The Taste of Ice Cream

"Hey, Rox, where are ya?" a loud, familiar voice drew Roxas' attention, and the small blonde turned to see Axel rounding the corner with that wild grin set onto his lips. "I was lookin' for you," Axel declared once he was at Roxas' side.

"I noticed." Roxas sighed, and then continued walking down the vast hall – one of the many in the Castle That Never Was.

"I was thinking you looked a little down, so I'm gonna cheer you up!" the redhead decided brightly, trailing after Roxas.

Roxas snorted, but looked over at Axel with what might have been amusement. "And how do you intend to do that?"

Axel just grinned at the boy. "Follow me." He waved a hand, and a Corridor sprang up, ready for use.

Roxas blinked at it, slightly apprehensive. That little gate to Darkness could literally go anywhere, and this was Axel… "Where does it lead to?" he asked warily.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Just trust me, Roxy."

Roxas' protest and indignant complaint were cut short when Axel grabbed his arm and dragged him through the portal.

~*~

"You could have just told me we were coming to Twilight Town," Roxas pointed out with what might have been a pout.

"Yeah, but then that would have taken all the fun outta makin' you anxious!" Axel said brightly as he plopped down on the ledge of the Station Heights' clock tower.

Roxas couldn't help but laugh at that. Yes, this was Axel. Roxas settled next to the redhead with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his weary eyes.

"You not sleeping or somethin'?" Axel asked, sounding genuinely worried.

"Not much," Roxas replied dryly.

"You should sleep with me more often," Axel suggested.

Roxas looked over at Axel, eyebrow raised.

"Not like that!" Axel said quickly. "I mean, you just seem to sleep better when you're with me." Of course, Axel really wouldn't mind the other connotation of "sleep with"…

Roxas smiled softly then. "Yeah, that's true," he agreed. "I guess I'll have to start sleeping in your bed."

Axel inwardly cheered, and then reached back, producing a small plastic bag. "Here." He held out a turquoise ice cream to Roxas.

"Thanks." Roxas smiled a bit more brightly as he accepted the sea salt ice cream, immediately starting to eat it.

Axel took the other one, and the two Nobodies settled into comfortable silence.

"Hey, Axel?" Roxas said after a few moments.

"Yeah?"

Roxas sighed as he lowered his ice cream, letting it drip over the edge. "Do you think you love me?"

Axel blanched. "W-what?"

"Do you think you love me," Roxas repeated flatly, looking over at Axel with those unreadable azure eyes.

Axel frowned softly. "We don't have hearts, remember?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but that's not the point."

"You need hearts to love."

"Since when?"

Axel blinked a few times. "Umm… Since ever?" he replied uncertainly.

"We had hearts before, and we still remember what it was like to love…" Roxas gave a small uncomfortable shrug. "So we know when we should be feeling something…"

Axel sighed, licking what was left of the ice cream off the stick as he considered that. "I think… if we could love, I'd probably love you."

Roxas smiled faintly at that. "Okay." That satisfied him, at least, but before he could return to his ice cream, a long finger curled under his chin, tilted his face towards Axel. Roxas blinked at Axel for a long moment, staring into dark emerald eyes, completely transfixed.

Axel leaned in, and ever so gently pressed his lips against Roxas'. All the tension seemed to leave Roxas' body instantaneously, and he leaned into the kiss, returning it without hesitation. The kiss lingered for a few long minutes, remained chaste until Roxas felt Axel's – talented – tongue run along the seam of his lips, and Roxas paused, then finally parted his lips, allowing Axel's silky tongue to mingle with his own.

Axel tasted spicy, Roxas decided. Even after the ice cream, there was still a bite to the flavor, and the softest of moans escaped the nearly pliant blonde.

The kiss broken then, and Axel pulled back, smirking slightly when he noticed Roxas' almost glassy-eyed expression.

Axel licked his lips, humming quietly. "Salty," he decided with a broad grin. "But still sweet."

Roxas swallowed thickly, and didn't even notice as the remaining ice cream slipped from his hand, falling from the tower until it connected with something, with a 'SPLAT'.

Roxas was pulled out of his little trance when a very incensed blonde teenager from below started hollering at them. The boy's wiry hair was now covered in blue ice cream. "WATCH WHAT YOU IDIOTS ARE DOING!" Hayner yelled, loud enough for them to hear him and his string of curses quite clearly.

Axel, of course, burst out laughing, while Roxas turned ever so slightly pink.