Roxas wasn't really into supernatural stuff. In fact, it scared him shitless. Messing with demons and spirits was not up his alley, but when his twin brother died leaving him all alone and without a friend in sight, he took out the old Ouija board that they had jokingly bought for their fifteenth birthday and tried to contact Sora. And then he tried to get Sora to speak to him and answer some questions. And then he realized he wasn't talking to Sora, and that maybe, maybe the spirit was malevolent and was quite possibly a demon.

In church when he was a kid, the pastor had said that the devil never appears in all red with pointy horns. He appears as exactly what you need; for Roxas, that was a tall gangly redhead with freckles and bright green eyes wearing dark wash skinny jeans and a striped green and white shirt with red eyeliner rimming under each line and winging out a bit, "Hey," the stranger in his room said softly making eye contact before taking a seat cross legged from him, "You really shouldn't do these things alone. You never know what kind of spirits you're gonna get."

"I thought- I thought-" Roxas struggled for words.

"That I was your brother, yeah, I know. Nope, just your soul enslaving demon of revenge. They tell you to ask if it's a good spirit or not, you know? You should listen next time." The other flashed his pearly whites, "Aren't you a bit old to be using one of these things? Usually I get white girls ages fifteen to seventeen. Not pretty blond boys going on twenty."

Biting his tongue, watery blue eyes watched the other, "What are you going to do with me?" He asked, voice soft and low as he tried to figure out if he could bolt or break the line of salt or something to get him out of this mess.

Axel, that was his name after all, demons had names; they didn't just float around calling each other numbers, simply sighed. He knew what they blond was thinking, and just as quickly as the boy's mind had wandered into escaping, flames sprung up around them, "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Easy way, your soul comes with me, you get assigned to some kind of job until your penances for fucking with spirits is up, and thirty years from now, you get plopped right back into your body, and you won't have aged a day! Hard way is: you don't come easy, I send you to torture chambers for a century; you don't get to come back ever, and you end up working in hell for the rest of eternity. Easy way means you have a chance at redemption. He flashed a toothy grin and bit a knuckle as he delighted in watching Roxas be forced to make the decision.

"I'm guessing my brother didn't get sent to Hell, so if I want to see him again…?"

"The easy way would be best." Axel nodded, "I understand going kicking and screaming sounds appealing, but really it's better in the long run for everyone if you just walk down the stairs to Satan." He snapped his fingers and a black portal that looked like shadow and smelled like tar appeared, "Here, wear this." He threw a black tarp at him, "At least, until we can get you a coat or something."

~o~

The first day of working for Hell Inc. was confusing. There was a lot to learn on the jobs. Those black portals weren't just summoned from nowhere. Actually, they had to be opened up from Hellside. Think of them as giant zippers, the snapping being the signal to unzip it. Spellcasters were the ones making and unzipping the portals as the demons had a limited supply of magic they could use once they were on 'the Otherside' or real life. Whatever you wanted to call it. Roxas and a young girl named Xion were both apprentice Spellcasters, and as Axel had been the one to reap them, he was the one to train them to be his future accessories to supernatural kidnapping and other creepy junk like that. Roxas said other creepy junk because taking people dabbling in the occult for penance was the least of their problems. From the first day, he had learned that those portals could open on quiet bedrooms or screaming scenes of terror. Both him and Xion knew from the day they started that this job would wear on the soul. Then again, that's all they were after all: souls.

~o~

"He's cute." Larxene laughed, watching as the redhead began a lecture on how to use energy from the third realm, "Why does Axel always pick up the cute little teenagers? He couldn't pull a Saix even once. Just once I'd like to see him lose it on some kids instead of recruiting them. He's got a whole little following. They're like ducks as they toddle around him."

Vexen frowned, "It's that feeling part of him. He's got that weird sympathy that goes with lying. He's lied himself into having feelings. Into pretending he still isn't trapped here til the end of days."

"Well," Luxord gave the other two a small smile, "It's not like we didn't know what would happen when we did what we did."

"True." A pause. "But if we had known…"

~o~

Roxas didn't like Larxene. She was someone to avoid with long claws and perfectly white teeth. She stayed thin from drinking the blood of men, or so she said. Xigbar was nice enough. He gave the blond bad nicknames and tips on how to use his magic. Demyx was funny. He seemed too nice to be a demon, but every now again, the taller sandy blond would say something so blood curdling wicked that Xion and Roxas were sent running. Other than them, the only other person they had real interaction with was Saix.

Saix.

There was a name that was too brief to describe the sin of wrath incarnate. If Axel was lust and Demyx was sloth, Wrath was a whole other animal. He was a calm facade. A pond with a murderous undercurrent. He'd suck you in and spit out nothing but bones. One time, Roxas had to open a portal for Saix and when he opened it back up, blood gushed out onto the floor.

He and Xion had to clean it up with a mop and bucket. There had been a couple teeth that scraped the floor as they cleaned up in the mix of red. They had both puked. Xion had cried.

Not all of the time was work bad, though. Xion became his new best friend. She had been one of those fifteen year old girls Axel had been talking about, and lucky enough, they had similar enough interests before Hell that they could discuss Captain America, Harley, and cartoons that they had both mutually enjoyed. Their redhead mentor was also surprisingly well versed in human knowledge, so sometimes he offered the occasional word or his opinion on something.

It wasn't until after training was over, that Roxas really began to spend more time with Axel. Not until the redhead bent at the hips instead of the back as if the blond was a child and asked, "So, do you do like...ice cream and stuff?"

And Roxas went, "Yeah, ice cream, but not stuff and definitely not you."

Axel had cackled, 'Fair enough." He was a bit too shy to ask the blond if this was something more than just friends, but by the way Roxas went about it, he wouldn't commit to saying anything one way or another. After all, he had another twenty-nine years to ask him out if it was just hanging out after all.

The blond didn't really know if it was a date either, but once they started getting ice cream after work, they didn't stop.

Sometimes if the work was rough that day, they wouldn't talk. Axel was good about knowing when Roxas needed space. It made sense since the blond was only human. Roxas spent more than a few evenings shoving down scarring sensations and miserable memories deep, deep down to be forgotten. If they did talk, they discussed little details. Details Roxas had forgotten. The smell of fall. The type of soda he liked. His mom. His dad. His brother. "Do you think they miss me?" He asked Axel softly one night as they stared at the hellfire that flickered on the horizon from the top of headquarters.

Slow to respond, the timing of the heavy words seemed theatrical as the demon offered, "Probably more than anything, Rox." Sometimes when Axel spoke, the blond caught something vulnerable in his eyes. As if the redhead wasn't completely hardened. Axel didn't talk about himself, though. He said everything he had to offer was hollow. His memories were separated from his emotions by a glass wall. They hadn't talked about Axel since.

Sometimes when the work day was rough, they spent the day in silence.

They spent a lot of days in silence.

~o~

"I put three dead black hearts on Roxas being the first to say something." Demyx painted his nails slowly, concentrating on getting the color more on the nails and less on his fingers.

Zexion snorted, "I doubt it. He's too soft spoken. Axel's the big boy here. He'll get all fidgety and ask."

"Nah, Roxas is bossy like that. Remember that time the guy broke through a portal, and instead of redirecting him, he tripped him and Larxene ate him whole?" Demyx shivered in delight, "Roxas has a twisted little streak. He'll ask first."

"Three black hearts on it?" Zexion asked, "I'll take that bet."

"Your loss; you'll see." He flashed his friend his fangs.

~o~

Axel can't tie his shoes, but Roxas only learns that after he asks why Axel has zippers on his high heeled boots and no one else does. This is while their painting their nails with filched pink polish from Demyx's collection. Axel says he never learned because his life was hard before he became a demon, and now that he has limited power over the universe, it's not really in his interest to learn how to tie shoelaces into a pretty proper bow.

Roxas teaches him anyways after their nails dry.

Axel teaches him how to do cat eye with his eyeliner.

Eyeliner does nothing to repay the debt that shoelaces left, Axel thinks as he watches Roxas leave for his room that night. They weren't even the same currency.

~o~

Roxas never considered himself the type of guy to wear a skirt before he met Axel, but Axel will wear anything since it's gonna get covered in blood anyways at some point during the work day. That makes him feel more comfortable wearing whatever he likes too. Roxas never knew how nice it was to wear a dress, but he still well considers himself a man. Just a much cuter man. He only lets Axel see him. He'd be okay showing the others, he thinks, if he knew Larxene wouldn't tease him to death or the other members wouldn't say something gross. The redhead is different. He doesn't care; he ignores the teasing. Axel steals clothes out of victim's rooms sometimes, and when he does, the blond always marvels at how strange his selections are.

A leopard print vest.

Red skinny jeans.

A rainbow tie dye t-shirt.

An old yellow and brown scarf that Saix rips off of Axel's neck as soon as he sees it around the taller man's neck in the breakroom. "Go kill yourself." He hisses low and heated as if Roxas isn't standing there listening, watching, scared.

"I already did." Axel retorts, voice crackling like it was full of radio static. Like a dying fire.

The redhead spent the night in Roxas' room. He always did whenever he needed to cry.

~o~

When Axel hung out with both Xion and Roxas he felt conflicted because Xion was nice enough, and he had trained her. Somewhere in their code of conduct, he was responsible to her and had to remain pleasant to her, but he also honestly could give two hoots about her. Roxas, on the other hand, had eaten his cold crypted hollow heart and spat it out without even giving him a second glance. Roxas was pretty. He was everything Axel wanted and needed. Everything his love craven soul craved. He could feel everything in his being pulling towards the other. Roxas didn't know any of this, though, and waited expectantly on the redhead's next words, "Sure, Xion can start coming up to the roof with us." Ugh. Kill him.

~o~

Hell was about routine, so whenever something strange came up, it was a surprise. It was a surprise when Xion said she had more work to take care of tonight, so she couldn't come up with Roxas to the roof, "Have fun with Axel, though!"

Walking up to the roof, he remained fairly quiet. There wasn't ice cream tonight, but that was okay. He wasn't really hungry anyways. He never really was hungry here. He was devoid of feeling for the most part. Staring out at the horizon for several minutes once he reached the roof, it took him a long moment of debate before his lips parted, "What is it?" He turned to the other, "What do you need to say? What happened?" He didn't need an answer quickly. Which was good because he almost forgot he had asked something by the time his friend moved.

Axel bit his lip. That was the clue that he was about to lie, "So, you're getting off a bit earlier than expected, Rox. Isn't that great? Only one more year...That's pretty cool. I'm really excited for you. I asked to be able to tell you today when Saix issued the paperwork." He laughed weakly. Like he was about to cry.

The redhead was a terrible actor, the blond thought. Roxas didn't know how to react to the news, though, so he focused on the moment, "Why are you sad then?"

"I mean, anybody would be sad if their best buddy was leaving." Axel defended in a whisper.

"Cut the shit, Axel. Why are you sad?" Roxas frowned.

Licking his lips, the redhead paused, "Once you leave, I won't be able to see you anymore like this, Roxas. Never again." He let the words sink in for effect, "It won't be the same. No more talking about how gross tomato soup is or how you can't spell really easy words or how I didn't learn how to tie my shoes ever...It'll all be gone. It'll be like we never were."

Soft, so soft, "If you said the words, I could stay."

"What?" Axel asked, unable to hear the other, brows knitting together.

"If you just said the words, Axel, I would stay. If you just stopped calling me your buddy."

That got the redhead's attention. He turned to the blond, "Roxas, you don't want to stay here. Trust me. It's...Well, it's Hell." He gurgled on his laughter, "Plus, what you have to do to stay here is horrible and gross. The terms are conditions are worse. I'd never put you through it."

"What did you do?" Roxas laughed, "If you could do it, I'm sure I could do it easy. Who are you to decide what I can and can't do and why I may or may not want to stay?"

"No, Roxas. It's not like that!" Axel shook his head, "Look, what I did...it's not something I'm proud of. Becoming a demon was the last resort of a terrible existence. You are going to go back young. You can live a full life. Find someone new. Someone better for you than me."

Roxas let his friend catch his own words and process them, "So you admit it," The blond ran a hand through his hair; "You admit that you like me, Axel. That we're at least something."

Axel has this jawline like and army. Strong, invincible. It flexes as his eyes steel. Unwavering green staring down the blond's striking blue which are quickly swallowing the redhead up as his hands begin to shake. In his head, it's a mantra of Roxas, Roxas, Roxas. Where is this going? Where are you taking me?

Shaky hands take over as self control spins out. It's the blond who moves first. Quick. Needy. A bit wet as soft lips connect.

When the ocean met the shore for the first time, the sight would not have been as beautiful as the moment that they melt into. Roxas is yanking down because Axel is so damn tall, and Axel is pulling Roxas up by lifting him by the hips as the shorter male tip toes.

And then it's over. A single infinity dissolved by the river of life.

They're just getting started. There will be waves.

~o~

Zexion hisses low and in pain, "Pay up." Demyx's words curl from over his shoulder before the slick organs are pressed into his hands, "Victory is so delicious." He chuckles before swallowing down his meal, "But not quite as good as a meal like that."

He gets punched in the arm before the short demon slinks away, but that's okay.

Demyx was too tired to care anyways.

~o~

Time passed differently in Hell. There was no real way to explain it. It just passed. Slow yet fast. Painfully, yet semi- pleasurably. Roxas was only in Hell for a year, sort of. He thought at least, but his sentence of twenty years was up. He wasn't going to argue with the higher ups about this ratio, though.

On the day he was set up to leave, he didn't see Axel at all. To say he was surprised was a lie, the redhead was a well-known coward. Bitterness welling up in his chest as he made farewells with Xion, it was amazing how fast it all dissipated when he got back to his room and there the redhead was sprawled out on his bed like a spoiled cat. Limbs draped across the mattress, green eyes flicked up to his face, "Hey."

"Hey."

Sometimes on the bad days, they didn't talk much.

"I wanted to give you two things before you leave."

"Oh?" Roxas whispered.

Axel sat up and removed his favorite black jacket. The one that had no stains and several patches such as 'you're a peach' and 'firestarter'. "It's yours." He held it out with a slender hand and thin wrist.

In the light of his room, the redhead almost looked breakable and maybe he was. Roxas accepted the jacket and clutched it close, inhaling. "What's the other thing?"

Lust had a way of getting what it wanted in the end.

~o~

Axel spent the whole day before the blond left back to the otherside debating with himself on whether or not to stick the folded envelope in the pocket of the jacket he was gifting his best friend.

He didn't make up his mind until Roxas was leaving the bedroom, blankets wrapped around Axel's waste as they untangled themselves at the door and he slipped it in, "What's this?" The blond asked breathlessly.

"Don't read it until you get home," Axel said, watching the other with eyes that read like a book. The last time. It was the last time, he thought, just wanting everything to piece together and life to shine again, "I…"

Roxas held a finger to his lips, "I know."

It's over.

And he's gone.

An emotional war tore Axel, a veteran of feelings of the past, apart right there as shrapnel ripped through his heart. He doesn't watch as Roxas leaves because this way, he never has to know what he was going to say.

~o~

Roxas is a stranger in this world. His mother and father have aged to the point where he doesn't know if he doesn't recognize them, or they don't recognize him. His brother was gone to begin with. He has been untouched by age, just like the demon promised him all those years ago, but his friends are marred by life. They don't even believe him when he visits each one. "It's me. It's Roxas." They laugh as if it's some cruel sick joke.

"Get lost, kid. This isn't funny."

Because Roxas died. There's a gravestone in a neatly trimmed cemetery marking his passage of time on this earth.

He died the day he left. That's what it reads. There's some long story there; that he is sure of, but he decides he doesn't need to know what exactly went on the day he left. He's satiated just knowing that no one thinks he's alive.

Because Roxas has to agree. That Roxas died. He isn't that person at all.

~o~

Axel doesn't know if Roxas reads what's in the envelope. He doesn't know, but he prays that whatever happens: it's the right choice. Hopefully whatever the blond finds in that yellowed paper tells him what he needs to know. It unravels some finite decision that he needs to make.

Everything about the after life is finite, permenant, eternal.

Yet, there is no right choice in the game of life to tell you what your ending is.

It's not a choose your own adventure book. There's no skipping ahead to page 57, 48, 11, 63 to find out your ending.

~o~

The second week of being back to life, Roxas feels like he's falling apart, so he tries to cheer himself up. He does things to feel better, and better, and better, until he feels nothing at all. It is only then, with one foot in the grave anyways that he reads Axel's letter.

It's not a letter, though. It's instructions.

Step One: Decide if you want to come home. Give it a year. Write me letters. Learn about yourself. Watch some new movies. Read some new stories.

And he promises himself, he'll do that, but he also has one year to figure out the next twelve steps.

~o~

To become immortal through supernatural means involves taking the life of an otherworldly being to take their place. When Roxas makes his second circle and lights his second set of candles, he makes sure to think of his one flaw; pride. His hubris was always his downfall. Why else would he have thought he could cheat the spirit realm and contact his brother?

And he knows, this means he'll never see Sora again, and that's okay. He's such a different person than he was to begin with. A much darker person, he thinks, as he bashes Xigbar over the head with a bat, as he takes a knife and carves out the other's chest before eating what he finds there. If Axel is lust, he knows what he is. He grins with blood dripping down his face and whispers as he sinks through a portal as his eyes flash yellow and his teeth sharpen, cutting the inside of his mouth. Pride.

What a wonderful thing to be.

~o~

Time has a funny way of working in Hell. Roxas was gone for two years for Axel, but he whispers his apologies as they're tangled up in bed.

It's a pretty cushy job being a demon, the blond would probably tell you, but only if you're into blood, guts, and boyfriends.

I wrote this for Tara, my RP partner. Alltheickyjobs on tumblr B)

She wanted an internship AU that involved dancing around each other, bets, a leather jacket, and long distance pains. I improvised.