Axel rocked the five-year old asleep, singing softly to him. A song that caressed little Demyx's ear like a lullaby, even though it wasn't one. Rather, it was something about gunfights and restaurants. The blonde liked it and fell asleep nonetheless.
Axel tucked the small Demyx into his big bed, making sure Benji the whale was next to the boy's mulleted head. There was a gentle rap on the door, as if the person knocking knew there was a sleeping five-year old beyond the threshold. The red-head quickly glided over, opening the door just as Roxas had raised his hand to tap on the door once more.
"Hey, I just got him asleep," Axel greeted in a soft, low voice.
"I kind of figured. It's awfully late though. I would've thought you'd have him in bed before now," Roxas said in the same voice as he padded into the room.
"I tried," Axel chuckled softly, "he likes to stall."
"Ha, I guess you taught him that," Roxas murmured.
"Axel," Demyx cried out in his sleep. The red-head quickly tip toed over to the bed and sat down on the edge, rubbing the blonde's back comfortingly. He could feel the five-year old's sharp breaths and could tell the poor kid was having a nightmare.
"'Cause you can't jump the track; we're like cars on a cable and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table no one can find the rewind button, now; so cradle your head in your hands and breathe, just breathe, oh breathe, just breathe," Axel sang in a whisper, his voice gliding over the words like velvet. Demyx's breathing calmed and Axel felt his muscles relax. The mullet-head shifted in his sleep, moving closer to his 'big brother.'
"Wow, you're good at that," Roxas mumbled from his viewpoint across the room.
"I had a little brother once. Now I have two," Axel murmured, smiling at the sleeping form then at the boy across the room. Roxas smiled back, then came and sat down next to Axel. He reached a hand up hesitantly and gently pet the five-year old's hair. He turned to the red-head with a face that said 'Am I doing this right?' Axel smiled and nodded encouragingly, and Roxas continued to sift his fingers through the golden locks.
Demyx leaned into the touch, almost purring like a cat. Roxas couldn't tell when, but eventually he fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning, he saw that he was on the left side of the bed while Axel was one the right, both of them curled protectively around the young blonde who was curled in between them. He chuckled at both their protective stances that shielded Demyx from the world outside his bed.
In his sleep, little Demyx murmured, "I love you . . . brothers . . ."