and number before thinking about it any further. He looked to the back seat for Namine's reaction but she was already walking outside towards the diamond with a book clutched to her chest. All he saw sitting back there was Roxas. Looking pitiful.

"He gonna be okay?" Axel asked aloud without meaning to. Damn, his brain to mouth filter was broken today.

Xigbar looked up from his Blackberry and at the rearview at Roxas. "Yeah he's fine. He's like that. Have fun now."

Axel took one last look at Roxas, slumped in his seat, eyes barely able to see over the door and out the window. He had a longing look on his face but it was quickly wiped away when he started to cough, digging in his pocket for his handkerchief.

The wind up. And the pitch!

"Swing and a miss!" Pence yelped from behind Selphie with his catchers mitt.

"Uagh!" she made a disgusted sound. "Why didn't you tell me you could throw like that Axel?" Selphie pouted.

Axel had to grin a bit. It was a sort of twisted pleasure he got out of making people miss and end up eternally frustrated. He couldn't help he had an awesome arm.

"You should see me shoot three pointers!" Axel grinned at Selphie with a wink. She gaped at him.

"You play basketball too! God! How do you people do this!" she stomped, and readied herself for another pitch. This time, she was ready. Like really ready. Axel wound up and threw it straight down the middle.

CRACK! The ball went soaring up high. Axel stopped and stood straight watching the ball disappear into the clouds.

"Oh yeah! Awesome pop fly, babe!" Tidus called from shortstop/third base. They didn't have enough people, even with the additional two that materialized, some kid with weird hair named Wakka, and another blonde named Hayner, so they rotated, as the batters rotated. Wakka, the poor kid, was the only one in the outfield and he scrambled his way around with his glove up high and ready. He stopped and waited as the ball fell with an audible 'pliff' into his glove.

"Bastard!" Selphie cried, halfway to first base, her fist shaking in feigned hostility. Wakka only grinned and threw the ball to Tidus who threw it back to Axel.

"Who's next?" Axel asked loud enough so everyone, even poor Wakka could hear.

"I am!" came a cry of a distance away. Everyone turned and waved as Xigbar jogged his way to the diamond.

"Xiggy! Why are you here so early?" Namine called from the bleachers. She wasn't one for playing, Axel came to find but she claimed she was the most important part of the game. She was the 'fans.' So there she sat, doodling away in a sketchbook.

"Early? You guys have been going at it for like, four hours. It's getting dark. Aren't you all hungry."

"OHMYGODYOUHAVENOIDEA," gasped Selphie as she slumped in her position, still halfway to first base.

"Good. Come on. Let me hit one then we can all get some grub back at the house."

"Alright! Smack one out of the park Xig!" cried Hayner from first/second base.

"No way! Then that means I have to go get it!" Wakka yelled from the outfield as he was backing up, obviously giving Xigbar some girth for his hit.

Axel grinned. He watched as Xigbar rolled up his shirt sleeves and patted home base with the bat before taking a practice swing and readying himself. His sunglasses were off and tucked in his shirt pocket. Axel took in how severe the guy's facial features were before winding up and throwing with all he had.

Xigbar choked up on the bat before laying it horizontally and bunting it just enough so it landed a few feet in front of Axel, he took off running for first before anyone had a chance to realize what he did, cackling the entire way.

"Fuck!" Axel said, scrambling for the ball. By the time he had it in his hand, Xigbar had already rounded second and was halfway to third. Tidus was pointing for home and Axel took off to meet Xigbar halfway, arm outstretched.

"Oop! Fast bugger eh?" Xigbar said when Axel almost had him. The older man swayed his hips away and around the ball in Axel's hand and jogged his way home, panting a bit.

"What the hell Xig!" Hayner cried. Selphie was on the bleachers with Namine laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. Tidus was grinning and Wakka was holding his sides with laughter while he walked in field. Pence, was sitting in the dirt, looking bored.

"That was really uneventful Xigbar," the pudgy kid said with a smile.

"That's okay kid it was worth it," Xigbar said, holding his hand out to help him up.

"Totally unexpected. That was great," Axel said with a slight grin.

"I know right?" Xigbar said with a laugh.

The group dissipated with Hayner, Tidus, and Wakka saying they all had homework to do before the weekend started. The trio piled into Hayner's car and sped away after a couple handshakes and a brotherly hug to Xigbar and with promises to play again.

The remaining four; Axel, Namine, Selphie, and Pence, rode in relative silence with Xigbar to Namine's house. Which, as it turns out (and not to Axel's surprise) was absolutely enormous; a huge white brick mansion in a gated community about fifteen minutes from the park. Her home was the one farthest in the back so it took almost another ten minutes from the entrance to get there. Rows and rows of enormous homes and large estates flew by; Axel almost started to drool his mouth was hanging open for so long.

"Holy shit," he said quietly to himself. Xigbar chuckled lightly from the drivers' seat.

"Bye house!" Selphie squealed as they passed a sandstone-looking estate, waving madly at the building through the window as if it registered she was passing it by. Then Axel had a thought.

"Wait, if you live there, why did you complain when I said I rode my bike three miles to the park? You have to ride way farther from your place, you know."

"Huh? Oh, that wasn't my bike. Pence and I rented them from the bike place a few blocks away. We just like riding them around the park, it makes me less hyper… or so my mom says. Tidus was the only one besides you who really lost his bike. He lives in town in one of the brownstones."

"Oh. Huh."

"Everyone out," Xigbar announced as they pulled to a stop in front of the mansion, "head to the dinner hall, Dem's got steak."

Who's Dem? Axel thought to himself.

Axel was greeted at the door by a very large and hairy animal. He thought at first it was a polar bear but it was soon introduced as Alabaster, the family Great Pyrenees. Somewhere around here there was a cat named Pearl, Namine had mentioned. They also had a large fish pond out back and a couple of parrots in an indoor/outdoor aviary, apparently.

"Nami!" a voice called from somewhere.

"Demmy!" Namine called back.

"Nami!" a voice called, closer this time before a man with a strange Mohawk-like hair style came flying around the corner of into the grand entryway, arms open wide. Namine took off and plowed into him, the two of them creating a massive bear hug. Dem, squeezed the girl so her cheek was smashed up against his cheek so hard it made him slur his speech.

"I mithed oo thoo muth!" Dem cried, swinging Namine back and fourth, her feet waggling a few inches above the ground.

"I mithed you too!" Namine slurred back. They both sighed and let go of each other before turning to the small group. Pence and Selphie waved.

"How was your trip Demyx?" Pence asked. Axel, at this point was pretty lost.

"Oh I dunno…eh…" Demyx drawled looking bored before blurting out loudly "only about totally awesome!" his face brightening immediately. "I got stories! I got pictures! Oh my god it was awesome! But that's for later. I made dinner!"

And so they walked. And walked. And walked, until Axel was starting to think that they were lying about the dinner and he was going to end up in some empty hall with a sign that said 'fooled you, dumbass!' They passed through halls and halls of white. Only offset by more white. And then more white. White rugs, white marble floors, white woodwork, white curtains that framed gigantic white windows, white vases on white pedestals but no artwork was to be found on the white stone walls.

Then everything was blue. Well, blue with wood. The long awaited dining hall was a long room with blue carpeting and mahogany walls with a mahogany dining table Axel only thought existed in the movies. It easily sat sixteen at the very least he bet. The runner down the table was blue, the tapestries were predominately blue, the vases, sculptures, placemats, were all blue. Different shades of blue on blue. But Axel soon noticed that there were only five place settings all set up at the farthest part of the table. Demyx disappeared behind a door hidden in the paneling.

The three who weren't Axel, all made their way to sit at various places that were set for them while Axel could only stand and gape.

"You alright there Axel?" Pence asked, a distance away.

"Y-yeah. Just a bit overwhelmed, I guess," he said meekly.

"Oh, sorry. Is it that bad? We don't have to eat here you know, we can eat in the car or something, or have it as a picnic at the park or whatever," Namine chimed in.

"No. No, it's fine. It's already here."

Axel meandered his way over to the table and sat with a plunk next to Selphie. The chair set up next to him was empty and at the head of the table.

"Is Xigbar eating with us?" Axel asked.

"Hm? Oh no that one's for Roxas," Namine answered.

Axel had forgotten about the pitiful kid. "Oh," no sooner had he said that did the door they had entered in open and a much better looking Roxas padded his way through the hall.

"How're you feeling, Rox?" Pence asked.

"I'm doing better, thank you. I had a session with Marluxia and I feel quite rejuvenated, and my sniffles are better," he said flatly before sitting down gently in his seat.

"Oooh Marluxia…" Selphie said dreamily before putting her elbows on the tables for her face to be held in so she can gawk into the distance. Namine giggled.

"Is he still here? I think Selphie wants a session too," she said.

"He might be. Demyx said they could all eat together in the kitchen."

Selphie dropped back in her chair, "oh man… I have to ask him."

"Ask me what?" a hand snaked out from the paneling where Demyx had left before a head of soft pink hair peered into the hall, features belonging to that of a woman but with a voice of a man.

"Pick a way, Marmar, in or out!" chided Demyx before the door was pushed open fully by his foot and he pulled a cart with several steaming plates and bowls seated on it into the hall.

"Yes yes," Marluxia said, before he followed Demyx in. They were both dressed in matching attire. White button shirts with the top button undone tucked into black slacks with aprons tried around their waists, and shiny black loafers, but only Demyx had gloves on. A trail of laughter from several other men drifted from the supposed kitchen before the door slid shut and became part of the wall again.

"Hi Marluxia," Selphie said sheepishly.

"Hello m'dear," he replied with a smile. Axel could swear he could hear her melt a little. Axel honestly thought Marluxia looked way too much like a woman, and couldn't possibly not be a transvestite. But Selphie thought he was amazing apparently and he really didn't have a place to say his opinion about it anyway so he kept his mouth shut. He also thought that Tidus and Selphie were an item. Whatever, too complicated. Best not to question.

Roxas sniffled a little and Axel was brought back to reality and he looked at the boy. He was sitting straight, all the way back in his chair. His eyes lowered to the table with his hands folded neatly in his lap. Demyx started to ladle various food items onto the umpteen amounts of dishes before the small boy only stopping when Roxas put up a hand without saying a word. He did the same for Namine, and Pence before pulling the cart around and serving Axel.

"Uh, thanks," Axel grunted nervously. This was too formal for him, there were doilies in between the stacked dishes for Christs' sake. Demyx only smiled and said.

"Uh, you're welcome," quite obviously mocking Axel's nervousness before moving on to serve Selphie. Marluxia simply stood behind Roxas with little movement.

There was idle chatter between the three friends that was very rarely something Axel could follow. He was fascinated with the way Roxas was eating. He scooted forward in his chair before picking up a single fork out of the six thousand that were in front of him, and started to eat the various dishes of food with tiny bites. He would cut his steak with little effort when he needed, change utensil when he needed, and only take bites the size of quarters or smaller. When he drank his water, he only sipped. It was unsettling. His eyes were settled so low on the place setting that they almost seemed like he was eating with his eyes closed.

Meanwhile the threesome, though with equal amounts of silverware, only really used one fork, one knife, and one spoon apiece and were eating like humans rather than fucking robots. That is what Axel could relate to, so he followed their suit. The food was perfectly cooked and before long, all five of them had finished, with Roxas coming in last with the last nibble of his rabbit-like bites.

"Excuse me," Roxas had said before wiping his mouth one more time with his blue cloth napkin and setting it on Marluxia's arm. He left the table in silence and padded his way out the door.

Marluxia started to clear the plates from Roxas' spot in silence.

"Did you want some help?" Axel asked out of reflex. He usually asked his mom the same question after their dinners every night.

Marluxia stopped and turned to look at him before smiling. "No, no. I'm fine."

"So what do you guys wanna do?" Namine chimed. "It's too cold to swim, and the sauna probably has Roxas germs all over it," she said wrinkling her nose. Pence and Selphie both wrinkled their noses in the same fashion.

"Actually.." Axel said, garnering all three pairs of eyes on him at once. "I want to know what the hell is up with that kid."

"Roxas? Why whats wrong with him?" Namine asked. "I thought he looked better. He wasn't coughing anymore and only sniffled like twice."

"No no, not that. He seemed weird. Like… English or something. Like he should be at the table with a royal court with the way he was eating, and sitting all proper."

"Oh. That," Namine smiled. "That's not weird. That's just what his school has always taught him. That's how they do it."

"School?"

"He goes to the Academy."

"Oh. Well that sort of explains it I guess. I don't know much about that stuff, really," as if by instinct, Axel felt around his pants pockets for his cigarettes, but then remembered he was inside a really nice fucking house. Yes, a fucking house. Not a regular house, but a fucking house.

Namine smiled. "You guys go ahead to the theater and pick out a movie or whatever. I'll walk Axel outside so he can smoke."

"M'kay," Pence and Selphie said simultaneously.