Inked

Roxas sat on his bed, head propped against his wooden headboard, and cellphone in his hand. He scrolled through the names in his contact list.

He had already called Olette, but to his dismay he was greeted with her overly cheerful voicemail. He had then decided to call Hayner, and learned that he was spending the day with Pence and Olette. "Oh! Sora!" He heard his brother's girlfriend, Kairi giggle through the wall. As with everything in Roxas's life, sharing an apartment with his brother had its pro's and con's. The upside? They split the rent and the other various bills. The downside to it all however, was seeing Sora and Kairi act all sweet in front of him, and listening to them while they... entertained each other.

You could say that he was a bit of a grump when it came to relationships, but he had a valid reason... sort of. Sora always had his fair share of girlfriends and boyfriends. It wasn't a surprise to Roxas when he walked in on his older brother sucking face with long time friend Riku, some years ago. One look at the older's girly features and stature was enough to figure out that he wasn't the straightest guy around.

Roxas's love life, though, it's pretty much non-existent.

Finding another number to call, Roxas pressed the talk button. "Hey, this is Yuffie, and obviously I'm not here right now. I'll call you back and... Cloud, what did I tell you about touching my stuff?"

A gruff male voice was then heard faintly in the background, which Roxas recognized as his oldest brother, Cloud. "It's mine. You took it from me awhile back."

Yuffie giggled nervously. "Heh... thought you didn't notice. Oh!" She said, probably realizing then that the answering machine was still recording. "Yeah, call you back. Okay, bye!"

The recording ended there, and Roxas sighed. Everyone said they'd call you back on their voicemail, but usually, they never did. He ended the call without leaving a message, and stared at his cellphone. He scrolled through his contacts again, blue eyes focused on the screen. His finger lingered over the 'call' button for a moment, before calling the number.

"Roxas!" An overly cheerful voice said to him. "What'cha want?"

A particulaly loud moan sounded from the room next to him, causing Roxas to groan. He covered his head with his pillow, his voice muffled when he spoke. "I need you to save me, Axel."

"Mhmm. Whys that?"

"Kairi and Sora are at it again." Roxas stated bluntly. "I've called everyone, and apparently it's national ignore Roxas day. Everyone is either busy or just didn't pick up their phone."

"Aw, is Rox lonely?" Axel laughed, and Roxas knew he was smirking. "Why didn't you call me first?"

"Shut it, Axel." Roxas replied, feigning annoyance. "You're never home during the day."

"This is true. I see you've got my schedule memorized. Is this something I should be worried about?" Roxas removed the pillow from his head, a hand moving to touch his hair. "I mean, I knew you had a few stalkerish tendencies..."

"I know your schedule because I've known you forever. There's certain things you pick up on." The blonde retorted, ignoring the playfulness in the red head's comment.

"Wouldn't you pick up on my sarcasm, too?" Axel countered, causing Roxas to roll his eyes at the others antics.

Roxas stood from his bed, and slipped on some old, grey tennis shoes. "Whatever. I'll be at your house in a few, weather you like it or not." Roxas ended the call there, and surveyed his appearance in the mirror. His blonde hair was spiked up with copious amounts of hair gel, and a few strands fell to the side of his face from the pillow he previously had over his head.

Opening his bedroom door, Roxas then hurried to the door of their apartment, not wanting to stick around any longer than he needed to. Listening to Sora and Kairi's escapades wasn't exactly on his to do list. After exiting the apartment building, he found himself on the busy streets of Boston. He began to walk to Axel's, his hands stuck deep in his jean's pocket. Axel's house wasn't particularly far away, but it wasn't within walking distance, either. When Roxas was halfway to his friends house, he caught a taxi. Walking part of the way shortened the time he was stuck in traffic, as well as the cab fare.

As Roxas approached the door of Axel's apartment, he heard heavy rock music, barely muted by the walls. He knocked on the door, but realized that after the third knock, no one would hear him over the music. Roxas sighed, and slid down the door. Open the door, Roxas thought over and over, hoping that some how Axel would get his silent message.

Reaching into his pocket, Roxas pulled out his cellphone, hoping that maybe a text would notify Axel of his presence. Luck seemed to be in his favor today, the boy thought, because within a few moments, the music was no longer on. If Roxas hadn't been distracted by a text message he just received, he probably would have realized that Axel would be opening the door any minute now. Of course, he didn't realize this, and stayed sitting down, his back against the door.

The apartment door behind Roxas opened, sending him to the floor, and his cellphone to fly out of his hand and down the hallway. Axel had yawned at this exact moment, missing the spectacle that had just taken place. He was taken aback at the sight of his short blonde friend sprawled across the floor, half in his apartment, half out. Axel paused for a moment, scratching his head. "Uh, Roxas?" The redhead said, cocking an eyebrow. "What are you doing on the floor?" he inquired.

Roxas peered up at the man towering above him. "God damn," he muttered, pulling himself off the floor. "I already feel short around you, but man... Laying on the floor with you standing over me makes me feel like a midget." He said this as he walked down the hallway to pick his phone up of the dirty floor, but Axel heard him.

"Hate to break it you, Rox, but I'm pretty sure you're legally a midget. You're what, three foot eight?"

Roxas stopped in his tracks, and stared up at the tall redhead, mouth hanging slightly ajar. The grin was still stretched across Axel's face, his white, feline-like teeth showing. His sanguine hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and thick black reading glasses framed his green eyes. "You're..." Roxas didn't finish his statement, choosing instead to push past his friend, muttering a few pleasant four letter words as he passed.

Roxas noted, as he walked into the small apartment, that it was much messier than the last time he was here. He made a quiet 'tsk' noise as he threw himself onto the white sofa in the living room. "You really ought to clean this place up. Living in this mess is like... a hazard to your health."

Axel shook his head, and plopped down on the couch, next to the blonde's feet. "I swear, the mess isn't my fault." Roxas snorted in response as he placed his arm against the arm rest of the sofa. "I'm serious!" Axel smiled, his white feline-like teeth shining. "Demyx has been staying in the guest room. All this," he swung his arms wildly around the room, "is his fault."

"Demyx? Are he and Zexion... having problems again?" Roxas asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Mhmm," Axel mumbled quietly, nodding. "I guess you could say that."

Though Roxas wasn't that great of friends with Demyx, it was common knowledge that he and his boyfriend, Zexion, didn't have the most... solid relationship. Sometimes it seemed like Demyx spent more time living at Axel's than he did his own house.

"What is it this time?"

Axel hesitated. "It's really not my place to tell... but, you're trustworthy, yeah? So long as you don't let Demyx know I told you, then I guess I can tell you."

Roxas nodded, chuckling a bit as he pretended to zip his lips. "My lips are sealed."

Axel laughed, and shook his head at the shorter boy next to him. "Zexion's parents are visiting him. They're really old fashioned, always talking about how he needs to meet the right girl, and carry on the family name. He doesn't want Dem there while they're visiting, because he hasn't come out yet. He thinks he'll be disappointing his parents." Again, Axel shook his head. "Can you imagine that? A grown man afraid of his parents?"

"That's rough for Demyx," Roxas said. He couldn't imagine ever being so committed to someone who still hasn't told their parents that they're seeing someone. "Sounds a bit like high school, with the whole 'don't tell mommy and daddy that I'm seeing someone' thing."

Axel nodded. "Yeah." The conversation ended there, leaving the two in silence. Axel grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and turned the television on. They watched t.v. for a few moments, until Axel broke the silence. "Hey, Rox?"

"Yeah?" He asked, peeling his eyes away from the screen.

"What would you do if I got a tattoo on my face?"

"On... your face? Well, I guess it depends on what it's of." He shrugged, not thinking that Axel was serious.

"I was thinking a portrait of you on my cheek. What do you think? Sound like a plan?" He was grinning now, and now Roxas was certain he was just kidding.

"Why would you want my face on your cheek? God, that would be awful." He replied, scrunching up his nose at the thought of seeing himself every time he looked at Axel. "No, no. It wouldn't be awful. It'd just be creepy."

Axel laughed. "I think it would look kind of nice..." When their laughter stopped, he resumed talking. "Seriously, though. I want to get a tear drop under each eye."

Roxas studied Axel's face, looked at the area under Axel's emerald eyes, and nodded. "Go for it."

"Glad you approve, because I've already got the appointment set up." Axel smiled, and looked down at the clock above the television. "It's in about a half an hour, too. Want to come?"

"Sure." Roxas stood up, and slipped his shoes on. "Where are you getting it done?"

Axel walked into the small kitchen are connected to his living room, and grabbed his keys off the counter. "Cid's place. I'm having Rikku do them, though." He slipped on his sweatshirt as he made his way to the door.

"Aren't you going to tell Demyx that we're leaving?" Roxas asked, turning to look at the door to the guestroom.

Axel shrugged. "He knows I'm getting a tattoo today. He's smart... sometimes. He'll figure it out." Roxas laughed at Axel's addition of the word 'sometimes', and together they left the apartment building.