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Zexion was shocked for a moment when he heard how happy Axel was. Slowly, though, a small grin spread onto his lips and he laughed. "I'm pretty good in the kitchen. I kind of had to be, because Roxas is helpless. Half the time I don't think he knows how to boil water," he told him with a laugh. That was the first time since everything started that he smiled after Roxas was mentioned. "We can start cooking dinner every night. And we can rotate and compete to see who can make a better recipe. Though, I dont think my insides can handle spicy foods every day. Maybe we can have, like...a spicy Thursday or something. Oh, God, I'm getting ahead of myself," he laughed, a blush crossing his cheeks lightly.

Living with Axel was insane, Zexion quickly found out. As the days went by, however, he found himself easily adapting to the insanity that was his life. He and Axel quickly got fattened up over the two and a half months they had begun cooking for each other, and they both grew happier and more content with their lives. There were a few hard nights for both of them, and they had helped each other through it, being there for consolation and a shoulder to cry on.

Between them, nothing had happened romantically other than a few kisses on the cheek and cuddling together at night. Zexion still felt a little wrong for it, because Roxas still hadn't spoken to him even though Axel and Demyx were on good terms now. Roxas still refused to speak to Zexion, and it hurt Zexion more than he let on most days. He was positive that Roxas wouldn't take him back--he had come to terms with that. What he was having a problem with was having such a big part of his life drop out of it, because Zexion and Roxas had been very good friends before they started going out. He had spoken to Axel about all of this, spilling his guts about he and Roxas's history.

Unfortunately, Zexion had been thinking about this all day, because he was off of work for the day, and he had thought himself into a brief depression. So when Axel walked into the apartment, Zexion was curled up on his bed, hugging his pillow tightly as he cried softly into it. He tried not to get all emotional out in the open and bring Axel down, so he usually hid in his room. Unfortunately, by now, Axel knew this trick. If he knew Zexion was home, and he didn't respond when he got home, he was in the shower, or in bed either asleep or being depressed. This time, it was the latter.

Zexion buried his face harder into the pillow as he heard Axel's footsteps coming down the hall. He was really trying to not make Axel sad, but he knew it was inevitable. He also knew his hiding place was done with as his bedroom door opened. Therefore, as soon as Axel whispered his name, Zexion dropped the pillow and rolled over, immediately holding his arms out for Axel's comfort as he sobbed softly. He gripped onto Axel tightly as the redhead wrapped himself around him, and buried his face in his chest.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, just like every night this happened. He would apologize to Axel profusely, feeling like a piece of s**t and a terrible person for dragging Axel down into his depression with him. Nevertheless, he was grateful that Axel had been there for him, holding him until his tears ran dry, holding him while he muttered about how terrible he was and why Roxas wouldn't talk to him, and then holding him through the night telling him how wrong he was for thinking that way, maybe after cooking Zexion a late meal to make him feel better.

tonight, though, he stopped at that one apology. Axel was slowly helping his depression get better, and he had finally stopped downing himself for everything that he felt. He just sat in Axel's arms and let out his tears, feeling much better now that he knew someone wanted to be in contact with him and cared to make sure he was alright. So he cried for ten...fifteen...thirty or so minutes before it died down to soft sniffles as Zexion snuggled up to the redhead, sitting up in his arms still. Zexion's fingertips moved in idle circles against Axel's shirt as he laid there against his chest, feeling comfortable.

Eventually, he piped up softly with, "Can we bake something?" and tilted his head up to look at Axel through red-rimmed eyes. He gave him a timid little hopeful smile. "I know you just got off work and stuff, but...I don't...want to go to sleep yet. I want to spend some time with you," he told him and let out a soft sigh, relaxing completely against him once more. "If not, it's okay, but, um...I don't want to sleep alone in bed tonight, so..." He trailed off softly, bloodshot eyes still peering up at him hopefully.

Zexion yelped a little as Axel threw the flour into his face. He sputtered a little and blinked his eyes a bit to make sure no flour was in them before he began laughing again, hugging Axel back as he embraced him. It was dumb how easy it was with Axel. It was dumb and uncool, but he couldn't help himself from being happy with the redhead. Though he was smiling, he felt sick to his stomach--a stupid, sweet sickness that made him never want to let go of him.

He looked at Axel as their foreheads remained pressed together. He looked up into Axel's dancing eyes with an odd look in his own. He still had a light smile on his lips as his hands slid up to mess with the messy spikes, untangling some of his hair that was forced into a ponytail that was forced into a net in the kitchen all day.

He parted his lips slightly to say something, hesitated, and then said softly, "I don't think anyone realizes just...just how amazing you are, Axel. Least of all yourself. You've been through some s**t, made a lot of mistakes, hurt my best friend, but you're pulling through all of it. You barely need my help anymore. You just needed a push in the beginning, but now, look at you," he told him with a sad smile, "You're at a healthy weight again. You have a steady job that you actually look forward to going to. You're recovering, and I'm so proud of you." He pulled himself forward and buried himself in Axel's neck. "I really am. I am so proud of how strong you are. Proud and jealous," he added with a small laugh. "The fact that you're not too bad to look at is also a plus, you handsome man, you," he teased as he pulled back and looked up at him again. He made an attempt at wiping some of the flour off of Axel's face, running his fingertips across his skin.

Zexion's face spread into a bright smile as Axel told him basically that he had been a big help in getting Axel to recovery. That made him feel better about the situation, and himself. He liked being able to help people that he cared about.

"You're such a dork," Zexion snorted and followed up with a chuckle as Axel made the seemingly-egotistical statement. "You're right. It is hard to deny, until you open your big mouth," he teased him and scrunched up his face as Axel brushed the flour off of him. Having a sudden epiphany, he turned and grabbed two rags from a drawer and ran some water over them. He wrung them out until they were just damp, then tossed them into the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up.

He handed Axel one of the rags then reached up with the one in his hand to wipe a streak of flour off of his face. "Oh, much better," he said then stood on his toes to kiss Axel's now clean cheekbone. He smile and gently continued to wipe the powder off of Axel's pale skin. He eventually got to his lips and gently swiped a cloth-coated finger across the bottom one slowly. He looked up at Axel's eyes, gazing into them as he did so, then looked back down to clean off his top lip. After that, he moved across his jaw and down his neck, eyes following behind the cloth and searing into the pale length of his throat.

"You're right. You are sexy," he said softly. "Beautiful, actually. Really." He looked back up at him, that odd look in his eyes again. Then he cleared his throat and looked away. "We probably need to finish baking this pie and then take showers," he suggested, voice a little louder to snap himself out of this trance he was in.

He really needed to talk to Roxas.

Zexion felt...uncomfortable wasn't the right word. He felt torn. He felt torn because of how strongly he felt towards Axel, and the uncollected ends of he and Roxas's relationship. He wish Roxas wold speak to him so he could get this worked out, and so he could be happy again...or at least work towards something that resembled happiness.

He was torn out of his thoughts as Axel said he could take the shower first. He looked up into those beautiful eyes, breath catching in his chest for a moment as he gazed up at the redhead. Slowly, he nodded, but hesitated still. He chewed on his lip briefly, then stood on his toes and took a deep breath before leaning forward and pressing his lips gently against Axel's. He slowly, very slowly, pulled back and opened his eyes to gaze at him. I love you.

He stood back down on his flat feet then took a step back from him. "You go take one first. You just got off work," he told him and nodded towards the bathroom. "I need to make a phone call anyway."