"Sonnet 20"

He sat down in his seat that was always set aside just for him. Right in the front row, the second to last seat. The one next to him was broken, so it was alright for him to prop his stuff on there. One of the crew girls said that was what she use to do, before she had a locker closer to the Speech Room and could actually dump all her stuff off now. He didn't have that luxury.

Setting his bag on the broken chair, he unfolded his claimed seat down and sat. It was pretty quiet, there was no one here but him. Was practice canceled, and he wasn't told because he was a lowly freshman?

The stage was set up for the flats that were to be set up by their crew. He loved their crew, here. They actually knew what they were doing, and would even help him run lines. And, that one girl was pretty cute....

The double doors of the house opened behind him and he heard it close quickly. He turned in his chair and saw his acting partner walk in.

Axel had put on his glasses and was reading his script, the pages before it all rolled over so he looked like a true actor. Wearing the simple colors of green and black accented his long red hair that was spiked back so perfectly, he seemed to resemble an amazing and popularly known porcupine. His eyes were green and sharp, hidden behind his black half-moon glasses. He seemed so much older..Well, he was a senior. Axel looked up quickly, regarding him, then waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Hello, Roxas." Simple.

"Is practice cancelled?" Roxas inquired and Axel shook his head.

"It's....starting a little bit later. Crews aren't needed today, so none of our crew girls'll be here to work on the set. Gainsborough said something about a meeting."

Roxas turned back in his seat and dug around in his bag, pulling out his copy of the script and thumbing through it. He really shouldn't talk to seniors. Actually, Axel was a special exception, but still....They were special, and if one of the crew would walk in, they'd talk about the experience in the club as a manner of status. Well, they usually left Roxas be, but the other freshman would walk in and they'd talk back to them and such, so he didn't blame them one bit for being pushy on the subject.

Sitting back in his seat, Roxas stopped at a random scene and read it over, envisioning the cute crew girl reading back to him again. Axel walked down the slope and stopped in the orchestra pit, standing in front of Roxas. Roxas watched him over the top of his script, and Axel started to shift his weight on either foot, then started to pace across the pit.

"That's not our script." Roxas deadpanned and Axel looked up, eyes large.

"....What? Oh, it's for the drama class....You're taking it next semester?"

"....Yeah...." Roxas let the conversation wither away and die in a hole somewhere. He turned back to his script, silently mouthing his lines and looking up at the line after his, as if talking to the cute crew girl. Better than seeing the ugly actoress that his character was in love with but ends up cheating on....

Roxas was stunned when Axel walked back set down at the end seat, right next to Roxas. He got a hold of himself and ignored him, and reading the lines.

"....Do you read Shakespeare?" Roxas turned slowly and gazed at Axel, the latter lounging with his legs crossed at his thighs in his seat, book held high over his head, and sunk deep in the chair.

"Uhh, yeah, I do." Roxas sat back and put his script in his lap, his finger placed in between the pages.

Axel sat there for a moment. "...What is your favorite sonnet?"

"Excuse me?" Roxas made a face and Axel's eyes flicked off the page and at Roxas, then back.

"Sonnet. Favorite." Roxas looked at the cover and saw it was a battered book of sonnets.

"....Umm....Number 29, I guess..." Axel flipped a couple pages from under his finger and stopped, then read. "From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate; For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings that then I scorn to change my state with kings." Axel looked back at him and then nodded once.
"Not bad. You know, 126 of them were addressed to a man." Roxas thought for a second, but then shook it off. "I like sonnet 20. It's the most controversial of them all. 'A woman's face with nature's own hand painted, Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion; A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted.'"
"You're lying. " Roxas deadpanned and Axel slowly lowered his book.

"...Well, it is true that many have said it was just a 'close-relationship with a male.' I know better. That's what they said about me. Sorry, Roxas." Axel added quickly and Roxas was quiet for a second, then shook his head.

"Nah, it's okay. I don't mind anymore." Axel put the book in his lap and he sat up, putting his hands behind his head.

"....How is your brother doing, in any case?"

"Well, he's found a new boyfriend. It's blown over." Axel was silent as he let this sink in and he reached up and took off his glasses, hiding his eyes from Roxas for a second.

"....I'm glad he did. Deserved better than me-"

"Another lie!" Roxas stopped when he realized what he said and Axel turned and looked at him, a questioning look on his face. "I mean...."

"....Is he doing stuff to him? I swear to god, I'll kick his fucking living ass if he so much as touches him-"

"No, no....Not that...." There was an akward silence and Axel frowned.

"Then what?"

".....You didn't mean for it to happen that way. I know you didn't." The silence started again and Roxas reached down and scratched his leg absentmindedly. Axel was still and seemed to stare blankly at the stage, the paint splatters more evident as it shone through the sawdust the crews hadn't swept up yet. Roxas turned and stared at it too, wondering about all the people that put that paint there in the past...He wanted to put some down before he graduated. Bet that black patch there was from their crew girls this year-

"Roxas?" Roxas turned to look at Axel and a lot happened in the next 10 seconds.

First, Roxas and Axel caught each other's eyes and Axel was very close to his face. Roxas heard alarms go off his head, and his eyes widened at the split-second thought. Axel had licked his lips and lunged for him, crushing his lips to Roxas' and weaving a hand in his short hair, the other around Roxas' waist.

Roxas sputtered and turned his head, and Axel started to kiss the nape of his neck. "Wha-what are you-"

"There is no practice today. I didn't tell you." Roxas froze and Axel stopped kissing him and nuzzled his neck. "Roxas, I've seen you watch me. Don't tell me you haven't thought-"

"You're my brother's ex." Roxas knew that hurt him, and he regretted it immediently. Axel quickly flinched and sat back, removing his hands from Roxas and picking up his book and standing quicker than Roxas realized what he had done. "W-w-wa-wait!" Axel climbed the slope and Roxas fell out of his seat, scrambling to his feet. "Axel!" He stopped and waited, standing right next to the chair where his coat was laid.

Roxas leaned against the brick wall, his leg hurting just above his knee. "Make it good Roxas. That was a low blow." Axel sounded cold and distant, and he turned away from Roxas.

".....You know what I'm gonna say. Axel." Roxas spit out his name like it was poisoned, and he felt tears sting at his eyes. He didn't know if it was from the pain of his knee, or from Axel.

Axel contemplated for a second. "That's nice Roxas. I still wanna hear it."

Roxas looked up and down his back and then hunched over. "Axel, I'm sorry. Really. But you shouldn't have kissed me." He fell back onto the cold ground, holding his leg. He didn't even notice Axel walk back down the slope, and kneel in front of him, balancing on his feet. He folded his arms, and regarded Roxas again.

"...What if I told you before?" Roxas looked up, still holding his leg, and stared blankly. Axel leaned forward, and Roxas debated turning away.

Their lips met, and Roxas' brain stopped functioning.

....

....

Well, he didn't really mind....


'A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,
Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change, as is false women's fashion:
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue all hues in his controlling,
Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.'