Sea Salt and Fire

Axel yawned widely, sluggishly raising his hand to cover his mouth.

Roxas raised his eyebrows. "Tired?"

Axel chuckled, licking at his ice cream as he looked over. "A bit. Busy day. I swear, they're trying to kill me."

"The Heartless?"

"The Organization," Axel replied, flashing him a grin. "They keep sending me on strong targets. Don't know why. That should be your job."

"Oh, thanks!" Roxas shoved Axel's shoulder, leaning against it slightly afterwards. "The sunset's nice."

"Mhm," Axel agreed. "Your ice cream's melting."

"Oh, yeah."

They were both silent as they watched the sun set, nibbling on their ice cream. Roxas eventually broke the silence, after their ice cream was long gone and only the faintest shine of red reached through the clouds to cast light upon Twilight Town.

"Hey, Axel?"

"Yeah?" Axel looked down at him.

"How did you know you liked sea-salt ice cream? It doesn't seem like something you'd just go out and buy. Or... is it one of your memories from the past?"

Axel tilted his head slightly. "I think... I think it was from the past. I don't really know, honestly. Must have been, yeah. I just... knew I liked it." He shrugged.

"Did you used to get ice cream before I joined the Organization?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Now why would I eat ice cream by myself? Do I seem like the type of person to wallow in imaginary self-pity or something?"

Roxas laughed. "No. Not you." He looked back ahead. "We do, sometimes, though."

"Just if someone else doesn't show up," Axel replied absently. "But, anyway, yeah, I've liked it as long as I can remember. I mean, what's not to like?"

"The salty taste, I guess? Some people might not care for it," Roxas said just as absently, getting to his feet. "We should head back. Saïx is going to start wondering."

"I'm sure he already does," Axel muttered, pushing himself to his feet. "But, come on, he's not my boss. Only Xemnas can tell me what to do," he said, jabbing his thumb at his chest.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Let's go back."

Axel hummed and stepped off the ledge and back onto the clocktower landing. He waved his hand and the dark corridor materialised in the corner. "If you insist."

Roxas strode into the corridor, only to be stopped in the middle of the black-purple darkness surrounding them. He felt Axel's hand on his shoulder and glanced back, about to open his mouth to question.

Axel grabbed his other shoulder and spun him around, stooping low to press his lips against Roxas's.

Roxas frowned slightly, only the slightest down-turn of his lips, but returned the unexpected display of affection without hesitation. Axel was the type who would rather have him on his arm would the circumstances allow, to show off, and less of the romantic type. Unless it was his neck; Axel loved to kiss up his collarbone and try to suck a bruise on Roxas's fair skin before Roxas would swat him away. So, the kiss was entirely unexpected, but not bad in the least.

"What was that for?" Roxas asked, once Axel had pulled away and straightened up.

Axel gazed down at him with an indiscernible look before he grinned again, like the cat who had gotten the canary. (Not that cats grinned, unless it was the Cheshire Cat, and Roxas was pretty sure that cat didn't need a canary to make it grin, it just needed a stupid rhyme and a hapless victim.)

"I hadn't had enough of that sea-salt flavour," Axel said.

Roxas laughed and gripped Axel's arms beneath his fingers. "Well, I haven't had enough of your fire," he said, pulling Axel down to his height to kiss him again.

Axel laughed breathily against his lips, wrapping his arms securely around him and pulling him close.

I've really gotten back into this pairing. I ship it so bad. *o* Especially after watching the 1.5 ReMix version of 358/2 Days.

I do not own Kingdom Hearts (or the Cheshire Cat, or anything affiliated.) All rights belong to Square Enix/Disney/etc.
Thanks for reading!