AR H.I.W.T.H.I chapter 19

"Stop it, I'm not used to seeing you so dreamy," Roxas said, furrowing his brow and flicking his silver haired friend in the forehead.

"Excuse me I'm not dreamy I'm… content." Riku replied nonchalantly, rubbing his abused head.

"Right, that's why you're all goo-goo eyes staring off into space, I'm not blind Riku, I've known you for long enough to know your regular mood pattern," Roxas smirked triumphantly as his friend frowned. "It's cute," the blond added, his smirk almost Cheshire cat now and Riku glared at the statement. He most definitely was not cute.

"Oh I know that look, what did you say this time Roxy?" both boys looked up to see Axel approach them at the lunch table, though he didn't look in very good condition. Roxas had noticed the increasingly dark bags under his lovers eyes which of course usually resulted in the redhead falling asleep whenever he could, whether it be while Roxas and Axel were spending time together at home, or in class, when he could get away with it, which he usually did considering the time of the year, and the teachers were pretty understanding towards the seniors.

"I was just saying how cute he looked getting all lovey-dovey over Sora," Roxas giggled, and Axel sat down next to him, kissing his cheek before smirking and turning to look at Riku.

"Oh yeah," the redhead chuckled, "I've noticed it too, guess Sora does that to people with the emotional capacity of a brick wall."

Roxas burst into laughter as Riku took the verbal bashing about his expressions and emotions, his face blank as he showed clearly that he was not amused by any of this. But it was payback time.

"I'm sure you two have a lot of different expressions when you're tangled up in bed together," Riku smirked as the blond stopped his laughter to blush a bright shade of red, but the silverette wasn't finished there. "Like on Roxas' birthday?" his expression now was triumphant, and he smirked like a cat playing with its food.

"You know about that?" Axel asked, which wiped away Roxas' first assumption that the redhead had spilled the beans, but Axel seemed to be as shocked and curious as his boyfriend.

"Everyone knows about that," the silverette confirmed and the blonde's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and he swallowed the lump in his throat. 'Everyone?' "Roxas, never get a job as an actor, you wouldn't get far. No matter how much you tried, the day after your birthday, you couldn't have made it any more obvious."

Roxas' face was now a frightening shade of red, and Axel was worried it would soon match his hair, "well, I guess we didn't manage to keep it a secret for three weeks like we thought," Axel chuckled as he looked down at Roxas, worried that the blond was going to faint or something.

Roxas remembered what it had been like the day after he and Axel had had sex, the pain was excruciating and he wanted so much to just stay in bed, but knew that if he did everyone at school would suspect something had happened -not to mention what Cloud would be like- so he'd got out of bed, the pair agreeing not to mention anything to anyone else. Even so Roxas couldn't deny the fact that it had happened and he would be reminded for a while of that fact, making Axel look at him with extreme guilt on his face for the entire day.

The blond had tried his best to conceal his limp and wincing as much as he could while he was at school, but apparently it wasn't as convincing as he'd hoped.

"Was I really that obvious?" Roxas asked, eyes still wide in his embarrassment, and Riku nodded, smirking all the while, this reaction was exactly what he'd hoped for.

"Even Sora caught on pretty quickly." Roxas could have slammed his head off the desk, but he doubted Setzer would be happy that the boy was in the infirmary with a concussion and missing his class, not to mention the questions he'd get about it.

"Come on Rox it's no big deal, obviously no one's bothered about it so there's nothing to worry about." A thought struck Roxas and horror crossed his face immediately.

"D-does Larxene know?" with that question Axel also looked at Riku curiously and the silverette finally nodded regretfully.

"Yes but don't worry she's been told in detail what will happen to her if she bothers the two of you." Roxas sighed with relief; there really wasn't anything for them to worry about. "I'm surprised Cloud managed to keep his mouth shut actually, he couldn't wipe that smirk off his face when I saw him that Monday."

"Because I have blackmail against Cloud and he knows it," Roxas smirked and the other two rolled their eyes.

"Maybe we should get to class," Riku said as he stood from the table and Roxas nodded, looking down to see Axel with his head in his arms on the desk.

"You're going to run yourself into the ground," Roxas said to his boyfriend who sighed, and the blond put his hand in Axel's "come on, you have an hour free why not sleep it off in the library, I'm sure Aerith won't mind unless you start snoring," Roxas smiled, and the redhead looked up to kiss his boyfriend before they both stood and made their way don't the corridors with Riku. "Where's Sora anyway?" Roxas asked and the silverette frowned.

"Working extra hours for more money but I'm not sure why. He said it's a secret he can't even tell me." The blond laughed as Riku furrowed his brow and pouted slightly.

"Oh well, I'm sure it'll be good if it's a surprise from Sora," Roxas smiled and Riku waved goodbye as he walked towards his science class.

"Have you been studying all night again?" Roxas asked as he and Axel walked towards the blonde's art class.

"Well finals are in a week and I need to do all I can," the redhead stated with a yawn. That meant yes, he had been studying all night, though Roxas had asked him not to since he'd retain even less information that way.

"Axel, you can't run yourself down like this it's not good for you," the blond was worried, he couldn't bear to see Axel hurt himself like this.

"Don't worry babe, everything will be fine I promise," Axel said, and kissed Roxas' forehead before the blond sighed and turned to walk into his classroom. "Love you Roxy, see you after school," the redhead said, and Roxas couldn't help but smile.

"I love you too," the blond turned to Axel with a sweet smile before opening the classroom door and walking inside.

"So, have you done it yet?" Roxas sighed exasperatedly, the smile disappearing from his face to be replaced with a frown. He was asked this question every time he walked into the classroom. The most absurd thing about it… was that it was Setzer asking the question.

"That's none of your business," Roxas scowled, walking swiftly over to his seat and sitting down to get away from the man. Marluxia snickered from beside the blond and Roxas turned to scowl at him. "If you've told him I swear to god Marly I'll tie you down and dye your hair the same color as Saïx's," the blond glared as Marluxia covered his head.

"You wouldn't!" he said in a panic and Roxas could have shot him. He couldn't believe he'd already told Setzer.

"You're seriously going to pay for saying anything to him," Roxas warned, and looked up to see Setzer smirking triumphantly like he'd heard the whole conversation, and the blond dropped his head to his arms on the desk. He wished he had given himself a concussion.

"Are you alright Roxas?" said blond lifted his head to look at Naminé and somewhat smile. No he kind of wasn't.

"Yeah, everything's fine Naminé," Roxas said as Setzer cleared his throat to start the lesson.

*******

"You know too don't you?" Roxas asked, and the blond beside him smirked. Of course he knew.

"You're too obvious Rox, everyone knows." Hayner grinned and the other blond groaned dejectedly.

"That's the second time today I've been told that," Roxas grumbled and Hayner laughed, though the other boy wasn't finding this amusing in the slightest.

"That's because it's true," Roxas scoffed at the new voice as the beanie blond wrapped his arm around Hayner's waist.

"As much as I'm enjoying this conversation," Roxas said sarcastically, rolling his eyes "I have to get to work." The blond turned away from the snickering pair and walked towards the café, happy to be away from his friends no matter how good natured their joking was.

"Hey babe, leaving without me?" Roxas turned and sighed happily as he looked at Axel, the redhead smiling at him as he caught up to the blond, taking his hand as the pair continued to walk.

"If I could get away with murder, I think I'd do it," Roxas said with a small laugh, the blond feeling better already now that he was with Axel.

"I'll be your alibi," the redhead smirked.

"Are you sitting in today?" Roxas asked his boyfriend who nodded.

"Yeah, Riku said he'd meet me in there so we can get some studying done." Roxas grimaced, Axel was working himself up about the exams way too much, and the blond doubted it was good for the redhead's health, proof of that was the fact Axel was staying up all night every night to study.

"You cram any more into that brain of yours and your head's going to explode," Roxas grumbled with a pout as the redhead laughed, and Roxas really didn't understand how Axel could be so care free about all of it. "Anyway, I've got to change so I'll talk to you later," Roxas said as the pair approached the door to the café, and Axel pulled the blond in for another quick kiss before they walked in and Roxas disappeared into the staffroom.

"Oh, hey Rox," the blond smiled at Sora when he walked into the staffroom, the brunet obviously taking a break since he was working over time.

"Hey," the blond greeted back, walking over to his locker to retrieve his things. "How's overtime going?" the blond asked and Sora sighed, evidently it wasn't going well for the unenthusiastic brunet.

"If it wasn't so important to get the money I don't think I'd ever do this voluntarily, it sucks," Sora grumbled and sighed again. "But it's worth it in the end I guess."

"Riku's worried about you, he doesn't like to see you working yourself so hard. If you ask me it's just not normal," the blond laughed, "but I didn't tell him anything, he doesn't know why you're working overtime; I think that's why he's worried so much. Still I don't want to spoil the surprise."

"I knew I could count on you Rox," Sora said with a smile before an extra head popped through the door.

"My dead grandma can get dressed faster than you Roxas and your breaks over lover boy so get your asses out here," Xigbar said with a laugh before closing the door.

"Time to work," Roxas said as he and the grumbling brunet walked out into the hectic café. The blond himself felt his shoulders slump as he looked around the busy room, there were way too many people here for his liking, and he sighed.

"I want to see you smile for the customers you hear, no unhappy faces or I get the staple gun," Xigbar gave another laugh.

"At least my smile isn't so menacing that I can scare people away with it," Roxas smirked.

"Touché," the other man said before wandering over to one of the many full tables.

"Don't get distracted ok Sora, I know what you're like when you glance over at Riku, your daydream mode's worse than Demyx's when he's with Zexion," Roxas said to Sora and the brunet pouted, mumbling as he picked up his note pad and walked to the nearest table.

The blond watched him go before glancing over at the table Riku was sat at himself and frowned slightly as he watched Axel scribble in his book, the silverette sitting across from him, glasses perched on his nose as he pointed out things from Axel's book.

Roxas would be glad when finals were over.

*******

"There really aren't enough hours in the day," Axel said with a frown as he and the other three left the café finally. He'd been sat studying since he'd got there, and he still didn't think he had everything covered yet.

"You're putting too much thought into this Axel, if you're not careful you'll blank in the exams, just take a few days off and start again, it'll work better." Riku tried to reason with the redhead though he doubted Axel would listen, both Riku and Roxas had been saying the same thing to Axel for the past week or so, and he still wasn't paying any attention to either of them.

"It doesn't work like that I'm telling you, once I stop I forget everything I've done so far," Axel said with a sigh, scratching the back of his head as he did so and Roxas frowned at his boyfriend's stubbornness.

"The day he starts listening to us the world will end," Riku said, shaking his head disapprovingly at the redhead before he and Sora waved goodbye to their friends and made their way home.

"Are you coming back to my place?" Roxas asked as the pair walked down the empty streets, the sun setting slowly above them.

"You know it," Axel smiled, breathing in the crisp air to try and stop his stressing. "Maybe I should take the rest of the night off," the redhead finally admitted, he'd been studying pretty much nonstop since this morning, and his brain was just about ready to shut down on him.

"Finally," Roxas said with a relieved sigh, the duo finally reaching Roxas' house and the blond opening the door to be greeted with a sight he did not expect.

"Roxas darling!" The blond couldn't see the body that went with the voice since it was very quickly shoved in his face as he was embraced tightly, though he didn't need to see to know who it was.

"Aunty Elena," Roxas said, somewhat shocked, and the extra tight squeeze confirmed his guess. But what was she doing here?

"Oh Roxas I've missed you, how've you been dear?" Elena asked as she let go of her nephew to pinch his cheeks and the other blond winced.

"Perhaps you should give the boy a little space Elena," another voice chuckled, and Roxas looked over his auntie's shoulder to see his uncle Rufus. "It's good to see you again Roxas," the man smiled at his nephew who returned the gesture.

"It's good to see you too, both of you, I thought you would still be travelling," Roxas admitted, he honestly hadn't expected to see his guardians for at least another few months.

"We finished, our last stop was America so we thought we'd come here to see you three, and dad said he'd put us up while we're here," Elena giggled.

"How long are you here for?" Roxas asked.

"Two weeks then we'll be going home, I've had so much fun travelling but I really miss England," the woman said with another giggle, and Roxas almost forgot the extra person in the room.

"Oh, I almost forgot," the young blond said, turning to see Axel with a completely bewildered look on his face, and Roxas took the redhead's hand to snap him out of it. "Aunty Elena, uncle Rufus, this is my boyfriend Axel," he said, smiling at them both.

"Hello dear it's wonderful to finally meet you," Elena said, examining the uncomfortable redhead who hadn't had enough sleep and was beginning to wish that he had. "I've heard all about you, and you're as handsome as I expected, you definitely picked a good looking partner Roxas," the blonde woman said and gave Axel a short hug.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you Axel," Rufus said, walking over to shake the boy's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Axel finally said, shaking Rufus' hand.

"Sorry to interrupt but dinner's almost ready, why don't you boys put your things upstairs and get Cloud for us, he's in his bedroom," Ansem said with a small wink and the pair nodded, leaving the others to walk up the stairs.

"Well that was unexpected," Roxas admitted.

"No kidding, I thought I would have had an advanced warning about meeting the rest of your family," Axel said, still in shock, he was rather surprised by Roxas' aunty Elena.

"If I'd known believe me I would have told you. At least they took us being together ok, you're the first boyfriend I've introduced them to," the blond said, relieved that everything had gone well, he always worried about what his guardians would think.

"Speaking of boys how's the Cloud and Zack thing panning out?" Axel asked and the blond smirked.

"I took Cloud shopping the other day and we happened to stroll into the music shop," Roxas said and the redhead laughed.

"Damn I wish I was there to see that! What happened?" Axel asked curiously, he'd heard about what had happened at Christmas, this must have been priceless, and the redhead frowned, he had been too busy studying to see it.

"I introduced them, told Cloud that Zack was a friend of yours and mine, and said I had to go guitar searching so they could keep each other company. Of course Cloud looked like a deer caught in headlights, but it was going pretty well when I got back, Zack said thanks before we left but I still said I'd get him a date." Roxas grinned triumphantly and Axel couldn't help but smile at his boyfriend, the boy seemed to be able to do anything. "Shall we go see what he's doing?" the blond smirked mischievously as the pair dropped their school things and tip-toed across the hall.

The smaller boy pressed his ear to the door, hearing muffled speech, and he chuckled as he swung the door open. "Cloud granddad said dinner's ready," the blond said as he burst into the room, looking straight at his red faced brother who was pressing a pillow to the bed in front of him.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Cloud asked, trying to act calmly but the pair could see how frantic he was being.

"I take after you. So no," Roxas grinned, "anyway, dinner's ready," he said, turning to walk away and grabbing the doorknob to close behind him. "Say hi to Zack for me," he grinned as he disappeared from the room, laughing silently as he went.

"You know, you're evil when you want to be," Axel said, sighing at Roxas but grinning nonetheless, "not to mention remarkably like Cloud, if it weren't for the height different you'd thing you two were evil twins," the redhead added as they walked downstairs.

*******

"I'm glad you took the night off," Roxas said after dinner as the two lay on the blonde's bed and turned on the TV, Roxas snuggling into his boyfriend who wrapped an arm around his waist, the pair finally getting a chance to relax after all of the conversation downstairs. They'd stayed down there a lot longer than they'd intended.

"Me too, maybe I have been working myself too hard, but if I don't I'll fail," the redhead sighed and Roxas shook his head.

"It might surprise you to know that you're actually pretty smart," Roxas said and gave a small laugh. "Seriously though Axel, you'll pass no matter what, I know you will, I believe in you."

Axel smiled, kissing the blonde's forehead, "thanks Roxy," he said, looking down at his boyfriend. "So, when you graduate are you coming to live with me and Riku?" he asked and the blond smiled.

"You know it, like I could trust you two in a house on your own."

"I just hope Riku can cook or we're doomed," Axel added and the pair laughed.

"Roxas?" a voice came from behind the door and the pair sat up as the door clicked open. "Just letting you know we'll be going to bed now," Elena said, poking her head around the door to smile at the pair.

"Alright, good night aunty Elena," Roxas said, Axel wishing the same thing before the woman disappeared.

"I should probably get going too," Axel said with a small sigh, his eyelids were like weights, and he had to get home before he fell asleep where he was.

"Yeah, just don't go home and study again, I worry about you enough as it is," Roxas said, and the redhead kissed him again for his concern, it was very sweet.

"Don't worry about me babe, I'm a fighter," Axel grinned and his boyfriend rolled his eyes at him, "besides, with you here, I can do anything," he added and Roxas blushed.

"I doubt that," the blond murmured, but couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face. "Good night Axel," he said as the pair reached the door.

"Sweet dreams," he said, kissing Roxas passionately on the lips, making the blond melt like it always did. "I love you."

"I love you too," Roxas smiled, kissing the redhead one last time before he left and Roxas went to bed, happy for another night.