Author's Note: Another Final Fantasy AU cross! However this one will have a lot less adventure and a LOT more romance and sexual tension. XD Enjoy!

Axel lifted his head and looked at himself in the mirror.

"Looking fine." He said with a smug, pleased smile. Axel knew he looked good. His red hair was spiked just the way he liked it, smooth and silky despite the points. Acid green eyes almost glowed, framed by beautiful eyelashes and carefully applied makeup. It really brought out the color… not that it needed a lot of help. Axel grinned at the thought. His natural looks were his greatest asset.

His costume tonight was just as spectacular as his looks. Axel was one of the few male pole dancers in the place, and tonight that was going to be his job. He'd decided to go with body paint and a black leather thong. The paint made loops and whorls on his skin, abstract patterns studded with glitter. They would look marvelous under the lights of the strip club.

"You always look fine." Axel stood still as one of the other pole dancers, a young blonde girl named Xiphone dabbed a bit more green across his back. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Too late. Turn around so I can see your back." She turned with a grin and Axel examined the pattern there. Putting on body paint always required some help. "You look good. I think we're both ready."

"Just in time." They both turned at the harsh voice and Axel had to suppress a smirk. He wasn't worried about the owner of the place kicking him out but there was still no reason to antagonize the old woman. She wouldn't get rid of him, he was far too popular, but she might cut his hours or put him in a bad location. "Get out there."

"Yes Mama." Axel started out with a sprightly air. Everyone in the strip club called her that. Axel took the main pole and Xiphone took one of the side ones. This was a large club and there was always more than one dancer at work. Someone in the crowd gave him a wolf whistle and Axel grinned. The women could be far more vocal then the men, sometimes. He started to twirl easily on the pole, timing it perfectly to every pump of the music. Although he vaguely wondered who had put on this particular song. I'm on a boat? Well, it had plenty of beats to work with.

Axel enjoyed pole dancing and it showed in his work. He collected plenty of dollars from the audience before finally leaving the stage to let another dancer take over. After putting away his money, locking it away carefully, he went out onto the floor to work the crowd.

"I love my job." Axel murmured to himself. He really did. It paid well and he loved the dancing and teasing the patrons. Well, there were a few aspects of it he didn't like. The giggling bachelorette party soon reminded him. Although the bride was very sweet and embarrassed by the lap dance her bridesmaids insisted on buying for her. Some of the others were a bit too frisky though. "No touching honey." Axel admonished one rather drunk woman. She laughed and put her hands behind her back like a child, but that was just fine and Axel smiled sensuously and made her gasp before vanishing into the crowd. Most of the people who wanted his lap dances were women, but by no means all. This was a club where everything went, and that was what the customers came for. Axel smiled as he thought about it. The Lollipop Club was a good place to work.

Axel caught a young man trying to motion him over and walked over smoothly. From the giggling of his friends, it was likely their first time in a strip club, or maybe the first time with a male stripper. Either way he tolerantly resigned himself to some sophomoric humor. But the silver haired boy surprised him with a devilish grin.

"My cousin over there just had a fight with his girlfriend and she dumped him… maybe you could cheer him up?" Axel glanced over, following the boy's gesture and spotting a blonde boy sitting by himself in a corner table. He was staring into a drink and looking very unhappy. Normally Axel would have avoided him. He was very cute but gave off a definite no tip vibe. However, if this kid was paying that could be amusing. "I'll give you forty munny." That was higher than the usual twenty but then, the kid wasn't going to tip. Axel considered it for a moment and then one of the other kids spoke up.

"I'll kick in twenty!" That easily decided him. Sixty munny could buy a really nice lap dance anywhere. Axel nodded with a grin.

"I'll do it." Tucking the money away he walked over casually to the blonde boy. How to do this? The kid had boxed himself into the corner. Well, he could always improvise… "Hey there. What's your name?"

"I'm not interested." Charming. Axel chuckled as the boy looked up with a glare then blinked and paled. His costume was probably throwing the lad off.

"Well, Mr. I'm not interested…" Axel slipped in front of him, kicking the table back a bit to give himself a bit of room. The boy tried to protest but Axel put his hands to either side of him, catching the kid neatly. "I think you'll be getting very interested soon." Axel put heat in his voice, catching bright blue eyes and was pleased to see the boy swallow hard. Oh yes, the kid liked him even if he wasn't prepared to admit it.

"I'm not interested in a slut." The boy snapped and Axel smiled slowly with an edge of malice. That was what he thought? He was oh, so very wrong. "And I'm not going to pay you!"

"Oh, that's alright. This one's on your friends over there." Axel murmured and the young man turned to glare at the silver haired lad and his buddies. They were laughing now and watching.

"Riku! I'm going to kill… you… ah!" Axel briefly wondered what blondie's name was as he started his dance. Oh well, it didn't really matter. The kid was looking up at him, his lips parted slightly and damn, he was cute. Between that and the slut comment, Axel was inspired. He'd show this boy what he could do. Someone must have coached the kid on what to do for a lap dance because he stayed still, but Axel could feel his erection as he slowly, sensuously rubbed against him. Axel gave him a look that was burning with desire and leaned close as if he was going to kiss the boy and the blonde spoke again.

"No! I don't – don't want –" He whimpered and Axel grinned. The kid thought he was going to take this all the way? Ah, such an innocent.

"Well, that's good. Because you're not –" A deft touch, fingers digging in just the right way. "Going to get it." Then Axel pulled away with a laugh and walked back onto the floor, leaving the boy with a raging hard on and a stunned look on his face like someone had just clocked him with a two by four.

He loved his job.

"How could he do that to me." Roxas murmured before pressing his fingers to his forehead and letting out a heartfelt sigh. This was all Riku's fault. It was almost a week later. He'd reasoned with himself, talked to himself, remonstrated himself and to no avail. He was still dreaming about that damned dancer.

He'd never met another man that hot before. The beautiful red hair and snapping green eyes had been wonderful, but what had sealed it had been those tats. Who tattooed their cheeks? A man supremely confident in himself, Roxas thought. And the body that went with them had been to die for. The paint had hidden nothing and he could remember the feel of sleek muscles and warm, velvety skin against him. The way the light of the club had shone off red hair and the lust in those green eyes. That man had been everything Roxas could dream of in a male lover…

There was a sudden crackling sound and Roxas blinked as he realized he'd just snapped his pencil.

"Damn!" Sweeping the pieces aside Roxas growled and pulled out another one, sharpening it. "I can't believe this." Why did he keep thinking about it? He didn't even know the stripper's name! The man probably didn't even remember him! Although Roxas almost hoped he did. He couldn't forget the way he'd looked at him, the way his fingers had touched him through his pants for just a moment. Just from that brief touch he'd felt the strength in those fingers. He could picture that smile and a warm, strong, callused hand wrapping around his length. Roxas could imagine just how it would be… a bit rough but oh so sensual… Roxas blinked and abruptly shook himself out of his fantasies to find he had a raging hard on. Again. "Argh!" Roxas gripped his head tightly. "I'm going to kill Riku for this!" Although it HAD done what the silver haired man wanted. It had gotten his ex-girlfriend completely out of his mind. Unfortunately what had taken her place was equally unobtainable.

Or was it? Roxas suddenly hesitated as the thought occurred to him. It was so embarrassing but there was no reason he couldn't go back to the Lollipop Club. (Their motto: Everyone else sucks!) Not all the dancers were willing to go all the way… but if this one was, he could get his dick sucked by a professional. If not he could just see the redhead again. Maybe he could even get his name. It would be a nice to have a name to attach to his dreams. And maybe after a few hot sessions of lap dances and maybe more he could lay those dreams to rest. Surely the redhead would lose his appeal when Roxas got to know him.

That last thought decided Roxas. The dancer had probably dropped out of school or came from the slums beneath Midgar. His interests were probably completely shallow. If Roxas could just find out a bit about him his fantasies would be dispelled by reality. Satisfied, Roxas managed to get his body under control and went back to his work. He'd take care of this ridiculous infatuation and get on with his life.

It never occurred to him what might happen if things didn't go quite like that.

Axel smiled at the bank teller who gave him a slightly pained smile in return. The bank was resigned to those like him, who showed up with tons of one dollar and five dollar bills. But they still didn't like having to double check his counts and handling hundreds of ones. Axel waited patiently as she counted everything and processed his deposit form. Soon it was done and he departed with a card freshly charged with cash.

Wincing at the cold wind blowing over the city, Axel pulled a black cap out of his bag and pulled it over his hair and ears. Red spikes poked out around his neck, ruffled by the wind as he walked away. It was time for him to go to his second job.

He had no need of a second job for money. The strip club was his bread and butter while his art was what made gave his heart and soul wings. Axel wasn't sure he was any good. He'd only had one art teacher who had roundly criticized his inspiration. It had been baffling to Axel. How was he supposed to paint his inner torment when he didn't have any? Torment wasn't his style anyway. He preferred to go his own way and was cheerfully ignorant on everything but techniques. He'd failed that art class.

It took a while for him to reach one of the spots along the edge of the sixth plate. It wasn't finished but that was absolutely ideal for what he was trying to paint. Heaving up his bag he carefully extracted the canvass he was working on and set up his easel. He was aiming to capture the essence of Midgar with this picture, yet make it… hopeful. Bright. The city was beautiful after all. A wicked bitch who could chew you up and spit you out without a care, but beautiful all the same.

Humming happily to himself, he worked on his painting for several hours in the waning light of evening. At first he'd wanted to set this painting in broad daylight but he'd quickly realized that would limit him to working on it on his days off, and besides the sun set in exactly the right location to shine over the slums below. He was trying to paint the break in the upper layer and the slum peeking through. Axel idly wondered as he painted. Would he be able to convince any art gallery to carry this one? It didn't really matter. He painted for his own joy.

Axel finally decided he'd done enough for the day and let his canvas dry as he opened his bag again, pulling out his lunch. It was absurdly late for lunch by most people's reckoning, but he lived on different hours. Axel shivered as the wind bit at him and vaguely wished for a new winter coat. He'd likely have to get one eventually but not just yet. He was saving up for medical treatments. And when that was done he was saving up to move into a better apartment. His current one was fine, but the couple above him wasn't fine at all. They'd left the water on when they were gone and nearly flooded his apartment once. Several of his works had been ruined and Axel intended to see if he could get a loft somewhere. If he could only afford a place with a really good view he'd have a nice, convenient place to paint.

Axel reflected on his projects as he ate, trying to come up with ideas for his next one. It wasn't very hard, he was always thinking of new ideas. The internet was a vast help too. He often just searched for random pictures to find inspiration. Some of his pictures were realism but a lot of them were more surreal, things that could exist but had actually just come from his imagination. He'd tried his hand at impressionism too and enjoyed making works like that in oil and pastels. Axel grinned as he ate his corned beef sandwich. Maybe that was why the gallery wouldn't carry his work. He painted in too many styles! But then, didn't everyone?

Discarding the thought, Axel finished his food and carefully packed away his painting. It was a big one and made him wish he owned a car, but what could he do? At least there was usually plenty of room on the monorail this time of day. It took about a half hour but he had his painting tucked away and pulled out his roller blades to head over to the strip club. Axel was a highly accomplished roller blader and liked to use them to head to work. It shortened the trip considerably.

Of course, utterly blind pedestrians sometimes made it interesting. Axel grumbled to himself as he dodged past some poor clod staring at the buildings. He didn't mind tourists per se, but he wished they could understand that the sidewalks weren't for them alone. Really, was it that hard a concept? Apparently.

Axel paused a moment as he heard a cry. This wasn't the slums but the red light district of Sector Four still wasn't the best place to wander around in if you weren't familiar with it. Axel knew he should just keep going. It was a lot safer and what did he care if some idiot tourist was getting mugged? Then he laughed at himself. He did care. He'd been an idiot tourist once and if a helpful young man hadn't stepped in he probably wouldn't be alive now. Cheered by the thought, Axel pulled his scarf over the bottom part of his face and headed into the alley. Whoever was molesting the poor tourist might be a regular and Axel didn't want to be recognized. There were plenty of people petty enough to try to surprise him and take revenge later.

There were two men in the alley standing over a young lad. Axel was vaguely aware the boy was familiar but quickly decided there was no time to waste when the boy punched one of them in the pants. It wasn't much of a punch and he mostly hit the man's thigh but Axel was sure the boy was annoying the muggers quite a bit.

Axel laid into the two of them, punching one of them in the face before they really knew what was happening. He kicked the other one in the stomach then punched him in the jaw, laying him out. Axel was in perfect shape from all his pole dancing and had a kick like a mule. The second one found that out as he tried to lunge at him and Axel finished it up by kicking them both soundly in the head. If they died, good riddance. He recognized them both now as men from the slums who occasionally showed up at the Lollipop and were particular disfavorites with the ladies both for being cheap and having poor hygiene. No one would care if they failed to turn up.

"Th – thank you." Axel turned his attention to the boy he'd rescued. He was a slight thing who had to be older than he looked. Although the age to drink alcohol and come to strip clubs was only sixteen in Midgar. Axel met bright blue eyes and felt puzzled for a moment. Why was this lad familiar? The boy was staring at him now with a slightly open mouth. "It's you!" Axel lifted an eyebrow at that.

"Well, I should hope it is. I mean, I've no idea who else I'd be – ack!" Why was this boy hugging him? Axel squirmed away as soon as he could and the boy let go with a blush.

"Sorry. It's just… you work at the Lollipop, right?" Axel nodded, trying to place the boy. Where had he seen those blue eyes before? "You probably don't remember me." A memory of blonde hair flashed over his mind for a moment and Axel blinked.

"Actually, I think I do. Is your hair blonde under that cap?" The boy nodded and Axel laughed. "Well, you've had more contact from me than most of my customers! Just don't hug me when I'm dressed for work." Axel didn't ask the lad's name. He didn't want to know. He liked the customers well enough but it was better for everyone if he kept them at a nice distance.

"I'm Roxas." Well damn. There went that idea. He'd be downright churlish now if he didn't introduce himself. Oh well, it wasn't like there would ever be anything between them besides a chance meeting.

"I'm Axel." The boy looked very pleased to have his name and Axel felt slightly wary. He didn't want a stalker. Although this lad looked too young to be much trouble. Axel consulted his watch for a moment. "And I haven't much time. If you want to see me come to the Lollipop, I'm on the first set."

"I will." The boy, no, Roxas assured him. Axel smiled to himself. The blonde reminded him of a little kitten, cute and big eyed. Not that he would ever mention that to him. Roxas would no doubt be offended. Axel skated off easily and didn't look back.

He'd see the blonde later at the club.

"He fought them wearing roller blades?" Roxas was truly impressed. That couldn't have been easy. He hurried to the club, wishing he hadn't been such a fool. That wasn't the way he'd wanted to get Axel's name.

He really shouldn't have hesitated in that alley. But he'd never gone to a strip club by himself before and that was enough to give him pause. It hadn't occurred to him that all the money he'd needed to take out for this would make him a target for muggers and it should have. Midgar had always been notorious for its street crime and people filtered out of the slums through the terminal in Sector Four. Plenty of the people in the sex trade here actually lived down in the slums. But with them came the predators.

Roxas paid the cover charge and hesitated a moment before taking a seat far back, watching the stages. He didn't want to be too close. For one thing he didn't know what stage Axel would be on and for second, what did you do when you were in the front rows? He soon figured that out from watching. It seemed they folded the bills lengthwise and waved them so the dancer could dance up and let them put it in her or his thong. The dancers were all getting quite a few tips but Roxas thought the lap dances had to be worth more.

Soon Axel came onto stage and Roxas blinked. He was wearing more than last time, a costume of tight, artistically frayed and faded blue jeans. Axel smiled and blew the audience a kiss before he began his dance routine and Roxas almost forgot to breath as the redhead spun around the pole. He hadn't been watching last time so he hadn't realized how hard it must be. Axel's routine was particularly athletic and showed off his body, making the ladies in the audience whistle. It helped that the redhead seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself as he made love to the pole. Roxas hadn't seen many pole dancers but he thought that was unusual.

Axel was a popular lap dancer and Roxas waited impatiently for the redhead to reach him, turning down the offers from several other dancers. Finally Axel stopped at his table and Roxas was annoyed by the laughter in his eyes. The redhead had known he was waiting and it had amused him! But Roxas couldn't hold onto the annoyance as Axel kneeled down in front of him, sliding his hands over Roxas' legs. Roxas took a deep breath and found twenty munny for him. Axel grinned and made it vanish before beginning the dance.

Roxas found that the redhead was taking it achingly slowly, and it turned him on even more than last time. The redhead met his eyes as he slowly ran his hands over Roxas' thighs, smiling devilishly before he moved up to really dance. Roxas' eyes were caught by his bare chest, not even touched by paint and he gasped at the way muscles played under lightly tanned skin. Axel was beautiful.

"Really getting into this, aren't you?" Axel murmured teasingly and Roxas blushed as he realized his erection had to be terribly obvious to the dancer. "Ah, no worries. Lets me know I'm doing my job right." Axel ran a hand up his body as their hips ground together and Roxas gasped, staring up into those bright green eyes. For a moment he was struck by how surreal this was. He'd never visited a strip club before until last week and now he was hunting down one particular dancer and paying for lap dances. What was happening to him?

Axel took his time, making it good but the dance was finally done and the dancer disengaged himself. Roxas whimpered softly at the loss and caught Axel's hand, making the redhead look down at him in surprise.

"Wait. A tip." He managed and fished out a ten dollar bill. Axel smiled again. "Tell me… something about yourself?" Roxas vaguely remembered that was his purpose in coming here. Somehow, he'd lost sight of that. Axel blinked at that request then laughed and leaned in to speak in Roxas ear.

"I've got money to earn, lad. And I don't talk about myself where just anyone can hear… if you want that, rent a champagne room next time." Axel didn't think that would happen. The private time of a dancer as popular as him was expensive. But Roxas looked determined.

"I will." Roxas wasn't sure when he'd find the time to come back but he'd make sure Axel was working before he did and book that room.

He needed to know more about the redhead. He wasn't sure why, but he definitely did.