From: Roxas Gray
To: Axel Gray
1308 Oblivion Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21035

June 11, 2006

Axel.

…I saw Demyx today.

He told me everything.

Don't bother to write back; I'll be long gone before you do.

Roxas

/Each day gets more and more like the last day/Still I can see it coming/While I'm standing in the river drowning/

Demyx. He saw Demyx. Oh God. Demyx.

Of all the people to see, it had to be that blonde.

The musician had been off on another one of his infamous world trips again, then.

Where was it this time?

Axel glanced frantically at the envelope, but saw no return address.

'...I'll be long gone before you do.'

Axel glanced around the room that he was sitting in, the walls blank and unforgiving.

No.

Roxas didn't know.

Roxas couldn't know.

...Roxas knew.

/I'm tired and I felt it for awhile now/In this sea of lonely/The taste of ink is getting old/It's four o' clock in the fucking morning/

There had been something that Axel had never told Roxas. Roxas wasn't dumb, exactly, but he was just extremely trusting.

Axel would never lie to Roxas.

Axel couldn't lie to Roxas.

Axel himself never thought he would lie to Roxas.

Axel was also a lot of things Roxas wasn't.

Axel was deceiving. Axel was arrogant. Axel was impulsive.

And thus, upon receiving the letter, Axel wasted no time.

He tossed the old piece of paper away; it smelled faintly of moldy water, he mused, if water could be moldy. After a moment of thought, he decided it could.

The hallways of the immensely large castle were dark and dreary. Axel, however, was greatly inclined to the idea of including little medieval torches at different intervals of the halls upon its proposal, and thus the idea was implemented and carried out.

Passing one, he grabbed it off the hook and headed towards Demyx's room.

The door was tall and wooden, but obviously painted, since little bits of paint were peeling off from all the taped on signs that had previously adorned the door.

Demyx was rather well known to record his different moods on sheets of lined notebook paper, and then taping them to his door, so the various other Organization members would know what to expect upon speaking to him.

Not that they all expected much variation in moods from the perennially cheerful blonde.

He was also prone to posting his latest vacation destination on his door.

Venice.

The sign read. Underneath it; May 12 – May 29.

May 29? That was almost… two weeks ago! Axel bit down a growl of frustration.

And where the fucking hell was Venice, anyway?

What world would that be on?

He fumed for a few seconds outside Demyx's unoccupied room. The blonde had departed again not two days ago, which meant that Roxas could have met him in 'Venice', or in the musician's new destination.

Axel frowned sullenly at the sign, before snatching out a black-clad arm and ripping it down.

Why did Roxas fucking run into Demyx, of all people? The redhead mused, eyes alight with barely concealed disgust and rage. He set the paper on fire with the torch that he'd been grasping tightly with one hand.

And was the fuck did Demyx tell him… everything?

For once, though, Axel's brain thought of something more logical.

It wouldn't have mattered, it chimed, if Axel hadn't kept a secret from Roxas in the first place.

This was too true, he admitted, before glancing at the paper. It was black, curling up and disintegrating into ash. He could still make out a V and an IC.

Venice.

It was a good start… for anyone.

/At last it's finally over/Couldn't take this town much longer/Being half dead wasn't what I planned to be/Now I'm ready to be free/

Axel stood on a boat, a beige hat placed over his flaming red hair, and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

He'd found Venice thanks to the trusty Internet in the castle's Technological Corner—a gift from an old college friend of Xemnas'—on a spluttering, half-dead computer caked in dust.

It served his purposes, at least. Afterwards, he ended the poor machine's misery by setting it aflame and throwing it from the window.

He hadn't exactly counted on the smell, though. He had barely gotten away with it in front of Xemnas—our last computer, Axel…!—least of all earning a trip to Venice—where in the fucking seven hells is that?—but of course, he'd pulled it off. He was Axel, after all.

The boat was small, leaky, and contained chronically ill rats. He kept stepping in their vomit. …Or something else that was gooey and green.

His cabin below deck, which he shared with about twelve other people—yes, it deeply crowded his personal bubble, but sacrifices had to be made, the redhead decided—smelled like piss and the bedding had faded yellow stains on it. Axel learned that the color yellow and previously used items didn't mix well.

He learned that Venice was apparently only accessible by Gummy Ship, and after getting off, was promptly laughed at—Venice? Here? Hey, hey, Mike, this fucktard here thinks he's in, get this; Venice…!—before he decided to take it into his own hands.

So now he was on a boat.

It was apparently going to take a while, and since Axel was not the most patient guy, he decided to amuse himself by talking to the seagulls.

…Yes, that was a joke.

/And won't you think I'm pretty/When I'm standing top the bright lit city/And I'll take your hand and pick you up/And keep you there to so you can see/

Axel wished he had a camera.

He usually wasn't the kind of guy that liked to capture the scenery, or a memory. His memory was photographic and flawless. He didn't need pictures.

However, now he wished he had one.

He'd been to other worlds before, crazy quirks and magnificent photo spots, but the smoothness of the water and the brightness of the lights as they light up the buildings and the people like stars was something that Axel wanted to show someone.

Roxas.

Of course, maybe Roxas had already been here, and had already seen the bright lights and the water and the boats.

Axel wondered if the blonde had thought of him as he looked at the faces of the laughing people.

He gripped the straps of his bag tightly, head dizzy with excitement of the prospect of being on dry land again.

As they wandered through the small harbor, his thoughts drifted.

He'd seen Roxas about a year ago.

Axel knew he'd probably suspected. Roxas wasn't stupid or dull. He was actually quite the opposite, and keeping this secret from him on the orders of Xemnas was something that was quite the challenge for Axel.

It hurt him emotionally, lying to his best friend, but it didn't help that Roxas was bright and a naturally suspicious person.

He'd left, Axel knew, through no fault of his own, but because of…

Well, Axel didn't know why.

Maybe… he'd already known then?

But, this was a topic that Axel had already mused countless times on sleepless nights, lying awake in bed with the covers strewn all askew, staring up blankly at the off-white ceiling.

It was those times that he missed Roxas the most. Whenever one of them couldn't sleep, they could always count on the other being able to comfort them into the black oblivion.

Once upon a time, Axel could have just padded out of his room quietly, and go down the hall to enter Roxas' door.

Number XIII.

His heart clenched painfully. He often found himself staring at that door with the brass plated number gleaming at him in the moonlight. It was often midnight before he realized that Roxas wasn't there anymore. No more.

Axel breathed in deeply, and realized that he could smell food.

Ah. Food.

That was a pleasant topic. He glanced down at his stomach, which, perfectly timed, growled.

He'd been saving up his money for the last year, ever since Roxas left. There was nothing left to spend it on.

He took off the hat, shoving it into his bag. He stretched up his arms, yawning as his heard his joints pop.

Mmm, Axel thought, smiling.

He'd hit the café first, he mused, and then he'd find some decent place to crash for the night. Sleeping on the boat was not the most desirable of resting places.

Or maybe he'd take a shower before sleeping, he thought, wrinkling his nose as a strong gust of wind blew some of his own body odor towards his nose. Not that anyone else that had been on board the boat smelled much better.

The edge of the boat bumped into the dock, and the shouts of men sounded. Around him, people were double checking their bags of luggage, searching for wayward children, and snapping pictures of the city.

"Hey. Hey you." Axel blinked, before realizing someone was talking to him.

"Hmm?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman who talked to him.

"Can you take a picture of me and my boyfriend?" She asked, all smiles. Pretty, Axel mused, taking in her soft, wavy brown hair and large doe eyes. Not really my type, though.

He glanced at her boyfriend, who was a tall, lanky guy who looked lost in his baggy grey hoodie and tan cargo shorts.

"Okay," he said, taking the camera expertly, as if he used them every day.

He squinted one eye, and focused the lens on the two smiling faces.

"1… 2… 3." He mumbled out loud, before snapping a picture that left even his own eyes swimming with stars.

He was about to step back towards the rail before the woman spoke to him again. "Okay, now it's your turn."

Axel frowned, wondering if he'd heard her right. "Excuse me?" He inquired, turning to glance at her.

"Yeah," she grinned enthusiastically. "It's your turn. Pose!" She shot him a winning smile, and he relented with a small twitch of his lips.

After she snapped a picture of the redhead with her tall boyfriend looking on impassively, she stuck out her hand.

"M'name's Ally," she chirped. "And this is Dan. Say hi, Dan!"

Dan looked at Axel before twitching his fingers at the other man awkwardly. "Hi."

Axel nodded slowly. "Axel," he replied, slowly reaching out his hand to take Ally's.

"Okay, well, great to meet you, Axel! What's your email address?"

Axel blinked. "Email address…?" He repeated, one eyes narrowing in confusion. "I don't have one."

Ally frowned. "Oh. Uh, okay. Well, how about a phone number? Or an address?"

Axel glared suspiciously. "What? Why do you want my number?" He questioned.

Ally rolled her eyes. "Duh. So I can send you the pictures."

She turned to the blonde boyfriend of hers, shrugging. "Dan? Did you get our bags?"

Dan nodded, raising both arms to show bulging packs. "Got 'em."

"Okay, cool." Ally patted down her pockets while Axel watched, amused.

"Aha! Here's my email, and my cell number." She scribbled something down, before handing it to Axel.

"…What? I can't read this," Axel frowned in confusion. "Your handwriting could be greatly improved," Axel commented sarcastically.

Ally pouted. "I think its fine!" She punched him. "See? That's a 4, and then a 5, 3…"

"I can't tell what it says," Axel shot back, wondering if Dan minded how the two were flirting so shamelessly in front of him.

However, Dan didn't seem the least bit interested. In fact, the blonde boy was glancing at his watch every so often, as if impatient to get off the boat. Axel was anxious, too.

"Attention. Ahem. Attention!"

Axel glanced at the man standing on a rail, holding a frail looking megaphone.

"Ahem. Attent-"

"EVERYONE! SHUT UP!"

All the people stopped to stare at Ally, who just blushed and waved a little meekly at the man.

The man-on-the-rail just smiled gratefully at Ally before clearing his throat yet again.

"Okay. So, I'm sure y'all are anxious to get off this boat?"

He was met with impatient silence.

Off-put, he tried to get some kind of reaction out of the weary, grumpy crowd.

"Okay! So who thinks this city is absolutely beautiful-"

"Shut up!" There was a proverbial rotten tomato that was thrown.

The man-on-the-rail looked offended. "Hey, you, that's not-"

No one heard what he was going to say, since suddenly there was a loud bang, and the sky erupted in fireworks of a whole multitude of colors, lighting up the sky and blotting out the stars and the clouds.

The water shimmered with the colors, and Ally pulled on Dan's sleeve.

"Oh! Oh, look! It's so pretty!" Dan smiled at his girlfriend, one of the first shows of affection that he'd shown that Axel had witnessed. The redhead assumed that he was one of those private, sensitive guys.

Axel was about to head towards the edge of the boat, where there was a crowd of people trying to push their way off the boat.

"-atch your step, folks! It's slippery-"

There was another proverbial rotten vegetable thrown at the man-on-the-rail.

"Axel! Wait!"

The redhead turned to see Ally and Dan—mostly Ally—pushing their way towards him.

"Where are we going first?" She questioned him breathlessly.

"We…?" Axel inquired, giving her a disbelieving look.

"Yes, we," she answered indignantly.

"But-"

The fireworks exploded.

"Do you trust us?" She demanded.

People shoved.

"Yes… but-"

Axel was squeezed inbetween two large men wearing shady sunglasses.

"So no problems. We trust you, you trust us, so let's just go together! It'll save time, money-"

The man on the rail slipped and fell into the water.

"Wait, wait," Axel cut her off.

"I… I'm looking for someone," he said hesitantly, wondering how much was needed to be said to discourage her, yet not reveal his whole motive. After all, Organization XIII—now technically Organization XII—was not an organization that could be mentioned lightly, in any world.

"So? You'll look for him—her?—with us. Oh! We could help you!" She brightened. "Okay?"

People snapped more pictures.

"I-" Axel stopped, a hand reaching up to massage his nose. "It's… complicated. What… what about your boyfriend?" he questioned.

More fireworks.

Dan shrugged. "I don't care," he deadpanned, and Ally grinned.

"See? So what's the problem?"

Axel struggled to find some excuse.

"Well, won't I be intruding on your relationship, or your vacation-"

"Is that what this is about?" Ally laughed, pushing him a little. "Don't worry! Teehee! We'll have two rooms, and you can find a nice girl to ride the boats with, and we don't really care, either way!"

Axel frowned.

"Come on, stop thinking so much! We're off of this boat!" Ally grabbed both boys' arms and pulled them through, laughing.

Axel sighed, finding no argument. He could always slip away in the middle of the night, right?

He nodded.

They followed the throng of people through the crowded streets, following the smells towards a small bistro with small checkered tablecloths and little wooden antique chairs.

"Ooh, this looks good," Ally grinned.

"Definitely," Axel agreed, pouring over the menu, painfully aware of his growling stomach.

He glanced over the food for a few minutes before he realized Dan hadn't even touched his menu.

"Aren't you gonna eat something?" Axel questioned, glancing at the quiet blonde.

"No," Dan replied quietly. "I'm not hungry."

Axel frowned, taking in how skinny the boy was. Maybe he was anorexic…?

He decided not to nag him, given their only fairly recent acquaintance with each other, and the fact that Axel personally hated it when people nagged him about his thin frame.

In his opinion—and everyone else who had ever eaten a meal with him—Axel ate plenty. He just had a high metabolism.

After he ordered, he sat back, reclining on the back legs of his chair. He discreetly surveyed his two new companions out of the corner of his eyes.

Ally was still giggling over how cute the whole place was, her face glowing with childish excitement.

She excused herself to go to the restroom, and Axel was left in the brooding, silent company of Dan.

The blonde boy was definitely not bad looking, Axel mused. In fact, if not for the fact that Dan had green eyes, he'd look almost like Roxas, only more… stretched out.

The grey sweatshirt fit him in a unique way, making a look that would scream poverty on anyone else, but Dan made it look effortlessly cool. Kind of like he himself, Axel, the redhead mused, a small grin tugging at his lips.

Dan's eyes eventually fell on Axel, and they held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Dan looked away.

"I saw you flirting with Ally," he commented quietly.

Axel's face didn't change. "It didn't mean anything," he replied.

Dan was silent for a while. "…I know," came the eventually answer. "…I don't care."

This startled a reaction from Axel.

"Huh? You don't care that a random, spiky-haired guy is flirting with your girlfriend?"

Dan shrugged. "No," he admitted.

Axel sighed. "Do you love her?" He asked, feeling guilty about asking such a personal question, but Dan could always refuse to answer.

He never did, though, since Ally came bounding back and leapt into a one-sided conversation, unaware of the tension that had just been established between the two men.

Dan's eyes gleamed slightly.

This guy, Axel, wasn't too bad looking, he decided.

Axel frowned, meeting Dan's eyes again, brow creasing in suspicion.

Soon, however, the thought was lost in the promise of fresh, hot food, and soon all thoughts, even those of Roxas, drifted out of Axel's mind.

/As long as you're alive and care/I promise I will take you there/And we'll drink and dance the night away/

AN – This seems rushed, but I thought it would be out of character for Axel to wait and procrastinate something that he obviously wants to do; go see Roxas.

So he does. Hehe. And yes, he has somewhat of an obsession with fire.

The song is The Taste of Ink by The Used. It's a GREAT song.

Pairing: AxelRoxas, DanAlly

Possible Pairing: One-Sided DanAxel, One-Sided AllyAxel, One-Sided DemyxRoxas

My my my, look how popular Axel is…!

Review… please.