Axel gave his usual cocky grin as he strutted down the alley way to where his target lay, cowering. Ever since his best friend, Roxas, had forgotten him, Axel had gone on a rampage. He picked random people to burn a memory of himself into, and if he was ticked enough, burn them alive. Tonights target was a teenage girl, who made the mistake of insulting Axel's hair. "So, you don't even know me and you insult my hair. You wouldn't have even remembered doing that a couple days from now would you? Would you?" Axel roared. The girl merely broke into tears, mascara running down her cheeks. "Well, I'll make sure you remember me, the rest of your life, if i don't just finish you off tonight!" Axel ignited a ball of flame in his palm and threw it at the girl, but someone dropped down from a rooftop and caught it!
The figure landed in a crouch, with the fireball in their hand. "I've finally found you" a female voice said. The figure stood up to reveal themself as a girl who looked the same age Axel did, with messy shoulder length brown hair and eyes that reflected the firelight like amber. Her figure was full, but athletic, and she held herself in the stance of a skilled fighter. She twirled the fireball around her fingers and said, "So, you're the one whose been terrorizing people and burning them down. I've been chasing you down for the past few weeks now, and we finally meet." The girl gave a grin that mirrored the one Axel had been wearing before he shed his grin for a look of astonishment.
"You, and the fire... and... not burning?" Axel was incredibly confused right now. Was she another Nobody? He would be able to tell if she was, right? What was her name? Where did she come from? A million questions raced through his mind, and none had answers. Axel quickly composed himself enough to ask one question. "Who are you?"
"An excellent question, Hot Shot. But it is one that I cannot answer fully. The name's Alyeska Moonbane, but that's not neccesarily who I am. It's just my name. What about you?"
Axel stared at Alyeska for a while before answering. "The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" He put on his grin again and a thought just struck him. "Well," he said, "you can catch fireballs just fine. But can you throw?" Axel waited for her answer while looking her up and down. Wouldn't mind a couple pics of that in my room, he thought to himself.
"You really want me to throw?" Alyeska finally said. "Alright, but if you miss, you get the blame, not me." She threw the ball at Axel and he caught it, but unfortunately for him, she had fiddled with the fire so it would rebel against him. The fireball bounced out of his hand and onto his chest, lighting his jacket on fire.
"Oh crap! This is my nice jacket too! I just got his yesterday, woman!" Axel yelled. He quickly put it out and mourned his ruined clothing. All he wanted to do was teach that hair-insulting punk a lesson, and now this chick who could handle fire pops up and distracts him. Now the girl he was originally targeting had slipped away and he was stuck with this crazey woman who ruined his new jacket. "Damn it." He looked up and gasped in shock; the new girl was standing barely a foot away. She must've closed in when he was absorbed in his jacket.
"Alright, Axel. You've been freaking out my town, and making life hard for me and everyone else here. I don't think you're really a bad guy. So tell me, what did you loose, besides sanity, to make you go berserk?" Alyeska crossed her arms and stood in a relaxed pose. Axel told her about how Roxas didn't remember his anymore, and they had been best friends since he could remember. He didn't know why he was telling her all this, but once he started, he couldn't stop. He told her everything. He told her he was a Nobody, and told her about Organization XIII. Everything. She just sat and nodded and said "ooh" or "mhmm" at just the right places. When he finished they sat in silence for a while. For the first time, Axel didn't feel like he needed to act his emotions. He almost felt like they were there.
Alyeska got up and walked towards him. She took his face in her hands and their eyes met. She gazed up into his eyes for a while and finally said, "Alright. I believe you. But I can't let you go. Not after all the carnage you've caused. After all, you're not exactly innocent." Alyeska continued to pace the alley way, muttering to herself. After a minute she looked up at Axel and said, "How about we get out of this filthy alley and go somewhere clean. My roommates are out tonight so my apartment should be mostly empty. C'mon" Alyeska grabbed Axel's wrist and dragged him along a few blocked to a nice, but not over the top, apartment building. They went up to the room and opened the door, and two large Malamutes bounded towards them. They pounced Alyeska and slobbered all over her face, obviously glad that she was back.
Blushing, she got up and wiped the dog slobber off her face and said, "Sorry about that. They're my familiars. This grey one with the blue eyes is Kimchi, and the black one is Pap. They always get worked up whenever I go out without them and let it all out when I get back. Kimchi gets more excited though. Thats why I named her Kimchi." Alyeska sat Axel down in their living room and explained that her mother was Korean and they often ate spicy fermented cabbage. It is a common dish in Korea and it's called Kimchi. Pap in Korean means rice, and where there's kimchi, there's rice to eat with it. Pap and Kimchi are sisters, so they're inseparable.
"Well, I guess I know you a little better now." Axel stated. Why am I so calm? He thought to himself. Shouldn't I have lit her on fire and laughed maniacally as she burned? Oh yeah, she's fire proof. Still don't know how. And she said the dogs were her familiars? Thats not common speech is it? Axel cursed under his breath, for he still didn't know much of what was going on.
"I heard that. I won't have cursing under this roof. And Pap and Kimchi won't either, will you?" Alyeska said, turning to the dogs. They growled at Axel, as if to prove Alyeska's point. "I can tell you still have alot of questions. I suppose since you've told me your story it's only fair to tell you mine. I might as well be blunt. I'm a werewolf. And a pyre kinetic one at that. I've always been able to manipulate fire, but I wasn't a werewolf until I got bitten one night when I was camping with my family. I was walking out into the woods on my own (stupid I know) when I suddenly found myself in the middle of a fight between two big wolves that had just run into the path right on top of me. I got bitten but ran away before they could really take too much notice of me. Next full moon, bang!, trasformation." Alyeska sighed and looked down at her hands lying in her lap. Her bangs fell into her face, but she made no effort to put them in their place. After a while, she looked up through her bangs at Axel. "Pretty weird story, huh? Well, I guess your's wasn't too normal either. I guess my werewolf-ness explains why I'm so close to Kimchi and Pap."
"Yeah, I guess that helps a bit." Axel thought to himself, Why did I tell her about myself? I feel alot better now that I have, but I still want to know why I did it... At least its off my chest now. I guess. Maybe she was just trying to be nice? What if she... no. Axel was snapped out of his inner conversation with a sudden idea. He stood up and said, "Well, Aly, I know about you now. But I don't know you. How about we go out for some coffee or something." He reached his hand out to her to help her up. Alyeska looked at his hand, and then up at his face.
"You're not afraid? Anyone with a brain would be afraid of me. I'm a monster. I could tear you apart. Limb from limb." Alyeska's eyes were filled with remembered pain from years back.
"Well, maybe I don't have a brain. Besides, its not your fault. And you're not a monster. You're... different, yes, but not a monster." Axel set his mouth in a determined smile and said, "So, do you want that coffee?"
Alyeska looked out the window and said, "Its nearly 9. Don't you think its a bit late for coffee?" Alyeska's eyes widened momentarily, hit by a sudden idea. She took his hand and rose from her chair. "But you know what?" Alyeska twirled in on Axel so her back was against his front, "I'll take you up on that something you mentioned." Alyeska rested her head against Axel's muscled chest and looked up at him.
Axel was looking down at Alyeska, totally shocked. Something? What something? But then he caught on. With a grin he said, "Sure. Something is better than nothing after all." Alyeska was still up against him and he put his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. She twisted slightly in his arms and gently bit his ear. Axel's stomach went crazy with butterflies. He could feel her breath against his neck and it was driving him insane. He gathered his thoughts slightly and kissed the nape of her neck. "Then again..."
"Feeling shy, are you?" Alyeska read his thoughts completely and said, "Let's find a way to break the ice." Alyeska turned herself so she was facing Axel. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she met his lips in a passionate kiss. Fire coursed through Alyeska's body, and sparked memories long forgotten. As they broke apart she murmured, "Looks like we're both fast workers. But do you just leave when the job is done?" She walked off to the window that led to the balcony and put her forehead on the glass.
Axel was confused. Was it something he said? Did his breath smell? Suddenly he became aware of the little voice inside his head saying, "You moron! She was hurt in years past, and she doesn't want to be hurt again! Go slow, if you want something with her!" So, it looked like his common sense had woken up. But did he want something? Pap had padded over to where Alyeska stood and licked her hand. Kimchi remained in the corner she had been sitting in but stared at Axel. It's like she's trying to tell me something, he thought. But maybe he was just imagining stuff. He flopped onto the floor in exasperation. Kimchi stared at him a while longer, before getting up to go to Alyeska. Kimchi and Alyeska looked at each other for a few moments, and finally broke eye contact. Alyeska went back to looking out the window with a gruff sigh, and Kimchi came over to Axel. He let her sniff his hand and hair.
"You've left me in a dilemma, Ax." Alyeska finally said. "I can't let you leave, because I can't trust you to stop burning the town down. And if I let you stay..." Alyeska's voice drifted off.
Axel was about to reply when he heard a key in the door. "Crap" Aly said, bluntly. He scrambled up and Alyeska was suddenly walked past him to the small foyer. "Hey, gals. How was your night?" he heard Aly say. The dogs nipped his ankles and herded him into a corner where he wouldn't be immediately noticeable. Axel's back was against a small palm and the dogs were in front of him. "What the heck is going on?" he whined. Suddenly, he heard a voice say, "Who are you hiding, Al?"
Three girls burst into the living room. The first two of them looked similar, when you ignored their hair and eye color, and the third was dressed in a style all her own. "Well, hello hello! You're the first guy Aly has ever brought here alone!" The lighter of the two similar looking ones said. She gave a mock gasp. "Were you being a bad dog tonight, Aly?"
Alyeska was leaning against the door frame, frowning. "For the last time, Atlantis, don't call me a dog. I'm a werewolf. Thats practically an insult... Not that being a dog is a bad thing," she added hastily after reproachful looks from her two Malamutes. "And no, I wasn't being bad. Unless aprehending the dodo who was burning the town down is being bad."
The third girl said, "Care to introduce us, Aly? I'd like to know who this guy is. After all, strangers aren't welcome." Axel winced at the glare she gave him. She may be short, but she was dangerous-looking.
Alyeska glanced apologetically at Axel and said, "Girls, this is Axel. Axel, these are the twins, Atlantis and Serpentyna, and this is TG." She motioned vaguely towards each of them when she said their names. Atlantis was the blonde haired and light eyed of the twins, and Serpentyna had brown hair and hazel eyes. TG was the shortest of the bunch by a few inches, but radiated an air of importance. Her hair was a reddish brown and she had clear blue eyes. Alyeska gave a quick background on Axel to the others, leaving out alot, but didn't tell him about them. He could feel the weighing stares from the other girls. One of them, Serpentyna, frowned slightly and began to say something but was cut off by Alyeska. "He'll be staying with us for a while." Both the girls and Axel were shocked. Stay? What was she thinking? He didn't really have anywhere to go, but he couldn't stay. The three girls gave Axel one more appraising look before nodding and going to their rooms.
A moment of silence passed between Axel and Alyeska before he finally said, "Thanks. I don't mean to be any trouble. Umm..." Axel fumbled, searching for what to say.
"You can sleep on the couch. The twins are in the bedroom down the hall, and TG and I share the office." As a questioning look from Axel she said, "I sleep on the sofa in there, and TG has her," she paused, "spot. The bathroom is through the door with the beach mural painted on it." Alyeska silently brought him a pillow and blanket. With a muttered good night she went to her room and went to sleep.
So thats how it started. Axel stayed with Alyeska and her friends. The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into a month. During that time, he got used to the girl's routine. The girls were all working on their postgrad diplomas and all but TG had all their classes in the morning. That way they had the afternoons and evenings totally free. TG was the only one with night classes but Axel never thought to ask why. During the mornings, when the girls were at school, he would wake up at around ten. TG would be in the office and he had learned the hard way not to disturb her. He would go into the small kitchet, whip up a sandwich or some sort of edible food, and watch TV untill the girls got home. After that the girls would do some work for about an hour and then the interesting part of the day would begin. Axel had learned that the girls didn't have regular jobs, but paid the rent with money they'd get from writing, or something artsy. Serpentyna and Atlantis had a book each published, and were working on a new one together. TG had two short books, and Alyeska did various paintings and drawings that, for a small percentage of the profits, the a certain store would sell for her. So every month, along with the bills, came some checks. And if the money wasn't enought to scrape through, they would do odd jobs at diners and the like until they could save up enough.
Axel had been able to get to know the girls, especially Alyeska, alot more during the month he had stayed with them. He also found himself changing his attitude. No longer was his temper ready to flare at the slightest word, and Axel was no longer plagued by depression from Roxas' sudden amnesia and decision to leave him, and all else behind. Alyeska seemed to be warming up to him, slowly but surely. The night that decided it though, was an interesting one.
Serpentyna, Atlantis, and Alyeska had just finished their work and joined Axel and TG in the dim living room. It was Serpentyna who had suggested going out to party. Atlantis jumped for the idea and TG gave a faint smile and nodded. The three of them turned to Alyeska, who was sitting on the floor between Kimchi and Pap. Axel was sitting in the chair next to Kimchi, when Kimchi suddenly barked, and jumped onto Axel's lap. Then she frantically ran to the foyer where she ran in circles barking for attention. Pap soon joined her sister and the two of them made such a racket that they had no choice but to comply with the dogs wishes. Alyeska grinned and got up, saying, "Looks like we're in for a dog-gone good time" She quickly hooked the two dogs up to their leashes, but was shocked to see Kimchi run over to Axel and stay by his heel. "Alright Kimchi. I don't know what you're getting at, but I guess Axel can walk you." Axel gave a nod of consent and they set off. Once they left the building, Alyeska and Axel led the way, pulled by the two large Malamutes. Atlantis, Serpentyna followed behind, mumuring and giggling.TG brought up the rear, dressed a trench coat that didn't let an inch of skin show, and a hat that shadowed her face. People walking by didn't bother a second glance at the five of them, seven including the dogs.
"Where do you think they're leading us this time" Axel asked, laughing. "Not to another doggie salon I hope?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea. They're not telling me anything these days," Alyeska laughed nervously. Soon, she said, "Oh! They're taking us to the park! It's been so long since I've been there! C'mon!" Alyeska set off at a run, and Kimchi nearly made Axel fall flat on his face when she darted off to follow. They ran like the wind for a few minutes, and soon arrived at a quaint little park by a large pond. There was a flat area for playing sports in, and a more rolling, landscaped area surrounding the lake. In a corner there was a playground and jungle gym for younger children. The two of them walked leisurely down to the pond, enjoying the flowers and shady trees. The dogs tugged at their leashes to go chase butterflies, but did not put too much effort into it. Alyeska and Axel paused in the shade of an oak tree by the edge of the pond. But suddenly, Kimchi and Pap barked loudly, and dashed around the two of them in a circle, tangling their legs in the leashes and making them fall over onto each other. Axel and Alyeska lost hold of the leashes in the confusion and the dogs managed to run off.
Axel had landed on top of Alyeska in a not so dignified position. Their noses were practically touching, and both their eyes were wide in shock. Axel could feel something roaring in his stomach, and before he knew what was happening, his lips crashed on Alyeska's in a mad and passionate kiss. He caught her off guard, but she broke away and rolled him over so she was on top. "What the hell are you stopping for?" she cried. "I tried holding back this long, and it ain't worth it." She kissed him roughly and said, "Damn it, I love you Axel." Fire lit around them and spread uncontrolled.
Atlantis, Serpentyna, and TG supervised for a moment as Alyeska and Axel got tangled up in the dogs's leashes. Kimchi and Pap soon came bounding back to the three of them, and they went back to the apartment, so they could leave the new couple alone. As they walked up the hill to go back to their apartment, the looked back and saw the park. By the lake, there was a ring of fire burning. And it was in the shape of a heart.