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"Here."
Axel's fingers pulled the necktie away from Roxas's clumsy fingers, trailing around to the front of him.
"I don't understand it," Roxas muttered. "Why's it gotta be so complicated to get a knot into the thing?"
"You can tie it into a knot," Axel said, slipping the tie under Roxas's collar, "sure, but that doesn't mean it's going to look like it should." His deft fingers expertly twisted, turned, pulled, and shifted until the knot mirrored the one on his own tie.
Roxas tried to watch in the mirror to see how it was done, but just ended up more confused than he had been previously.
"There you go." Axel folded the collar back and smoothed down Roxas's lapels. He straightened up, looked down at him. "... You know, this is the first time I've seen you in a suit," he said quietly.
Roxas made a face, looking at himself in the mirror. "You were there to help me pick it out."
"Yeah, but... it's different," Axel said shortly, looking into the mirror.
Asides from the hair and the height, they were both nearly identical in brand new, glossy black suits. Beneath, their cotton shirts were both royal blue, with a matching pocket square, the fiddly little buttons done clear up to the top. Their ties were plain black, silk and expensive. Actually, the whole ensemble was expensive. Axel's eyes had practically bugged out of his head when he'd heard the price.
Roxas leaned slightly against Axel's side; Axel's arm came up automatically to curl around his shoulders.
"I don't know what we're supposed to do there."
"Oh, you know. Say congratulations, act like we care, drink some booze, dance, have sex in the most secluded but yet still not private place there."
"Oh yeah, right!" Roxas swatted at his hand playfully.
"Hey, it's a wedding reception, love's all around!"
"Not true. I know that's not true," Roxas said, intertwining his fingers with Axel's. "I think Zex- er, Ienzo... wants us to associate or something. He said he definitely wanted us there because we're his friends." He looked up at Axel. "... I hardly ever said ten words to the guy. How are we friends?"
Axel smiled and reached down to tap against Roxas's chest a few times. "Hearts, Roxas. Amazing things. People you barely ever talked to become your friends by default: friendship through association." He paused. "And we all worked together. Although... I did kill him..." he trailed off.
"Huh. Seems like it was a lot more difficult back in the Organization," Roxas said. "I didn't even know how to make friends before you took me for ice cream that first week."
"It was a lot more difficult, and that's because we didn't have hearts. We weren't supposed to be able to feel friendship, attachment, things of the like."
Roxas tilted his head to look up at him. "So, how did we fall in love?"
"Because we're special," Axel replied easily. "We both made each other feel without even needing a heart. We were exceptions to the rule. And it's all the stronger for that."
Roxas smiled widely, until it wasn't so much a smile as it was a grin. He felt goofy when Axel started talking about how in love they were. He just kind of thought it went without saying sometimes, like now. Whenever Axel got serious, Roxas always felt really... mushy. Or something.
"Shall we head out, then? Don't want to be late. I guess. It would be funny to walk in in the middle of the ceremony, though, just to see his face."
"Let's not rain on his parade," Roxas chastised, reaching for Axel's hand again. "Come on."
"Yep." Axel took his hand. "To the church!"
Roxas laughed.
"It might be us someday," Axel said, abruptly serious.
Roxas's stomach lurched as Axel dragged him towards the door. Did that mean... what he thought it meant?