The Boy Next Door

Roxas watched Axel, eyes half closed, until he got his breathing back under control. He could still feel his lips tingling. 'It does taste pretty good?' he wondered, trying to get his thoughts back together. Ohh the ice cream...

"Damn Roxas," Axel said teasingly, glancing at his forearms, still smirking as he looked back at the blonde, "I think you're going to make me bruise."

Roxas flushed, opting to change the subject. He didn't really want to talk about the kiss.. he knew it'd just make him blush even more.

"Didn't I say 'really good'?" Roxas asked quickly. He couldn't help but look at Axel's lips when he looked up, remembering what they'd just finished doing...

"You did," Axel agreed, "but I only think it's pretty good. Besides," he said pausing to look over Roxas, "I can think of something much sweeter," he said, licking Roxas' cheek before catching his lips. Roxas was more than ready to give in, since he reallywanted Axel to kiss him again, especially because of how he'd broken off that last kiss... Maybe he'd even kiss the red-head back and not be so shy about it, the blond thought, just about to until Axel broke away much too soon.

"Tell me something," Axel said, when Roxas pouted up at him a little.

"Yeah?" Asked Roxas, trembling when the red-head's soft lips caressed his neck.

"Do you like this?" Axel asked against Roxas' neck.

He smiled when Roxas said yes.

"Is this like your dream?" Axel asked softly. It was almost inaudable but Roxas still heard it.

The blond tensed a little. "No," he said, hoping he sounded convincing. 'I'll just have to get it out of you later.' Was this what the red-head was talking about before? "Should we head back now? I think we should go back now, it's getting dark," Roxas said hastily.

"You're trying to change the subject," Axel stated, his green eyes meeting Roxas' blue.

"I already told you that I'm not telling you about it," Roxas said flatly. "There isn't anything you can do to change my mind either."

Axel blinked at Roxas. "Nothing I can do, huh?" he asked. For a moment, Roxas thought Axel was going to take it as a challenge, not that he'd mind, until the red-head pulled away from him and took a few steps back.

"Let's see if what I don't do will change your mind then."

"What?" Roxas asked, confused, but the red-head wouldn't answer him.

"Axel?" Roxas asked, stepping toward the red-head, but getting annoyed each time he did. For every step Roxas took toward him, Axel took two steps back. It didn't help that Axel could take bigger steps backward too.

"Come on Axel, stop acting like an immature little kid," Roxas said annoyed after trying to approach the red-head unsuccessfully for ten minutes. He felt relieved when Axel finally walked toward him as if he were listening to him. It was short lived though, because Axel just brushed right past him, going straight to the tower's steps, and descending them.

--

On the way home, Roxas had to nearly run to keep up with Axel's brisk pace.

"A-axel, wait," Roxas said, a little short on breath. The red-head ignored him until Roxas reached out and grabbed his arm.

Axel turned and looked at Roxas, eyebrows raised.

"I-uhm-yes," said Roxas mumbled, looking down at Axel's feet.

"What was that?" Axel asked.

"Yes," Roxas said a little louder.

"Yes, what?" Axel asked.

"Yes, my dream was like what you did at the tower, ok? You can stop ignoring me now," Roxas snapped. He knew his cheeks were red. He hadn't wanted to admit that to the red-head at all. Thinking about it a little more, he decided that he could've lied to Axel, yes, but the red-head would've known he was lying. He always seemed to know when Roxas was lying.

Roxas had a bad feeling that the red-head would be all triumphant about making him admit it and/or rub it in his face.

Axel did neither, however.

"Ok," said the red head, smiling down at Roxas.

Roxas looked up dumbfounded. "That's it?"

"Yep," said Axel, pulling his arm away and slipping his hand into Roxas'.

"No gloating?" Roxas asked.

"Nope," said Axel.

"You don't want anything for winning?" Roxas asked skeptical. Most of his friends would've.

"Well, actually," said Axel, stopping, "How about a victory kiss?"

Axel wasn't going to tell Roxas that he'd gained something far much better already; knowledge. Knowledge is power afterall. He now knew that all he had to do was ignore the blond if he wanted something and he'd cave sooner or later. "Just kidding," said Axel, lightly ruffling Roxas' hair and starting to walk again.

He stopped when Roxas remained glued to one spot.

"Roxas?" Axel asked.