Attempting to roll over in his sleep, Axel found that there was nowhere to roll, as he felt something holding him back. Blinking his eyes a few times, he looked down and saw that the spiky blonde was still nestled in his arms, the soft sounds of Roxas' snores drawing a smile on Axel's face. He gave the blonde a gentle squeeze before trying to untangle himself from his body, the need to go to the bathroom becoming painful.

"Nnngh...where are...you going...?" Roxas half-yawned, as his cerulean eyes met Axel's.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Go back to sleep, there's still a little bit of time before we have to go to the Grey Area for our mission." He turned around and began to walk towards the bathroom.

"Your butt is cute." Roxas' voice still held a touch of sleep in it. Axel stopped walking, forgetting that he was still completely naked, not having bothered to put any clothes on. As he turned around to address just what the smaller Nobody had said, he saw that Roxas was fast asleep, the soft snores returning. Shaking his head, he walked into the bathroom and closed the door quietly.

When he was finished, he washed his hands and headed back out to the bedroom. Looking over at the clock by his bedside, he saw that it was a little past six in the morning. Axel saw how serene the spiky blonde looked, sleeping in his bed, and felt his stomach do a little somersault. It was a nice feeling, much better than the constant clenching he had been experiencing as of late. Debating if he should just go lay back down in bed, or get in the shower, Roxas' cherub face drew him back to the bed. He laid down beside him, pulling the covers over the two of them, as he wrapped his arm around the blonde's smaller frame, holding him close.

"Mmm..." Roxas' nose nuzzled his chest. "Have fun...in the...b-b-b-bathroom?" Roxas blinked a few times, before looking up at the redhead.

The sleepy look on the Roxas' face made Axel's breath catch in his throat, still not used to this very different person he was spending more and more time with. "I mean, if you call peeing fun, then sure." He grinned as Roxas groaned, then buried his face in his chest. Chuckling softly, he ran a hand through his soft spikes. "Did you sleep okay, Roxas?"

"I did." The reply was muffled, as the smaller Nobody's face was still resting against Axel's chest, nuzzling a bit closer to him. "D-D-Do I have to go back to my room now?"

Axel met his eyes. "You don't have to, if you don't want to. But, if you'd rather go back to your room and get another hour of sleep, that's okay too."

"I...I'm not sure what I want." Roxas asked truthfully, lowering his gaze from Axel's eyes. "I kinda want more sleep, but..."

The redhead kept moving his fingers through his soft spikes, as he listened to him speak. Realizing that it was too long of a pause, he looked down at the top of Roxas' head. "But...? But, what, Roxas?"

"But I don't want to go back to my room." His chin lifted back up, as their eyes met once more. "Would you mind if I slept a little bit longer in your bed?"

Axel shook his head. "Not at all, Roxas. You get as much sleep as you'd like. I think I'm going to go take a shower, though."

"Aww..." the smaller Nobody's cheeks became pink. "That's okay. Then I'll just go back to muh-muh-muh-my room."

He wrapped his arm tighter around Roxas' back. "Roxas," Axel spoke softly, nuzzling the side of the blonde's neck. "If you want me to stay here in this bed with you, all you have to do is ask."

"Please stay?" Roxas whispered, his eyes closed tightly. "I'm not ready to be done."

It was strange to hear Roxas echoing just how Axel felt, or how he thought he felt, as that was the position he had always been in with his other lovers. But hearing it reciprocated from him, without the redhead having to say anything, made him recognize that even though he had done this sort of thing before, it was completely different with Roxas. It scared him to think about, just how hard he was falling for him, in such a short amount of time. He had never had his body, or mind, act this way when he had become Myde's lover, or Demyx, for that matter. But Axel knew that he shouldn't be comparing the two, as they were two entirely different people. That had been a different time, and different circumstances. What about Isa? He shook his head, trying to crush the thoughts of the bluenette, still not sure what was going on in his mind about his friend. That way of thinking would just lead to becoming upset, and he didn't want to be that way, not now, not when he still had this...this new interest who he was cuddling securely in his arms. Roxas seemed to genuinely care about him, and was opening up to him more and more. He didn't want to jeopardize that in any way.

"Axel?" Bright cerulean eyes blinked a few times, as Axel looked into them.

"Oh, right. You want an answer," he chuckled softly, laying back on the pillow. "I suppose I could stay here in this bed with you." The redhead reached over and set the alarm to go off at 7, so that they could have time to get ready for the day.

Roxas' soft cheek rubbed against his sternum, the small touch of kindness resonating throughout Axel's body. "Good. Thank you." He snuggled a little closer, Axel rotating his body, so that the blonde would fit better, and smiled as he watched Roxas' eyes close, the spiky blonde falling back asleep quickly.

He knew that sleep was not an option for him, so Axel just rested comfortably, enjoying how good it felt to just hold someone close and listen to them sleep. He glanced over at the wall he shared with the bluenette, and felt his throat close up, the thought of what they had almost done last night permeating his mind. He took a deep breath, and looked over towards the window, watching the fuschia and purple clouds swirl together, high up in the sky, pushing away those tempting thoughts of Saïx. He felt Roxas shift in his arms, the blonde turning onto his side, effectively rolling out of his arms. Chuckling softly, Axel let his lips graze the side of Roxas' cheek before he stood up from the bed. He headed back towards the bathroom, deciding to shower and get ready for the day. He turned back and noticed that Roxas was curled up into a small ball, the tufts of his hair sticking up from beneath the sheet he was buried under. Axel shook his head and walked into the bathroom, keeping the door slightly ajar, in case the blonde woke up from a dream, or nightmare. He hoped that Roxas would not be plagued by nightmares, hoping that whatever memories were starting to come back to the blonde, would not be of the horrible kind.

Axel turned the water to hot, and stepped into the shower, happy to feel the powerful spray hitting his back. He tilted his head back, the water cascading onto his scalp, flattening out his crimson spikes as the water massaged the top of his head. He reached down to grab his shampoo, and instead, collided with a body. His eyes snapped open, the water hitting his chest as he looked down at the newcomer in his shower. "How long have you been in here?" He prayed that his voice wasn't as high pitched as he thought it sounded, as seeing the smaller Nobody now in the shower with him had given him quite the fright.

"Not long," Roxas was quiet. "Did I do something wr-wr-wr-wrong?" His head was bent down, looking at his feet. "I...I'm s-s-s-s-s-s-s-sorry...I just, I didn't know...I...I...I..."

Sighing softly, Axel wrapped his arms around the smaller body. "Hey, Roxas. You don't have to be sorry. I just wasn't expecting you to be in here, that's all. I thought you were still sleeping." He reached up and angled the showerhead to spray to the side, so that the water wasn't pounding against the blonde's back. "You didn't have a bad dream, did you?"

"No," Roxas shook his head, hugging the redhead tightly. "Do you want me out of the shower? I...I thought you wouldn't mind if I joined you."

Axel's emerald eyes shone with a warm smile on his face. "Of course I don't mind if you joined me. It's just..." He grabbed the shampoo. "Here, can I wash your hair for you?"

"Sure," the smaller Nobody turned around, leaning his head back for Axel. "And what were you going to say? It's just...?"

Lathering up his hands, Axel shook his head. "It's nothing, Rox. Don't worry about it." He began to massage the soft spikes, trying to keep his hormones in check as he listened to soft sighs Roxas began to make. He hadn't thought that this would be happening so quickly, but he wasn't about to discourage Roxas, as he knew how traumatic of an event it would be for him if he did so. As his fingers weaved through his hair, Roxas began to tilt his head back more, his body moving backwards towards the redhead's. "Careful," Axel whispered, knowing that if the blonde moved any further back, he'd become aware of just how turned on he was by just washing his hair.

"O-Okay..." Roxas bit his lip, as a low groan left the side of his mouth. Axel wanted to bite his fist, needed to do something before he took advantage of complacent Nobody before him. "Can I rinse?"

Axel pulled his hands out of his hair fast, and nodded his head. Realizing the blonde's eyes were still closed, Axel voiced his response, "Yes. Go ahead." He reached up, and angled the shower head back down, so that Roxas didn't have to go too far. He stepped backwards, his back hitting the moist tile wall, as he beheld the small movements of Roxas. Axel felt like he was peeping, when it was the blonde who had joined him, not the other way around, but was still feeling hesitant by what was happening.

"Is it all out?" Roxas asked, his round eyes looking up at him. Axel looked down and shook his head. He guided Roxas back under the water, and helped him rinse off the last bit of soap from his scalp. "How about now?"

The redhead grinned and nodded. "Much better. Mind if I wash my hair?" He grabbed the shampoo and began to lather up his hands again.

"Axel?" Roxas switched positions with him, staying under the spray while he worked his hands through his own hair. "I've got a question."

"Hmm?" Axel closed his eyes, as he stood under the water to rinse. "What is it, Roxas?"

"Will magic always make me feel funny?" The innocence in Roxas' question made the redhead's stomach somersault again.

"Well, once your body gets used to it, it shouldn't be too much of a problem." Axel opened his eyes, and saw that Roxas was staring up at him. "However, yes, there will always be a tiny bit left over. But, like I said, you get used to it."

The spiky blonde nodded his head. "I see. Is it weird that I still feel a little funny right now?"

"No, it's normal." Axel said, trying to remember if it was, as it had been such a long time since he had gone through those growing pains. "You experienced a lot yesterday, and I have a feeling that today may be more of the same."

"When you washed my hair, my skin began to tingle again. Like it did when you touched me after using magic." Roxas' face was held in curious thought, Axel giving him his full attention. Their eyes met, and Axel felt his stomach drop at the look that Roxas was giving him. "And I still feel a little tingly."

Taking a deep breath, Axel kept his eyes on Roxas', not wavering for a moment. "If your skin is still tingly, then perhaps there's something that can be done."

"Can there?" Roxas asked.

Unclenching his fist that he didn't realize he had been making, the redhead gave a slow nod of his head. "Would you like for me to touch you, Roxas? What I said last night still stands, I won't do anything you don't feel comfortable with."

His smaller hand reached for Axel's, the redhead's hand moving in slow motion, until it reached its intended destination. His fingers were guided by Roxas' hand to close around the base of his arousal, where Axel could feel just how turned on the blonde was. Roxas leaned against the wall, while Axel kept his hand still, trying to process just what was happening. The sound of the water striking the tub was making him deaf, locking on to Roxas' parted pink lips, yearning to hear him moan. He moved his hand a little, drawing the moan he had been waiting for to leave Roxas' mouth.

"Yes," Axel groaned low, as he placed his other hand near Roxas' head, balancing himself with one hand, while stroking the spiky blonde's arousal. "How does that feel, Rox-as...?" His voice was suddenly deeper, his voice thick with desire. He lowered his head, pressing his face against Roxas' neck, as he relished the noises Roxas was making for him. Fuck, I want to take you so badly...I want to do everything to your body...Axel closed his eyes, and began to move his hand a little bit faster.

"Nnngh...A-A-Axel..." The redhead's eyes opened as he felt Roxas begin to rock into his hand, mesmerized by the simple action. He moved his hand according to the blonde's movements, feeling his own arousal becoming stiff. He reached down with the hand that had been balancing him, and grabbed Roxas' hand. Without thinking, he placed Roxas' hand on his own arousal, and felt his fingers grab onto him tightly. Roxas' cerulean eyes met his, as they moaned in unison. "Feels...really...really...nnngh...good..." Roxas panted, as their hands began to move in the same pattern together.

Axel knew he was close, and didn't want to freak Roxas out. "Roxas," his voice gurgled, his throat slick with saliva. "Roxas, I'm..."

He felt Roxas's lips glide across his, those plump lips parting for him instantly as he pushed his tongue into Roxas' mouth. Their kiss was hurried, as their hands worked on each other's bodies with a quickness that Axel was neither surprised, nor shocked, by. After only one other time of touching this body, Axel knew just what to do to make the blonde find his release. And Roxas was no longer timid, as his hand moved in the same aggressive pattern as his own, pumping him harder and faster. Axel held onto his orgasm, not wanting to finish before him, as their tongues continued to wage a fierce battle with one another. Roxas broke off the kiss with a loud moan, the hot liquid from his arousal beginning to spill onto the top of his hand. Axel thrust his hips forward, as his lips tasted the wet skin of Roxas' throat, moaning low as he began to come as well, the soft moans that Roxas kept emitting were prolonging his release. He felt his hand continue to move up and down, even though he was already becoming soft.

"Roxas," Axel stopped moving his hand, and gently pulled away from the blonde. "How does your body feel now?" His breath came out in short pants, the intensity of his orgasm having made his body and mind incredibly lucid.

Those eyes that haunted him looked up at him, as Roxas gasped for breath himself, letting go of Axel's now flaccid arousal. "Much...better...Thank you." His lips gave the redhead a small smile, much to the delight of the redhead.

"We should finish up in here," Axel said, rinsing off his hand. "We don't want to get in trouble for being late."

Roxas stood under the water, following the redhead's lead. "Right. I...I still need to go get c-c-c-clean clothes."

"I don't think any of mine will fit you properly." Axel chuckled, watching as the blonde stepped out of the tub. "Got it?" He reached over and turned off the shower, the moisture clinging to his skin.

The blonde nodded, and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist. "Will you come and get me? Or want me to come b-b-b-back here?"

"I'll wait for you here," Axel nodded, grabbing his own towel. He leaned back over the tub and began to wring the water from his follicles. "If that's okay?"

"No problem." Roxas nodded, and hung up his towel after drying off. "I'll be back." He walked out of the bedroom, leaving the redhead alone.

As Axel stared in the mirror, he tried to remember why he was holding himself back. He thought about what had just happened between the two of them, his arousal awakening at the memory, and knew that if he had said he wanted to take Roxas, the blonde would have let him. He didn't know why he wasn't moving forward, but it just didn't feel right. There was something that was keeping him from moving too fast, even though his body was more than ready to show Roxas how good it could be. He was almost afraid to say to the blonde that perhaps it wasn't the magic that was making his body feel that way. Perhaps the blonde was actually remembering how those feelings felt, when he had been a human, and that was now translating to how he felt about himself. But Axel didn't want to assume that that's what that was, and instead tried to focus on how he was going to survive with just touching. He had been so close to showing him something new, but that fear held him back.

"Are you still in here?" A voice said from his bedroom. Axel blinked a few times, and pushed the bathroom door all the way open.

"Roxas? You've already changed? How long have you been gone?" He was still wrapped up in his towel, his hair still a little damp.

The spiky blonde shrugged his shoulders. "Not that long?"

"I believe you," Axel walked out and began to get dressed. Once he was finished, he took his damp towel and hung up in the bathroom, before brushing his teeth. He walked back out and saw Roxas was still standing, waiting patiently for him. He slipped his boots on, and walked over the door. "You ready to go to the Grey Area?"

Roxas nodded and walked out of the bedroom with him. As they passed the bluenette's door, Axel knew that they wouldn't run into him, as it was already creeping up on eight. They walked into the Grey Area, and saw that the Nobodies had split into their little groups, with Marluxia and Larxene off to one side of the room, while Xigbar and Luxord were sitting on the other side. Saïx stood near the window, and seemed to be a bit...off. Axel pushed away the thoughts and saw that Roxas was looking up at him.

"Why don't you go and sit with Xiggy and Luxord, Rox? I'm going to go and check in with Mr. Grumpy over there." He ran a hand through the soft spikes, pleased that Roxas seemed to enjoy the little show of affection.

"Okay, Axel." Roxas walked away from him, and headed over towards the couch where Xigbar was sitting. Axel heard the older man greet the smaller Nobody was a cordial greeting, barely lowering the newspaper he was reading. Shaking it off, he looked over and saw that the bluenette was still staring down at his clipboard, a small smirk on his face.

Sighing, the redhead approached the bluenette. "Good morning, Sai. Sorry if we're late. I didn't realize what time it was."

"It is of no consequence, Number VIII." Saïx' tone matched the indifference in his statement, shocking the redhead to the core.

"Are you feeling alright, Sai?" Axel blinked a few times, trying to figure out just what sort of mood his friend was in, but could find nothing. "You seem a bit...different."

"Different?" The bluenette looked up, his amber eyes void. "I do not understand what you mean, Number VIII."

"Seriously?" Axel asked, scratching the back of his neck. "You don't know why you seem different?"

"Did you want your assignment, Number VIII?" Saïx blatantly ignored his question, brushing him off. Axel's eyes narrowed, trying to keep his anger in check.

"No, I don't. Since you don't seem to want to give me any answers, I don't see any need to get my assignment just yet, Number VII. Thanks for that." Axel turned away from him, and headed back over to where the spiky blonde was sitting.

Plopping down on the couch, he leaned against the one-eyed Nobody. "Got a problem, Princess?" Xigbar asked, looking down at him with his one good eye.

"Do you really need me to answer that?" Axel asked, sitting back up as his friend shuffled his paper, folding it up. "Because, I don't think you really want to hear me go on and on about things." He looked over towards the window, and saw that the bluenette was observing them out of the corner of his eye. Fuck, Sai. What the hell is going on with you?

Xigbar snorted. "No, thanks. I'm sure whatever it is can be saved for a night of drinking."

"Oh, I think I like the sound of that," Luxord chimed in, shuffling his deck of cards. "Might I suggest we do that this evening?"

The redhead groaned, and shook his head. "I need a break from booze tonight. You two have fun without me." He looked over, and saw that Roxas was watching the other two Nobodies across the room. "Roxas? You okay, buddy?"

"Why do they sit over there?" The spiky blonde asked, still focused on Marluxia and Larxene. "Do they only like each other?"

"Hah!" Xigbar laughed. "Princess, whatever you did to this kid to make him finally talk, I gotta say, good work. No, kid, it's not that they just like each other, it's that they only care about themselves."

"I heard that!" Larxene shouted. "Why don't you mind your own business, and leave us alone?"

The redhead held up his hands. "Whoa, Larxene. Chill out. No one said anything bad about the two of you. Don't blame Roxas, he's still just remembering things. He isn't like how you were when you became a Nobody."

"But that doesn't excuse him from being so rude!" The feisty woman said, a snarl on her face.

"A-A-A-Axel, I didn't m-m-m-m-mean..." Roxas stammered, shaking his head back and forth.

He reached over and placed a hand on Roxas' knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't listen to her, okay? She's a psychotic bitch that is totally self-absorbed. Whatever she says means nothing, you got me?" He spoke quietly, so that only their immediate area could hear what he was saying, as the girl continued to yammer on from across the room.

"He's right, kid. She ain't worth your time." Xigbar confirmed, as he picked his paper back up. "It looks like Luna is watching you."

"Quit calling him that!" Axel said. He saw his older friend's amber eye grow in size, and instantly regretted what he had just said. "I don't need to know what he's doing," he muttered, trying to recover from his outburst.

"Whatever you say, Princess." Xigbar went back to reading his paper, cutting himself off from the conversation.

Sighing, the redhead stood up. "Roxas, I'm going to go and get my mission. Do you want to come with me?"

"N-No, I'll go after you." Bright cerulean eyes sparkled, the smaller Nobody keeping his face neutral. Axel gave a small nod of his head, and walked over to the bluenette, leaving the others behind.

Saïx was looking down at his clipboard, not paying any attention. Axel cleared his throat, and saw his amber eyes look up at him. "Ah, Number VIII. Are you here for your mission now?"

"Seeing as I can't avoid it any longer, I suppose that I am," Axel grumbled. "And why won't you tell me what's going on with you? You seem as if you're not even here. Like," his voice dropped to a whisper, "like our conversation last night never even took place."

The bluenette looked down at his clipboard. "Yes, well. That's nice. For your mission today, you will be paired with Number XIII again."

"Wonderful," Axel said, silently relieved at the small miracle that had been bestowed upon him. "Where are we heading to? Back to Twilight Town?"

His eyes still on the clipboard, Saïx shook his head. "No, Number VIII. You will be going to the Realm of Darkness with him."

"No fucking way," Axel said, without thinking. "He actually listened to me?" He couldn't believe he had just heard the bluenette correctly. Out of all the things he had expected Saïx to say, it had not been the world he had actually requested Xemnas send them to. He had thought that Xemnas would never agree to what he thought would be best for the newest Nobody, and was going to just send them back to Twilight Town. Even if it meant never getting Roxas to find his release.

"It would appear that way," Saïx said.

"Great, I'll go and get Roxas, then." Axel grinned, pleased with how this was turning out to be a much better day than he had anticipated. With the thoughts of having Roxas travel to the Realm of Darkness with him, he became giddy with anticipation. He turned around and began to walk back towards the couch where the others sat.

"Oh, Number VIII?" The bluenette's voice stopped Axel in his tracks. "I forgot to mention one thing."

Turning around, emerald eyes looked into deep amber eyes. "What did you forget to tell me, Is-Saïx?"

"You will actually be going on a joint mission with Roxas, and two others to the Realm of Darkness."

"Who are the two others?" Axel silently prayed that it wasn't going to be the two that had just began to threaten the spiky blonde in a verbal assault. He waited for the bluenette to speak, and when he did, he was too stunned by what he said, sure that he had not heard him correctly. "I'm sorry? What did you just say?" Axel asked, his brain still working on the sentence that the bluenette had just said.

Saïx sighed, and looked at his clipboard. "I will not repeat myself after this last time. The other two that will be joining you will be Superior and myself."

Just as the bluenette had said it again, the leader of the Organization walked into the Grey Area, the room becoming deathly quiet. Axel walked away from the bluenette, and headed back over to the couches, not bothering to acknowledge the tanned man, as he knew that even though he had listened to his suggestion, he was now purposefully setting him up to fail.

"What's going on, Princess? You look like you just got the worse news of your life," Xigbar asked, looking over at him. "Something the matter?"

"Axel?" Roxas asked. "Did you get your assignment?"

He looked over at Roxas first, his voice steadier than he felt. "You're paired with me again today, Rox. And it looks like we'll be going to the Realm of Darkness for your training."

"That's great news," Xigbar said, a grin on his face.

"No, it isn't," Axel sighed. "It isn't because I wasn't finished. It looks like both Xemnas and Saïx will be going with us."

"Oh dear," Luxord said. "Superior? Really? Is that what Saïx told you?"

Xigbar shook his head. "Princess, you gotta be positive about this. He's gone out on missions with me before. He's done that for all of us."

"This is the first time for me! And now, with Roxas? What the hell?" Axel groaned, leaning back against the couch. He looked over at Roxas, and saw that he was taking the news just as well as he was, if not worse. He leaned forward, and touched his gloved hand. "You're not going alone. I'm going to be there. This is okay, there's nothing bad about this."

"Are you sh-sh-sh-sh-sure?" Roxas stuttered, a grimace on his face. "Axel, I..."

The redhead nodded his head. "I'm positive, Roxas. Don't worry, okay? I'm sorry I'm overreacting. I just...this isn't something I thought about. I've never had to go out on a mission with him. I didn't even know he still did this sort of thing."

"O-O-O-Okay," Roxas nodded his head. "Should we go over there?" He nodded towards where Saïx and Xemnas were standing. Axel looked over, and felt his stomach clench tightly, as he saw just how chummy the two of them were acting.

So that's how it is. No wonder why you won't tell me what's going on. What happened last night after I ran away from you? Axel gave a small nod of his head. "Yeah, we should." He looked over at Xigbar and Luxord. "I may change my mind about that drink."

"Look, Axel, he isn't doing this to punish you." Xigbar said, meeting his eyes with his one good one. "He wants the same thing all of us want."

"To destroy everything?" Axel joked, sighing softly.

The older man rolled his eyes, and shook his head. "Go have fun on your mission. I've got a beer waiting for you."

"Thanks," Axel muttered as he stood up from the couch. Roxas stood up with him, and the two walked together over to where the bluenette was standing next to Xemnas. Clearing his throat, Axel saw the two of them look over at them. "Good morning, Superior."

Xemnas wore a smile on his face, and the redhead couldn't help but think that it was not a genuine one. "Ah, Number VIII. And Number XIII, what a nice surprise to see the two of you. Are you ready to head out of your assignment?"

"Yes," Axel answered for the both of them, not wanting Roxas to trip up on his words. He could already feel the tension rolling off of the spiky blonde, wanting to just take him in his arms and hug him tightly. But their present situation would not allow that sort of behavior, and Axel watched with trepidation as the bluenette created an obsidian portal. "We'll go first?"

"That's fine, Number VIII. We'll be right behind you," Xemnas drawled, standing close to Saïx.

Axel looked over at Roxas, and saw that he was watching him. "Want to go first, Roxas? I'll be right behind you." The spiky blonde nodded his head, as he approached the obsidian oval with a slight hesitation, and then stepped through, disappearing completely. Axel didn't bother to look behind him, not wanting to see either Saïx or Xemnas, as he stepped through the portal, leaving the Grey Area behind him.

When he exited the portal, he saw that they were standing on the shores of the Dark Margin. Looking over at the moon, he sighed inwardly, hating that he wasn't going to be alone with the spiky blonde. He saw Roxas standing perfectly still, staring over at a pile of rocks, that were covered in the iridescent liquid that seemed to manifest only in this realm. The redhead walked over to where he was, not wanting to be knocked in the back by either the bluenette, or the tanned man.

"I've been here before," Roxas spoke quietly, staring at the area. "I..."

"You came to see me here," Xemnas announced his arrival to the two of them. "Just when I had given up hope for you joining our ranks, you somehow managed to find me in that very spot."

The redhead was surprised by this information. "But I thought that you had met him in Twilight Town."

"I did, and when he wasn't sure if he was going to be joining us or not, I sent you to help me." Xemnas crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you doubt my intentions for the boy? I only wanted to make sure that he knew just how important he was to joining our cause."

The redhead wasn't quite sure just what the older man was playing at, as he couldn't see how either he or Roxas were any different to their cause. And hearing Xemnas call Roxas a boy wasn't sitting well with him either, but Axel knew he couldn't rebuttal that name. He heard the portal close behind him, notifying him that the bluenette had finally joined the three of them. He met Xemnas' amber eyes. "Sir, are you going to train him yourself, or do you still wish for me to help guide him?"

"We are just here as observationalists. Please, pretend that we're not here. Go about your business as if you were on your mission alone." Xemnas began to speak quietly to Saïx, leaving the redhead in a lurch with the spiky blonde.

Looking at his friend, Axel gave Roxas a reassuring smile. "Come on, Roxas. You heard him. Let's just act like neither of them are there."

"Axel, I...I..." Roxas tried to say something, but the words weren't coming out in the proper way.

The redhead placed his hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Ignore them. They're not here. It's just you and me, okay? No one else is here. I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you. Can you make your weapon appear for me?"

Roxas stood perfectly still, holding out his right hand. Moments later, the golden keyblade appeared in his hand. He heard Xemnas say something about the weapon, but chose to ignore him, as the man had all but instructed him that he wasn't even there. If he's not even here, then why is he here at all? Why do I have a feeling this is a set up? Axel felt the familiar weight of his own chakram in his hand appear as well, pleased that Roxas had responded so quickly to his suggestion, while pushing away the thoughts of being watched. "Where...where are we going?" Roxas asked, holding his keyblade with both hands.

"I think we need to move further inland. Time to meet those other Heartless I told you about," Axel began to walk away from the shore, heading towards the grove of trees. "Do you remember what I said about those?"

The smaller Nobody kept pace with him, keeping his keyblade close to his body. "They come up out of the Darkness."

"Very good," the redhead nodded. He heard a snort behind him, sounding quite like the bluenette, but didn't bother to turn around and give him any satisfaction. Axel just wanted to get this mission over with, so he could be far away from the two that were shadowing them. Besides making him uncomfortable, making him feel like he was having to perform, it was even worse being with Xemnas and Saïx. He could tolerate Xemnas on his own, no problem, had done so quite a few times. But he didn't trust the bluenette around Roxas, nor did he trust himself. "Did I tell you what they were called?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I know the ones we fought in before were...Emblems?"

"That's correct," Axel nodded.

"Does he know where they came from?" Xemnas questioned, the sound of his voice sounding directly behind him. Axel turned around and looked at the man, trying not to notice the state that Saïx seemed to be in. He could see a look of both pain and revelry, as his blue hair had become longer, his eyes fluctuating between the normal amber color and his bright yellow eyes. Axel noticed how close the bluenette was standing to Xemnas, almost standing on top of him. Making the mistake of looking down, he saw that it seemed the bluenette was quite excited.

"What do you mean, Superior?" Axel's eyes flashed a brighter green as he gave his direct attention to the tanned man. He could feel his stomach threatening to regurgitate whatever contents were in his stomach.

Xemnas chuckled darkly. "Oh, I'm sure you know what I mean, Number VIII. You were so adamant about pointing it out to me last night."

"No, he does not," Axel replied hastily, turning back to look at the spiky blonde, who wore a look of confusion on his face. "Don't worry, Rox. You're doing good. It doesn't matter where the Emblem Heartless come from. You just know that they are bad, and we take whatever means to destroy them."

He heard Saïx let out a soft whimper as something happened behind them. Axel refused to play into their games, knowing just what sort of noise that was, and couldn't believe that Xemnas would have the audacity to pull something of this nature. Wait, who am I kidding? Of course he would, he always likes to throw it in my face just who the victor is. Too bad the joke's on him, and I have given up on Isa. Saïx. Both. Axel noticed Roxas begin to turn around, and quickly put his hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Axel?"

"Come on. Let's go. Do you want to practice any magic first?" He kept his hand on the small of Roxas' back, guiding him further into the thicket, iridescent liquid pooling around every other tree. He bent his head down, and spoke softly in his ear. "Roxas, remember how I showed you my special attack?" He waited for the blonde to give him visual confirmation before continuing. "I have a good feeling that you may get to experience that today. It didn't seem to be happening in Twilight Town, which is why I asked to bring you here. I did not, however, ask the two of them to be with us."

Cerulean eyes began to waver. "A-Axel...I don't think I can do what you think. I don't even remember how I did the magic yesterday!"

"It's going to be okay," Axel stopped walking and looked down at him. "You don't have to worry. You have to not overthink, Roxas. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"I'm growing tired of this," Xemnas coughed into his hand behind them. "Why not just spar with one another? It is clear that there are no Shadows, nor any Neo-Shadows that are willing to come out right now."

"N-N-Neo...what?" Roxas asked. Axel narrowed his eyes, seeing the small smirk on the bluenette's face, finding humor in what the older man had just said.

"It's another form of the pureblood Heartless," Axel muttered, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine, Superior. You would like to see us spar?" He spun his chakram in his hand, his palm beginning to itch for its release.

Xemnas' face held a similar smirk. "I would like to see Roxas spar, but not with you."

"What?" Axel stopped his chakram from moving. "Then who do you suggest he spar with, if there are no Neo-shadows, or Shadows, when you're supposedly not here?"

"Me." A feral grin appeared on Saïx' face, his claymore appearing in front of him. "Superior feels it's best if we all learn each other's attack moves. Since Number XIII was not with us when we were human, he is not aware of most of the other styles of fighting. This will change today." A low chuckle came from behind Saïx, Xemnas clearly pleased with the bluenette's response.

Axel shook his head. "No, you'll hurt him." He knew that what he had just said would probably come back to haunt him, but he didn't want Roxas to get caught up in this mess. It wasn't fair to the blonde, and it wasn't fair to him to force him out of this match. "I can spar with him just fine."

"No," Xemnas replied, his arms crossed over his chest. "You need to let Number XIII be on his own two feet, Number VIII, as you will not always be around."

Staring helplessly at the smaller Nobody's form, Axel shook his head. "No, let us go further into the thicket. I'm sure that we'll find some sort of pureblood Heartless. You can't do this."

"Have you forgotten who I am?" Xemnas seethed, yanking on the redhead's arm, pulling him away from where Roxas stood. "Tell me, Number VIII. What rank do I have within this Organization? Is it number XIV? Is it Number V? NO. It is not." Axel closed his eyes tightly as he waited for the man's attack. His cheek stung, as the slap occurred only seconds after he prepared himself for it.

"AXEL!" Roxas shouted, trying to make his way over to him. But the bluenette was holding him back, almost forcefully so.

"Stay there!" Axel pleaded with the blonde, as he stood his ground in front of Xemnas. "You know that I do everything you tell me to do. I obey you, even when I don't think it's the right answer. This time, I cannot do that. You know as well as I do that Saïx will destroy him. He has just barely discovered his magic abilities. Don't force him into a fight that you know he won't win."

Amber eyes narrowed. "You have such little faith in the boy. Why not just see what will happen? Perhaps that little push is all that he needs to finally reach his full potential. We will not be leaving this realm until he shows he has learned to master his release."

"Please," Axel begged, almost slipping down to be on his knees to the man in front of him. "Please, let us just go in there, and you'll see, Superior. You'll see that he knows what he's doing."

Saïx let out a sharp howl as he rose up into the air, his eyes glowing bright yellow. Axel watched as Roxas stood his ground, the keyblade held in a deathgrip, the spiky blonde's knuckles a bright white. The redhead knew there would be nothing to stop the bluenette from mercilessly attacking the smaller Nobody. Without thinking twice, he threw his chakram at him, the force knocking the bluenette back to the ground. He shouted out in pain as he felt something hot press against his arm.

"I told you to stay out of it," Xemnas seethed, the glow of his red ethereal blade appearing in the corner of Axel's eye. "You directly disobeyed my order, Number VIII. And, it seems as if you've forgotten about what happens when you do something of this nature."

"STOP!" Axel screamed, trying to pull away from the man's blade. "I'm not doing anything! I just wanted Saïx to not hurt -"

He stopped talking as he stared at the spot where Roxas had just been. Instead of him being there, however, there was a bright streak in the ground. He saw Roxas was now directly behind the bluenette, and appeared to be quite upset. He watched as Roxas surrounded himself with what looked like thirteen pillars of light, the symbol that was adorned all over their castle resting on top of each of the pillars. The beams surrounded the bluenette, then spread outwards, before disappearing completely. Roxas swung his keyblade, knocking it against the bluenette's claymore, as more of those pillars appeared, attacking once more.

"Fascinating," Xemnas whispered, his blade no longer out. Both men kept watching as both Saïx and Roxas sparred more with each other, the blonde clearly having the upper hand in the fight.

Axel didn't know where to look. He pulled away from Xemnas and raced over to the fight, stepping in front of Roxas, blocking his last hit with both of his chakrams. Roxas stopped fighting immediately, once he saw who he was attacking. He heard Saïx snarl from on the ground, and quickly turned around to look at him.

"Don't be such a dick," Axel spoke low. "You had your fun. Let this be over."

"Axel..." Roxas said, his cerulean eyes blazing with fire. His keyblade disappeared as he began to fall forward. Axel made his chakrams disappear, before reaching out to catch the falling Nobody. He picked him up, and held him in his arms, looking back and forth between Xemnas and Saïx.

"You saw his release. We're heading back now. I don't give a fuck if you punish me for this. This mission is over." He opened an obsidian portal, and walked through it, not bothering to wait for an answer from either man. He felt Roxas cling to him, and could hear the soft moans that were coming from his lips. The exercise had clearly stimulated the spiky blonde, just as he knew it would, the memory of his first time reaching his release assaulting his brain painfully.

They had been in the classroom, after they had sparred together outside, only returning once they were called back inside. Both assumed attack stances, observing each other. Lea had made his way towards Isa, spinning his weapons, when all of a sudden, his palms began to itch like crazy. Before he knew what was happening, he began to emit fire out of the center of his hands. He watched as Isa stood there, staring at him, a look of confusion in his eyes. He stared back with wide, frightened eyes, dropping his chakrams out of his hands. "What is going on?" Lea cried out, looking as Ansem. The older man appeared to be...glowing.

"It worked!" Ansem clapped his hands together and walked over to where Xehanort had been standing.

Shaking off the memories, having no desire to even think about the bluenette, not after what had just happened, he held onto the blonde tighter. He silently hoped that Roxas was not in the same state he had been, when he had first experienced his release. He had no idea where the blonde had gotten the spark from, nor did he understand just what his power was, but he knew with that burst of power, Roxas' body was going to be...charged. He pressed his cheek against the top of Roxas' head as another soft moan reverberated in his ears, keeping the spiky blonde secure in his arms as they traveled through the Corridor of Darkness, Axel's feet not moving fast enough for him.

They appeared back in Roxas' room, the redhead wanting to stay far away from his own room. He set Roxas down on the bed, pulling off his gloves. He rested both hands on the blonde's cheeks, biting his lower lip as Roxas began to moan a little louder. Looking around, Axel used magic to silence the room, as well as put the barrier spell up, not wanting anyone to show up unannounced. He stroked his thumb across Roxas' cheek, smiling softly. "I told you we'd find that release today, Roxas. I'm so proud of you." He kept his voice quiet, not wanting to provoke any aggravation the smaller Nobody might be feeling.

"Axel..." Roxas' eyes became half-lidded, the more his thumbs stroked his cheeks. "My body...it's so hot right now..."

Leaning forward, Axel tried not to wince as the pain in his arm made an appearance, the skin stretching too much as he tried to balance himself above the blonde's head. "I know, Roxas. It's like how you felt when you used magic, isn't it?"

"Yes, but...it's...it's..." Roxas turned his face, pulling Axel's thumb into his mouth, sucking gently on the appendage.

The redhead groaned low, watching as his thumb slipped more into the blonde's mouth. "Roxas, would you like for me to take that pain away again?" His voice dropped an octave, his hormones going into overdrive as the smaller Nobody's pink tongue rubbed against the pad of his thumb, the feeling striking his core.

"Please," Roxas whispered around his thumb, as he nodded his head.

"Then, lay back." He began to pull off Roxas' gloves, setting the garments on the small nightside. "It's time I show you just how incredible you can feel after using your raw power like that." Axel met his eyes, pulling his thumb from Roxas' parted lips. He rubbed the pad of his thumb across Roxas' bottom lip, another soft moan sent shivers down Axel's spine, making his hand tremble slightly. "Just know that things are going to change now, but it won't be anything bad. The changes will be incredible." He kept his eyes on Roxas' cerulean orbs. "Are you okay with this?"Am I okay with these changes? After what just happened...I know where I'm supposed to be.

"I am, Axel," the smaller Nobody agreed without pause.

"Wonderful." The redhead closed his eyes, and allowed himself to surrender to the thoughts he had been having of the blonde, finally making them blossom into a reality.