Prompt: TA
Pairing: AkuRoku
Rating: T (language)
Word Count: 3124

T.A.

Axel checked his schedule again with a world-weary sigh. He had ten minutes between his classes, and even on long legs, he would have to nearly run to make it on time to the Chemistry class on the other side of campus.

He weaved through the throng of students, moving in the general direction of the building. He hadn't had free time to do a campus visit or tour, so he was relying on a printed map to guide his way. He cast a dark look at some of the students, lounging on the quad, probably enjoying their first taste of freedom away from their parents, basking in the hope and optimism of the first week of classes. Probably not worrying about paying rent any time soon, or watching the biological clock tick away.

Axel couldn't really hold it against him. It was his own fault he was returning to college at the ripe age of 27. He'd screwed up the first time. His parents hadn't been able to fund him—they still couldn't—and it had been solely up to him to figure out the financial aspect. How was he to understand the concept of money right out of high school? He'd been apathetic, then, after twelve long years in the public school system, ready to be free of homework for a little while, but he'd gone to college, anyway, at his parents' insistence. Yeah, that had been a mistake. His grades reflected it, and after just a couple semesters, he dropped out.

It took him time, after that, to figure things out. A year spent under the cloud of his parents' expectations and nagging was more than he could bear before he chose a bustling city halfway across the country to call his new home. Demyx had been eager to come with, ready to take on the world with that sitar of his. He needed the urban setting for exposure. Sure, something like that. So they found a cheap two-bedroom apartment on a weekend trip before making their farewells.

The first couple years were rough—he'd expected that—but Axel learned a lot. Most importantly, the value of money and how to budget, but of course he learned about where he ranked as an employee. He rose quickly, more because he was reliable, than anything. For a while, he was the prodigy, reveling in his fresh manager role as the owner of the mom-and-pop store took him into his confidence. Xemnas was a little older than him, but they'd hit it off. It had seemed like a good gig, until Axel saw the cracks in the way the place was run. Dissatisfaction grew as Axel realized he was capable of more, and would never be able to achieve his potential working under Xemnas.

Thus the return to college. Outwardly, Xemnas was amenable to the idea, but Axel had found himself out of work shortly after his announcement. There was a mad scramble of finding resources and a new job right before the start of his first semester, and here he was, already wondering if he would live to repeat the same mistake twice. So yeah, he might've had a bit of an attitude towards the students.

Not as much of an attitude as he owed all the construction projects on campus, he decided. He gaped at the bulldozers and rubble standing between him and his destination. Really, they had had all summer to get this crap done. He glared at the detour signs that rerouted him half a block away. Glanced at his watch. Yeah, there was no way he would be on time. At least it was the first day, so he had a pretty good chance of getting away with it.

Axel didn't see the compact blond when he ducked into the classroom. That would be his excuse, if asked why he barreled into the younger man, still trying to rush in hopes of catching a good seat before other stragglers arrived. He mumbled an apology without really looking, grabbing the stack of papers the guy had dropped and handing them over before sliding his lanky frame into one of the student desks.

One would think they'd choose something a little roomier for near-grown adults. Well, at least he wouldn't be in danger of falling asleep in the uncomfortable seat.

It wasn't until after he'd gotten situated, pen and notebook dug out of his backpack, that he realized the blond he'd crashed into was standing at the lectern at the front of the room, straightening the very papers Axel had handed him, scowl fixed on his face.

No way.

Axel glanced at his schedule again. His professor was V. Froid, and that's what the kid was marking out on the white board now, along with the course and section number. Because he was a kid. He had to be younger than the redhead, and Axel's self-image dropped by several notches as he considered how much someone else had achieved in less time than he'd had to get his shit together.

The blond capped the marker and turned to face the class. "If you're not here for Professor Froid's Chemistry 1041, you're in the wrong room. For those of you that have found the correct room," the blue eyes seemed to fix on Axel at that, "congratulations. I'm Roxas Strife, and I'm the T.A. for this course. I'll be going over the syllabus today, and you'll see me in your lab sessions."

Axel breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little better about himself again as Roxas continued. Over his initial embarrassment, he let himself study the young man conducting the class. He didn't seem so much younger than Axel, after a second appraisal, maybe four or five years younger at most. His face was on the boyish side, yes, and his height left much to be desired, but his shoulders showed signs of filling out. His eyes, though. Axel found himself caught in the blue depths as Roxas recited the course syllabus. They held a spark that was anything but youthful.

Axel could feel himself heating up in the T.A.'s gaze, until Roxas' eyes narrowed and he moved on. Perhaps he was younger, but the blond was hot, and that smoldering glare... Axel wouldn't mind looking at him on a regular basis.

He was staring at the syllabus when Roxas' voice fell on him. "You, with the red hair. What's Avogadro's number?"

Axel fumbled the unexpected question. "Uhm…uh…"

"Come on, you should know this! This is something you learn in Chem 1022!" He gestured at another student, who supplied the correct response. "You all should know this coming into the course. You'll be tripping up if you don't know the quantity by heart." His eyes flicked back to Axel in a challenge; the redhead crossed his arms and glared in response.

It went like that for the next few weeks. Roxas, like Axel, always arrived in the classroom at the last minute, hurrying from his previous engagement, and they repeated their earlier collision on more than one occasion. Roxas would send Axel fiery gazes from Professor Froid's side, and in the lab sessions, he was unrelenting, harassing Axel more than most students as he barraged him with questions. The redhead met the challenge head-on, making sure he was prepared to answer them in kind, but by the time midterms came around, he was frustrated and sick of it. Either Roxas had something against him...or he was looking at Axel for another reason.

Axel would count himself lucky if it was for the other reason. If those heated glares and extra attention stemmed from something else. Because that kind of fire turned him on.

He resolved to confront the T.A. before the next class session.

As usual, Roxas arrived only a minute before the class began, and Axel shot a hand out to catch his arm before he opened the door. "I need to talk to you."

Roxas scowled at the hand on his arm. "Class is about to start. Can it wait?"

"Just tell me what your deal is. What's with all the looks, and always picking on me? You mad that I'm a grown-ass man? You think I don't belong here?"

Roxas shook Axel's hand off. "Get over yourself. I treat you the same as any other student." He looked at the door. "Vexen will be pissed if I'm late."

Axel blocked the door. "You don't. What's with the looks, blondie? Is it something else?"

"Get out of my way, Axel." Roxas' eyes were hard as he spat the words, his face turning red. Axel studied him for a moment, not moving, and he wasn't sure that the fire in those eyes was all anger.

"You're pretty hot when you're angry." He knew he was pushing it, but he had to know if his intuition was right on this one. And if Roxas just thought he was an asshole, so be it. At least then the blond would have a reason to harass him.

Roxas pressed back against the wall. "That's inappropriate, Axel." Blue eyes had fixed on Axel's chest, avoiding green ones.

Axel let out a curt laugh. "I think..." he trailed off, bent low, and caught Roxas' lips with his own in a tentative kiss.

Roxas stiffened for a second, but didn't move away. Instead, he curled a hand on Axel's shirtfront. The redhead had a panicked moment when he thought Roxas would push him away, but he didn't. He moved his lips against Axel's, and the taller man was doing an internal victory dance when he pulled away.

"I think I could teach you a little something about 'inappropriate,' Roxas." Axel smirked as Roxas disengaged the fisted shirt, face crimson.

"I have a job to do." Roxas' voice came low and quiet. This time when he laid his palm on Axel's chest, he did push him away. "See me after class."

Axel didn't like his tone, but he did step back enough to let him pass. He crossed his arms and watched the classroom door open, then close behind Roxas. And, whatever Axel might be, an idiot he was not. Even if it wasn't unusual for the two of them to enter together, the tardiness and Roxas' fierce blush were, so he waited a few extra moments before following suit, sliding into an empty seat near the back. The blond's cheeks were still rosy, if not as red as they'd been bare moments ago, and Axel's smirk spread wider.

Roxas, for once, did not call on Axel to answer any of Professor Froid's questions, and Axel almost felt disappointed. Almost, because every time those blue eyes landed on him, they would quickly dart away, accompanied by another faint blush. That was more than enough compensation, he decided, and the smirk did not leave his face for the entirety of the lecture. He took a few notes, but mostly he was giving Roxas the fair play of turnabout, and enjoying it immensely.

When class ended, Axel waited just outside the door. Froid and Roxas got waylaid by student questions, and were the last out; the two shared a quiet exchange before the professor continued on, leaving Roxas glowering up at Axel.

Roxas crossed his arms. "Well come on then." Axel raised an eyebrow, but followed as the blond led him to a stairwell.

"What, you're not going to take me to your office?" Axel grinned wickedly. "I've always wanted to make out in an office, it's so risky." He waggled his eyebrows at Roxas' unamused face.

"One, I don't have my own office, and this isn't a conversation I want to have in front of Vexen. Two, I did not bring you here to make out." Axel frowned as Roxas continued. "You're a student, I'm a T.A., and I'm not about to lose my status as such by carrying on an inappropriate affair with a student."

Axel snorted. "Wow, really quoting regulation there, blondie." He leaned in, invading Roxas' personal space. The blond faltered, but ultimately held his ground. "I'll let you in on a little secret. Whatever rules you're worried about breaking are for protecting the innocent little kids who are prone to authoritative figures, which, I assure you, I am not."

"It's unprofessional-"

Axel cut him off. "You have yet to say you're not interested."

Roxas' blush gave him away.

"So." Axel moved in closer, and this time Roxas did back away, and found himself pinned against a wall again. The railing for the stairs dug into the small of his back, and he gripped it as he looked up. Axel's hands wrapped around the rail, too, effectively trapping him and sending his heart racing. "Roxas." Axel's lips were a breath away from his ear, and shocking red hair brushed the side of his face. "Am I right in thinking all those looks you've sent me this semester were because maybe, just maybe...you liked what you saw?" Roxas hissed at the light pressure of teeth on his earlobe.

"Axel-"

Axel pulled back and fixed Roxas with a dark look. "Tell me to stop." His eyes narrowed in a challenge. "I will. But you have to say it."

"Axel, I can't, what if someone-"

"I'm not hearing a no." Roxas didn't respond, just looked down at the floor, biting his lip. Axel frowned. "Look, Roxas, I'm an adult. You're not abusing your authority, and I'm not gonna report you. Got it through your head?"

Roxas' hand darted out to grab Axel by the collar; blue eyes met green in a fierce gaze. "Fine. Fine, we can do this." This time it was Roxas who initiated the kiss, a brief, bruising one, before he pulled away again. "But we do it on my terms."

A grin was Axel's only response before the two met for another heated kiss. Despite Roxas' initial reluctance, he was soon meeting Axel with alacrity, teeth grazing lips, tongue prodding, seeking entrance as he wove a hand into red hair. Axel grunted and pulled away, eyes unfocused. "Hair," he growled.

Roxas blinked up at him, releasing his hold. "Not good?"

Axel shook his head and leveled a dark look at the blond. "Not exactly." He was met with a wolfish grin.

"Oh, really?" Roxas made to snag his hair again, but Axel stepped back out of his reach.

"Hey!" Axel brought his hand up and pointed at Roxas. "For someone who was just quoting regulations, you are walking a dangerous path, buddy." Roxas had the grace to look ashamed. Axel crossed his arms. "So fine. We're doing this on your terms. Name them before I start fucking you right here." Roxas' breath caught in his throat and his cheeks reddened at the statement.

There was a distinct rattle and they both jumped as a trickle of students entered their previously private stairwell. Roxas busied his hands straightening his button-up shirt, and Axel shifted to the side to let the others pass. A few spared a glance for the two, Axel with his arms crossed again, and Roxas with a forced nonchalance, but as with any college student, they were too wrapped up in themselves to give much thought to anyone else, and they were alone again after another minute. Roxas fiddled with the hem of his shirt, avoiding Axel's gaze in their wake.

"Well?" Axel prompted. Roxas mumbled something incoherent. "I didn't catch that."

"Can we…will you date me?"

Axel laughed. "Is that all?"

Roxas glared. "I'm serious! I can't just…I wouldn't be satisfied with just once…!"

Axel was doubled over now, cackling. "Wow Roxas, I thought you were cute, but I didn't realize how cute."

"Don't mock me!"

Axel took a wheezing breath, reining himself in, but a lopsided grin remained on his face. "Okay, yeah, I'll take you on a date. But don't be offended when it's something lame, 'cause I'm a broke college student."

Roxas dismissed that with a wave of his hand. "More importantly," he bit his lip. "More importantly, it can't be known I'm doing anything with one of my students."

Axel leaned back into the shorter man and spoke close to his ear. "We'll just have to be very," he kissed Roxas' neck, causing the blond head to loll to one side, "very quiet." Another kiss, a little lower, and Roxas was starting to slump against the wall. Axel noticed, and kept going, hand popping a button and hooking on the collar of Roxas' shirt to expose more of that pale, smooth throat. Roxas buried his hands in the fabric of Axel's shirt when kisses gave way to gentle bites.

"This is a fucking dream," Roxas breathed. Axel hummed a question. "The hot redhead that nearly knocked me over the first day of class is—ah!"

Axel chuckled against the blond's collarbone and hushed him. "You've dreamt about me, have you?" He closed his mouth over the spot that had made Roxas gasp, suckling the sensitive skin there. "I hope I don't disappoint."

Roxas adjusted his grip on the redhead, pulling him closer with one hand, the other steering Axel's lips back up to his to meet in a hungry kiss. There was no longer any hesitation or tentativeness, as tongues clashed wetly, teeth grazing lips. Axel's hands ghosted down Roxas' sides, found the hem of his shirt, and dove under, long fingers splayed on the bare skin of his back, pulling him closer. Roxas' own hands found Axel's ass and kneaded, their surroundings all but forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Until the watch on Roxas' wrist gave a series of piercing beeps.

Blue eyes sprang open wide, and he pushed Axel away none-too-gently. "Fuck!"

Eyes half-lidded, breaths coming in pants, Axel let out a frustrated "What?"

Roxas struggled to compose himself. "I have to get to class!" He hastily straightened and buttoned his shirt.

Axel groaned and leaned against the wall next to him. "Do you have to? I'd much rather take you home."

Roxas' eyes flashed. "Yes, I have to. I'll see you in lab tomorrow." He already had his hands on the door when Axel grabbed his wrist.

"Here." A red pen had appeared in his hand, and he pushed Roxas' sleeve back to scrawl a number there. "Call me tonight." He winked. "So we can plan that date. And—" he leaned in and kissed Roxas on the cheek. "See you later." After the door had closed behind Roxas, Axel leaned back and laughed. "Smooth Axel, smooth. Write your number on him like an infatuated teenage girl." Still, his lips rested in a smirk.

The next few weeks were bound to be pretty interesting, to say the least.