Axel looked at himself in the mirror thoughtfully before he applied a bit more of the hot pink lipstick. It matched his sexy pink dress and the ridiculous, thigh high white stockings. They were dotted with little pink hearts and had huge bows at the top.

Along with all his makeup the idea was to look like a woman. Axel knew he was fooling absolutely no one. His wrists were too big, his adam's apple too obvious and his features just weren't fine enough to really pull it off. He was a man, not a girl. But he made a decent enough facsimile and it hardly mattered anyway. Most of his customers got off on it.

He was a whore and had been since the age of eight. That was too damn young, even by Port Royal standards, but his mother hadn't cared. Axel could clearly remember how he'd wept the first time and how she's slapped him and told him to stop being a pussy. He'd made her quite a bit of money when he was young and pretty. Until he'd beaten her senseless and left at the age of fifteen. Axel knew that wasn't the way to treat your mother even if she was an amoral whore, but he couldn't find it in him to care. She'd earned a lot worse than two black eyes and a split lip.

He frowned and shoved it out of mind. Why was he even thinking about that? The past was the past and all that mattered now was earning enough money to pay the rent and buy some food. And a bit of alcohol to numb things a touch, although he'd do that before he started work. Unwashed man cock was a lot more tolerable when you had a good buzz going. And a couple ships had arrived so he was sure it would be unwashed.

Maybe the buzz explained why he intervened in something that wasn't his business. Or maybe it was the clear sound of a little boy's voice. Not a man, no way, it was a child and he was scared. Axel was passing by an alleyway when he heard it and he heard the coarse laughter. It just pissed him off and with the booze muddling around his head he'd decided to do something about it.

Axel carried a knife, strapped to his thigh over his adorable stockings. But for this he didn't need it. His pink purse was huge and had metal reinforced corners. All it carried was some beer and food, but that weighed it down more than enough. It almost qualified as a lethal weapon, and Axel proved it when he smashed a pirate on the head with it. The other turned and got a kick in the crotch that instantly elevated his voice in pitch. The pointy tips of Axel's shoes made things just that much worse.

Ignoring the two pirates he grabbed the boy without looking and dragged him out of the alley. The pirates would recover soon enough and they needed to get gone before they did. The boy clung to him and Axel was vaguely aware of blonde hair as he made his way through the thronging crowds of Port Royal. No one gave them a second glance and he finally stopped, prying the lad away and taking a good look at him.

Axel was stunned and could instantly see why the pirates had tried to molest the boy. He was adorable. So cute and small with huge blue eyes and spiky blonde hair although right now there was a bruise showing on his cheek and what looked like a much older black eye. Axel had very good knowledge of how injuries healed and he was sure the pirates hadn't given the boy that shiner. His clothing was rather fine and made Axel a touch uneasy. This was no street brat. What was he doing on the worst streets of Port Royal?

"Th-thank you." The boy stuttered and blinked as he looked into Axel's face. "…Are you a girl?" He sounded very uncertain about it and Axel threw his head back with a laugh.

"No lad, I'm a man." That actually seemed to reassure the boy. Odd. "My name is Axel. What's yours?"

"Roxas. Um, are you a whore?" Roxas asked with disarming honesty and Axel briefly wondered how old the boy was. Ten maybe? Maybe a young looking twelve but he didn't think any older than that.

"No. I dress in gowns and stockings for kicks." Axel answered sardonically and saw the boy blush before he relented. "Yes, I'm a whore. How old are you Roxas?"

"Twelve." He said hesitantly. The high end of Axel's estimation. "Can you teach me?" That sent Axel's mind into an abrupt skid. Teach?

"Teach you what?" He said blankly then saw how the boy blushed and looked down. "You want to be a whore?!? But you must be from a good family!" The boy's eyes filled with tears and Axel awkwardly patted him on the back as he started to sob.

"My – my mother hit me for saying lies about my father but it was the truth! She knew… and Sora, my brother, he wouldn't stand up for me. Father's been hurting him too, he said he would!" Roxas sounded betrayed and Axel could fill in the blanks. "Hurting", yes, he was sure he knew what that meant. And this Sora boy was probably messed up in the head from it.

"He probably just didn't have the strength Roxas. It happens sometimes." Axel spoke from experience. It had taken him a long time to find the strength to get out. "But why would you want to be a whore after that?" Axel hadn't any choice. He had no education and was damned if he'd go to the pirates. Roxas sniffed.

"What else can I do?" He said softly and Axel tried to think of something else. Hmm. "I wish I could join the pirates but I'm too little. They'd just laugh. And m-maybe it wouldn't hurt so much with a stranger." Axel winced at that and gently petted Roxas' hair.

"Maybe it wouldn't. A lot of them like you to look like you're enjoying it." Axel admitted. "But it's a vile way to live and you're too young." Axel hesitated as Roxas bit his lip. What should he do with the boy? He couldn't take him back to his family. And the orphanages in Port Royal were… bad. Very bad. He wouldn't be the least bit surprised if something much worse happened to Roxas. "Gods. I don't need this." Axel finally came to a reluctant decision. He needed a dependant like he needed a hole in the head but he couldn't just let this little beauty run through the streets. He'd be raped in no time. And probably have his too fine clothes stolen to boot. "Come along lad. You'll have to hang around while I service some customers. Stay out of the way but within my sight, got it memorized? Study if you want but you're too young to be selling it on streetcorners. Not until you're fourteen." That was the age of consent in Port Royal and Axel thought it was too young really for whoring. But what could you do? Roxas looked dismayed.

"But what will I do in the meantime?" Axel laughed and patted the boy's head. Roxas growled and batted at his hand. It reminded Axel of a kitten and he smiled, amused.

"Well, I suppose you'll just live with me and be a boy. It's a bad part of town but there are other kids in the building." Even whores had children and Axel was sure Roxas could make some friends. "I might give you a few private lessons to get you ready." Roxas looked a little nervous but nodded. Axel felt a bit regretful at the thought of taking his innocence, but from the sounds of it that innocence had taken flight years ago. And it would be best for Roxas if he knew his own body and all his reactions very well before he was fourteen if he wanted to walk this road.

Axel had an unhappy feeling it might even be the best way for him. He was very delicate now. What if he never really grew? It happened sometimes and he'd never make a pirate if it happened to him. Not to mention that pirating wasn't much better than whoring, when you got right down to it. Months and months at sea on a grimy boat with filthy men and the prospect of great danger when you finally found a merchant ship to take? No thanks. Axel privately thought the days of piracy were numbered. More and more ships vanished, caught by the authorities and the crews killed out of hand or hung later in Kingston. Axel dismissed the thought. No matter what happened to piracy as a whole, his job would always be available.

Some things never changed.