(A/N): Y'know, I'm just gonna quit trying to warn you guys when I think a chapter might take a while, because I always wind up proving myself wrong. Geez. Anyway, in the spirit of knowing we'll soon have waaay too many birthday leftovers, reviewers shall get cake!

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I am only playing with them until I decide to give them back to Squeenix and Disney. Whenever that may be.

Fries, Not Onion Rings

Roxas watched with something approaching awe as Axel polished off his second burger and immediately reached for the third. He'd scoffed internally when Axel had placed the order, but it seemed the redhead was going to have no trouble finishing his meal. Roxas took a bite of his own burger, feeling somehow foolish for only having eaten half of it.

Axel glanced up at him, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I skipped breakfast." He took another hungry bite, then gestured toward Roxas's untouched fries. "Are you gonna eat those?"

Roxas shoved the fries at Axel, who grunted in thanks. Roxas just watched him silently. He didn't know what he'd expected when he'd agreed to meet the redhead, but it certainly hadn't been this.

Axel hadn't said a word about what had happened between them. Instead, he'd dragged Roxas into the nearest fast food restaurant as soon as Roxas had walked up to him, claiming he was starving. Which, apparently, had been true.

Axel finished his burger and sat back, stretching. He noticed Roxas watching him and flashed a crooked smile. "What?"

Roxas shook his head. "Nothing," he muttered. Axel ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"Don't start that shit again," he grumbled crossly. Roxas narrowed his eyes at him, but Axel leaned forward and jabbed a finger under his nose. "If you even try I will get up and leave right now," he snapped.

Roxas bit back the retort that sprang to his lips, swallowing harshly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "This – this whole thing…" He waved a hand in a vague circle, eyes resting somewhere beyond Axel's right shoulder. "It's – it's just weird, ok?"

Axel stared at him intently for a second, then sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ok," he smirked. "I can agree with that. But," he added, quirking an eyebrow at the blond, "you called me, so don't sit there and sulk."

Roxas flushed and reached for his burger to cover his discomfort. Yes, he'd called Axel and set up a place and time to meet, and yes, he had felt more at peace than he had for days after talking to the redhead, but – but damn it, Axel was far too comfortable about the entire situation. Roxas glanced up and was mildly disconcerted to find Axel staring at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked uncomfortably. Axel shrugged.

"Watching you," he said, grinning. Roxas began to choke as he swallowed a chunk of hamburger whole. Eyes widening in alarm, Axel began to push himself out of his seat, but before he could stand, a hand slapped Roxas on the back violently. The force of the blow rocked Roxas forward, and the offending piece of meat flew out of his throat and back onto the table.

Wheezing, wiping the tears out of his eyes, Roxas concentrated on trying to draw a deep breath until firm fingers wrapped around his jaw and forced his chin up. For a second he froze, then he tried to pull away, but the fingers around his jaw tightened, so he squeezed his eyes shut, panicked thoughts running in circles around his mind.

"Jesus, Axel, what'd you do to him?"

Roxas's eyes flew open at the unfamiliar voice, and he was both immeasurably relieved and disappointed when he found the eyes he was staring up at were blue, not green. His eyes widened a second later as recognition sank in and he jerked his chin out of the blonde's grip, wondering uneasily if she had any knives tucked away on her today.

"Hey!" the girl from the subway snapped. "Is that any way to thank me for saving your miserable life?"

"Relax, Larxene," Axel grumbled. "You probably knocked the wind out of him." The redhead leaned across the table, long fingers closing around Roxas's wrist. "You ok? Roxas?"

Tearing his eyes away from the intimidating woman standing over him and scowling, Roxas nodded shakily. "Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, his voice rasping slightly.

"Aw, well isn't this just too sweet?" Larxene snickered, pressing a finger to her lips and tilting her head to the side. Axel scowled and dropped Roxas's wrist.

"Stuff it, Larxene," he muttered darkly. Roxas took a sip of his soda, eyes darting between Axel and Larxene. Noticing the direction of his gaze, Axel waved a hand in Larxene's direction. "Roxas, this is Larxene. Larxene, Roxas."

Larxene smiled widely, but Roxas didn't miss the hard glint in her eyes as she extended her hand. Roxas shook it tentatively.

"I, uh, don't suppose you remember me," he said uneasily. Larxene's brows creased as she leaned down to get a better look at his face.

"You don't look familiar," she murmured, almost to herself. "Have I threatened you before?" Axel snorted. Roxas glanced at him quickly and was mildly annoyed to find him nibbling on his fries, watching them with unconcealed amusement.

"No, no – nothing like that," Roxas hastily assured her. "I was, uh, on the subway with you once. The day you had to, um, discourage that guy." Larxene examined him closely for another minute before she straightened, grinning.

"That was you?" she chuckled. She tilted her head to the side, studying him carefully. "Yeah, I guess it was," she continued. "You've grown or something, kid. Sorry I didn't recognize you."

"What's this about some guy?" Axel cut in, eyebrows raised. "Why didn't I hear anything about this?" Larxene smoothed her hair out of her face, smirking.

"I handled it," she said dismissively. Axel's eyebrows rose a little higher.

"I bet," he scoffed, finishing off his fries. "So what are you doing out here, Larxene?"

The blonde shrugged. "Came in for some food," she replied. "Saw that head of hair" – it was Roxas's turn to snort as Larxene pointed at Axel's spikes – "and figured I'd come over and say hello."

"Order number 387 – 387, your food is ready." A harried-looking worker was leaning over the counter and glancing around wildly with a tray in his hands, visor slipping and coming to rest over his eyes.

"That's me," Larxene commented cheerfully. "You boys mind if I join you?" Axel shrugged, glancing over at Roxas.

"We're about done," he said, pointing at the empty wrappers littered across the table. Larxene shrugged, turning and heading back toward the counter.

"Maybe next time," she said over her shoulder. "See you around, kid."

Axel began gathering the garbage onto the tray, pausing when he glanced up and caught Roxas watching him. "What?"

"Who's she?" Roxas asked, trying not to sound as confused as he felt. Axel shrugged.

"Larxene," he said, as if that explained everything. "We've got a couple classes together." His brows settled over his eyes in concern. "How's your throat, by the way?"

Roxas scowled as he remembered why he'd begun choking in the first place. "What the hell did you mean, you were watching me?" he grumbled crossly. Axel grinned.

"What? It's what I was doing. Can't very well tell you to cut the bullshit and then turn around and lie to you, can I?" he said flippantly, gathering the last of the garbage onto the tray.

"What the hell is this shit?" an outraged voice snapped from the direction of the counter. Axel and Roxas glanced over to find Larxene waving her food under an employee's nose, the unfortunate burger-flipper looking like he was considering fleeing out the back door. "I said no onions, damn it. And I wanted fries! Fries, not onion rings!"

Axel chuckled as he pushed himself up from his chair, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Sadistic bitch." Roxas rose and followed him out of the restaurant, depositing their trash in the receptacle by the door on the way. Once they were outside, Axel dug his cigarettes out of his pocket.

"So, Roxas," he said calmly. "I never asked what you wanted on the phone." Roxas could see him watching him out of the corner of his eye as he inclined his head and lit a cigarette.

The "I don't know," was already on his lips when Roxas remembered the way Axel had snapped at him. Swallowing the words, he glanced down at his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets. Above him, Axel sighed.

"All right," he said tiredly. "I guess I'll see you around, then." Roxas shot a hand out and grabbed his arm roughly.

"Just wait a damn minute," he snapped furiously, glaring up at the redhead. "You told me not to lie, so I'm trying to figure out the truth." Axel blinked down at him, then his face split into a wide grin.

"And finally, some honesty!" he cried, throwing his free arm in the air melodramatically. Roxas scowled up at him, drawing his hand back.

"Could you try not to be an ass?" he asked sourly. Axel smirked at him, flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette. Roxas sighed. Apparently that answered that question. Roxas pulled his fingers through his hair and tried to order his thoughts. "I guess I just want to get to know you a little better," he said slowly.

Axel grinned. "Well then you should've just asked," he chided, turning and beginning to walk down the sidewalk. He glanced back over his shoulder at Roxas. "You coming?" Roxas rolled his eyes, then hurried to catch up.

---

"I got in!" Olette sang happily, throwing her arms around Pence's neck and smiling jubilantly. "Thank you so much for taking me, Pence!"

Pence blushed furiously, but he wrapped his arms around Olette and hugged her back. "Congratulations!" he cheered. Namine clapped her hands and laughed while Roxas grinned from ear to ear.

"It's almost impossible to get into RGU," he managed before Olette threw herself at him, wrapping him and Namine into a hug.

"I know!" Olette cried happily, tightening her arm around Roxas's neck until he squawked in protest. Releasing him, she wrapped both arms around Namine. "I can't believe I got in! The best part is it's only an hour by train!" She finally sat back and surveyed the table with a wide grin. "We have to celebrate! Why don't you guys come over after school and I'll make you my famous peanut brittle? We'll eat junk food and watch movies until we can't see straight!"

Pence and Namine agreed quickly, but Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. "I, uh – I can't, Olette. Not today. I'm sorry," he mumbled uncomfortably. "I'm meeting someone after school." Olette looked hurt for a second, but then her eyes lit up with a mischievous smile.

"You have a date?" she asked slyly. Pence turned and looked at him, a small smile curling the edges of his lips, but Namine was regarding him silently, biting her lower lip. Roxas snorted.

"No," he said flatly. "Definitely not a date." Olette just smiled at him before she turned and began whispering to Pence. Pence grinned widely, glancing at Roxas. Roxas scowled at him until Namine leaned over and placed a hand on his wrist.

"Are you seeing Axel again?" she asked softly. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah," he whispered. He'd seen the redhead three times since the restaurant. In the course of his habitually rambling conversation, he'd learned that Axel was twenty years old and enrolled part time at the local community college, and that he held a part-time job and rented an apartment with a roommate – "that bastard" – that had skipped out on him early last month.

Namine looked like she wanted to say something, but the bell rang and she drew her hand back with a small smile. "Tell me about it later?" she asked softly. Roxas grinned at her.

"Yeah," he said.

The rest of the day passed quickly. When the final bell rang, Roxas shoved the requisite books and papers into his backpack and slammed his locker – turning, he found Namine standing behind him, sketchbook clutched to her chest, brow creased.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked, startled. "I thought you were going with Pence and Olette." Namine nodded, nibbling at her bottom lip.

"I am," she said quietly. "I told them I'd catch up. Can I walk with you?"

Roxas frowned down at her in confusion. "Of course," he said gently. "Are you ok, Namine?" Namine smiled up at him, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"Yeah," she said quietly. Roxas waited, but when she didn't say anything else, he turned and began heading for the door, Namine trailing behind him. She didn't say anything else until they were a block from the school. "Roxas?"

"Yeah?"

"What does Axel look like?" Roxas glanced back over his shoulder at her in surprise. She was looking straight at him, sketchbook still clutched tightly to her chest.

"Well, uh, he looks like –" He broke off as he caught a familiar flash of red out of the corner of his eye. "He looks like that," he finished, gesturing toward the tall figure walking down the street a block and a half away. Namine's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on her sketchbook nervously. Roxas bent down, peering into her face worriedly.

"Namine? Are you really ok? Do you want me to take you home?" Namine shook her head violently, a shaky smile forming on her face.

"Really, I'm fine, Roxas. I'm going to go to Olette's, ok? Have fun," she said quickly, leaning forward and pecking him on the cheek. Roxas watched, puzzled, as she turned and walked rapidly away, shoulders hunched. Axel came up behind him, putting out his cigarette as he moved to stand beside him.

"Who was that?" the redhead asked, voice tight. Roxas glanced at him, but Axel's expression was blank, eyes fixed on Namine's retreating back.

"Namine," he answered, shifting his backpack and beginning to walk in the general direction of his apartment. He hadn't passed the café for over a week, and he'd planned to sit there with Axel until the musician showed up – he figured he owed the guy a nice pile of cash. Axel turned and kept pace with him.

"Who's Namine?" he asked, voice still tight with something Roxas couldn't identify. Roxas glanced at him again and noticed the tension in Axel's shoulders, the hard glint in his eyes. He shrugged, turning his eyes back to the sidewalk in front of him.

"She's a friend," he said quietly. "We grew up together. I think you scared her," he grinned, trying to shake the redhead out of his strange mood. Axel scowled.

"She kissed you," he grumbled. Roxas stopped and stared up at him, wide-eyed. Axel turned and glared down at him, eyes bright with resentment.

"Axel, what the hell?" Roxas snapped, wondering why it should bother Axel if Namine kissed him – and why he felt he needed to defend the fact that it hadn't meant anything. "She's a friend, ok?"

"You –"

"I mean, we've known each other forever. All she did was kiss me on the cheek."

"I –"

"What do you care, anyway?" Roxas was practically shouting, hands fisted at his sides.

"God damn it!" Axel snarled, lashing out and punching the wall above Roxas. Roxas took an involuntary step back, his backpack sliding from his shoulder as he ran into the wall. The redhead leaned down until his eyes were level with Roxas's, bracing his hands against the wall over Roxas's shoulders.

"I care," he hissed savagely, "because I can't get you out of my head. I care because I've known you for a week and I somehow know things about you you've never told me. I know you hate being still and having to wait. I know you have weird taste in ice cream." Roxas paled and opened his mouth to argue, but Axel cut him off. "I care because I have no idea what's happening, but I know it's happening because of you." He lowered his voice and brought his lips to Roxas's ear. "I care because I've never touched you, but I can remember at least a dozen ways to make you moan my name."

Roxas twitched and shoved him away, feeling the warmth creeping up his neck and staining his cheeks. Axel glared at him, hands dropping to grip Roxas's shoulders tightly. "What am I to you?" he demanded harshly.

Roxas stared back, head spinning. Axel was too close – he could smell the cigarettes on his breath and see the pulse pounding in his throat. He sagged as his mind was flooded with images he'd never experienced – fighting alongside the redhead, arguing with him, feeling those lanky arms wrapped around him –

Roxas surged up and pressed his lips against Axel's, throwing his arms around his neck. He felt Axel stiffen and stumble in surprise, but then the redhead grunted and wrapped his arms around the blond, crushing him against his chest as he returned the kiss fiercely.

Roxas's mind reeled. The logical part of his brain knew he'd never kissed the redhead before, but they moved against each other as if it had happened a hundred times before; Roxas knew when to press forward and when to pull back, wasn't surprised when Axel bit at his lower lip, parting his lips so Axel could slip his tongue inside.

Axel jerked when Roxas's fingers began to slip beneath his shirt, tracing the line of his collarbone. With a low oath, he broke the kiss and shoved Roxas away from him, holding the blond at arms' length. They stared at each other silently, flushed and panting, until Axel bent his head and tightened his grip on Roxas's shoulders.

"What the fuck are you doing to me?" he whispered desperately. He shoved away from Roxas, turning and disappearing into the crowd without a backward glance.

Roxas slumped against the wall, beating one hand back against it until it began to bleed. With a strangled cry he grabbed up his backpack and ran all the way back to his apartment, slamming through it and locking himself in his room. He threw his backpack under his desk and crawled into his bed, burying his head under the pillow, trying to cool his burning face against the sheets.

He'd just kissed a guy – a guy who was still, for all intents and purposes, a stranger to him. He groaned, drawing his shoulders up as he tried to drive the memory out of his mind. He'd kissed him, and it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. It had felt more than natural – it had felt right, and he would've kept going if Axel hadn't stopped him.

Growling in frustration, Roxas tore the pillow off his head and threw it savagely at the wall. Curling in on himself, he concentrated fiercely on thinking about nothing at all until he fell asleep.

---

"What the hell took you so long?" Axel growled as he shoved Roxas against the wall, gloved hands working at the zipper of Roxas's dark coat. Scowling in irritation, Roxas smacked Axel's hands away.

"Can't you wait?" he snapped, straightening his coat. Axel smirked, trailing a finger down Roxas's cheek. Roxas shivered at the touch – damn the man and his ability to know just where to put his hands – but he shoved the redhead away from him. "I have to speak to the Superior," he growled, calling up a dark portal.

Axel leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly over Roxas's eye, smirking when the blond shivered again. Drawing back, he turned and walked away. "You know where to find me," he called over his shoulder.

Roxas stepped through the portal with a sigh, reappearing outside the Superior's door. He gave his report as succinctly as possible, anxious to be out of Xemnas's presence – the Superior always made him feel as if he were an extremely interesting specimen in an experiment he had no knowledge of.

When he was finally dismissed, he made his way back to his room on foot, looking forward to a book and a well-deserved rest. When he opened his door, he found Axel sprawled across his couch, flipping through one of his books indifferently. The Flurry of Dancing Flames looked up with a grin.

"Axel, what are you doing in my room?" Roxas groaned, running one hand tiredly over his face. Axel's grin widened as he stood, the book dangling from his fingers until he dropped it back to the couch.

"I got bored," he smirked, coming to stand before Roxas and running a hand through Roxas's hair. Roxas sighed as his priorities rearranged themselves. Reaching up and threading his fingers through Axel's hair, he pulled the redhead down for a forceful kiss.

Axel grunted in approval and reached around Roxas to close the door. Roxas drew away, staring up at the redhead with a wry smile. "Bored, huh?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. Axel just shook his head in exasperation and dragged him over to the bed, pushing him down and leaning in for another kiss.

"I am tired, Axel," Roxas managed to gasp out. Axel smirked, peeling his gloves off before reaching for the zipper of Roxas's coat.

"Guess I'll have to help you relax," he grinned, pushing the dark leather out of the way and sliding his hands under Roxas's shirt. Roxas arched and moaned as Axel's calloused hands glided over his chest in practiced rhythm, followed swiftly by the redhead's teeth and tongue.

Roxas closed his mind against the endearments Axel murmured, knowing he didn't mean them, couldn't mean them – they said them anyway, because they remembered that they should, and because in another life, they might've meant something.

Then a warm hand was slipping into his pants, stroking and wrapping around him, and Roxas ceased thinking altogether.

---

Roxas woke with a start, sitting up violently and glancing around the room wildly, drawing his knees to his chest. He was bathed in cold sweat, and he began to tremble violently.

"I've never touched him," he muttered desperately to himself. "I've never touched him, and he's never touched me." Still shuddering, he pulled himself out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Turning the water on as hot as he could stand, he stripped and stepped into the shower, turning his face into the scalding spray.

He didn't move until all the warmth had leached from the water, then he quickly washed and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel from the rack and wrapping it around his waist. Shaking the water out of his hair, he hurried back to his room, shivering in the cool air.

He dressed rapidly, then began digging through his backpack, searching desperately for his cell phone. He finally pulled it from the bottom of his backpack, jumping when it rang in his hand. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was Namine who was calling him.

"Roxas? I just got back from –"

"Namine, can I come over?" Roxas interrupted, his voice sharper than he'd intended. Namine paused, and Roxas could almost see her eyebrows drawing together in concern.

"Sure," she said softly. "Roxas, is everything ok?"

"No," Roxas muttered harshly. "No, it's not."

---

Namine let him in without a word, drawing him into a gentle hug before she turned and led him to her room. She didn't object when he wrapped his arms around her and clung to her in quiet desperation, smoothing her hands along his back and through his hair until he stepped back. She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her.

"What happened?" she asked quietly. Roxas sighed deeply, reaching up and removing her hands from his face, tangling his fingers with hers. He led her over to the bed, kicking off his shoes so he could sit cross-legged on her sheets. She curled up beside him, disentangling one hand to push his hair out of his face. "Tell me," she said gently. Roxas did.

He poured out everything – from the first time he'd spoken with Axel, to the incident in the fast food restaurant, to their last disastrous encounter; he let the words spill from his lips, appreciating more than ever before Namine's instinctive gift for knowing when he needed the reassurance of a gentle touch and when he needed her to draw away. She sat silently throughout the entire story, reaching up and planting a kiss on his temple when his voice finally died away.

"Stay here for a minute, ok?" she said quietly, giving his fingers a squeeze before she stood and left the room. Roxas stared at his hands, thoughts mercifully silent for the first time since he'd woken. He roused himself when Namine re-entered the room, sketchbook in hand. "Look at these," she said, placing the book in his hands, already open.

Roxas's eyes widened. There, spread across two pages, were sketches of Axel – perfect likenesses, down to the tattoos under his eyes. Roxas's eyes narrowed at the dark coat Axel wore in each picture.

"I drew these before I ever saw him," Namine said softly. She kneeled next to the bed, propping her chin in her hands and staring up at Roxas. "I've dreamed about him – and you."

Roxas twitched and jerked his gaze away from the sketches, staring at the floor. Namine reached out and grabbed one of his hands, slipping the sketchbook away from him. "Roxas, I've never seen you happier than when you're talking about him," she said quietly. She gestured at the drawings of Axel. "I don't know what all this means, but…don't be afraid of that. Don't lose it." She glanced back down at the sketchbook. "Don't throw it away."

Roxas bent and gathered her into a tight hug, not having the heart to tell her he suspected he'd already ruined his chances.