Chapter Five

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." – Miss Piggy

Radish-head was quickly moving up on Axel's hit list.

"So, Axel, how'd you end up staying with Roxas? I thought you recognized Naminé at the station?"

"Naminé? Yeah, she's second best to Olette! But Axel was following her like a drooling dog!"

"Axel, you still owe me for the ticket from Hollow Bastion."

"Sleeping in front of Moogle Mart? You could have gone home with me."

"What do you think about cheese? I love cheese."

"Hey Axe, how'd you get that scar on your face?"

All these and more! Axel didn't want to answer any of them, but he could have throttled radish-head for the last one. Because Roxas had perked up.

"Scar? You've got a scar?"

"Yeah. How did you not—oh yeah."

Axel fumed. Wasn't radish-head Roxas' friend? Why did he forget Roxas was blind?

"What's wrong with having a scar?" Roxas asked.

"He probably got it doing something dangerous."

"Oh." Roxas replied.

"It wasn't that dangerous, but it wasn't an accident. Someone did this to me." Axel tried to explain.

"It's pretty fucking huge! You probably deserved it!"

Joke or not, the shit hit the fan.

"THAT'S IT!"

"JESUS CHRIST!"

"Axel, what the hell—"

"DIE, RADISH-HEAD. DIE DIE DIE!"

Dinner with Andre it was not.

Roxas watched his two friends go with a sigh. He turned around to face a heavily fuming Axel. The guy was taking heavy breaths. Roxas could feel the tension radiating from his skin.

"Sorry, Axel. Pence can be a bit of an ass sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

Roxas bit his lip and nodded. "He's been worse since our friend Hayner left."

"What do you mean?"

"Pence and Hayner were best friends for a long time, even before I moved here. This asshole named Seifer always picked on them. He picked on me, too. He was kind of an asshole like that. But he bullied Pence the most because he's an easy target. Hayner always defended Pence against Seifer." Roxas paused. "Then we all grew up. Seifer and Hayner started dating."

Axel let out a low whistle following Roxas' explanation. "I bet Pence fucking hates that."

"Oh yeah. And Hayner's pissed because it's his decision. Which it definitely is. But everyone thought Hayner and Olette would end up together. Then Hayner decided to be gay—"

"You don't decide to be gay—"

"I know that, but Pence doesn't see it that way. He's felt betrayed for a long time, and like he's Olette's Plan B. It doesn't help that I told them…"

"What?"

"I'm gay, too." Roxas admitted softly. "And now Pence thinks every guy in my life is going to sweep me away like Seifer did with Hayner."

Axel muttered a couple of curses under his breath. "That's the stupidest load of shit I've ever heard."

Roxas laughed a bit. "You don't mind?"

"What?"

"That I'm gay?"

"Why the fuck would I mind? You haven't molested me in my sleep yet." Axel cackled. "Feel free to begin any time."

"W-What?"

"I think I'm Roxas-sexual."

For the first time since the day they met, awkward silence dominated their conversation.

"…Oh."

"That's all you have to say? Don't you want me, baby?"

"Axel—" Roxas cut himself off with a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Yeah?"

Roxas cracked a grin. "Yeah. But let's talk about your scar."

Axel froze. "What do you mean, my scar?"

"It set you off. Badly. Pence said other shit but that's what set you off."

"Maybe I just reached my radish-head threshold for the day and exploded."

"Maybe, but I think that's bullshit."

Axel sighed. "Roxas, you aren't going to believe me."

"Try me."

Axel and Roxas sat down together in the squishy chairs, with a mug of hot chocolate and glass of lemonade respectively.

And Axel explained it all: the nymphs, his Royal Proving, the way everyone he'd known had turned against him so quickly. How he'd been unhappy in Hollow Bastion. How he'd been unhappy in Twilight Town. How Roxas made him happy again.

Roxas had shifted uncomfortably when Axel explained the Rite of Mating.

"So that's why you've been doing laundry?"

"Yes."

"Um, Axel?"

"Yes?"

"I Received you, didn't I? When I said…when I said yes earlier."

"I'd like to think so."

"Okay." Roxas took a deep breath. "Okay. Do we have to have sex, like, now? I don't think I'm…"

"No, Roxas." Roxas could feel Axel smile. "We'll wait until we're ready, okay?"

"Okay. That'd be good."

"Hell yes it will be good."

"Dirty pervert."

"Your dirty pervert."

"Yeah." Axel grinned at the dreamy look on Roxas' face. "I think I like that."

The two sat in comfortable silence, each enjoying the other's presence.

Two Weeks Later.

"Axel?" Roxas fingered the edge of his white bathrobe, slightly nervous.

"Yeah, babe?" Axel was dressed in his own white robe, messing with the faucets of the tub.

"Your scar makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?"

Axel nodded. "A bit."

"I've told you, you could get plastic surgery."

"I could."

"They might take you back."

"Who?"

"The nymph people."

"Ah, yes. Them."

"You might be able to go home."

Axel dropped a kiss on Roxas' forehead. "I already am home."

"Home is where the heart is. Home is wherever I am with you."

FIN

A/N: And yes, we're done! No sequel is planned. My goal for this story was to simply break 10,000 words. An easy goal, perhaps, but a big first for me. Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, and most of all enjoying!