Chapter 1

Friday, June 9th, 1995

South Twilight Town- Twilight Cable

8:45 AM

Roxas was mad that he loved Namine so much. His best friend was in a panic because she accidentally planned her long weekend over a day she had to work. She worked the embarrassing, at least to Roxas, job as a telemarketer for a local cable company. Roxas had actually worked there with her a few years ago. Namine had just gotten the job and begged Roxas to come and work there with her while she got used to it. The cable company was pretty unprofessional when it came to staff but it paid well. Because of their stupid lack of guidelines Namine was placed in a room with four Alphas. Namine pretty much cornered him with the "omegas have to stick together" card and Roxas agreed, albeit annoyed.

Now he was dragged into the same stupid company when Namine once again begged him to take over for her for Friday while she went to visit her sister, Kairi, and her omega, Selphie, in Destiny Islands.

So while Namine went to go catch her plane, Roxas sat bored at the desk setting up his files and numbers and looking over the appropriate lingo since he hasn't worked here in two years.

He couldn't see how Namine still worked here with all these shit horny Alphas. Namine was a cute, petite omega and Roxas knew that they were drooling over her since day one. Namine had yet to find an Alpha for herself, and if she had one they would definitely not let her work here.

Roxas considered himself lucky. The Alphas were not as keen to be tempted by his omega pheromones. He was not exactly the model omega. He worked at an ice cream shop and of course loved ice cream. In fact, he liked food. He was 5'2 and 220 pounds. Namine calls him curvy and says he holds his weight well and it accentuates his omega curves. Roxas agreed to an extent. He does have a nice, jiggly ass and a stacked rack but he can't deny that his tummy tends to do just as much marshmallowy jiggle as his ass and his love handles aren't too appealing. Not to mention his thighs are so thick they could crush a watermelon.

So the Alphas stay somewhat clear. Any Alpha who does is usually there to give snarky comments about his weight, something that Roxas has become desensitized too, or because they have some creepy fat fetish and weren't looking for a committed relationship.

He was fine though. He wasn't really looking for a relationship anyway. He has had one, but it definitely wasn't pretty. So he just stayed true to himself, took his suppressants, and on the every 6-month heat while he was on suppressants he just made a nest himself. He could call the heat hotline and find a professional alpha to take care of his heat, but Roxas found that giving himself unsatisfying self-lovin' was just as good. He didn't have to pay anyway.

Roxas scanned some more updated information before his phone rang. It was his younger brother, Sora. Roxas glances at the clock. His shift started in 15 minutes. Roxas extended the antennae and took his call.

"Hey, Sor," Roxas said into the phone.

"Hey, Roxy! Glad I caught you before your shift!"

Roxas smiled as he shifted phone to the other ear. "Yeah but I gotta start in about 15. Wish we could talk longer."

"Naw that's ok I'll try to catch you after work yeah! I just wanted to see how you were holding up already. I remember Namine telling me that those Alphas are pretty much dicks." Sora said, annoyed.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Well yeah, it's not like they're anywhere near me. Don't want to get infected by the whale."

"... don't talk like that, Roxas." Sora sighed. Then his tone changed to a more teasing tone, "They just don't know that they're missing out on a good time."

Sora snickered and Roxas huffed and visibly blushed. "Shut up, Sor. God, you and your dirty mind! I have to keep preparing for my shift."

He hung up so a snickering and chuckling Sora.

East Twilight Town- Flamin' Hot Tattoos and Piercings

9:10 AM

Axel rolled his shoulder as he looked over some more designs he commissioned. Axel could do his own designs but he found he didn't have as much time as he wanted. He did his own commissioned work when people wanted specific tats, but people can be picky and he usually spends a lot of time on those designs. Thus he has to pay others to create intricate design layouts for people to browse when they just want to get a new tat for kicks. It's more often than people think.

Axel took one more drag of his cigarette before he crushed it into the metal plate next to his lamp. His office was nestled in the back of the store, right by the stairway that led to his apartment upstairs.

His employees and best friends, Demyx and Saix, were out chatting with the first customer of the day, a regular, Xigbar. Demyx, a kid-faced Alpha with a rockin' mullet, stuck his tongue out as he expertly worked on Xigbar's two crossed gun tattoo on his bicep. Demyx was finishing up the final touches since this was their fifth and final session to complete the tat.

Axel looked out the office window as Isa wipes down his counter and scrubbed off some spilled ink. His station was spotless, equal to his strict no-nonsense personality. It was quite a stark contrast to Demyx's ink splattered workplace.

Axel cracked his back before walking out the door.

Xigbar raised his free hand in greeting. "Hey, Axel! Hoped you'd come and say g'morning!"

Axel walked over to his station and prepped for his first client at 10. He grinned at Xigbar. "Hey, Xiggy! Welcome back. Looks like Dem's almost done with that one. What makes me think you're gonna come back for another next week?"

Xigbar is a man who had quite an appreciation for ink and Axel respected that he did because of a reputation those who have certain tats have. Xigbar was a local pistol enthusiast and loved to show people he meant business. He was also a respected member of a local gang. Axel wasn't always to keen on gangs, he had been in one himself when he was younger, but found them to be a bit too much for his artistic side. Xigbar actually was a gang mate which made them go way back.

"Yo they hurt like a bitch but if all pays off eventually when I show those Heartless punks in Radiant Garden exactly what I love and exactly what I'm packin'. He lifted his arm to show off the twin guns that Demyx was finishing up. Demyx leaned over to fetch a new color from his cart.

Saix leaned on his counter while he smirked. "Speaking of bitches…" he started. "Heard you found yourself someone to court."

Demyx scolded Xigbar for twitching before he added to the conversation. He stared intently at his work while he asked, "Woah, like an actual mate candidate and not a fuck-toy?" He grinned up at Xigbar. "Has the world flipped while my back was turned?" It was a friendly comment, but it had a little edge due to the fact that they had a fling a while ago.

Xigbar answered with a smug look, "Eh we all gotta settle on one eventually. I'm seeing Larxene. Been for a few month now. Just decided to make it official last week."

Axel smirked. "Yo I knew you and Demyx had some fun but I didn't know you were actually into alphas." It wasn't terribly too uncommon for there to be couples with the same assignment but it wasn't completely integrated into society. It was quite a hush-hush topic. "Too bad, you should'a let me know and I could've had someone during my rut last month."

Xigbar chuckled, "Ey no offense, Axe but you're not quite my type. Flame-headed ink freak isn't my style."

Axel feigned hurt before grinning. "Ink freak? I take that as a wonderful comment from a dead friend."

Xigbar roller his eyes. "Knew you'd say something like that."

Saix shook his head. "Anyway, it's not like Axel needs an Alpha or Omega for his ruts." Saix glanced towards the tall lanky yet muscular redhead. "I'd guess it's been a good 7 years since you got laid. Your ruts are as lax as ever."

Axel grimaces. "You gotta bring that up? Yeah I know I'm that one in a million Alpha that can't get it up I got it."

Xigbar shot up, "Come on man you gotta hook up. No wonder you have bags under your eyes. I may be partial to Alphas, but I'm telling you, one sniff of that sweet omega nectar when they're in heat…" Xigbar closed his eyes and leaned his head back to emphasize his point.

Axel rolled his eyes and walked over to his office. "I'll keep that in mind, but seriously, I don't need anyone. I'm good riding solo until my last breath." In reality, Axel would love to get laid. He just couldn't handle his embarrassment of not getting it up. He has tried with various omegas, even a few in the height of their heat, nothing ever works and he leaves with nothing to show. He's a completely impotent alpha.

Before he could open the door, the bell rang to alert someone entering the store.

Axel turns around to meet them but grimaced before a work could come out. That bastard, Xemnas, was standing in the doorway, smirking, before stepping inside.

Axel loathed Xemnas. His silver hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and he wore grey jeans and a skin-tight button up black shirt. His faces seemed to always don a shit-eating grin. Axel would kick him out and tell him he'll stab him in the throat with an inking needle if he ever sets a foot in a 10-mile radius from the shop. He can't do that though. It's complicated, because…

"Xemmy!" Saix smiled. Saix was a pretty stoic omega, but his demeanor changed to the perfect, doting omega mate when Xemnas entered with his raging Alpha pheromones. The smell made Axel sick.

Saix walked over to his tall Alpha and kissed him on the lips for a moment before hugging him. Xemnas smile softened as he went in and rubbed his nose into Saix's bonding mark, scenting him, even though both Axel and Demyx could smell Saix when he came into the shop easily this morning. You can tell that Xemnas takes his sweet time in the morning scenting Saix thoroughly before he leaves the house.

Axel silently gagged as Xemnas started scenting Saix's hair. Saix giggled as he pushed his Alphas solid chest away. "Xemmy, stop I'm working."

"Yeah, you're distracting him so get the fuck out." Axel seethed. He was never afraid of voicing his opinion about Xemnas. Saix shot Axel an icy glare while Xemnas looks quite amused with a dark eyebrow shooting up.

"My, my, Axel. Is it so bad for me to come and visit my mate while he is not attending to a client." Xemnas' hand reach down to possessively yet gently claim Saix's left ass cheek.

Axel's brow twitches. "Yeah well he's on the clock anyway and he doesn't get paid for sitting there and getting your putrid scent rubbed all over him."

"Axel!" Saix seethed. "Your not being very polite. Knock it off."

"So what?!" Axel shouts at his friend. "I'm sick and tired of him being so possessive of you and acting like a freaky, protective maniac and scenting you like he's trying to make you an object. Shouldn't he be at work anyway?" It was a dumb question. He runs a successful company that is stationed in The World that Never Was. He could do as he pleased, he was his own boss. In fact, Saix told him that Xemnas keeps pestering him to quit and stay at home and have pups. Saix's passion is tats and he won't let Xemnas talk him out of staying at Flamin' Hot Tattoos, thank God.

Saix continued to glare at his friend. "Just shut up! You don't even know what your talking about."

Xigbar looked like he was ready to break out the popcorn and soda but Demyx looked more than concerned. "Hey, Axe just let it go."

"It's fine everyone," Xemnas said, raising his hand in peace while the other was wrapped securely around his mate's waist. "I understand that Axel could not comprehend why I do these things. He is not an experienced Alpha, which is by no means a bad thing. It's just if he had an omega he would understand why I take care in properly attending to my mate's needs." He grinned while sending off potent, mocking Alpha pheromones. "Although, I heard you have a problem being an Alpha at all." Saix froze as his eyes widen. Xemnas wouldn't. "I sure hope you get that "problem" taken care of along the line or you might have to live your life without the enjoyment of a mate.

Saix shot his mate a look. Axel stood there, shocked that Saix would share something so personal. Xemnas opened the door before patting his mate on the behind. "Good day. See you at lunch, darling." The door shut with a jingle from the bell.

The shop had an icy chill. Saix started to mutter. "A-axel he's my mate..."

Axel whipped his head to glare at his friend with a betrayed look. "So you tell him I can't get it up? Mate or not, there is a line!" Axel had never been so pissed at his childhood friend, even more pissed than when Saix told him he had mated with Xemnas, showing off a raw bond mark on his neck.

Saix looked down. "He never would have said that if you hadn't provoked him-"

"GOD-DAMNIT!" Axel flung his hand up. "Screw this, I'll be in my office. I won't be out until my 10 o'clock. Feel free to have an early lunch, Saix. Bet your lovely mate will have a blast having two extra hours to fuck and scent you." With that, Axel slammed the door, not minding Demyx and Xigbar's awkward silence or Saix's misty eyes.

Axel shut the blinds off his office window and fell into his desk chair as he sighed loudly. He turns his fan on high and drowned in the cool air hitting his red, enraged face.

A few moments later, his phone rang.

Axel picked up without looking at the number on the base. "Hello?" He didn't give his usual, professional 'Hello! This is Flamin' Hot Tattoos and Piercing, this is the owner, Axel how may I Ink you today.'

"Hello. Is this Axel Lea?"

Axel boredly grunted a yes.

"Hello! My name is Roxas. Are you by chance interested in changing your company's cable into a more local cable network with more channels and less money?"