Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. That does not make Avianice happy. Maybe for her birthday? :D

"... Blowing up the Chemistry teacher isn't a healthy means of expressing frustration, Mr. Flynn," sighed the school counselor. Axel scoffed, slouching in his seat and lazily swinging his feet up to rest on the desk.

"First of all, I didn't blow 'im up. He's got trauma and scorched clothes, that's it, and you've got no proof that I did it. Secondly, if I did do it, it wasn't out of frustration. I've got an A in Chem."

Aerith shook her head. "Then why did you do it? What was the point?"

"To prove my love," Axel declared casually. Aerith stared at him. He stared back.

"To Roxas?" She clarified. He smirked. "How was that proving your love?"

"He hates Chemistry."

"Blowing up- excuse me. Traumatizing poor Vexen isn't going to help Roxas at all. Now we have to get a new substitute, who probably doesn't know the subject as well, and the same course. You've only made it harder."

Axel shook his head. "No, I haven't. See, now you've all gotta find a long-term sub as soon as you can. I happen to know the perfect guy, and he's a damn better teacher than Vexen was. He's getting a final interview as we speak." The counselor rose her brows.

"And... you couldn't have gotten him to help Roxas without all this fuss?"

The redhead snorted. "Nah. He's gotta get money to do any kind of shit, and anyway, then I'd be stuck explaining about Roxy, and as soon as he found out, he'd start causing trouble."

"Really? Who is it?"

"My older brother." At the simple response, Aerith seemed to have a difficult time deciding how to react.

"Reno?"

Axel nodded, and the brunette sighed. "This job is going to get more interesting, isn't it?"

"Naturally. I learned everything I know from him. It'll be like having two of me!" He brightened up at the thought, and the counselor rubbed her temples soothingly. At least Reno already had a lover. No more of these ridiculous courting attempts than there already were.

Roxas Strife was a junior at Eastern Academy. He was a fairly normal teenager, with a good balance between school and friends. He mostly hung out with three other students: Hayner, Pence, and Olette. He got B's and A's, and he spent his free time skateboarding and playing Struggle.

Overall, unremarkable.

The one unusual aspect of his life came in the form of a tall, skinny redhead named Axel. This guy really was a strange, unexpected, unpredictable entity.

The two of them had never had any classes together. Axel was a year ahead, and Roxas tended to enjoy math more than the other subjects while Axel specialized in pyrotechnics (a subject unique to the academy, loved by many, but excelled in by... well, Axel. Just Axel.). They shared no friends and no family. Roxas hardly even knew Axel existed until the redhead began trying to talk to him.

It hadn't been a problem until Axel somehow got it into his head that Roxas was gay.

Which he wasn't.

Obviously.

Unfortunately for him, the senior was not going to give up his efforts to not only prove to Roxas that the blond was gay, but to convince him to go on a date with him. What was worse, Axel had a tendency to get a bit too creative in his efforts, and usually ended up making a scene. This unfailingly resulted in an unhappy blond and a big fat 'no'.

On the other hand, this was all great entertainment for the other students.

As Roxas walked quickly down the hall, some of those other students were busy making bets on when Axel's next move would be, what it would be, and whether or not the teacher on fire a week ago had anything to do with the redhead's wooing process. Roxas himself hadn't actually made the connection, and was getting paranoid from the lack of major action. Lately, all he'd been getting was a bunch of crappy pick-up lines and a few flowers.

Axel was obviously planning something.

Consumed in these thoughts, he almost ran into the door to his second class. Oh, the dread of Chemistry. Blue eyes filled with the typical teen angst, he dragged his feet into the classroom and collapsed in his chair, which was near the front of the room. Even though having subs made the class easier to deal with (they tended not to get on his case about bad grades, so he could at least pretend he wasn't failing), he still didn't want to go through that horrible hour of learning about everything he'd never understand.

A resigned curiosity had him looking up at the board to see the name of the newest sub, since the teacher didn't seem to be in the classroom. Big letters in green chalk spelled out "Mr. Flynn". The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite think of why. Shrugging it off, he slumped down in his seat.

The 'ding' marking the beginning of class was sent through the speakers, and two last students darted inside at the last chime, looking relieved that the teacher hadn't arrived yet. One of them dropped down beside Roxas.

"Hey, man," Hayner greeted. "What's up?"

"Not much," Roxas laughed, noticing the redness of his best friend's complexion. "What about you?"

The newcomer pulled a face. "Seifer. Asshole can't just let me have a peaceful morning."

"What'd he do this time?"

"Aw, he pulled some crap about me causing trouble. Seriously! Since when am I the trouble-maker? He's psycho, that's what he is." Roxas couldn't help but chuckle at the huffy tone, and they both went quiet when the door opened. A tall man with bright red hair sauntered in, casting a carelessly interested glance around the classroom. He was dressed... kind of how he was supposed to be. He had the suit and all, but he'd left it kind of messy. And he at least did make a half-hearted attempt to keep his hair from getting everywhere, by tying it in a ponytail. But he just gave off a lazy impression.

The entire class was silent. This was definitely new. The man cleared his throat.

"Yo," he greeted, plopping down into a swivel chair by his desk. "So, uh, I'm... Mr. Flynn. An' I'm gonna be your teacher for the rest of the year."

It was quiet. He rolled his eyes. "Alright, fuck this. Guys, relax. I ain't gonna eat ya. I'm just here to make some extra cash, not to shape up the kids of the future. The way this is gonna work is I'm gonna tell ya what's up with chemistry, and you're gonna learn it. So basically, just do whatever the hell I say and we're cool, got it?" There was a pause, during which he narrowed his eyes, and the class collectively mumbled what was probably an affirmative. "Cool shit, yo. Now, I hear ya got a test to get back?"

A girl near the back of the classroom chimed, with a strange enthusiasm, "Yes, sir!" Two of her friends started giggling. He sent them all a weird look.

"What the... fuck. Whatever. So I'm gonna call your name, you come get it, all that good shit." He rolled in the chair back to the desk, poking around until he found a stack of tests with a post-it note marking them as second block. Names were called, one by one, and the dread in the pit of Roxas' stomach grew as they got closer and closer to the bottom of the pile, where he knew his would be. Hayner returned from his own trip of retrieval, grinning.

"Dude, I got a B! I thought I failed this thing!" His excitement was not to be dampened by his friend's lack of enthusiasm, and he barely managed a supportive pat on the back when Roxas was called up. Before the score at the top even came into focus, he could see the many red marks. Any smidgen of hope he'd had was crushed. He reached out for the test, and Mr. Flynn was frowning.

"Hey, Roxas," he began, handing over the test. "You getting a lot of these?" He pointed at the fat, red 31/100 at the top of the page.

The blond scratched his head. "Yeah," he admitted quietly. "Chemistry really isn't my thing."

Looking surprisingly serious, considering his general attitude, the new teacher continued. "Ya know, I actually do know this shit. I can help you out if you can stay after school tomorrow. There are already two other students from first block coming. I mean," he noticed the hesitance from his student. "It'll only be half an hour, 'cause I have other shit to get done, ya know? But it'd be a smaller group than ya got here, so we can get back to the beginning of it all. Makes it a hell of a lot easier once you've got the basics down."

Roxas thought about it for a second. "I guess... yeah. That would be great. Thanks," he smiled at the teacher. Reno waved him off.

"Get back to yer seat, kid. You're holdin' us all up!"

"So, what do you think of the new Chemistry teacher?" Pence wondered, snapping a picture of one of the blooming trees in the art garden, where he was sitting with Hayner, Olette, and Roxas.

Hayner shrugged. "Seems like a cool guy to me, I guess. Kinda weird, but he's better than Vexen."

"I like him," Roxas decided slowly. "He's going to try to help me catch up in class, which is more than Vexen ever offered."

Olette was blushing. "He's... he's cool, I guess." Hayner rose his brows.

"Olette, what the heck? Why're you all pink now?" He pushed her hands away when she tried to hide her face, and Pence just laughed.

"All the girls think he's hot, or something. They won't stop giggling about him."

"Every time there's a teacher who isn't 50, the girls get excited. I don't get- ah!" Roxas was cut short by his own shout of surprise when he was suddenly pulled backwards against an unfortunately familiar body.

"Roxy!" Exclaimed a bright voice. The blond huffed and started trying to get away, but as usual, it took more than squirming to escape the hold.

"Axel, would you please get off of me?" He ground out, and took the lack of reaction as a 'no', so elbowed his lanky menace in the side as hard as he could. The redhead yelped and stumbled back, rubbing his wounded area and emanating kicked-puppy vibes.

"But Roxas, I need to make sure you don't pass out!"

He was just waiting for Roxas to take the bait, and they both knew it. They also both knew that it happened every single time. I'm going to regret this, thought Roxas. "Why would I pass out?" A victorious gleam passed through the senior's half-lidded eyes, and he purred,

"Because you've gotta be exhausted. You've been running through my mind all night."

Roxas turned red, and his jaw dropped. "That was your worst attempt yet," he stated incredulously. As much as he disliked the constant pick-up lines and scenes, he'd come to expect some shred of creativity from his admirer. Whether or not he was blushing (which, of course, he most definitely wasn't), that was just an awful try. Pathetic. Entirely half-hearted. Half... hearted. A ray of hope lit up the blond's face. "Are you starting to give up?" He suggested eagerly. Axel snorted.

"Of course not. Don't you worry your pretty little head off, Roxy. Can't get rid of me so easily!" A sly grin spread across his lips, and he chuckled to himself about whatever sick thoughts were running through his head. "Wanna go on a date to the beach tomorrow? Just you and me, with the ocean and the boardwalk and the sea-salt ice cream?" He shifted attitudes so suddenly, as he became romantic in a split-second. Roxas turned more red, and he shook his head.

"I will not go out with you, Axel!" He insisted, knowing this routine very well. The redhead opened his mouth to retort, but a tall blond guy ran up to him, catching his attention.

"Dem?"

"Hey, man! Sorry to interrupt your..." he glanced around at Roxas and the three other teens who apparently had been content just to watch the scene before them. "Whatever you were doing, but your brother's getting pissy."

Axel's eyes widened. "Oh, shit! Yeah, I completely forgot!" He turned back to the smaller blond and hugged him before he could get away. "I'll see ya later, Roxy!" He called as he sprinted away. The second senior stood there awkwardly for a second. He scratched his head and laughed quietly.

"Well, then. Lovely... day. See ya!"

Roxas turned to his friends, who looked confused. Pence was mumbling something about seniors disappearing, and Hayner was just staring into space. Olette was shuffling her feet, probably still thinking about Mr. Flynn. He sighed. It would be a good day to head into town and see if there were any friends hanging out there.

"I'm heading out," he called to the other three, walking away to a small chorus of somewhat distracted farewells.

The path to the entrance gates wasn't a particularly long one, but people liked to linger there during Spring, while everything was in full bloom. Even Roxas had to admit, even though he didn't care much for flowers and trees, that it really was nice. Peaceful, really. It helped his mood somewhat, but he was still unsettled by Axel, still on edge, still occupied with thoughts of him.

Horrible. He hated that the senior was so distracting, that he'd set his sights on Roxas and wasn't giving up, because the blond really didn't understand what he was supposed to do. He didn't get it. How should he react? Why did he get so weird around the annoying redhead? He always felt warm around that damned pyro, calmer, but at the same time, he got frustrated and confused. He wanted to push Axel away, but... didn't want Axel to let him?

The blond shook his head. Ridiculous thought. He felt stupid for even letting that enter his mind.

He strode out of the gates, and was immediately swept up in the surrounding city. It was always disconcerting, experiencing that sudden change, but he'd learned to just keep walking until he got used to it. So he turned right and headed toward a nearby coffee shop. Not a lot of students went there. Not a lot of people in general went there. But the workers were nice, and the atmosphere wasn't bad, and it was a good place to unwind with a big mug of hot chocolate (because Roxas hated coffee, but he loved coffee shops, so he convinced the small shop to carry hot chocolate, too). They even had little marshmallows.

Out of the many things Roxas didn't like admitting, his love for little marshmallows was one of them. Lucky for him, the girl at the counter already knew, and if she was in a good enough mood, she'd drop them in without too much teasing.

The soft ringing of the bell as he entered the shop caught the attention of the boy at the counter. Boy? The teen was obviously a new employee, looking a little nervous at the sight of a customer, but he smiled bravely as the disappointed blond approached.

"Welcome to Kingdom Coffee!" He greeted a bit too brightly. "What can I get you?"

"Um, one hot chocolate, please," Roxas replied, trying not to stare wistfully at the small bin of marshmallows. Maybe if he just said yes, once the guy asked if he wanted some, it wouldn't be a big deal. No shame in saying yes. And who was this kid to judge him, anyway? The blond squinted at the employee's name-tag. Hello, my name is Sora.

Sora? What a weird name. Kid didn't even look Japanese. Not even Asian in general! No room to judge, Roxas decided.

A flash of tan skin brought him back to reality. Sora was giving him a funny look, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Are you okay?" The brunet asked, looking slightly concerned. Roxas forced out a laugh.

"Aha, um, yeah. Sorry."

"Right. It's gonna cost $2.45, okay?" Roxas nodded in response, pulling out 3 dollars and leaving them on the counter.

"No change," he requested, retreating to a table off to the side.

Sora got busy making him a fresh mug of the hot chocolate, and Roxas pulled out a book from his backpack. He wasn't really sure what it was, as there wasn't any title on it or anything, but he'd found it lying in his locker earlier in the week and he couldn't help but start feeling curious about it. Right as he had started to open to the first page, though, a figure slipped into the seat across from him. His eyes flicked up, and he smiled at his friend.

"Hey, Namine," he greeted. She tucked a few strands of her light blonde hair behind one ear as she set her notebook down on the table.

"Hi, Roxas. How are you?"

"I'm good. How're you?"

"Fine. Just finished the drawing for our art project, actually. What a relief," she giggled. "I never thought I was going to be done in time!"

Roxas groaned, hitting his head against the wall as he let it flop backwards. "I completely forgot about that thing! Tell me it's not due tomorrow!"

"Don't worry," she laughed. "It's due on Friday. You've still got today and tomorrow. What are you doing for it, anyway?"

"I'm making... ah, it's gonna sound stupid," he blushed, rubbing the back of his head. Namine just gave him a look, and he admitted, "I'm making a cross between a key and a sword, called a keyblade."

The girl shook her head. "That doesn't sound stupid. I think it sounds pretty neat, actually." The two fell into a comfortable silence for a few seconds before Sora bounced up to them with a bright blue mug. He set it down in front of Roxas.

"There ya go! Hope you enjoy!" The brunette bounced away as the bell on the door rang again, and a middle-aged woman ventured in, looking as though this were her first time entering the small, easily passed shop. Her eyes were wide and slid over the decor, and Roxas vaguely wondered if she might be a potential regular. He hoped so. This place deserved more attention than it got, and the more people who came to enjoy it here, the better. As long as it never got too popular.

He sipped at his hot chocolate, trying not to mind the lack of little marshmallows, and as he set it down again, his thoughts strayed back to Axel. He sighed in annoyance, pushing the thoughts back out of his head, but it was too late. Namine cocked her head.

"Roxas? Are you alright?"

He fidgeted briefly, before leaning his head back. "I dunno. Axel... just bothers me."

"Why..." Namine hesitated. "Why is that?" Her friend rose his brows and stared at her in disbelief.

"You've gotta be kidding, Nam. Isn't it obvious?" She shrugged in response to him, and he elaborated. "He won't leave me alone! He's always hitting on me, and he makes a big show of it, and now all of a sudden he starts reigning himself in for no reason! There's no way he isn't plotting something horrible! And he's taking his time, so I'm stuck waiting every day to get this over with, but he isn't leaving any clues and I can't keep worrying about this every day, you know? Why should I waste my time thinking about some big, annoying redhead? It's all his fault! And he keeps insisting I'm gay, and that I need to go out with him, and he won't listen when I tell him I'm straight and-"

"Wait," Namine cut in, holding up her hand. She gave Roxas a quizzical look. "You are gay, aren't you?" His face turned red.

"Yeah, well, but that's not the point! I never told him I was gay, and he doesn't listen to me! He's using his theory as a reason that I should go out with him! Just because I'm single and gay doesn't mean that I'm going to throw myself at him!" He took a breath to continue, but stopped when Namine started giggling. "What are you laughing about?" He huffed.

She smiled sweetly at him, still amused. "Roxas, you never get so worked up about anything or anyone. Just Axel. I think you're actually more upset that he hasn't done anything big lately because you like his attention, and you just won't admit it."

"That's not-"

"He's creative, funny, and determined. I know you like those traits. Besides, he's warm, isn't he? You've always been drawn to warm people, since you were a little kid. Remember how you would decide whether or not you liked your mom's friends by hugging them, for that very reason? You never liked the cool ones."

"Yeah, but-"

"I have to go home now. Just think about it, okay?" The petite blonde slipped from her seat, strolling toward the door with a little curve to her lips. Roxas stared after her, mouth hanging open. He couldn't believe she had just seriously suggested that he might like Axel. No chance!

And how did she even know that Axel was warm, anyway? Since when did she go around hugging the guy? He frowned down at the hot chocolate, and began to sink into his own thoughts. The small splash of five little white puffs landing in his drink caught his attention. Startled, he gazed up at Sora, and noticed a girl behind him, sticking her tongue out at the younger teen. Rikku. She must've told him! Roxas was about to glare at her when Sora smiled brightly.

"It's okay, you know. I like mini-marshmallows too!"

Surprised, the blond relaxed a little and returned the smile. The brunet let loose a small chuckle at the release of tension, and wandered back to the counter.

Maybe the change in the shop wasn't too bad, after all.

"I'm home!" Namine called, dropping her backpack by the door. She twisted the lock shut again, and peered around the small house. Her mom was probably still at work in the hospital, but her brother was supposed to be back. Unless he was still in the city? It was a possibility, she mused, but he usually called her to make sure she had her key and could get in.

She slipped her sandals off and wandered further in, running her hands over the pale blue walls as she pulled herself through the narrow hall leading to their bedrooms. Her brother's door was shut, which was a sure sign that he'd holed himself up in there. She hovered outside of it for a few seconds, indecisive about what her next move should be, until she leaned forward and pressed her ear against the thin crack between the door and the wall. No sound. So none of his friends were over, at least, and it should be safe to enter.

She turned the knob quietly, and the slab of wood creaked as it swung open. Demyx didn't move for a moment, jotting down a few more notes before looking up at her. He smiled up at her from his reclined position on the bed.

"Hey, Nam. What's up?" He greeted, gesturing for her to sit down. She perched on a stool, and paused before asking,

"Demyx... you're friends with Axel, right? Close enough that he tells you stuff?"

Her brother sat up a little. "Yeah. Why?"

"I just... I need to know. How does he feel about Roxas? Is he just playing around?"

"... Why are you asking?"

"I encouraged him to think about whether or not he really likes Axel, and I'm pretty sure he does. I don't want to have made a mistake." Demyx met her gaze, more serious than usual. After a few seconds, he sighed and looked back up at the ceiling.

"Axel... Axel definitely likes him. I mean, he doesn't usually start this kind of stuff if he doesn't. But I'm not really sure how strongly he feels. For him, the challenge makes it fun, and that's why he keeps going. If Roxas says yes..." The teen frowned, closing his eyes. "Man, Namine. I just don't know. You chose the wrong guy to talk to. But if you want my advice, I'd say, this is one thing that we shouldn't meddle in."

Namine sighed. "At least there's potential, I guess."

Demyx restlessly shifted on the bed, not liking the silence that followed, before sitting up and slapping a smile on his face. "Let's make pancakes!" He exclaimed eagerly, jumping to his feet and dragging his little sister toward the kitchen. Her eyes widened, and she laughed.

"The last time we tried that-"

"We'll clean it up later! You go find the chocolate chips and baking soda, and I'll get all the rest!"

"No, Dem-"

"Hop to it, kid!"

Namine laughed again, shaking her head and hurrying to the pantry.

The morning sun hung peacefully in the sky, casting long shadows across the grounds of Eastern Academy. Students leaned against the trees, caught up on some sleep on the benches, and generally tried to wake up a little more before they had to go to class. Some of them were already wide awake, and were having a grand time trying to get their friends as chipper as they already were.

Roxas was one of those early-birds, even if he chose not to express it as enthusiastically. He'd be fine for the moment, but most interaction sapped his energy for the next hour. Instead, he savored the mellow relaxation of the morning, when his number one fan was still too tired to pursue him. This time, however, something seemed a little off about everything. The sun was as yellow as it should've been and the trees were unharmed. The grass was still the same green on both sides, and the flowers were still blooming brightly. So what, exactly, was bothering the blond about the entire scene?

Perhaps the flowers had changed patterns? Maybe the grass had grown more than usual overnight? He would have believed that he was simply imagining things, if the school's most passionate gardening student wasn't hunched over his flowerbeds, muttering to himself and coming very near crying.

Marluxia had always creeped Roxas out, a bit. Something about him just didn't get on with the junior's nerves. The pink hair, the obsession with gardens, mixed with the leather... It just didn't seem like a good combination. Besides, the guy was a friend of Axel. Obviously, something was wrong with him.

Whatever prejudices the blond may have had, the senior never really did anything that earned him whatever tragedy had occurred, so Roxas felt a little sympathetic. At least, he did until the pink-haired gardener noticed him.

Marluxia's eyes narrowed evilly, and he abandoned his flowerbed (and that was it! Roxas realized. The purple flowers had been changed to red). Storming over, his aura of doom and impending vengeance grew with each step he took, and the blond began to stumble backwards, not sure what he had done, and a little frightened.

"You!" The senior snarled, grabbing the junior's arm tightly. Roxas cringed, but glared right back.

"Calm down! I haven't done anything!"

"Oh, don't play innocent with me!" He growled, shaking his victim roughly. "This is entirely your fault, and you are going to fix it!"

"Fix what? How am I supposed to-"

"Just say yes, damn it!" Marluxia snapped, throwing Roxas a few feet back before storming away again, almost having another fit when he laid eyes on his garden. He retreated to the side of the school, probably to sulk in one of the other gardens, and Roxas gaped after him. What the hell was that guy's problem?

He shook his head and slouched into a nearby bench. It was that very same bench on which his group of friends hung out by every morning. Whoever got there first would make sure it remained empty, and as they trickled in to school, they began waking each other up with half-hearted conversation. Normally, Roxas wasn't the first one to arrive. Even that day, he was sure that one of his friends would follow soon after.

Sure enough, a familiar brunette was approaching, with her books clutched to her chest. She, like Roxas, was an early riser. There were dark circles under her eyes, though, and she didn't look as refreshed as she usually did. When she dropped down next to the blond, she looked ready to pass out.

"Olette? Are you okay?" Roxas asked, waving a hand in front of her face, but she didn't respond. He nervously shifted in his seat. "Um... Olette? C'mon, don't... don't die."

"What the heck, Roxas?" Hayner was staring at his two friends, looking disturbingly like a curious zombie. "What's wrong with 'lette?"

"I... don't know," Roxas shrugged, poking the girl in her side. She made a whining noise, but refused to react any further. The two blonds exchanged confused looks. Hayner sent his gaze back at the bench, disappointed to realize that there wasn't quite enough room for him. A slow grin spread over his face, and he plopped himself down across the laps of Roxas and Olette.

The brunette was too tired to do anything, and Roxas decided to have some mercy on his best friend, just that once.

So for five more minutes, they all just rested there in peace, enjoying the last moments before the first bell rang to send them all hurrying to class. Vaguely, they were all wondering where Pence was. He usually wasn't the last one to arrive, so it was a little odd that he was the last. Then again, even Hayner had arrived earlier than normal.

Consumed in thought, Roxas didn't notice the approaching redhead until it was too late. In one swift move, Axel pushed Hayner's legs off the other blond, grabbed the teen's wrist and pulled him to his feet.

"Good morning, Roxy!" He teased, knowing that he had just made the morning that much less enjoyable. A twinge of something unpleasant brought down his mood briefly, but he recovered quickly.

"Why, Axel?" Roxas sighed in exasperation. "What happened to leaving me alone in the morning?"

Axel just laughed. "Today, you have something awesome waiting for you. This is a good one," he assured, with a sly grin that didn't bode well. He tugged the reluctant blond across the gardens at a quick pace, and led him into the school. They traversed the hallways together, and Roxas groaned,

"Please, tell me this isn't going to be anything... flashy, or big."

The redhead didn't respond at first, but eventually answered, "I can't promise that, but I'll tell you this. The entire school will see it-" He was cut off with an angry protest, but he used his unoccupied hand to bop the junior's head. "Calm down, Zombie," he scolded, referring to the half-dead state Roxas had descended into, before continuing. "But almost no one will understand what it is. Minimal damage, I swear."

The two teenagers climbed a narrow staircase, tucked away in a corner of the school, until they had reached the roof. Stepping out onto it, a light breeze that neither of them had noticed before ruffled their hair. Axel let go of Roxas, knowing that the blond wasn't going to leave now, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He rummaged through the other pocket until he found his favorite silver lighter, and flicked it open. As soon as he'd taken a drag from the small white stick, he put everything away again and strolled over the the edge overlooking the front area of the school. He shifted to his right a few feet, getting a tree out of the way, then waved the junior over.

Roxas shuffled sleepily toward the edge, sent his gaze to follow Axel's, and his heart stopped beating.

For a good few seconds, it just didn't beat.

His jaw dropped open, blue eyes wide. Slowly, his face turned bright red, and he made a horrified choking noise. The gardens, Marluxia's precious gardens (which would explain the encounter earlier), had been replanted, with new, strangely shaped paths and a different overall shape. It didn't take long for it to make sense.

It was a portrayal of him and Axel, kissing.

His first thought was that it must've been extremely difficult to accomplish this. His second was less charitable, but he was in too much shock to say anything. The redhead looked smug.

"Ain't it beautiful?"

"N-no!" Roxas choked out. "What... what the hell?"

"Now, now, I know you're overcome with joy, but try not to give yourself a heart attack," drawled the happily sarcastic senior. His eyes were brighter than normal, and he really did seem pleased with himself. "So? Tomorrow night, I'll pick you up at 7. Got it memorized?"

"Absolutely not!" The blond snapped, storming away. Axel didn't care. He knew that he'd just made a bold move, and that Roxas would keep thinking about it for a very long time. Not as successful as he might've hoped, but not a failure.

He chuckled to himself, remembering the blush.

Not a failure at all.

After too many hours of sitting and learning and reading and listening, a loud bell rang through the halls of Eastern Academy. That sweet chime of freedom echoed against the cold tiles, carrying with it a collective sigh of relief from the students, before the teenagers began pouring out of the classrooms. Smiles stretched their lips, eyes crinkled, and laughter swirled through the masses. They flooded the building, crashing against each other and causing a light-hearted ruckus.

Only a few students were hanging back, and none of them looked happy about it. Instead of joining their peers in the revelry, they congealed in room 305. Chemistry. Roxas had sunk himself into the seat, yet again, too haunted by the horrible memories that clung to every corner of the cursed room to remember that he was here for help, and he wasn't going to be scoffed at for any of his ignorance. Hopefully. After all, Mr. Flynn wasn't quite predictable enough for his comfort, and for all he knew, the man was going to laugh his ass off once he realized how very little Roxas had learned.

Pushing the dread from his mind, the blond checked out the other students in the room with him. Two, he couldn't recognize. The other two were vaguely familiar. Tidus and Yuna, he reminded himself. Tidus was the star of the school's blitzball team, and Yuna was just generally known, hanging out with Tidus and his friends pretty often. As far as anyone could tell, that the junior had heard, she was sweet.

He sighed, pulling open his backpack and retrieving some of the Chemistry worksheets from his binder. He laid them out on the table, grabbed a pencil, and got to work staring at them.

Maybe, if he did it for long enough, they'd start making sense.

Ah ha ha no. He'd tried it many times in the past, and it never did him any good.

Luckily, Reno popped into the room, looking oddly disoriented before he masked it all and grinned. "Yo," he greeted lazily, dropping into the swivel chair and rolling toward his students. "I've been thinkin' about how to do this, and here's what we're gonna do." He glided over to Yuna. "One at a time, I'm gonna explain a concept to ya, then leave you to do your own thing with whatever you learned. While you're waiting, figure out what you wanna learn first, got it?" He received a mumbled agreement, and Roxas was somewhat pleased to note that he was going to be third to be taught. Better than the two unknown students.

As Reno got preoccupied with explaining things to Yuna, Roxas shuffled through his papers, trying to decide which ones were most important to learn first. Writing chemical equations, maybe? Electron configurations? How was he supposed to decide when he didn't even know what any of it was?

Slightly depressed by the revelation, he decided to go for chemical equations. They had contributed greatly to his string of failures, and it would be a great relief to get them out of the way. He peered at the teacher, who had already gotten through with Yuna, and had moved on to Tidus. It looked like the athlete was about to get it, too, so Roxas shouldn't have to wait too much longer.

He scratched his head for a second, wondering what he could use to occupy his thoughts until he had Mr. Flynn's attention. Boredom had never been tolerable, for him. And since he didn't always have something to do, he thought a lot. It didn't always show, but he did. It was the only reason he enjoyed his philosophy class so much. That was the one class in which he could daydream, and get a good grade for it. Practically perfect, he sometimes mused.

While he had been thinking about thinking, Reno had finished with Tidus, and moved on to the younger blond. He was smirking a little as he snapped his student out of the reverie, and rose his brows. "Havin' fun, Roxy?" He drawled, suddenly reminding Roxas eerily of his own red-haired menace. The blond pushed the thought away instantly.

"Sorry. Um, can you explain how to write a chemical equation? I don't understand any part of it, honestly."

"Yeah, sure," the teacher agreed. He had turned the paper so that both of them could see it fairly easily when Tidus jumped up from his seat. His eyes were huge, making him look almost like a deer in the headlights, and he grabbed Yuna's arm, jerking her out of her seat.

"Tidus, what are you-"

"Gang fight broke out! C'mon Yuna, we gotta go!" He pulled her out of the classroom, and the other students cursed under their breath.

"Shit, man, my bro is mixed up in this shit! I'll see ya later, dude," one of them called to the teacher as he ran out, followed closely by his friend. Reno rolled his eyes, and grinned at his last remaining student, whose jaw had dropped.

"Don't worry about it," he drawled. "If it was a big deal, I'd know about it." His phone rang. "Shit." He flipped it open, after quickly checking the number. "Hey, Rude. 'Sup?"

There was a pause, during which the redhead grew less and less happy. "And the exits are-" ... "Ain't that just perfect. Well hey, no problem. I'll be right over to kick some ass in no time!" ... "Yeah. Alright, I'll see ya there!" When he hung up, he was more serious than usual, but didn't look like he'd given up on being his usual self. Not entirely.

"You live in the city, right?" He checked. Roxas shook his head.

"Just a few miles outside it. Why?"

Reno frowned. "Ya got any friends or people ya know here?" Again, his answer was no. He sighed, running a hand through his hair before getting up. "I'll tell you about it in the car. C'mon."

The blond didn't move at first, and the redhead narrowed his eyes. "I said, get your ass up, Roxy. We gotta be quick about this." The two males sprinted out of the school, to the parking lot, and Reno jumped into a bright yellow sports car. It looked... flashy. Roxas wasn't sure what kind it was, but it looked like it could go insanely fast. And it could, as he discovered within the first minute of sitting down in it.

He clutched onto the seat so hard that his knuckles had turned white. "What the hell is going on?" He burst out as his new teacher took a sharp turn without slowing down.

"The gang fights are real bad, and they've blocked off the exits from the city! I'm takin' you back to my place. You should be safe there, but I ain't gonna be with ya. I usually work for Shinra, but there was some... ah, trouble. Anyway, they need me back, so I gotta hurry up and get to it!" He was actually starting to slow down as they sped past a few houses.

"Who... who are you?" Roxas demanded, surprised to hear about Shinra. For an electric company, it had a widespread influence, and only certain people could get a position that would require them to help in gang fights. The car jerked to a stop in front of a tall, nice looking apartment building, and the redhead threw a pair of keys at his student.

"Doesn't matter. 10th floor, apartment 420. Make yourself at home, and I'll come get ya when it's all over, got it?"

"Yeah," Roxas numbly mumbled, watching his teacher speed away. He knew that 'doesn't matter' meant 'secret,' and he knew that he wouldn't be getting much sleep until he got some idea. Nevertheless, as a gunshot rang out through the streets, he hurried into the building, heading straight for the elevator. As he waited for the doors to open up, he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket.

His mother was going to have a heart attack.

Sharp drops of water rained down against the tile and glass, dripping from soaked, red locks of hair. A small frown rested on Axel's lips as he tugged at his hair, spreading the shampoo through it. The shower was supposed to be relaxing, but he still felt... frustrated. He was getting tired of playing games. As much as he enjoyed the challenge of wooing Roxas, his lack of progress was becoming discouraging. Whether or not he could make the blond blush, he wasn't being taken seriously.

It pissed him off.

He tugged harder than necessary, and made a face at the quick pain. Ducking his head under the spray from the shower, he rinsed all the suds out, and tried not to let his mood spiral into a further sulk. Maybe it was time to try a different approach. As much fun as it was to make a game out of his... infatuation, he supposed, a new tactic was probably the way to go. After all, he could be serious too, and if that was the way to secure his favorite junior's consent to a date, then so be it.

His eyes narrowed, briefly. Going to all this trouble... Roxas had better be worth it. Once they were together, the redhead was not going to continue doing all the work, damn it. And he would definitely be easing back a little. He knew that Roxas wouldn't want to keep this level of attention anyway, and he really needed to spend more time with his friends. Lately, they'd been somewhat neglected, and he really was starting to miss them. He even missed Larxene, and she was a bitch.

One long-fingered hand wrapped around the shower handle, turning it to the right and shutting off the water. He slid the glass door open, ignoring the thick steam that had gathered in the bathroom. His showers were always as hot as they could go, and it made it difficult to even see where he was going afterwards, with such an impenetrable gathering of steam. Luckily, he knew his way around perfectly, and so he reached to his left, fingers closing around the soft, fluffy fabric of his favorite black towel.

As he performed a swift, careless attempt at drying himself before tackling his hair, he decided to call Demyx. Surely that guy could cheer him up a little. Maybe they'd play some video games, watch some movies, blow shit up... well, there had to be something to do.

The bathroom door swung open, revealing Axel's bedroom. He didn't spare it a second glance, focused instead on finding his cellphone amidst the clutter. After throwing boxers and socks all around, he finally remembered that he had left it on the kitchen table when he'd gotten home earlier. On the off chance that Reno was home (though Axel didn't know about the gang fights, he did expect his brother to be out drinking or something), he wrapped the towel around his waist and left his room.

The flat was quiet, empty. Axel wandered down the short hallway that led into the main area, where two big couches sat by the TV. A movie and game cabinet had been placed to the right of the TV, and the door had been left open by whoever used it last. Probably Reno. The younger redhead meandered into the kitchen, having caught sight of his phone, and as he headed for the far counter, he glanced into the large food pantry and passed.

He froze.

His eyes widened.

Slowly, full of disbelief, he took a few steps back until he could look into the pantry again.

A very familiar blond boy was crouched in the corner, staring at him with huge, blue eyes. Bright green eyes blinked once. Twice.

"Um... Roxas? What, uh... what're you doing in my pantry?" He slowly drawled, obviously unsure of how to react. Roxas was quickly turning bright red, worse as each second passed.

"M-Mr. Flynn was... and there's a fight, and I couldn't go anywhere... dropped me off, saw a picture... hid... why the hell are you... and... towel?" The junior looked ready to have a heart attack, and he was obviously too upset to make any sense. But the name of Axel's brother had come up, and that was enough for him. He nodded numbly.

"Yeah, okay. You just... you just stay. Got it memorized?" He didn't wait for an answer before grabbing his phone and retreating to his bedroom once more. Using speed dial, he hit the number 3 and waited for the other end to pick up. He didn't have to wait too long.

"Axel, now ain't a good-"

"What the fuck, Reno? Why the hell is Roxas in our apartment?"

A snicker was heard on the other end. "I have a gang fight to deal with, Roxy had nowhere to go, and did ya really think I didn't know about you and him? 'Course I took the opportunity."

"That's not-"

"Maybe next time ya ain't gonna skip out on doin' the laundry, kid. Now suck it up and do whatever the hell ya can. Believe me, there are harder blonds to deal with," Reno drawled, hanging up on Axel. The senior stared at the phone incredulously. This was over the laundry? That idiot had to be kidding. He couldn't just do shit like this!

Axel growled under his breath, but tried to get over his annoyance. He peeked out of his room, and caught a glimpse of the blond wandering around, looking incredibly awkward. He pulled his head back in. Should he act more serious around Roxas this time? Should he keep behaving like he usually did? How should he respond to this development? Axel groaned, dropping his head down. He didn't understand why he liked the blond so much, and he didn't enjoy it. It made him very uncomfortable, really, but what was he supposed to do about it? He had no idea how similar his thoughts were to those of the visitor in the living room.

Eventually, he decided on a mix. Maybe a little flirty, but if he acted like he normally did around Roxas, the only thing he'd accomplish would be making the entire evening, and maybe even night, incredibly awkward. So he'd be fairly good for a few hours.

Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that of course, he was Axel Flynn, and Axel Flynn was irresistible. So he'd go out there and be awesome, and make his blond fall in love! He strode out, head held high, and as soon as he stepped foot in the living room, where Roxas was waiting, he began to speak. "So I was thinking-"

"Here's how this is gonna work," Roxas cut in, narrowing his eyes just slightly. Axel blinked. "I am going to sit on your couch, and watch movies until I can get home. You can join me if you want, but do not hit on me." Axel blinked again.

They stared at each other briefly, until Roxas continued, lowering his eyes. "Look, I just... Axel..." He seemed like he really wanted to ask the redhead something. Something important, maybe. "Why? Why do you always pull those stupid stunts, trying to get my attention? We coulda been friends..." Axel frowned, mind briefly flickering to thoughts of why all the people at Eastern Academy tended to get a little cheesy, talking about shit. Trying to understand. It had to be something in the water, he decided before he gave his own cheesy response.

"Because... I don't wanna just be friends. I like you, Roxy. I want you to like me, too."

The blond turned red, ducking his head down, and mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, 'I do'. He'd done a lot of thinking the night before, after what Namine had said to him. The conclusion was unexpected for him, but he realized that he actually did like Axel. But he didn't like admitting it. Regret made him curse himself after he said it aloud, and he hoped that the redhead hadn't heard.

He heard.

A slow grin spread across his lips, and the tall senior loomed over the junior. "What was that, Roxy?" He crowed, feeling oddly victorious. "I do believe you said something!"

"I..."

"C'mon, spit it out!"

Roxas desperately looked around for a distraction. There had to be something! Anything would do! And then his eyes landed on a movie. And he felt relief. He snapped his eyes back up to the expectant redhead. "Did you know, Luke Skywalker's name used to be Luke Starkiller?"

"Wha-"

"And it took 3 people to play Darth Vader? His voice, face, and body were different people!"

"I don't-"

"And Yoda was voiced Frank Oz, who also voiced Miss Piggy from the Muppets!"

"That's fu-"

"Also, every Star Wars movie has been released one week after George Lucas' birthday!"

"Rox-"

"Oh hey look, you have the movies! Let's watch 'em! Go make popcorn, and I'll set it up."

The blond shoved Axel toward the kitchen, and the stunned senior obliged. Once he got over the surprise of Roxas' reaction, a pleasant warmth settled over him, and he was practically purring as he threw a packet of popcorn into the microwave.

"Do you want drinks?" He called to his fellow student. "We've got Coke, Sprite, milk, orange juice, hot chocolate, water, and all that shit." There was a pause.

"Hot chocolate," Roxas called back, sounding oddly happy. Axel arched a brow, and committed this little quirk to memory. The blond apparently liked hot chocolate quite a bit, so he'd have to keep stocked up on it. As he got out two big mugs, he glanced out at the living room. The Star Wars theme song had started up, and Roxas was getting comfortable on the couch, pausing the movie so Axel wouldn't miss any of it.

The redhead smiled to himself. This wasn't one-sided... He had to repress a goofy grin, and strolled into the pantry, grabbing a blue, red, and yellow bag off the shelf. He was going to have to decide upon a new course of action, because this little tidbit of information just changed the entire game.

Splattered with blood, shirt torn in multiple places, with bruises all over, Reno sauntered into his apartment several hours later. His scarlet hair was a mess, but he didn't look bothered by his condition. The "gangs" had been subdued, there was no longer a threat of rebellion against Shinra's influence, and he was back in business for his official job, with pay and everything.

He stopped walking when he noticed the state of the flat.

Popcorn had spilled over the couch. Two mugs were sitting on the coffee table, probably leaving rings. The TV was still on, playing the very end of the sixth episode of Star Wars. Reno shook his head, walking over and turning it off. He turned, and snorted at the sight of the two teenagers. The blond one was propped up against the back of the couch, mouth hanging open unattractively. Axel was sprawled out across the couch, head resting in the junior's lap.

They looked dumb, he thought.

The man snatched up Roxas' phone, flipping it open and searching for any parent numbers. He found the home number, and hit 'call'.

Ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

The silence in the apartment was almost eerie, with only a dim light from the kitchen keeping anything visible.

Hello. You have reached the Strife residence, chimed a cheerful, feminine voice. Reno smirked at the last name. Figured. We're sorry, but no one can come to the phone right now. If you leave your name, number, and a quick message, we'll get back to you! Have a great day!

"Hey, it's Reno. Dunno if your kid told you or not, but he's stayin' over at my place tonight. Ya know 'bout the fightin' and all, and I figured it'd be safe. Anyway, just wanted ta let ya know that he's safe and shit. Passed out on the couch, with my little brother." His voice sounded loud, even as he tried to keep it down. "I'll take 'im ta school tomorrow, so no worries. See ya later."

He flipped the phone shut, dropping it by the blond.

He wandered into the kitchen to turn the light off, and noticed a colorful bag on the counter. He grinned, grabbing it and taking a handful of mini-marshmallows out. He had found his dinner for the night.

Surprisingly, Axel had been very well-behaved on the way to school. Reno had woken them up right before he left, having quit the teaching job, and so the younger redhead had to drive them over.

Roxas fiddled with his pencil. Maybe it wasn't so surprising. Axel was actually really cool, when he wasn't trying to get a date. And he used mini-marshmallows. That was a definite plus. He fiddled with the pencil some more, and Pence threw a paper ball at him. The blond looked up. "What?" He whispered over the afternoon announcements.

"What's up with you?" The brunet whispered back. "You've been zoned out all morning." Roxas opened his mouth to answer, when a sudden commotion drew their attention. Whoever had the microphone was making a lot of banging and static noises. There were a few grunts, and then a familiar snicker as the brief chaos calmed down.

"Hello, students of Eastern Academy," sang Axel. Roxas felt dread grip him. Oh shit. Ooohhh, shit. "As many of you know, I, Axel Flynn, have been attempting to woo Roxas Strife. I now invite you all to witness my latest proposal!"

"Roxas?" Pence called the blond's name, concerned about the pale hue that had come over the teenager. The class burst into murmurs and giggles, staring at Roxas.

"Well, I hate to tell ya Roxy, but you've been lookin' for love in Alderaan places! Luckily, I'm here, and the Force is strong in my family, so why don't we get together tonight and create a disturbance in the Force? You'll see what a true jedi can do with his lightsaber. Because Roxas? You are the droid I've been looking for!"

The blond turned bright red.

That guy was the most irritating, embarrassing, shameless person the junior had ever met in his entire life!

Naturally, after the bell rang, Roxas stormed out of Art class, leaving a worried Pence and giggling Namine behind. He blew through the halls, focused on getting to the place where he just knew that stupid, red oaf would be waiting for him.

Sure enough, Axel was perched on one of the short walls by the stairs leading out of the school, flicking his lighter on and off as he waited. Emerald eyes shot open in shock as he got whacked over the head with something distinctly painful. He groaned, holding his head as he stared up at the fuming blond. "What- what the hell is that?" He wondered, gaze fixed on the giant key in the junior's hand. "And what was that for?"

"It's a keyblade," Roxas growled. "And that was for never listening when I tell you I'm not gay!"

"But you are-" Another whack.

"And that was for embarrassing me like that on the announcements!"

"Like- ow! Shit, Rox!"

"And that was for making me fall in love with you, you big dumbass!"

"Making- wait... You mean-" Roxas was red again, when faced with Axel's startled excitement.

"Pick me up at 7. Got it memorized?"

"Oh hell yes," Axel breathed.

Sexy redheads always win.

A/N: This just kinda... popped up in my head one day, after an incident during which one of my friends and I had a mock break-up. He, being the awesome nerd he is, told me that I just wasn't the droid he was looking for. He'd be horrified if he found out that it inspired this. XD

And I need to thank Roseh; darkness, on Mibba, for giving me hope that this isn't a complete crime against humanity. Hm... what else? Well, the pick-up lines aren't mine, so... yeah. I'm not that good, haha. :) I am also sorry if the end sounded rushed, but I have been working on this story for too long, and I got really excited, and went full speed ahead! :D

So that's about it! I really hope you enjoyed reading, and I would love reviews! They don't have to be long, just let me know if you like it, alright? Please and thank you! :)