AN: Merry Christmas!

Chapter 21: In sickness and in health

"Hey, Roxas," Sora mumbled, sleep almost overpowering him already. They'd patched him up after the taking the test sample and he lay now on his hospital bed bandaged and hooked up to a machine that kept cleaning his kidneys – they said it wouldn't fix the problem, but would buy them some more time and make Sora feel better. So much had happened in the past 24 hours that Roxas had hard time believing he was still sitting by the hospital bed waiting for their parents to come. "It's already two o'clock," Sora said.

"Their flight has landed a while back then," Roxas answered and looked up at the clock on the wall too. "Mum'll call any moment now."

Roxas knew he wouldn't be getting to school tomorrow, but he couldn't stay here forever either. Once Mum and Dad arrived he'd head back home to get some sleep, that was what Cloud had decided and Roxas didn't see the point of fighting against the decision. He'd be back once he'd had something as close to a good night's sleep he now possibly could.

"Where's Cloud?" Sora asked.

"He went to get something to eat," Roxas told. "You were taking a nap when he left."

"Who's going to stay the night?"

"Mum and Dad," Roxas said. "Me and Cloud are going to head to Cloud's place. It's closer by. We'll be back by the first light."

"You don't need to worry so much," Sora tried to cheer him up and flashed his smile. "The surgery will fix everything."

"We don't even know yet what happened," Roxas said out of frustration. He tried to be careful around Sora, but he too was getting tired.

"They'll know tomorrow morning," Sora said full of optimistic trust on the health care. Roxas just wished that he'd be able to take it that-

"Sora, Roxas," Cloud said as he slid the glass door open. He had his phone to his shoulder. "They'll be here any moment now."

Mum and Dad walked in about ten minutes after Cloud had come in to warn them both looking exhausted and worried – they'd been briefed about everything, but they hadn't seen their sons for the better half of the year and this definitely wasn't like the happy family holiday they'd been planning to return for. Roxas got a quick hug, Cloud a pat on the shoulder before Mum sat down next to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Hi, Mum," Sora smiled. "Only tired, really."

"That's... good." She smiled too. "So, how's life been back here?"

Roxas said his goodbyes leaving Mum take care of staying with Sora till he'd fall asleep. Cloud followed him, but asked one question from their father before stepping outside the room.

"Is Aunt coming?"

Dad shrugged. "We tried to contact her, but-"

Cloud nodded, walked to Roxas and led him out to his bike waiting on the parking lot. He'd been prepared to take Roxas home and gave the extra helmet to him once outside in the cold night air. It was already dark and the street lights cast their spotlights on the pavement. Roxas sat down behind Cloud, wrapped his hands around him and just wished that everything would've been over already.

xXx

Day two at the hospital was uneventful. Sora slept through most of the day and the rest of them sat around the bed to keep him and each other company. Once in a while Roxas would escape to get some air.

"Aunt isn't coming, is she?" Roxas asked on one of those times away from the bed. Mum sat with him on the benches just outside the hospital entrance. The sun was shining, but they needed their coats.

"I don't know where she is," she said and looked away. "She'd be here if she'd know about Sora being in a hospital."

"She hasn't been around for years-" Roxas said, but was interrupted by his phone. He didn't remember switching it on. "Sorry," he said and seeing it was Naminé calling just shut it off. He turned it to mute and dropped into his coat pocket. "Sora's her son," he finished his sentence knowing that Mum didn't appreciate his accusing tone. Roxas was old enough when Sora got adopted to the family to know they weren't brothers, but the only real difference was that they introduced themselves as cousins out of an old, now a somewhat weird habit.

"Sora's my son too," Mum said and gave him her strict look. "She had her reasons to leave him to our care and we'll take care of him now."

"I didn't say-" That Sora wasn't her son? He'd said it. He hadn't meant it to sound like that to his defence, but he knew how it had come out. He apologized.

"She should be here," Mum said after a while and hugged Roxas closer to herself. "But we'll have to be enough for now."

"She could've been a suitable donor," Roxas dared to still add.

"She wouldn't be any better than I am, Roxas," mum said and smiled. "There's a big possibility that either of us will be able to help."

Roxas smiled, but felt restless. The test result hadn't come yet, but Roxas had had a small chat with a psychologist to make sure he knew what it would mean to give away a kidney. It was nothing drastic besides a scar, but the thought of surgery didn't fill him with joy.

xXx

"Are you scared?" Roxas asked. It was the dawn of the day of the surgery, but Sora could still smile like this was just an ordinary day. He didn't look any better than he'd looked on the day they'd gotten to the hospital, was still weak and had slept through most of yesterday, but he seemed relaxed. Doctors said it was understandable with an sudden poisoning like this that it wouldn't get better before the new kidney was in its place – even though they'd cleaned most of the poison away the body would need time to fight and the fight would begin once the new organ was in its place.

The biopsy had told them what the cause of the poisoning was. Orellanine. That was the name of the toxin that had been making Sora sick the whole time. Sora was the only one to laugh when the doctor told that it is found in mushrooms – deadly and very much edible looking. Most likely one or more of the mushrooms they'd picked up from the forest had been deadly webcaps. They weren't the first one to mistake them for their cousin.

"It's going to be fine," Sora said. "So, have you told Axel where we are?"

Roxas blinked and had to look around to make sure it was just the two of them in the room. Cloud had gone to dinner with their parents, but they could've come back and-

"Silly," Sora chuckled. "As if I didn't know when to keep quiet."

"It's not-" Roxas tried to protest. "I- I haven't," he said and brushed his finger through his hair and looked away.

Sora looked at him surprised. Yeah, he'd expected some other answer. "You two were supposed to meet yesterday."

"How'd you-"

"I heard you talk," Sora shrugged innocently.

"Sora, I don't stalk on you and Kairi!"

Sora chuckled again. "Are you going to tell him?"

Roxas didn't answer. He hadn't even remembered to call yesterday's date off and Axel probably was pissed because of it. Roxas didn't know. He hadn't had the time to check his phone and worry about his friends getting all worked up. He'd just been too busy running in the tests and there was no way his friends would stay home and leave him alone now, no way they'd understand that he was fine with only his family here. Any extra people would only make it even more complicated. Try mentioning the word hospital and not scare people shitless. It was a rule to live by – do not mention you're at a hospital if you want some peace and quiet.

"Are you sure?" Sora asked.

"It's none of your business," Roxas retorted. The most annoying thing was – he was worried how Axel might take all this. Him not showing up, him not telling where he was, but that was none of the redheads business just like it wasn't Sora's. "I'll go get some fresh air," Roxas sighed knowing that he shouldn't leave Sora alone. He'd supposed to wait till Cloud or Mum or Dad or a nurse or anyone got here.

Roxas had gotten all the way to the door, placed his hand on the handle, before he stopped in his steps. "Does Kairi know?" It was a stupid question to ask and he'd probably do nothing with the answer. It wasn't like these were anything that he should be even thinking about now because all of this stuff could be taken care off once everything was over. It would be lot easier then. Maybe some angry words – no, you couldn't yell at anyone on a hospital bed – and it would be over. Over like that. Without any problems.

"She'll get here after school. And Riku too," Sora said.

Roxas left with a hurry and without really thinking about it. It was when he spun around the corner and was faced by the doors that lead to the lobby he realized he didn't even have his coat on. It wouldn't do any good to go out and freeze, but he had other options besides admitting his defeat and returning to get the stupid jacket. He could walk around the hospital and listen to the sobbing and murmuring and calming words and nurses calling names and no, he couldn't. Sora could stay calm if he wanted, but he could not stop thinking- Not in this smell of disinfectants and cleaning chemicals.

He could take a new turn to the left and get downstairs to the cafeteria and try to find the rest of the family there. Mum would calm him down. Which was stupid since it wasn't he who really should need someone holding his hand and preventing him to get all tangled up in his thoughts. He wasn't facing a lifetime of medication and frequent visits to a hospital for the rest of his life. Why'd it had to be his family that could fill a whole season of hospital drama?

Not feeling like getting a therapy session from his family, Roxas turned around and headed back to remember his coat.

xXx

It was the last phone call Axel had expected, but he hadn't even waited to come up with an excuse before storming out of the door. He'd just said Tifa that he needed to go and then the next minute been gone. Tifa hadn't had the chance to yell after him. It was a bizarre feeling to not reason at all and just go. It wasn't like it felt wrong, but the truth to be said he had no idea if this was just one more turn he shouldn't be taking. He wouldn't be a welcomed quest. There was no way. Sora'd said that this hadn't been Roxas' request. More Sora hadn't had the time to tell. He'd just said something about someone comming without a warning hanged up.

Which made the question – questions – Axel had had running wild since yesterday just go berserk. What the hell was going on? Why hadn't Roxas called him? Was it a sign of something? Was he an idiot – yes he was. Roxas liked him anyway. Was someone dying?

Axel hopped on the first bus heading towards the right direction and ended up getting off one stop too early. He knew the town well enough to find his way through the blocks of office buildings and fancy little parks and the only reason he didn't run was the nagging feeling that he would've looked absolutely loony if anyone knew he'd just stormed out of his workplace and was now running across half the town just to see someone he shouldn't be seeing.

Then again, Roxas had missed their date so it was essentially his fault that Axel was this lost on what was going on and what he himself was doing.

It took him 27 minutes to get out of one door and back inside through another. The hospital was a four storey building with grey walls and lots of glassy surfaces everywhere. You could walk in there without having to touch a single door, they all slid out of the way, or would've if Axel had walked in a sensible pace. His long steps left him waiting at both of the doors that stood between him and the lobby with the receptionist were sitting in a circle of white tables. Countless binders had been neatly piled into towers next to the computers people stared when no-one was there to disturb them.

Axel very much intended to interrupt someone's day to get some answers. He walked straight through the room and placed his hand on the table and flashed a smiled. It got returned.

"How may I help you, sir?" the man sitting opposite of him asked pleasantly and placed his hands already on the keyboard to insert any info that needed to be searched or added to the database.

Axel never even got to even open his mouth.

"Axel?" asked a very uncertain voice there was no mistaking of.

Axel flashed an apologising grin at the nurse and turned around to face Roxas. An angry Roxas? Roxas definitely didn't seem pleased to see him and took a firm hold of his arm and after a strict glare Axel followed without any resistance. Roxas kept going like he knew where to and they went through a pair of glass doors to a hallway with rooms and at the first place to make turns, Roxas made a sharp one to the right and then stopped.

"How did you find me here?"

Axel blinked. "You found me."

Roxas ignored the jab completely and barged into the next question. "You're here because I'm here? You are not here because you happen to have someone else you are going to see?"

"Yeah."

Roxas crossed his arms. "What were you thinking?"

And Axel knew that this was not the moment to say he hadn't been thinking. "Why are you so upset?" he asked instead.

"My family is here," Roxas said. "You think anything at all?"

"It's not like I'm wearing a sign to attract attention," Axel tried to reason. "If you hadn't done that – Gotten all scared and dragged me here, no-one would've in any way seen anything connecting us."

Those seemed to have been the magic words that made Roxas lower his walls. He uncrossed his arms. He took a deep breath and leaned to Axel, hiding his face. "I'm glad you're here," Roxas said then, the words being a quiet murmur almost like he didn't want the words to be heard.

Axel smiled and closed his arms behind Roxas' back. "That's why I'm here."

Roxas shook his head and Axel felt the movement against his chest. "I can't even think straight," Roxas admitted. The words had gotten more strength to them now.

Time for some answers. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

"No. You answer the question first. I haven't told anyone where I am-" Roxas said, still talking to Axel's chest – and it hit him halfway through the sentence. "Sora told you," he said and looked up.

"Yes," Axel admitted with a nod.

"How? He doesn't have your number," Roxas said. "Unless you've given it to him without me knowing."

"He used your cell," Axel said. It had been a god thing he'd been at work and hadn't answered the call with something sappy he couldn't have taken back when he'd realized it wasn't Roxas. Sappiness wasn't really their thing, but Roxas did have entertaining reactions whenever Axel said something too mushy and it was good, harmless fun once in a while.

"How did he-" Roxas launched into a new question, but Axel wanted to get past all these unimportant details already.

"I don't know," Axel interrupted with. "It's your turn now."

Roxas dropped the question and said, "Because of Sora."

"That's not an answer. That's being an ass about it," Axel said and Roxas rolled his eyes. He knew it too, but it looked like he needed someone to be angry at. Let it be him, Axel thought. As long as it was what Roxas needed and he got his answers in the end.

Roxas kept his stare and silence for a moment before giving up. "I've told you already. Sora was sick."

"I thought it was the flu or something? What he got to get here?"

"It was the mushrooms. They – Sora was the only one to eat them. Toxins," Roxas summarized and Axel felt it hit him straight in the stomach.

"You mean that if you'd really made the stew out of it- We'd be all here?" he asked. Had it really been that much of a close call for all of them?

Roxas nodded.

And when the worth shock passed, Axel knew that even if the worst hadn't happened, Sora had eaten the mushrooms and he was here, in the hospital. "Is he going to be alright?"

"He'll need surgery," Roxas said unusually void of emotion.

"What?"

"Today," Roxas added and smiled a sad smile. He was crumbling and Axel had no idea what he'd done to set it off and if it was a good thing or not.

"Hey, he'll be alright," Axel said and made his hug tighter. Roxas didn't protest.

"I'll know. But I'm scared anyway!" Roxas let it out and hid his face again. "There's no reason to be..."

"Hospitals are fucking scary," Axel said without really having expertise to back his words of. His somewhat dangers seeking life had brought him to a hospital only once and even then he'd been diagnosed with a slight concussion only. But it had felt like the right thing to say anyway.

"Axel, he'll need a new kidney. He'll need meds his whole life. And he doesn't even- He smiles!"

"Sounds like Sora. It'll be just fine and he knows it."

"I feel stupid getting upset like this."

"You don't have to act brave."

"Easy for you to say. I don't want force Mum to carry anything she doesn't needs to. Everything's complicated enough as it is now," Roxas said and looked up again. He was braver than he gave himself credit for – he might've been scared but he was also determined like Axel had never seen him before.

"She flew here to make sure you'll be okay. She can handle you saying you're scared. I'd be worried. In fact, I was damn worried when you didn't answer my calls and wasn't home – Have you been here two days already?"

"Three. I've spent the nights at Cloud's place."

"You could've sent a message," Axel said. "I thought it was part of the contract to be told about things like know, with me being your boyfriend and all. Or me thinking I was?"

"That's the problem. If I'd said where I was, you'd get here without thinking. If I just hadn't happened to be on my way back in – You'd run to Sora's room immediately, wouldn't you?"

"Probably, yeah. Whatever it took to find out what was going on."

"Cloud's there. Mum and Dad are there. What would've you said?" Roxas asked.

"I'd say I was a friend. Sora would play along," Axel said and shrugged. It wasn't as complicated as Roxas made it sound like.

"Cloud knows who you are."

"He's seen us together."

"Once. He wouldn't get it why you're there and not my real friends. Those who I've known for years," Roxas said.

"I'm an adult who knows how to get off work early?" Axel suggested.

Roxas shook his head. "You can't come anywhere near our rooms."

"Call your friends then and let them sit there for a while so you won't have to feel like I shouldn't sit there with too. WAIT. Wait-wait-wait. You got a room too? Did you eat those mushrooms? What are you not telling me?"

"No, it's not that," Roxas said and shook his head. Axel didn't like it how Roxas had to look away, and try to hide his eyes like he was ashamed. "I'm the one who'll donate the kidney."

You didn't plan to tell me?" Axel asked.

"So that you'd just-" Roxas broke of middle of the sentence. "I don't know!"

"No," Axel stated firmly. "Be selfish ones in a while. Sora'll be fine, the doctors will take care of it. Let them find someone else to donate a spare kidney. They'll manage that."

"Sora needs the kidney now. And I'm here and can help. Want to help," Roxas said, not once doubting himself.

Axel raised his hand up in defeat. "Then don't give a shit what I say. Your decision. Stand by it."

"Thanks," Roxas said and he smiled. It was a bright smile that reached even his eyes.

"You don't get all scared if I kiss you now?" Axel asked.

Roxas didn't say anything but wrapped his hands around Axel's neck so that he could give the kiss himself. Roxas wasn't a hungry kisser. He'd been scared and careful at first, but even now that Axel liked to think he was comfortable with it all, all he needed was a soft touch and closeness. A nose flattened against his cheek, hands messing his hair and an innocent grin once it was over – Axel loved every second of it.

Roxas moved slowly away, allowed a grin so very adorable to spread on his face and only then looked to see if they'd had any audience. Few people walking on the hallway, nobody paying them any attention. Roxas stayed calm.

"If it wasn't for my family- I mean, they making it complicated," Roxas muttered.

"I get it," Axel agreed. He would stay away from their rooms, but he'd wait in the hospital. There was no way he'd be leaving. But that he didn't tell Roxas.

"I'll call you immediately when I wake up," Roxas promised.

They were still for a breath, but then Roxas had to turn around and walk away. They were waiting him elsewhere. And Axel couldn't follow.

xXx

Axel didn't regret the deal he'd made with Roxas. He knew well enough why it was the wisest thing to do, why he had to stay away and why he should've just left the hospital. He knew better but he had finally come to realise that he was terminally stupid. He sat on a sofa that was placed on the hallway that led to the rooms that belonged to Sora and Roxas. Axel hadn't seen Roxas since their short conversation which was good – Roxas would've just stressed about the fact that someone could see Axel sitting here and go berserk. Okay, yeah, Cloud had walked past once, but hadn't noticed Axel – he'd been getting some coffee at the moment and been able to hide behind a corner. Gotten a near heart attack with that one, but was still alive.

Everything would be fine.

It was when a doctor looking guy walked past him and straight into Sora's room with all his family waiting in there that Axel got worried. Was it the determined striding or the firm face that made Axel heart skip a beat, he didn't care. That wasn't how someone with good news approached the patient's family. And Axel wanted to hear the words, wanted to know what was wrong, wanted to storm in there- He wanted to curse and do something. But there was nothing he could do.

It took forever before the man left the room and closed the glass door behind him. Axel knew better, but got up to his feet and tried to get the tiniest fragment of what was going on. "Excuse me," he said with a smile.

"Yes?" the doctor answered, but didn't look like he wanted to stay there long to chat.

"I was just wondering," Axel continued without waiting the moment when he'd know what he was doing. Being overly polite felt strange. "You're allowed to tell about the patients only to the family, right?"

"And to those we have the permission to tell, that's right. Is there something I could help with? The nurses will help you if you have many questions."

"So you wouldn't tell me what was going on with a patient you have no prior knowledge of me knowing?"

"No, sorry, not allowed," the man shook his head. "Who's the patient who you are here to see?"

"No, um, he's sleeping and the nurses just weren't really happy to let me go see him… It's okay though, I'll wait him to wake up," Axel said and backed off. The doctor nodded and walked away. Axel sat down and looked at the clock. He'd been here for two hours already.

Maybe he should just go home and wait till Roxas would wake up and call him.

What if there was something wrong?

What if Roxas wasn't going to-

Shit. This wasn't at all what he should do. What could go wrong? Nothing. Nothing to go wrong. Standard procedure. He looked to the direction of Sora's room and got to regret it. Cloud stood there at the door, reassuring a woman that Axel guessed to be Sora's or Roxas' mom and both looked so worried. Then Cloud looked up and saw him and Axel didn't think twice like he should've. He got up, looked straight back and started walking towards the room.

Cloud opened the door and looked at him suspiciously, but it wasn't Cloud who asked the first question. The woman sitting on the chair next to the door looked up and to Axel surprise wasn't as teary eyed as he'd feared. The look Axel got from her was sharp, demanding and no way was this going to end like Axel hoped.

"Um, hi. The doctor, did he have any update on Roxas? Or Sora?" Axel asked knowing very much better. He had promised to stay away and he knew not to piss Cloud off and here he was.

"Who are you?" she demanded to know.

"A friend of Roxas'," Axel answered.

"He has never mentioned of anyone like you," she said and looked up and down on him, disapproving. "Where do you know him? Can't be from school."

"Okay, lady, I'm sorry he hasn't mentioned me, but I do know Roxas and Sora. Maybe I'm not your favourite son-in-law-kinda guy, but I'm not Roxas' drug dealer either," Axel said even though he knew that reply wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was just so frustrating to be locked out that he let it get over him.

All three occupants of the room – Cloud, a man and the woman – looked at him very much unimpressed. His charm was clearly not working right now.

"Hey, Cloud, help me out," Axel asked out of desperation. Heads turned to look at Cloud who returned Axel request of help with uninterested stare.

"What do you want me to say?" Cloud asked.

"That you know me?"

"Yeah, I know him. Axel. Works for Tifa. No, haven't the slightest why he is here," Cloud said talking to everyone except Axel. It looked like Axel presence was even less welcome than it was usually. Which might've been something Roxas had warned him about. Probably should've seen that one coming from miles away.

"Please, couldn't this be enough to prove that I'm not a total stranger?" Axel asked knowing well that his plead was one for deaf ears. What had he expected? Cloud knew him only as an asshole who there was no reason to let near anyone in a hospital bed. If either Sora or Roxas would've been there to say he was alright... They weren't, of course, and he himself shouldn't he be here either. "I'm here because Sora called me, told me that they'd be here, and asked me to come. Just tell me if they'll alright and I'll be gone."

The surprise that those words brought was easy to see. The man and woman shared a look that Axel had no idea what it meant, but didn't dare hope it was anything good for him.

"Your name is Axel, you work at a bar and you are friends with both our son and Sora?" the man asked to confirm and looked at Axel with more curiosity than what his wife had. So these were Roxas parent. Oh how lucky he was, getting to meet the parents like this. Roxas would kill him.

"About. Do I need to tell everything about me to get even the shortest of summary on what is going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know too," said Cloud and nodded Axel to step outside. This time Axel obeyed and walked out of the room with Cloud. The glass door slid half close behind them leaving the parents mostly out of this conversation.

Axel didn't like where this was going. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell everything. Declare that yes, he should just fuck off and leave Roxas alone because he was some sort of freak. He wanted to make sure that Cloud knew how much was wrong with him, that all this caution was really needed, that he really should just walk away and go die in a fire and no-one would care. He said nothing.

"The surgery takes longer than expected."

Axel was too thankful to remember the words to use and the ones he found after the moment's searching weren't ones he should've used. He hurried past all 'thank you's and 'finally' and only cared about answers to the questions that just wouldn't stop bothering him. "What does that meant to Roxas? Is there something wrong? Sora?" Axel asked and Cloud didn't answer fast enough to stop him asking a few more. "Will they bring Roxas to his room anytime soon? Do you allow me to see him then?"

It was Cloud who managed to look most shocked out of the family. Mom and Dad had clearly heard every single word. Before anyone even tried to come up with answers to the questions asked and left unasked, Cloud turned around and closed the door fully. He then took hold of Axel's shoulder and walked him a bit down the hallway, not out of the eyesight of the parents, but probably past hearing distance. It was after that he stared Axel in silence for five long seconds before releasing all of his bewilderment in one simple line:

"What are you doing?"

"I can see where that question comes from," Axel agreed.

"I want an answer and before I get one, you don't go near my parents, Sora or Roxas." It was no question. There was no 'got it?' attached.

"Clear enough," Axel nodded and spared a quick glance at the parents that looked into their direction, worried and curious.

"So?" Cloud asked in a tone that really wouldn't accept any bullshit. "I have no idea why you are here. You said Sora called you. Why would Sora do that?"

"It's complicated. You don't want to hear it – No, wait, I will explain," Axel said calmly and with one sharp flick of his hand got Cloud silent before he could interrupt. "We're at least friends with Roxas. We just had a rough start. You know the Game? Good. We found out we played in the same clan and that's where we hit it off."

"At least friends?"

So he had to play with fire and Cloud caught him. "Couldn't my explanation enough?" he tried to stray from the question.

Cloud was silent a while, but accepted the question in the end. "You're friends because both of you play the Game?"

"Yes. Fuck yes! Finally someone gets it."

Cloud showed no interest to Axel's reaction and made it clear he hadn't finished. "There is no urgent need for you to be here. Roxas will call you when he's well enough. You can play the game without him for a while. There is really no room or need for you here."

To tell him that he didn't play the Game anymore and that neither did Roxas? To tell him he was a fucking idiot? To tell him that whatever he said Axel wasn't going to leave and listen to this bullshit because he had a RIGHT to be here? To tell him to go to HELL and- Axel couldn't answer Cloud. He couldn't say anything he wanted, none of them worked to his advantage.

"Cloud, I have a reason to be here," Axel said finally as calm as he could. "You shouldn't push it any harder." It was most likely that because of those words all went to hell.

"This is my brother we're talking about! He doesn't want to see your face when he wakes up and I'm going to make sure of that he doesn't need to," Cloud said. He raised his voice now and was unusually animate in his expression. Gone was the distant, uninterested, docile man. This was the man that scared Axel, the man that was unpredictable, and very clearly the brother who was intent on protecting Roxas from the likes of… Axel.

For once, Axel didn't care. He was past that. Way past it all. "Yes he does! I talked to him in these hallways just before the surgery and he said, he fucking said, that if it weren't for you people making it all complicated, I'd be welcomed!"

"Roxas didn't want you there because of us? What does that mean?"

"It means that he hadn't told you about me and didn't want us going through this stupid conversation!"

"You should respect his wishes and stay away then," Cloud said irritatingly calmly and sounding frustratingly sensible.

But Axel was past all sensibility. "No. I have the right to be as worried as you, right to hear when the doctor comes to tell news that makes everyone look like he's dying."

"Why?" Cloud asked like it was the simplest question.

And it was.

"Because I have been dating him for months and you moron didn't even notice. I mean, I get it why Roxas didn't want to tell you about it. But it's kinda sad that Roxas feels like he has to live a life that won't inconvenience anyone because the family already has so many problems. Honestly, yYou'd think that you knew what was going on his life from the way you are guarding him now."

When Axel ran out of words he knew that he'd fucked up big time. There are things that should never be said when angry and pissed off to the point of not caring anymore. There are ways how to tell the brother of the guy you're kind of involved with that you don't intend to be quiet about it. There are ways how not to do. There are ways to get killed very painfully that happen to be quite similar to the things one should never say and ways how not to tell.

To Axel's great surprise, Cloud didn't hit him, strangle him to death or even yell at him. He just stared for a moment, made then a gesture of staying completely still and then walked back to the glass door and very worried looking parents. Axel didn't know how much they'd hear of the conversation – most like only what he had been yelling and that wasn't so bad compared to what Cloud had heard him blurt.

Cloud came back after an exchange of few quick words and he had strict instructions with him. "I said we're going outside to talk. You follow me."

Axel did not have the courage to flee now. He followed Cloud to the lobby and without a question out of the door. He didn't ask where they were going, but then again he didn't have to wait long to find it out himself. Cloud took one sharp turn to the left after they'd reached sunlight and lead them to the parking lot.

There were few people walking towards the entrance, but close to the wall where Cloud pushed Axel against there was no-one to interrupt them. Axel was afraid, but could still be sure that surely Cloud wouldn't kill him. Too many people. Witnesses. Besides, Roxas wouldn't have liked it, would he? Axel knew better than to try with that argument.

"Glass walls might keep talking voices outside, but they heard you yelling. I don't like making my parents worried and definitely not because an idiot like you." After those words, without changing his expression the slightest to warn Axel and allow him time to dodge, Cloud hit Axel.

It hurt like hell and Axel had to check he had his nose still intact after the initial shock wore off in few seconds. Cloud's fist had missed to Axel's relief and the hit had connected to Axel's lower cheek, gracing the chinbone instead. The lack of broken bones made Axel sure that Cloud hadn't punched intending to permanently damage him. What that meant, he didn't want to speculate on too much. Maybe he spared him for a good, long beating?

"I want to hear what you wanted to accomplice, what the hell is going on and why I should let you see Roxas ever again," Cloud said massaging his fist. "I don't have any reason to like what you say, but I'm not unreasonable. You got this chance to explain or get the hell away and stay away from Roxas."

"I'll take the chance," Axel said and couldn't help but let a shaky breath escape. Cloud was fucking scary even when he made some sense and now he Wasn't-Making-Any-Sense-At-All. Why punch him and then ask questions? Roxas had been right. He should've stayed away. "Oh God," Axel muttered and brushed strayed parts of his hair out of the way.

"I'm not waiting forever."

"I know. Just, there's so fucking much that's messed up. My face to start with," Axel said and managed to somewhat answer Cloud's stare. "How many people saw you hit me?"

"Few," Cloud said without really seeming worried about the fact. "I'd tell everything important before someone thinks of security."

"You're a fucking idiot," Axel sighed not sure who he'd meant with that and did his best to get a grip of himself, straightening his posture to keep some sense of control over the situation. "Honestly, we have been going out for few months ow," Axel said and looked closely for any reaction in the unchanging expression. "We– we had a rough start and I know you witnessed it. But it got better."

"Why haven't I heard of anything from Roxas?"

"It wasn't just my idea not to say anything. Roxas said you wouldn't take it too good. He didn't want to make it a big thing since everybody had much to think about already. We agreed on that. Even if you don't want to believe it, I asked Roxas out but it was he who said yes. Oh shit," Axel couldn't help but to hiss. The fist to the face had gotten him a nice little headache to top the bruise. "What do you really want to know?"

"He's seventeen."

"And I'm 23. You're not the only one who's had a problem with the fact. If it helps any, yeah, I knew better than to ask him out."

"Why did you then?" Cloud asked the question like it was the simplest thing to come up with an answer. Axel leaned to the wall and looked up at the eaves few stories above. This was the question he should've answered but had dismissed for being too damn difficult. Roxas liked him. He hadn't needed to think about the reason for months.

"I don't know," he ended up saying. Not wanting to face Cloud's reaction or lack thereof he closed his eyes for a short moment.

"Who knows about... you?" Cloud asked with some hesitation surprising Axel both by the tone and the question.

"Sora. A few of his friends," Axel told. He opened his eyes again to see how Cloud had crossed his arms. "How convenient to me that both Sora and Roxas who could easily verify my story are unconscious now. It's almost funny, isn't it?" Axel and let a wry laugh.

"Glad you still feel like laughing," Cloud said surprising Axel with the friendliness – no, lack of hostility -of the words. Axel had nothing to counter with and allowed Cloud to keep a small pause before continuing. "Axel-" Cloud began and there was a tiny little voice that kept nagging in Axel's head that this had to be a good sign. "I don't even know what to ask," Cloud confessed bewildering Axel even more.

"So are we getting now to the point where you beat me to pulp?"

Cloud looked at him and smiled. It wasn't a very friendly smile, but a smile nonetheless. And Axel didn't have clue where this was going. Was this the point where Cloud lost it and went berserk? Was this the moment Cloud hugged him and hoped he'd have a happy life?

"I know this isn't- I'm not anyone you'd want Roxas to like," Axel said and all of the words he had to force out. He wasn't too good with talking about personal stuff like this and definitely not while Cloud stood there and had just moments ago made it very clear he definitely didn't like Axel. "Or that you'd believe I'm serious about this and I'm not just fucked up. I'd like to think I'm not all that fucked up. Yeah, I know I'm older. I'm tattooed, messed up and definitely not a poster boy. I don't know. There are so many things you could have an issue with."

"So this is the list of reasons to like you?" Cloud asked and Axel jumped the slightest. "Tell me why I should allow you to keep seeing him, not why I shouldn't." Cloud didn't sound so threatening. He sounded amused. And Axel grinned at the realization. He wasn't on safe waters, but he was getting there.

"I'm not going to hurt him. I don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs," Axel said feeling like he was writing an ad to some dating site. "I do care about him. If you need some crap about love, sure, I'll say yes if that's what you need. And if you want me gone, Roxas only needs to say it."

Cloud looked at him and Axel had never felt more embarrassed in his life. He didn't dare to breathe before Cloud nodded shortly. "I guess you proved your point by staying at the hospital even if you shouldn't," Cloud said.

"If Roxas only would see it like that," Axel shook his head. Roxas would get so angry. Axel had without his permission told Cloud and told in a way that wasn't anywhere near the way they should've done it. But if he was getting Clouds approval now... He was getting way too positive about all this.

"He will. He's a romantic," Cloud said. "I'd try to explain it to him when he's still high on the meds though. They might help a bit," he added and Axel had inkling that he probably looked so dumbstruck with his bruised chin and face frozen in shocked surprise that Cloud couldn't help the small smile.

"I'm not going to apologise hitting you," Cloud said.

"I think I understand. Kind of made it happen," Axel said and tried with a careful smile. The bruise hurt, but it was the last thing he'd admit now. Cloud looked around and even though there were some curious glances towards their direction, nobody looked like they wanted to interrupt.

Cloud nodded shortly. "Good. I'm not going to like you from now on though."

"Don't expect you to."

"I don't want you to speak to my parents now either. They have no idea who you are and what you're doing here and I guess I don't need to explain how much of a bad idea it was from you to even try. It's something you have to deal with once Roxas and Sora are alright and willing to help you."

"Not going to get the permission to see him then?" Axel asked and right now he wasn't worried.

xxx

Roxas could remember faces and voices, but he couldn't say if they'd been there hours ago or just recently. He knew he felt numb in places and had a throbbing headache. He knew there was a touch on his arm. He was quite sure Mom had been there a moment ago.

"Mom?" Roxas asked and his voice was stronger than he'd expected it to be. Closing his eyes tightly before even trying to face the bright lightning allowed him time to get over some of the confusion. He could remember now that this was the hospital and the surgery had gone alright. Sora was resting in the room behind the wall – Mom had told him this.

"Nah, sorry. Asking for the wrong person."

Roxas opened his eyes and was suddenly wide awake. "Axel?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yup. Got the right one now," Axel said and smiled widely. He had his hand on Roxas' hand, fingers twined together.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked. Axel shouldn't be here.

"Saying many unbelievably sappy things to you. Taking care of you. You know, nobody wants you to be alone when you wake up for a moment," Axel said as if was clear as the day why. "It's my lucky day."

"How did you get past my family – where are they?" Roxas said and looked around a bit. He didn't see anyone else in the room and turned to look back at Axel ready to hear some answers. It was when he looked up at Axel's face that he noticed the big red-blue bruise that covered half of it. How he could've missed it before? He blamed the distracting fact that Axel was in the room he should by no logic be in. "What is that on your face?"

"I made a deal with Cloud," Axel said like it would've answered all of the questions. "He's standing at the door guarding. Once your parents get back from lunch, I'm gone," he added.

"The bruise?"

"Just something I caused. No, don't worry, the one who hit me had all the right, is fine and doesn't want to kill me today anymore. I would appreciate it if you asked if I'm alright though."

Roxas kept staring and managed to get Axel sigh. "Okay, yeah, Cloud hit me, but I don't think that's really all that important."

"I don't get it. What happened while I was out?"

"You got into a surgery, I got into a fight 'cause they didn't want me to see you and I kind of wanted, I outed us to Cloud, he hit me, we made up, he allowed me to come sit here when the parents are away. To put it short."

Roxas wasn't sure if he was feeling angry or if he appreciated the mess Axel had made of himself just because of him. He understood the words and definitely could feel a cramp in his stomach when Axel said he'd told Cloud. "Why?"

"Mostly because I wanted to hear Cloud say you'd see my stupidity as endearing. After he punched me, that is," Axel said and kept smiling. It was a reassuring smile if Roxas knew Axel at all. "I came to see you, hear you complain about the pain you're in and then cheer you up. Not to tell what I did to get here."

"Whatever," Roxas chuckle and let his head fall back to the pillow. "So, um, what exactly did you say to Cloud?" he asked from the ceiling.

Axel sounded embarrassed which was highly unusual. Axel if anyone could keep going doing stupid things without moment's hesitation. "I just told that Cloud was an idiot not to notice anything. And that we'd been going out for a while. Right under his nose."

"Just for your information, you're an idiot," Roxas said and turned to look at what couldn't be a blush. "I take it that Cloud took it really well?"

"It wasn't as bad as you'd think. Not at all," Axel said. "He didn't like me before and doesn't like me now. No turn to the worse I'd say."

"Expect a bruise."

"Bruises I can handle."

"Time to go. Now," Cloud peeked inside the room and made a disapproving face at Axel and then smiled as he saw Roxas being awake. "I'll ask how you're feeling once we get Axel out," he added.

"I'll see ya," Axel said and got up, but Roxas, even though knowing it was a bad idea, got hold of his hand. Axel looked at him and shook his head. "This is not making a fairy-tale ending. Things really don't work like that in real life."

"I know."

"I'll go," Axel said and shook himself free of Roxas' hand. He glanced quickly at Cloud who nodded and flashed a short smile at Roxas before slipping out.

"Mom would be just fine with it," Roxas said, but Cloud shook his head.

"You are going to explain me what is going on once we get you out of the hospital," Cloud said as he walked around the bed to sit down in the chair that Axel had occupied just moments ago. "But not before it."

"Why?"

"Because he's trouble?"

"I'm not that gullible. I know if I'm serious about something."

"You mean it?" Cloud asked, calmly and listening and clearly not pleased with what he'd just heard.

Roxas took a moment to answer. He'd been ready to try and stop Axel from going. "Yeah."

"You wait till you are healed up. And what you do then, I don't care."

"You are not going to hit him again."

"Probably not," Cloud shrugged and Roxas smiled. Cloud smiled back. Roxas knew that was as close to an approval that he would ever get.

xXx

THE END

xXx

This fic took the authors from High School to (almost) a Bachelor's Degree.

During this fic 5,5 computers were lost. May they rest in peace.

The following KH games were published after we started writing this fic: Days, Birth by Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, Re:Coded and KH 1,5. We DID finish it before KH3 although we started to get a bit worried.

Xion's small role is mostly because she didn't exist when we wrote the plot down. This fic is so old.

Nepece would like to say that she only wrote about one third of this fic and none of the awesome parts.

Tupsu wants to add that were it not for Nepece's brainstorming there would be neither plot nor characters, just a lot of words. She also blames Nepece for the fact that this fic is at all coherent.

Thank you for reading. Honestly, it has been so lovely to have people reading, adding this to their follow list and favourites not to mention commenting. Thank you! We love you all. THANK YOU.

And of one more thing:

This isn't the original ending. The original ending had a lot more… tragic tone, but because Tupsu had a bad idea and Nepece didn't say no (she is a bad, bad enabler) the tragic ending had to be rewritten. In other words…

SEQUEL. Coming sometime in the not so near future.

THANK YOU (and sorry, we were so young when we started!).