Title: On Borrowed Wings
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Rating: M
Pairings: AkuRoku, Zemyx, Soriku, and numerous others.
Warnings: Sex, drugs, drinking, prostitution, foul language, blood and gore, possession by demons, life-threatening situations… You name it, it's probably in here. Not for the faint of heart.
Summary: Axel is struggling to keep the pieces of his life stitched together in a world full of chaos. Roxas is a staunch believer in the paranormal and undoubtedly the creepiest person Axel has ever met. When a ouija board session goes terribly wrong, will they be able to fix the problems they have caused before their time runs out, or will they end up dead - or worse?
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts © Disney and Square Enix, Final Fantasy © Square Enix, all other references do not belong to me.

Author's Note: Well, I've finally gotten around to writing the first chapter of my new fanfiction... Nothing too bad in this chapter. I hope you guys like horror stories, though!

~::~

Trying to find a moment of peace in a city that never sleeps can be a difficult task to accomplish. In the chaos of everyday life, things are always changing. Stoplights change, minds change, people's lives change. But even if one person's world seems to grind to a halt, the streets of New York City never slow.

~::~

Beep. Beep. Beep. The chirping of the alarm clock mingled with the sounds of traffic outside the window of the small apartment, still cacophonous even four stories off the ground. A hand emerged from the jumble of sheets on the bed and groped around for the clock for a moment before finding it. The hand clenched into a fist and slammed down on the off button.

"Why the fuck," the owner of the hand groaned, "is my alarm clock going off at five on a fucking Saturday?" The speaker sat up, the top of their head poking out of the sheets, red hair contrasting sharply with the white of the fabric. The person extricated themselves from the sheets and slid out of bed, feet hitting the carpeted floor with a muffled thump

Sighing, the tall red-haired man headed into the next room. He winced when his bare feet came in contact with the frigid surface of the kitchen tiles. "I can't believe I left my alarm on," the man muttered as he filled a tea kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. "What a dumbass."

Despite his aversion to rising so early on a weekend, he went about his usual morning routine. The man went to take a quick shower while the water boiled. A sigh of contentment escaped his lips as the rush of warm water from the showerhead hit his back. He liked nothing better than a nice, hot shower, except maybe sleeping in.

The phone rang as the redhead was returning to the kitchen, now fully clothed in jeans and a worn t-shirt. He grabbed the cordless phone off of his dresser on his way into the next room. "Hello?"

"Axel, why the hell are you taking a shower at five in the morning on a Saturday, of all days?"

Axel winced at the volume of the other man's voice. "Geez, Demyx, it's not illegal to take a shower, y'know. And why are you up this early? You're not exactly an early bird yourself."

The happiness in the other's voice was apparent. "Zexion came over last night and he ended up staying. You know how he likes getting up early to get a few minutes of peace and quiet."

"With you around? Fat chance," The two of them laughed. "So how is your little pygmy emo?"

Another voice on Demyx's end of the line answered, "I'm perfectly fine, thank you. You're just jealous that Demyx is getting more than you."

"Zexy!" Demyx sounded shocked. "What did I tell you about making fun of Axel's lack of-"

Axel cut him off. "Please don't finish that sentence. I do not want to know how much you've told him about my sex life, or lack thereof. Look, since we're all awake, how about we go grab some breakfast or something?"

"It's five in the-"

"I know, I know!" Axel cut Demyx off. "I meant later, after we're all presentable and actually awake. Besides, you two probably need to go shower too." The redhead knew that his comment embarrassed Demyx, judging by the awkward silence that stretched on for several moments.

"Fine," the other man said after a while. "Give me and Zexion a few minutes, and then we can see if there's anything worth eating around here."

"Okay. Just go ahead and come over here when you're ready." The redhead ended the call and went to replace the phone in its charging station. He ran back to the kitchen when the kettle sent forth a noise that was closer to a shriek than the customary whistle and removed it before his eardrums shattered. Still wincing, he took a coffee mug out of one of the cupboards and poured the hot water in it. Once this was done, he walked over to the pantry and rummaged around the contents of the shelves until he came up with a half-empty box of tea bags. He selected one of them randomly and replaced the box before shutting the pantry door and placing the tea bag in his cup.

Axel returned to his bathroom and proceeded to blow dry the thick tangle of still-wet red hair on his head, carefully working out the knots with a fine-toothed comb. Not really up to the task of spiking his hair with gel as he did some days, he wove it into a simple braid to keep it out of his face and tied it off at the end with a rubber band he found in one of the drawers.

Stomach already growling, he made his way back to the kitchen and picked up his mug of tea, discarding the spent tea bag in the trashcan as he passed. He sat down at the small kitchen table and sipped at the hot drink, watching the hands of the clock on the wall slowly make their way around the infinite loops they were doomed to repeat. Axel allowed himself a wry chuckle. That wasn't so different from his life, some times.

"Hey, open up!" The redhead rolled his eyes as he heard Demyx call out to him, knocking loudly on the door.

"Cool it, I'm coming!" He set his almost-empty cup down on the table and walked over to the door.

Demyx tackled him as soon as the lock clicked open. "Hiya, buddy! Good morning!" Axel wrestled with him for a few moments before releasing him. The other man was dressed in a simple outfit of bleached blue jeans and a tie-dye t-shirt, but the thing that made his outfit almost painful to look at was the sheer number of bracelets, necklaces, and numerous other pieces of jewelry that adorned him, all in neon colors. His dirty blonde hair was in its usual style, one that Demyx denied looked anything like a mullet.

"Man, if I turned the lights off in here, you could be our own personal sun," Axel joked, punching him in the shoulder.

"Oh, shut up."

As Demyx went and flopped down in one of the kitchen chairs, a shorter, much more subdued man entered the apartment. He was clad in a purple t-shirt and black jeans. His long steel gray hair was swept over one side of his face, covering his right eye. The one eye that was visible was an intelligent icy blue that could make you feel utterly stupid with just a glance.

"Good morning, Axel," Zexion nodded at him and closed the door behind him. "So, do we have any idea where we're planning on going?"

"How about that little café a few blocks south? I went there last week before work. Their pancakes are jizz-yourself delicious," Demyx blinked when the other two men raised their eyebrows. "What? I really like their pancakes."

"You have no filter, Dem," Axel informed him as he swallowed the remainder of his tea and deposited the empty cup in the sink. "I've never been there before, actually… I wouldn't mind trying it. Zexion, any complaints?"

"I don't care as long as they have coffee."

Axel wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I don't see how you people can drink that stuff. It's nasty!"

"We're not all as refined as you, drinking tea like water," Demyx retorted. "You're not even English!"

"No, but I'm Irish. That's about at close as it gets," The redhead stretched, yawning. His stomach growled loudly. "Can we go? I think the hungry beast in my belly is about to attack someone."

Demyx chuckled, while Zexion rolled his eyes. Axel ran back to his room to retrieve his wallet and then the three men exited the apartment, making their way down the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. Axel immediately wished he had remembered to bring a jacket as he opened the door that led out of his apartment block and a blast of chilly mid-November air hit him.

"Fuck, is it cold out here," he said through gritted teeth. "Why didn't you warn me?"

"Didn't know," Demyx replied, zipping up his windbreaker. "Zexion and I only brought our coats out of habit. We can wait if you want to go grab yours."

Axel shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Nah, I'll live. Maybe this'll wake me up a little."

The walk to the café was slightly more pleasant than Axel thought it would be. The familiar sounds of the early morning traffic in the city were soothing, somehow, despite being so rowdy. It almost made the cold bearable to be able to take in the city's early morning routine, picking back up after the temporary lull in the youngest hours of the day. The redhead found himself dropping farther and farther back as he took in the way the sun's rays were glinting off the upper-story windows of the tallest buildings, reflecting them down onto the street below to create pools of lights amongst the dark alleyways.

Axel's reverie was broken when somebody rammed into him at high speeds, causing them both to go careening into the doorway of a nearby store. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" the redhead exclaimed as he picked himself up and dusted off the front of his shirt and pants. "Seriously, watch where you're going."

"You were the one standing in the middle of the sidewalk, dumbass," Axel looked up, ready to fling more insults at the idiot who had plowed him over, but he stopped short when he saw them. The person standing in front of him was short, almost the same height as Zexion, but his hair and wardrobe were entirely different. The black skinny jeans he wore were ripped so heavily that he had to wear black leggings underneath them to make them suitable to wear out in public. The sleeves of his shirt, which had apparently once been a turtleneck, were gone, replaced by gauzy black fabric that clung to his slender arms. A multitude of metal-studded leather belts were slung haphazardly around his waist in no particular order. Several leather bracelets were fastened around his wrists, and his left ear boasted three piercings, two black studs and one silver cuff. The person's blonde hair was styled into spikes that looked sharp enough to use as weapons. But it wasn't any of this so much as the blonde's eyes that caught Axel's attention, deep blue and ringed with just the right amount of black eyeliner. The stranger picked up the skateboard he had been riding and righted it, placing one foot on the top. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Um… Look, I'm sorry. I gotta go. My friends are waiting for me." Axel turned and ran down the street towards the spot where Demyx and Zexion were waiting for him. He did his best not to look back.

"What the hell happened back there?" Demyx asked him as they sat down in one of the booths in the café they had chosen to dine at. "You looked like you were about to faint when you ran up!"

"I… Nothing, really. Some idiot teenager rammed into me on his skateboard, we fell over, exchanged a few insults, and then I joined you two again," Axel shrugged. "Nothing life-changing, I swear."

"Don't tempt Fate, man. You'll regret it," Demyx warned, waggling a finger in his direction. "Isn't that right, Zexy?"

Zexion looked at his partner, gaze laced with skepticism. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. It really depends on what your views on Fate are, if it can willingly cause things to happen like a sentient being, or if it's merely-"

"Zexion, it's too early in the morning for one of your lectures on religious beliefs and all that shit," Axel rubbed his temples. "I respect the fact that you're probably the smartest person I know, but please, spare us for a while."

Zexion looked mildly displeased but said nothing else on the subject. A waitress came and took their order a few minutes later, and once the food came, all conversation stopped. Axel had ordered the home-style pancakes, curious as to how good they actually were. Demyx's description was relatively accurate, minus the "jizz-yourself" part. Zexion also got his daily dose of coffee, much to Axel's disgust.

"So, have you got work today?" Demyx asked Axel, taking a sip of his drink.

The redhead leaned back in his seat, stretching his back against the metal of the chair frame. "Yeah. I've got a nine to five shift at the auto shop today, but other than that, I get to be a lazy bum for a while."

"Are you still working at your brother's bar?" Zexion asked after swallowing the food in his mouth.

Axel grimaced. "Don't remind me. Reno's such a pain in the ass. I wouldn't work there if the pay wasn't so good for what little I do."

Demyx took a bite of his pancakes, looking thoughtful. "Well, he is the older brother. It only makes sense that he's trying to push you a little, to make sure you succeed."

"I dunno about that. I think he just enjoys seeing me work my ass off for him," the redhead retorted, pointing his fork at his friend. "You try working there one day and see if you don't agree then."

"No thank you," Demyx shook his head. "I'm perfectly happy with my job."

"Still a free-lancing voice teacher?"

The dirty blonde man grinned. "I sure am. Zexion's actually been helping out some, playing the piano when I need somebody to accompany performances. He's really good, too."

Zexion's cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink and he hid his face behind his cup of coffee. "I'm not that good, Demyx. I've only been playing for a few years."

"But you're still better than I'll ever be," his partner replied, smiling over at him. "Give me anything with strings and I can learn how to play it in a week, but piano? There's a snowball's chance in Hell I'll ever learn that."

"Okay, okay, you two, quit being so cute. I'll start barfing fuzzy little kittens and farting rainbows," The three of them paused for a moment to visualize that particular scenario in their minds. Axel continued after shaking his head. "So, I take it you two are going to be lounging about while I'm off working myself silly, correct?"

"On the contrary, I have work today. Demyx is the only one who gets any down time today," Zexion replied, finishing the last of his coffee. "The lab where I work is shorthanded as it is, since so many people are going home to be with their families for Thanksgiving. I'll have to work overtime, probably, but the pay is nice for extra hours."

"So you'll buy me that new TV I've been wanting for Christmas?" Demyx asked hopefully.

"We'll see." Zexion was almost knocked over when a very excited Demyx tackled him, wrapping his arms around the smaller's neck and kissing his cheek.

"That's totally a yes!"

Axel rolled his eyes. For a twenty-four-year-old, his friend sure was childish some times.

~::~

Once the three men finished their breakfast, they returned to their respective apartments to get ready to face the day. Axel sighed and flopped down on his bed, idly wondering if he could grab a couple extra hours of sleep before work. One glance at the display of the clock on his bedside table told him this was a bad idea, unless he wanted his boss to kill him for being late.

However, with a little under an hour and a half to waste before he had to leave, the redhead was clueless as to what to do with his remaining downtime. He didn't have anyone else to entertain himself like Demyx did. He hadn't for a long time, but he didn't want to think about that now. There was no point crying over spilled milk, right?

Speaking of spills, Axel was still slightly miffed by the incident with the blonde strange who had knocked him over and been such a dick about it afterwards. The redhead hadn't exactly been the picture of understanding himself, but at least he sort of halfway apologized for it. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people who thought they were better than everybody else and said peons should pay to even breathe the same air. This kid was pretty damn close to Axel's stereotype of that kind of person.

He stood, sighing, and made his way through the kitchen and into the small living room adjacent to it via a second doorway. The redhead flopped down on the couch and grabbed the television remote. Before he could even turn on the TV, however, his phone began to ring. Mildly surprised, he stood and walked back to his room, picking the phone up off the receiver just before its final ring.

"Axel?"

The redhead instantly recognized the voice, and almost as quickly remembered what day it was and why this man was calling him. "Who else would it be, Saix?"

"That's a good question. Are you going to be there tonight?" the other man asked, voice low and almost monotone.

"Ten o' clock. As always. If I'm late, you can torture me a little to make up for it," Axel grimaced, glad that Saix couldn't see his face.

"Oh, believe me, I will," Saix replied coolly. "I'll see you then."

"Yeah. Later," Axel ended the call and almost flung the cordless phone at the wall. How could he have forgotten that, of all things? One part of him almost wanted to call Saix back and refuse to show up, lie and say he was sick, anything to get out of their little rendezvous. Another part screamed at the other and called it a plethora of unflattering names. The redhead massaged his temples, wondering if he was schizophrenic or something.

Now unable to concentrate on much else, Axel decided to take a long walk before going to work. He gathered all the necessary things he'd need for the day and then headed out, making sure to bring a jacket this time. The cool air did wonders for his head, clearing his mind and allowing him to just live for a little while, to immerse himself in the familiar sounds and sights of his city. He'd grown up here, tried to move away to go to college, and then moved back because he felt too homesick. It was strange, as though the city wasn't finished with whatever it had planned for him. Axel shook his head. Cities that could manipulate their occupants' lives? He'd been hanging out with Zexion for too long.

Without realizing it, Axel's feet carried him back in the direction of the small café where he and his friends had eaten breakfast. As he walked down the sidewalk, trying not to be pushed into the street by the scores of people hurrying to work, back home, or a myriad of other places, a small piece of him almost wanted to see the blonde kid from before, although he wasn't entirely sure why. He would have loved to give the blonde a good talking to, but there had been something about him the intrigued the redhead.

"'Scuse me!" somebody called, giving Axel just enough warning to sidestep and avoid being bowled over by another person on a skateboard. The girl riding the board had long, curly brown hair that twisted halfway down her back, held back in the front by two orange clips that matched the color of her shirt. Another skateboard-riding boy followed her, his baggy red t-shirt flapping in the artificial wind crated by his momentum. Still another person followed behind the first two, also blonde, but not the one from before. He was wearing baggy cargo pants and a white t-shirt overlapped with a dark beige vest.

Axel paused on the edge of the curb to watch as they disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the city. He wished he had the time to follow them and see if the stranger from before was one of their friends, but he'd hate to be late for work. His duty overcame his curiosity, and the redhead set out on a different course, heading for the auto shop where he worked part-time.

The instant he set foot in the garage, a muscular man with long black and gray hair tied back in a loose ponytail, yellow-tinged hazel eyes, and, most surprisingly, an eye patch, walked over and handed him a clipboard. "I don't know why you're here so early, but it's a good thing you are. One guy just came in with a pretty fucked up engine. I think you'll be able to handle it, though." Without another word, Axel's boss Xigbar turned around and stomped off towards another car with a nasty-looking dent in one side and a missing rear bumper.

Grinning, Axel walked over to the car's owner and began questioning him about the troubles he had been having with the car, eventually nailing the problem down to one of two things: either the battered old pick-up truck needed an entirely new engine, or it was simply a matter of replacing some tubing, getting new sparkplugs, and refilling the car's supply of anti-freeze and other necessary fluids. Forty minutes later, the car was good to go, much to Axel's amusement. The man who owned the truck had simply been overreacting; it was nothing that a regular old tune-up wouldn't have fixed.

Xigbar came up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Another one who blew things out of proportion?"

"Yup. We seem to be getting them a lot lately," the redhead replied, wiping his slightly greasy hands on a rag tied to his belt. His whole work uniform was worn, but he did his best to keep it as clean as humanly possible while working in the conditions he did.

"Damn people think they know everything," his boss shook his head. "Oh well. Means more business for us, so no harm, no foul, eh?"

"As long as I get paid, I don't really care," The two men laughed before going back to their jobs. Axel was glad that Xigbar was so easy-going. He could get away with being a little bit of an idiot now and then, even if he usually knew what he was doing when it came to machines. He'd always loved to take things apart and putting them back together when he was younger, but as soon as he could use power tools, he began building things left and right, much to his parents' dismay. Axel loved knowing what made things tick, and he was going to find out some way or another once he set his mind to it.

The concentration that his job required helped him push thoughts of the blonde kid and the others on the skateboards, along with his meeting with Saix tonight, out of his mind for a while, but as soon as Xigbar said he could go home now, he was unsure how to occupy himself without going batshit crazy.

He could always go and pester Demyx for a while, he considered, but then the dirty blonde would ask him why he looked so sad, and that would lead to one very awkward conversation because Axel knew no one who could stand up to Demyx' puppy dog face, and he liked to keep his secrets… well, secret.

The redhead resorted to watching television for a few hours before breaking to make himself some dinner. Despite not feeling very hungry due to his predicament with Saix later that night, he merely heated up some leftover pizza from his dinner the day before and carried it back to the couch along with a bottle of beer. If he wasn't going to remember most of what happened tonight tomorrow, may as well start now.

"Yo, Axel! What's up?"

"Demyx! How the fuck did you get it here?" the redhead yelled in surprise as his friend flopped down on the couch next to him. "You just about gave me a fucking heart attack, man!"

"You left the door unlocked, idiot. I thought you might be lonely," Demyx replied, grinning like a maniac. "So, whatcha doing?"

Axel took a bite of his pizza and almost burned his mouth. "Ow, ow, ow, hot!" He then proceeded to lie through his teeth. "Not much now, but I've gotta meet somebody tonight. Special request from the auto shop. They need some body work done." Well, at least it wasn't entirely a lie.

Demyx looked suspicious, but ignored it and stole a bite out of Axel's slice of pizza. The redhead dropped it on his plate and made a face. "Ew, now it's got Demyx cooties on it!"

"What are you, five?"

"Yes, Demyx, I am quite obviously not a twenty-five-year-old with a job, his own living space, and a college degree. I'm a child that's barely even begun his schooling and depends on his parents for everything."

Demyx stared at him. "Well geez, you could've told me sooner!"

Both men burst out laughing after a moment, realizing just how ridiculous their conversation was. This wasn't all that abnormal for them, however. They had been friends since high school, and kept in touch all through college before somehow ending up living next to each other in their apartment complex. Many years of inside jokes and crazy conversations had built up between them, making their friendship a strong one. Axel was glad that Demyx could cheer him up no matter how down in the dumps he was. It was times like these when he needed it most.

"Earth to Axel!" The redhead blinked as a hand waved back and forth in front of his face.

"What?" he exclaimed in surprise.

Demyx rolled his eyes. "You totally zoned out for a second there. I was just asking you if you had any plans tomorrow. Zexion's got to go out-of-state for a few days the day after next, and I wanted to go out and eat with him again. Want to come with?"

Axel shrugged. "We'll see how tired I am in the morning. This job tonight may keep me up for a while."

"I guess you can just call me after you wake up. Just make sure it's not five in the morning again, okay?" his friend replied, smirking.

"Oh, fine. That reminds me, I never changed my alarm clock… Excuse me for a second," Axel set down his meager dinner on the coffee table and made his way back to his room. He messed with the buttons on the clock sitting on his nightstand until he thought he had it set to go off not at five, but at eight-thirty instead. Once this was done, he returned the living room to find his pizza gone and Demyx trying to pick something out of his teeth.

"Did you really just eat my dinner?"

The dirty blonde looked up at him, smiling innocently. "Well, you did say it had me-cooties on it, so I did you a favor. Now you won't get sick!"

Axel rolled his eyes and returned to the kitchen to find something else to eat. He settled on making a packet of instant ramen, due only to the fact that it was quick and easy. He poured the amount of water the instructions suggested into the pot he was using and then waited for it to boil.

"Hey, you know that a watched pot never boils, right?" Demyx appeared next to him. The other man glanced at the package on the counter next to the small stove. "Ooh, I love ramen! Can I have some?"

"No, Demyx," Axel rolled his eyes and sighed. "You already ate my first dinner. I need to eat something. You better not have touched my beer, either."

His friend wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You know I don't drink. I hate the taste of alcohol."

"Fair enough," The two men remained silent until the water was ready. Axel broke up the noodles before adding them to the water. He went back to the living room to retrieve his drink and then made his way to the kitchen again only to find Demyx raiding his pantry. "Demyx!"

"What?" The other man straightened up, a bag of potato chips and a box of vanilla wafers clutched to his chest.

"Put them back. You have food at your own house," Axel reminded him as he got out a bowl to put the ramen in. He ripped open the tiny packet with the flavoring in it and deposited the contents into the pot, stirring it a few times before grabbing a ladle out of a nearby drawer and filling up his bowl. When he turned around to set it on the table, Demyx was there making his puppy dog face at him. "Oh, fine, have it your way. You can have a little."

"Yay!" his friend cheered as the redhead ladled him out a bowl as well. The two men sat down and began to eat, staying relatively quiet through their meal. Axel contemplated his situation between small bites of his ramen. Demyx, however, wolfed his portion down in minutes and sat back in his chair to wait for his friend. "Something on your mind? You usually eat faster than this."

Axel glanced up at him. "No, not really. I guess I'm still kinda dazed from the early start. You know how I get when my routine gets messed up."

Demyx looked unconvinced. "Are you sure? Maybe you just need a big hug, or something."

"Not while I'm eating, I don't!" the redhead warned. "And yes, I'm sure. I just need to not wake up so early tomorrow."

"Well… if you say so," Music suddenly began playing from somewhere inside Demyx's baggy coat. The dirty blonde rummaged around in his pockets until he found his cell phone. "Hello? Yeah. Oh, really? Huh. No, I didn't know. Okay. I'll be over there in half an hour, then. Yeah. Bye."

Axel cocked an eyebrow as Demyx replaced his cell phone in one of his pockets. "What was that about?"

"Turns out one of my students had to move their lesson up a couple of days because they're going out of town when it was supposed to be," Demyx explained as he carried his empty bowl over to the sink and deposited it within. "I've got to go meet up with her soon, so I'll see you later, okay? Try not to stay up too late."

Axel chuckled. "Yes, Mother."

"Oh, shut up!"

The redhead stared at the door to his apartment for a few moments after it closed. He still had a good two hours until he was supposed to meet up with Saix. How was he going to entertain himself now? He sighed and finished his meal before returning to the living room and sinking into the couch. He almost dozed off several times, but managed to wake himself up before he got too deep in the realm of sleep.

"I'm gonna regret this in the morning…" he sighed as he went to get ready for his little excursion. He exchanged his t-shirt for a tight black tank top and threw on a leather jacket so he didn't freeze in the cold night air. He left his hair as it was, still in its braid from earlier that day.

Axel paused before stepping out of his apartment. He took several deep breaths to try and calm himself. This was just good business, wasn't it? Saix needed something, he needed something, and they could give it to each other. Throw away all your morals and values for a night, and you can keep your livelihood going, at least for a little while longer.

The sun had already set by the time Axel left his apartment and took to the streets. The city lights made it almost as bright as day on the main streets, though, and he was able to traverse them without any incidents. He glanced up at the sky as a rumble of thunder passed overhead. He sky was choked with thick gray clouds, threatening rain on the people out and about. He grimaced and continued on his way, hoping that the bottom wouldn't drop out before he made it to his destination.

The sky, however, seemed to think he needed a good shower. About three blocks away from where he was supposed to meet Saix, the rain started coming down hard and fast, drumming into the pavement and anyone unlucky enough to be caught out in it. Axel ran for the nearest shelter, a small awning on a storefront a few feet ahead. Once under the cover, Axel shook out his hair and wiped off what water he could reach from his jacket.

A few seconds later, another figure burst out of the curtain of rain and stumbled under the awning, showering more water over Axel as the other person shook themselves.

"Hey, what's the-… Wait a second, you're the guy that ran into me this morning!" Axel stared at the stranger in shock.

"Hmph. Never thought I'd see you again," the blonde replied, grimacing as he wiped droplets of water off of his face. His hair was drooping considerably under the weight of the water, but he shook his head and shed some of it. "Stupid rain. I bet my board's gonna be ruined."

"I don't think you should be worrying about your skateboard," Axel said, glancing at the stranger's soaked clothing, "unless you just got it painted or something."

"I didn't, but I still don't want it to get fucked up."

Silence reigned for several minutes after this. The rain continued to pound into the ground, showing no signs of letting up in the near future. Axel occasionally glanced up at the stranger to see that he was staring intently at his forehead. As weird as that was, he decided not to question it.

"Hey, I'm sorry about this morning," Axel finally said, not able to bare the awkward silence any longer.

"Good. I could've smashed my head in or something because of you," the blonde responded, wringing out the bottom hem of his shirt.

"What, no apology from you? I could've gotten hurt too, you know!" Axel bristled at the blonde's arrogant manner. "Look, kid, you need to learn to respect your elders!"

"First of all, you're the one that was standing there like an idiot. Second, I am not a kid, thank you very much. I'm twenty-two; only three years younger than you."

The redhead stared at him. "But how did you know how old I am? That's… You're not stalking me, are you?"

The other man sneered at him. "Honestly, you're not interesting enough to stalk, from what I've seen so far. I don't waste my time on boring things. As for how I knew… Well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"I'd rather not," the stranger replied. "You already seem to dislike me more than enough… I don't think I want to stoke the fire."

Axel snorted. "What, do you know more about me?"

"Yes. You're a prostitute, aren't you?"

Without missing a beat, despite his shock, the redhead retorted, "Only part-time. And don't think I'm going to give you anything."

"Oh, believe me, I don't want anything from you. I, unlike some people, have standards."

Axel whipped round to face the blonde, mouth curled into a snarl. "What I do to keep myself living comfortably is none of your business, you freak! I'm already working two jobs and I can barely make ends meet some months, okay? I bet you've got parents that are rich as fuck and give you every little thing you could ever want."

The stranger looked taken aback by Axel's outburst. He cringed away from him, pressing himself against the window of the building they were in front of. "I-I'm sorry! Really! Yeah, my parents are rich, but I can support myself just fine. And I'm not a freak or a kid. My name is Roxas, got it?"

"Roxas," Axel like the way it rolled off his tongue. "Well, I guess I can forgive you. But really, how the shit do you know so much about me?"

"Really, you wouldn't believe me."

"Really, I think I can take it."

Roxas sighed. "Fine then. You know what magic and spells are, right?"

Axel stared at him. "You're joking, right?"

"See? I knew you wouldn't believe me," the blonde man folded his arms over his chest and turned away. "I'm perfectly serious. I used this thing called an ouija board to find out… it seems like somewhere near your apartment is haunted, because the spirit I came in contact with told me a whole lot about you."

"No offense, but… you're really creepy, you know that?"

Roxas gave him a quirky little half-smile. "I embrace it."

Another silence stretched on for a few minutes. The blonde boy suddenly looked up and grinned. "Hey, the rain stopped! Finally. I need to get home," He made as if to leave and then turned back to Axel. "You. Ginger. Do you have something I can write on?"

"Um… I might. Hold on a second," Axel searched his pockets until he came up with a napkin that was in relatively good shape. He handed it to the blonde and watched with mild interest as he took out an eyeliner pencil and scribbled something on it before handing it back.

"I've decided that you might just be interesting enough to be worth my time. Feel free to call me."

"That name's Axel, by the way! Get it memorized!" the redhead called after Roxas as he pushed off from the pavement and started coasting down the street on his skateboard. The blonde turned around and gave him a grin and a thumbs-up signal before disappearing around a corner.

Axel stared at the spot where he had been lost from view for a moment before shaking his head in wonder and turning to head on to his rendezvous spot. This kid who wasn't actually a kid sure was weird. Maybe he would call him some time.

Axel arrived at the corner where he was supposed to meet Saix just minutes before the other man walked up. The redhead grinned at the blue-haired man as he stopped in front of him. "Right on time. I was starting to get worried."

"Too bad you were here early. I was looking forwards to a little torturing," Saix responded, his amber eyes cold and calculating.

"No such luck tonight, my friend," Axel grinned again. "Maybe next time."

"Perhaps," Saix grinned back, showing his abnormally sharp canines. "Let's go. I'm sure you'd like to get home and get some sleep once we're done."

Saix took Axel back to his apartment and proceeded to strip Axel down as soon as they made it to the bedroom. The redhead tried not to think about what he was doing as Saix teased and tortured him until he could feel tears squeezing out of the corners of his eyes. He just concentrated on the large amount the other man usually paid him for his services as Saix fucked him into the mattress, leaving fingernails tracks in his back and bite marks on his neck. He ignored the fact that he probably wasn't going to be able to walk in the morning as Saix let him use his shower to clean up and then handed him his money before walking him back to where they had met.

Axel felt terrible about all of this, it was true, but how else was he going to keep his life from falling apart? He couldn't let his guilt get in the way of living like he wanted to. As he limped back towards his own apartment, he took out the napkin with Roxas's phone number on it, stowed safely in a hidden pocket on the inside of his leather jacket, and stared at it for a few moments. He smirked down at it for a fleeting instant before replacing it. This Roxas kid was interesting. Maybe he would call him tomorrow.

~::~

Author's Note: I would absolutely love to hear some feedback from you people reading this. I've never written a horror story before, so I'm a bit new to this... Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated, especially as I get to the scarier stuff later on. Review please?