A/N: Okay, before I even start, I want all of you to know, I am the farthest thing from racist. I have so many different cultured friends. However, this fanfic is set in America in the 1600's. The slave trade was booming, and, to be honest, Africans were slaves. (Oh, big shock.) So yes, I'm afraid that I will reference Black people as being slaves, as that is natural in this setting. I will not, however, make it sound nasty, as I believe all people to be equal. That said, most of the slaves in this fic are white, believe it or not. And yes, despite popular belief, there were slaves that weren't African. And regardless, this is a fanFICTION, the big part being FICTION. That is all for now. Serious BoyxBoy, just as a warning. Don't own the characters.

"Ah, sir, we've been waiting for you!"

The red-head in question smirked. He knew that he was well known in this business, and he was proud. Despite the bad reputation that the slave trade had earned, it was what kept not only this, but several other countries running. Axel made a point of coming to the auctions every month, and had a perfect record of purchasing at every one of them. Occasionally he would sell as well, after a slave had been used to its full extent, though he never sold to anyone who he didn't trust.

That was another thing. Axel was known for his kindness to his slaves. That was rare in this day and age. But he had been taught that way by his older brother, who had raised him. He had learned that people responded better to a kind hand than a harsh one.

And so he treated each of his workers as they should be treated, as long as they did what they were told. They were well fed and healthy, and had time to themselves. He also allowed them the opportunity to buy their freedom, which not many owners did. If they did buy their freedom, he would personally escort them to the border so that they would not be recaptured, and sent them off with a set of clothes and a recommendation for a job.

That was why he was so well known, and he took pride. So when the Englishman addressed him directly, he smirked, and followed him into the auction area.

It is a common misconception that all slaves were black, and that was definitely not the case, especially in this area. The people around here preferred light skin, and the English traders had no problem with providing the type. So, although there were Africans, there was also a large ethnical assortment mixed in. Axel himself preferred the fair ones, so he was not complaining.

When he arrived, he noticed that it was a rather large group this time around. Perhaps a village had been raided, or a city captured. Regardless, there were plenty to choose from. Axel took his time, going from one prospect to the next.

Despite his expertise on the subject, and the wide assortment, Axel was having difficulty deciding on which he wanted to buy. To be honest, he didn't need any more workers, so there weren't many options for him. He could get another cook, but the ones he had at home were managing just fine. That really only left him with one option.

He looked around, and quickly located the Building that was to be his destination .It was common knowledge what the place was for, but it was never spoken of. What one bought at the auctions was one's business, a policy that Axel appreciated. He walked quickly, and gently opened the door.

The inside smelled, a smell that Axel knew well. It was a close sister to the smell one finds in a brothel, but slightly less refined. The building was familiar, as Axel visited it about twice annually, so he immediately went to the right in search of the salesman. He didn't search for long.

"Ah, Master Axel. You are earlier than usual." Axel smirked again. Even the salespeople that lived overseas knew him by name, and had memorized his schedule. He must be a very important customer to have that much fame.

"Yes, I know. I simply could not wait until next month. I sold my last one off, and have been rather pent up since." The dealer gave a knowing nod.

"Of course. After a certain amount of time, it seems less exciting."

"Yes. I have grown bored of women. I was considering trying a boy this time around. Do you have anything that might fit my fancy?"

There should be no mistake. Axel did not buy these people because he could not get the affections of another. Frankly, he could have any woman or man he wanted. However, Axel bored easily, and therefore knew that committing to a relationship would end badly, so he avoided it. This was just a simple way to release his pent up stress.

But even this had begun to seem boring. Women were all the same to him at this point. They felt the same, sounded the same, and even looked the same. That was why he had decided to try something new. He had never taken a boy, and did not know that he would like it, but it never hurt to try new things.

"Well, if your taste in boys is similar to your taste in women, then I think I have the perfect thing for you." Axel nodded, and followed when gestured to do so. He passed different stalls as he went, each containing another candidate for purchase. Though there were several attractive girls, and even a few appealing boys, the dealer led Axel on, all the way to the end of the rows, in a far corner.

"Sorry that you had to walk so far. We like to keep the special ones towards the back. Axel nodded, then trailed behind as the man entered one of the few covered stalls. It was a bit dark, illuminated only by a flickering candle, but what Axel saw stunned him.

On the ground lay the most beautiful boy Axel had ever seen.

He had thick honey-blonde hair that fell untamed but somehow perfect. His skin was a creamy white, broken by a red tint only where his hands were bound behind his back. His naked body was curled slightly, and he laid on his side to avoid the discomfort that would have come had he chosen to lay on his back. He was thin and small, but not unhealthily so. And when he lifted his face to discern the identity of the person who had entered, Axel met the most entrancing blue eyes he had ever seen. Such a gorgeous icy-blue color, it sent a shiver through Axel's entire being. A gasp escaped from the boy's perfect lips, which quickly pulled into a slight pout, and his nose turned up with just a hint of prepubescence. He was exactly what Axel wanted.

"How much?" The dealer jumped at the sudden appearance of sound in the room.

"Oh, Sir, don't you wish to hear the details first?" Axel nodded, though he didn't need to hear them. This boy was going home with him, regardless of anything anyone said. "He is around fifteen or sixteen, and weighs approximately one hundred and ten pounds. He is a mix of French and Japanese, though he has been taught English, from what we can tell. He is completely virginal, of course." Axel liked the last part quite a bit.

"Very good. How much does he cost?" The dealer smiled, knowing the information had been pointless.

"How does 800 pound sound?" Axel flinched a bit. That was quite a bit of money, but, looking down at the blonde, he knew it was worth it.

"Very well, that will do." The man grinned, having made quite the profit today.

"Thank you, sir. You will not be disappointed." Axel nodded. "If you'll follow me, we'll have him prepared and brought to you towards the front." Axel obliged, leaving his new blonde for the time being. He assumed they would clothe him for the trip home. "How is it that you wish to pay today, Master Axel?" Axel thought. Though he could easily wait until the next auction to pay, seeing as he had an excellent reputation for clearing debts, he felt harder-pressed to pay for the boy now. He would rather know that he had full ownership than wait and have him reclaimed. Though this had never happened to him personally, he had heard several stories.

"Would it be possible for you to send someone to me tomorrow? I have the money at my disposal, but did not bring it with me." The dealer nodded with a smile.

"Likely a wise decision. I will see to it that someone is sent."

"You have my thanks, sir." Axel was then left to wait as the man headed back in the direction of the stalls. He wasn't waiting long before the man reappeared, blonde boy in tow. He stumbled, all the while tugging at the ropes keeping him Captive. He had been dressed in a long gown, simple, but enough to get him home in. His face was slightly flushed, and his eyebrows creased, but he refused to make eye-contact. "Ah, you dressed him. Excellent."

"Of course. Not even a slave can go out naked." Axel nodded his agreement. "I will arrange for one of my men to meet you tomorrow to collect the payment. Please, do enjoy him." And it was as simple as that. The blonde was now his.

.-.-.-.-+-.-.-.-.

Turns out that the beautiful blonde boy was going to be quite the handful. Even just getting him to the carriage was a hassle. Though he walked steadily to the edge of the auction square, as soon as he had left the gates, he refused to move. He sat right where he was, and no amount of tugging from Axel succeeded in getting him to move again. Exasperated, Axel came and knelt by his side.

"Um, is there an issue?" The blonde did not respond, simply ignoring Axel completely. "Well, you are going to need to be moving. I have places to be, I'm afraid." But the boy did not so much as bat an eyelash. Axel sighed. "Alright then." He stood, and the blonde glanced up, expecting to see a defeated redhead, but was met with something else entirely. Axel tied the rope that was attached to the blondes hands around his own waist. Inquisitive, the blonde's eyebrows scrunched, but he was quickly given an explanation.

Axel began walking, straight forward. Because of his position, the blonde was pulled forward, and ended up with his face in the dust. He struggled in protest, flailing his legs in an attempt to plant himself to the ground once again, but to no avail. Axel continued, dragging the blonde behind him.

"Un... Ah! Mate(1)!" Axel stopped, and turned to look at the boy.

"Are you going to walk?" Though he glared, he nodded. Axel helped him off the ground, and resumed walking, this time feeling no resistance as he went. He glanced back to make sure that the blonde was alright, but was only ever met with a down-turned and angry face. He sighed, realising that he had purchased himself quite the stubborn little boy.

Now that the boy was following, they made it to Axel's waiting carriage quickly. Axel waited patiently for the blonde to get in first, but he did not budge. Whether this was because he did not know better, or because he had resumed his stubborn behaviors, Axel did not know, but he was getting testy regardless.

"Are you going to get in, or am I going to have to put you in?" He reacted, and glared, but obliged and stepped in. Axel followed behind, and his escort quickly set the vehicle into motion. Axel lived nearby, so the ride home would only take a few minutes, but Axel would have to kill time somehow.

"Do you have a name?" The boy, who had been looking out the small window, turned at this and looked at the redhead before him. He offered no answer. "Um, you do speak English, correct?" He nodded in confirmation. "Then why do you refuse to answer me?" He glared, but opened his mouth.

"Roxas." It was short, and threw Axel off a bit at first. Just with that one word, Axel was infatuated with the voice that had spoken it. Finally, he realised that it was the answer to his previous question.

"Roxas? That is a lovely name. My name is Axel." Roxas turned back to the window indifferently. Axel did not plan on letting him go that easy, however. "How old are you?" Though he had been given a generalization, he wanted to know the fact, so he asked. Roxas turned back, looking quite miffed.

"I am 15. Leave me alone." Axel raised an eyebrow. Though he found it interesting, the boy was going to have to learn his place, and soon. He could not be speaking that way towards Axel for very much longer, Axel simply would not allow it.

"Oh? You dare speak that way to the one that just bought you?" Roxas glared, obviously not in a state of caring. Definitely stubborn.

"Are you proud of yourself? Happy that you bought a person? Do not you see how disgusting is that? Are people worth really so little to you? That could you put value of them? What if it was you, in this place, instead of me? How do you feel like about that?" After deciphering the slightly broken English, Axel realised that he had just been insulted.

"Really? So I'm disgusting, am I?" Roxas nodded, still glaring. "Is that so? Well, let me tell you, you could have been a lot worse off. In fact, you should likely be thanking the lord that it was I who purchased you. To be quite blunt, there are some very disgusting men in this world, and you are a very beautiful boy. Had it been someone other than me, you would almost definitely be torn apart, whipped into submission, malnourished, and in constant pain. However, you managed to get lucky today, because it was I who bought you. If you behave yourself, you can have a relatively comfortable life. However, I do own you, so I do have the authority to do any of those terrible things to you, should I please. I would suggest that you keep that fact in your mind before you speak such stupid words again."

Roxas looked startled, and Axel could see the fear spreading through the blonde's being.

"Master? We have arrived. Will you be going out again soon, or shall I return the horses to the stable?" Axel looked up. The slave that had been driving had opened the door to the carriage.

"No. I will not be going out again tonight. Please return them, then go to the kitchen and have lunch." The tall brunette glanced at Roxas, but the eye contact was not returned.

"Of course, thank you master." He returned to the front and began to undo the harnesses on the horses.

"It is time to get out." Axel was ignored though, as the blonde did not respond. "Roxas. Now." Still, the blonde did not move. Aggravated, Axel took up the rope again and pulled on it sharply. Roxas fell to the floor with a sharp yelp. "I will drag you there, but it would rather hurt to fall out of here, considering how tall my carriage is." He began to make his way toward the door.

"Yame(2)... Wait! I will go!" Roxas tried to push himself off of the ground, but found difficulty in the task because of his bound hands. Axel sighed and bent down. He picked the blonde up and set him on his feet.

"You make things so difficult, not only for me, but for yourself as well. Just listen to me when I tell you to do something, and your life will be much easier. Let's go." Roxas followed this time, stepping out of the carriage. "Leon, I forgot to tell you, please put the carriage away as well." The brunette in question looked up from the horse that he was about to lead away, and responded quickly.

"Of course master."

"Thank you." Axel walked toward his home, Roxas following behind silently.

Roxas POV:

Why? Why am I here? Why am I naked? Why is it so dark? Why are my hands bound? What are they going to do to me? Where am I?Where is Cloud?

Roxas silently panicked, not sure of very much at the moment. The only things he knew was that he was naked, cold, bound, and alone. When, where, even how he had arrived were facts he was not aware of. He was not moving, be that a good thing or a bad thing. But he was alive. That fact in and of itself comforted him slightly, just enough to calm him down.

He took a deep breath, deciding that panicking was not going to help him in this situation. He tried to take in his surroundings again, since the only thing he had noticed the first time was the darkness. Glancing around again, he realised that his eyes had adjusted. There was not much for him to see though. He was in a very small box-like room. Looking up, the ceiling appeared solid, meaning that he was in a building of some sort. By the echoing sounds around him, it was safe to say that it was a rather large building, likely made to house many people inside of it.

The next thing Roxas noticed was the sound. Though it seemed silent in his initial panic, when he listened carefully he could hear soft noises from all around him. Gentle moans, soft crying, what he believed to be praying, among other things. So he wasn't alone.

Is Cloud here? Is he nearby? Is he okay? Is he trying to find me? Is he even alive?

Roxas worked himself up again, and his breathing became harder. The last thing he remembered was walking with Cloud to the local gardens to have a picnic lunch. They would have gone to a café, but neither was very skilled with French, so it was just too much of a hassle, which they preferred to avoid, so they had packed their own lunch. He remembered sitting in the grass and eating the rice that Cloud had cooked. They both preferred Japanese food over French, so it was lucky that Cloud had learned to cook before they had been forced to leave. Once they finished they had taken a walk, and were on their way home. And then...

Roxas heard fabric rustling and looked up. He discovered that a man had entered the small space.

"Better keep your mouth shut." Roxas looked at him incredulously.

"Why should I?" It was childish, but Roxas did not very much care.

"Because if you do not, I can promise quite the beating." Roxas glared. Who was this man? What was he talking about, and what gave him the right to threaten Roxas? Before Roxas could ask, the man pulled a piece of flint out and lit a candle, placing it on the ground next to him, and left without another word. Well, at least he could see now.

What had the man meant by keep his mouth shut? Who was he going to talk to in this... room... Before he could ponder it further, the curtain was drawn again. This time a different man stepped in, glancing harshly at Roxas. He was followed by someone. Roxas chose to look at the ground, not particularly wanting to look at the people that had entered. He waited for a few moments for them to say their piece and leave, but it was silent. He could feel eyes on him, and a chill raced down his spine. Looking up, he gasped. The man who had entered was, to be blunt, gorgeous.

He was tall, excessively so, and very thin. He had bright, toxically green eyes, and the reddest hair Roxas had ever seen. And he was looking right at Roxas, scrutinizing every inch of him. Roxas scowled, hating the tingling sensation that ran down his back once again.

"How much?" Roxas jumped at the sudden intrusion of a sound into his thoughts. The redhead had a lovely voice, deep, but not too much so. Just enough to sound masculine.

"Oh, Sir, don't you wish to hear the details first?"

Wait, what details? How much what? What are they talking about?

The redhead nodded, but, upon glancing up, Roxas noticed that he didn't seem to be listening.

"He is around fifteen or sixteen, five feet and four inches tall, and weighs approximately one hundred pounds. He is a mix of French and Japanese, though he has been taught English, from what we can tell. He is completely virginal, of course."

How does he know that? I don't look Japanese! Did Cloud tell him? Surely not! But then how? And why does it sound like he is trying to sell me?

"Very good. How much does he cost?"

WHAT? He is trying to sell me! That is illegal! I am not a negro! Why are they selling me?

"How does 800 pound sound?" The redhead flinched and grimaced, but nodded.

"Very well, that will do." The nasty man grinned, obviously pleased with himself.

"Thank you, sir. You will not be disappointed."

H-He just sold me... I... I'm a slave?

Roxas couldn't believe the words, even as he thought them. There was no way that he had been sold! He was predominantly French, and France was a place that slaves COULD NOT be taken from. So why? Why had he just been sold off to this man?

"If you'll follow me, we'll have him prepared and brought to you towards the front." The redhead nodded and left, leaving Roxas alone in the room once again. Roxas shivered at the sudden loss of presence. He had just been sold, and yet still, it wasn't registering in his mind. What was in store for him, he did not know. He did, however, know how slaves were typically treated, and he was terrified. What would this man do to him? Would he be working in fields, or in the kitchen, or...

His thoughts were interrupted as the candle lighting man returned, this time holding a mess of fabric in his hands. He bent down and untied Roxas' hands before hoisting him up onto his feet.

"You got lucky, you pretty thing. Put this on." Roxas wanted to slap him. How on earth had he gotten lucky? He had just been sold into slavery, and was probably going to spend the rest of his life in a field pulling up weeds. Nevertheless, he did not wish to get the beating that had been promised to him beforehand, so he took the clothing that was handed to him. He let the excess fall, and found that he had been given a long gown, similar to the ones that he usually slept in. Was he to go out in this? To look like a woman? Well, at least he would be covered. He slipped it carefully over his head and let it fall. It came all the way to his ankles, but it was loose enough that it would not hinder his movements.

He was prepared to sit back down, but the man grabbed him harshly by the wrist. Roxas let out a yelp, which was ignored as the man retied his hands. Before Roxas could gather his thoughts enough to struggle, the man had finished. He was led out of the room, pulled by the excess rope in the man's hands, just like a horse or mule. It was disgraceful.

Halfway through the hallway the other man met them and took the rope. Roxas glared at him, trying to kill him with his thoughts alone. He was unsuccessful, of course. He was led to what he assumed was the front of the building, and found the redhead waiting there for him. He stumbled a bit, taken off guard for some reason. Roxas gave a tug on the rope, not really expecting it to give. What would he have done if it had? He would be caught and beaten if he ran, and what other option did he have? He gave up the idea of struggling.

"Ah, you dressed him. Excellent." Roxas wanted to scoff. Was he to go naked? Then again, he had heard of slaves forced to do just that.

"Of course. Not even a slave can go out naked." Roxas had to appreciate that statement, even if it had come from a man that he had already grown to hate. "I will arrange for one of my men to meet you tomorrow to collect the payment. Please, do enjoy him."

Enjoy me? What am I, a product? Is it enjoyable to watch people work in a field? English people are so confusing!

Roxas' restraints were handed to the redhead. Despite his displeasure, Roxas followed behind. He was glad to be leaving the building, which smelled strangely, and seemed to threaten him just by existing.

-.-.-.-+-.-.-.-

Roxas decided that he wasn't going to make this easy on his new owner. Once out of the busy square, which seemed to be used exclusively for the slave trade, Roxas sat down on the ground. This was how he usually got his way when Cloud tried to convince him to do something that he did not like. He just sat and refused to move. The redhead tugged at the rope a few times, before turning and making his way to Roxas' side.

"Um, is there an issue?" Roxas did not respond, simply ignoring Axel completely. Of course there was an issue! Roxas did NOT want to be a slave. "Well, you are going to need to be moving. I have places to be, I'm afraid." Roxas still refused to move. Perhaps he should have thought of that before buying Roxas. The man sighed. "Alright then."

Roxas looked up at that. Alright what? Was he to be freed? Was it really that simple? The redhead tied the rope around his waist. Roxas scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, but he wasn't left to wonder for very long. He felt a sharp pull on the rope, and was pulled forward harshly. He yelped, but the man kept walking, ignoring Roxas as he dragged across the ground, unable to right himself with his hands bound.

It hurt,to put it simply. His body was dragging across the hard, rough ground. No amount of flailing he did could get him on his feet, and he just ended up hurting himself more.

"Un... Ah! Mate(1)!" He realised that he had spoken in his native tongue, and was about to repeat his request in English, but the man stopped.

"Are you going to walk?" Roxas glared, not pleased in the least, but he nodded. He did not want to be dragged again. The man came and helped him up, then resumed walking. Roxas followed this time. They made quick progress, and Roxas found himself face to face with a large carriage. He stared at it, not sure what to make of the monstrosity. It was the type of carriage that he expected to read about in a fairytale, not one that would be owned by a man such as the redhead.

"Are you going to get in, or am I going to have to put you in?" Roxas scowled. How was he supposed to know that he was to get in first. He had not been informed of this, so the redhead had no right to speak to him as though he was a child. Regardless, it was embarrassing to be out in the open, wearing only a gown, and being led like a mule, so Roxas obliged and climbed into the carriage. The man followed close behind and closed the door. The carriage immediately set into motion. Roxas turned to look out of the window, not particularly interested in the man that was to be his owner.

"Do you have a name?" Roxas turned. Of course this couldn't have been a quite ride. No, that would be too easy. "Um, you do speak English, correct?" Did he really come off as that unintelligent? Hadn't he responded properly when spoken to? He nodded, trying to hold his tongue."Then why do you refuse to answer me?" He glared, tempted to hit the man for his ignorance.

"Roxas." His answer seemed to throw the redhead off momentarily, but he quickly regained himself.

"Roxas? That is a lovely name. My name is Axel." Roxas turned back to the window, not really caring. "How old are you?" Roxas was getting annoyed with this. He did NOT want to speak with this man.

"I am 15. Leave me alone." Roxas saw Axel raise an eyebrow. What the gesture meant, he did not know. It could have been bad, or it could have been good.

"Oh? You dare speak that way to the one that just bought you?" Roxas outwardly glared at that. He was officially agitated at that point. This man, Axel, was one hell of an arrogant bastard.

"Are you proud of yourself? Happy that you bought a person? Do not you see how disgusting is that? Are people worth really so little to you? That could you put value of them? What if it was you, in this place, instead of me? How do you feel like about that?" Roxas knew that Cloud would have yelled at him for his grammar, but he didn't very much care at that point. Axel's face seem confused at first, but changed quickly into one of anger.

"Really? So I'm disgusting, am I?" Roxas nodded, glaring, but slightly regretful. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, it had just rushed forth. "Is that so? Well, let me tell you, you could have been a lot worse off. In fact, you should likely be thanking the lord that it was I who purchased you. To be quite blunt, there are some very disgusting men in this world, and you are a very beautiful boy. Had it been someone other than me, you would almost definitely be torn apart, whipped into submission, malnourished, and in constant pain. However, you managed to get lucky today, because it was I who bought you. If you behave yourself, you can have a relatively comfortable life. However, I do own you, so I do have the authority to do any of those terrible things to you, should I please. I would suggest that you keep that fact in your mind before you speak such stupid words again." Roxas was a bit startled at that, and he felt fear rack his body. Was he really to be tortured so? Was there any chance of escaping? How on earth was working in a field or kitchen, day in and day out, supposed to be a comfortable life? And what did his beauty have to do with anything?

"Master? We have arrived. Will you be going out again soon, or shall I return the horses to the stable?" Roxas jumped. He had forgotten that carriages do not drive themselves. There was a man at the door, likely a servant. Surely not a slave, as he had been driving and left by himself in town whilst Axel shopped, as well as the fact that he was fair of skin. This man puzzled Roxas, but he looked away. He did not like to look at the scar on the brunette's face. Roxas had never liked scars.

"No. I will not be going out again tonight. Please return them, then go to the kitchen and have lunch." Roxas tried to process this. Axel had requested, since he had used please. So that decided the matter. This man was a servant. Roxas felt eyes on him, and was tempted to meet them, but refused, knowing that his eyes would once again meet with the scar.

"Of course, thank you master." He returned to the front and began to undo the harnesses on the horses.

"It is time to get out." Roxas heard the words, but could not comprehend them at the moment. He was confused about the brunette once again. Did servants call their employers 'Master'? "Roxas. Now." Still, Roxas ignored him. What was he supposed to do? He could not remember the command. He felt a sharp tug at the rope, and fell to the floor with a yelp. "I will drag you there, but it would rather hurt to fall out of here, considering how tall my carriage is." Roxas realised what he was being told to do.

"Yame(2)... Wait! I will go!" Again, he took to his native tongue, and corrected himself quickly. He tried to push himself off of the ground, but found difficulty in the task because of his bound hands. Axel sighed and bent down. Roxas felt himself being lifted, and allowed himself to be placed on his feet. He scowled, his knees now hurting because of the impact of the fall.

"You make things so difficult, not only for me, but for yourself as well. Just listen to me when I tell you to do something, and your life will be much easier. Let's go." Roxas followed this time, stepping out of the carriage.

My life would be even easier if I hadn't been sold into slavery...

"Leon, I forgot to tell you, please put the carriage away as well." The brunette in question looked up from the horse that he was about to lead away, and responded quickly.

"Of course master."

"Thank you." Axel walked toward his home, Roxas following behind silently, wondering if was normal for a 'Master' to now his servant/slaves by name.