Serendipity

Summary: Axel's life has been turned upside down. Orphaned after his mother's death, he's forced to leave his home behind and to travel to the wild, untamed west to live with family. He firmly believes his life over… until he meets an outlaw who teaches him how to have a chance at shaping his own destiny. Axel/Roxas

A/n: I'm so bad at waiting lmao. Happy Akuroku Day (early) c:

~o~O~o~

Into the Unfamiliar

~o~O~o~

Two lone figures stood together on a platform, waiting for the 8:00 a.m. train with twenty minutes to spare. One, a Ms. Gainsborough—a pretty young woman with long brown hair—smiled cheerfully while the other was solemn, wishing he could disappear.

"Oh, Axel, you're so lucky! You're getting a new family and travelling all the way across the country! Won't that be exciting?"

The boy grimaced but said nothing. New York had been his home for as long as he could remember. Since the day he'd been born, he supposed. Now, he'd be forced to leave it all behind, as was expected of him. The red-head found himself sighing quietly, miserably. It had been a rough year. He'd lost his mother to illness just before spring and she'd been the only parent he'd ever known because his father had died when he was small. The only other family he had left in the world, which he learned in the months after her death, lived in the wild, untamed west—an aunt; the sister of his late father. She wanted him, and so he was going. He didn't have much choice in the matter, being that he was only twelve years old. The orphanage would much rather have him travel thousands of miles across the country to a strange new place, to be taken care of by family that he didn't know, than continue to be another mouth to feed. So he'd been told, albeit in more pleasant terms.

He was to be travelling by rail and while he'd heard of it, the notion was still quite foreign to him. It was still a new concept in and of itself, even in the modern year of 1851, and expanding rapidly. Or so he'd heard from the woman beside him.

Emerald eyes drifted toward the station's clock tower while he waited for the contraption called the 'iron horse', supposedly the fastest way to travel, as it went at 'lightning speeds' to arrive. Axel had his doubts. He was a skeptical, practical, young man, after all. The young orphan shivered in the breeze. It was a rather cold day for early August. The wind blew in from the east, cold from the ocean tides while he stared off into the distance. The silvery tracks only spelled doom to Axel. It was suffocating. They went farther than he could see. Farther than he wanted to.

He gripped his luggage, a small carpenter bag—he didn't own much—and fought down a wave of nausea. He wanted to run away, he wanted to stay here, where it was familiar, not venture into the unknown. The woman beside him from the orphanage who was seeing him off was a constant reminder of why he couldn't.

His gaze traveled to the clock once more. Thirteen minutes to go. Thirteen minutes until he'd leave forever and be forced to live a life that had already been decided for him. He was startled when his companion exclaimed excitedly.

"Look, look there Axel! I can see it! The train!" The boy frowned, his eyes never wavering from the timekeeper, wishing he could stop it somehow. He didn't want to look at the train. He didn't want to live a new life. He wanted to stay here. He wanted his life back. Tears filled his crystalline green eyes. He wanted his mother back.

A sense of dread filled him when the minute hand struck 7:48. Twelve minutes. He closed his eyes in a futile attempt to stop the pain that was seeping into his heart, stabbing it like a sharp knife that was being twisted slowly. Much to his dismay, when he opened them again, all he found was that seven minutes had passed. The tangy scent of metal caught his senses before he was ready for it and the train hissed and screeched as it came to a halt before them, lurching forward before jerking back into place. It was only then that the boy realized that other passengers had surrounded them. He couldn't place in his mind when they'd arrived, no matter how hard he tried.

His whole body went numb as he stared at the contraption as if it were a formidable foe, an insurmountable wall, something he'd never overcome. He didn't hear Ms. Gainsborough bid him farewell and he barely felt her urge him forward firmly. All he could think about was how his life was falling apart and he'd never get it back.

~o~O~o~

A New Adventure

~o~O~o~

Two years later…

Axel stared out the window, his intelligent emerald eyes scanning the scenery as it flew by. His small body rocked back and forth, the iron horse having hit a rough patch. He exhaled quietly, impatiently. He was feeling restless, impatient for his arduous journey to end. He was fourteen now and his life was okay for the most part. He liked his aunt, a nice woman named Yuna, well enough. She didn't have any children of her own and so she treated him as if he were her son. So, as a courtesy to her, he was travelling with her husband to three towns over for a week or so. She wanted them to bond. Zack, her husband, had other ideas. He wanted him to learn about the law and he expected Axel to fill his shoes one day as the next Sheriff of their small town in the desolate desert. Axel didn't like it one bit.

When they arrived, Axel received a strict lecture about minding his manners and his uncle forbade him from talking to anyone without permission. Especially outlaws. The boy had nodded, mumbling a 'yes'sir', before tagging along miserably. That is, until he was told to wait at the jail with the Sheriff while his uncle gathered supplies and looked for a place to stay.

Axel muttered to himself, pushing open the door and going inside. He found the Sheriff at his post, asleep, and scoffed. He entertained the thought of waking him as crudely as possible for only a moment before casting it away. Although it would be rather amusing to set the drunkard's pants on fire, his uncle had warned him to behave himself. He frowned and before long, he became restless. After a quick glance toward the old man, to make sure he was sound asleep, he decided to explore the room.

The jail itself was in a sad state and he found himself wondering if it saw many prisoners at all. A quick glance revealed four holding cells. The lighting was poor but he could still see that one was in disrepair. The old man snored away, oblivious to his visitor or the red-head's curiosity. Axel slumped down into a chair, exhaling heavily. He knew he'd be here for a while. Zack was planning on gathering some men and supplies together so that they could do a search for outlaws at dawn. Axel wasn't allowed to go with them. When he'd asked to go, he'd been reminded that he was the last bit of Reno that Yuna had left and Zack wasn't going to be the reason she lost him. He drummed his fingers against the sheriff's desk, absolutely bored out of his mind and glanced toward the cells out of curiosity, but stopped when something caught his eye.

There was a gunmetal pistol with ivory embedded in it laying on the desk. He examined it for a long moment before his curiosity got the better of him. He picked it up and stared at it in silent fascination. It was heavy in his hand. Beautiful but deadly, the gun was loaded. After careful examination, he set it next to the revolver that had been beside it before slumping into the desk's chair. Boredom settled in quickly once more and he found himself kicking his feet back and forth, staring at the hearth. Twilight had already settled over the town.

A space of time passed and he found himself playing with the pistol again, hardly realizing it until he felt its weight in his hand. After a moment, he transferred it to the other before tossing it back. His eyes widened in panic when it slipped, falling, and he hurriedly bent to catch it, grasping it but hitting his head on the desk in the process. He hissed in pain and quickly checked on the sleeping man. It was at that moment that he saw that there was another man, in the holding cell. His guard went up drastically and he wondered if he'd been caught. That is, until he saw that his black hat was tipped down, covering his face, and he looked entirely too relaxed. Axel found himself staring curiously.

The man wore dark clothes and there was a dark blue bandana tied around his neck. His dusty boots were worn over his dark pants, and were black with a deep blue design that matched the bandana perfectly. His shirt was white, and his vest was dark grey. In the dimmed light, Axel made out tufts of blond hair sticking out from under his hat and darkened sun-kissed skin. This man was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

Then, the blond smiled wryly and his heart stopped.

"It ain't polite to stare, kid," and just like that, Axel was grasping for something to say.

"I'm… I-I never seen an outlaw before. S-sorry…" The older man continued to lounge lazily.

"Gonna keep starin' when they hang me from the gallows too?" Naïve eyes widened in horror.

"No sir! I didn't know they was fixin' to…" The mysterious man sighed, almost impatiently.

"You best be gettin' home to your mama, boy."

"I'm an orphan, sir," he muttered back quietly. The blond didn't say anything for a long moment and Axel was sure he hadn't heard him, until he spoke.

"Guess we got somethin' in common then," he replied nonchalantly. Before he could reply, the old sheriff woke with a start, mumbling something nonsensical, and that was the end of it. Axel struggled with the gun that was still in his hands, hiding it behind himself quickly before righting himself. The outlaw acted as if their exchange hadn't happened, but Axel couldn't stop watching him. He couldn't shake the need to see more of this man, even though he didn't even know his name.

~O~

Axel came back to the jail often, during the next few days. It was easy enough to sneak away when he told his uncle he liked hearing the old law man's stories and so he was going to look for the Sheriff while Zack joined the rangers in search of the mysterious outlaw's companions. His uncle spoke of the man frequently, disgusted by the wrong he'd done. It only made Axel more curious.

The first time he saw the blond again, the man was sitting up, his hat resting on his lap while he brushed some dust away. He didn't look at the boy when he spoke but his words made Axel stop in his tracks.

"Why'd you take my gun, kid?"

"Wh-what?

"My gun. That was beside my revolver."

"I didn't wanna get caught… I wasn't gonna steal it if that's what you were thinkin'." For the first time, cerulean eyes flicked to emerald green. The outlaw smirked. They were alone, today.

"A goody two shoes like you, takin' evidence? Wonder what the Sheriff would say." Axel paled before standing straighter.

"I ain't no goody two shoes."

"Not what I been hearin'." Axel frowned.

"What right you got to judge me?!" When the man didn't answer, he scoffed. "Whatever," he muttered, taking the outlaw's gun out and setting it on the desk. "I'm outta here."

"Kid…" Axel looked at the man. The blond wasn't looking at him. "Don't do that just yet. Hold onto it for now." The boy gripped it, hesitating before concealing it once more.

"I ain't plannin' on comin' back." The older man merely shrugged.

~O~

Axel didn't go back the next day. Instead, he found himself turning the gun over and over in his hands in the absence of his uncle while he thought about the outlaw who was ever present in his mind. All he knew about him was a combination of his uncle's exaggerated stories and what he'd seen for himself. His eyes slid shut and he immediately saw the blond: 'Roxas', the leader of the infamous 'Unlucky Thirteen', or so his uncle had said. Rumor had it that when all thirteen members of his band of outlaws were together, they were an unstoppable force. No one you wanted to reckon with. If you were smart, you steered clear of them, altogether.

Axel couldn't understand why such a 'bad man' had bothered talking to a kid or how he'd been caught. It had been grating at him and in the middle of the night, after a lot of tossing and turning, he finally snapped. He needed to know, or he'd never have peace. So, he snuck out and headed straight for him, fully intending to find out.

~O~

He walked right into the jail, unsurprised to find the law man, whom he had little concern for, asleep once again with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. All he cared about was the outlaw.

"What are you in here for, anyhow?" he demanded harshly. The blond frowned.

"Thought you weren't comin' back. That didn't take long," he murmured back, patronizingly.

"Answer the question!" He was surprised to see the man smirking.

"Lots'a things." The blond pursed his lips and thought about it for a moment. Then his lips quirked upward as their eyes locked for a second time. "Normally, I'd say it wasn't none of your damn business, but I'm feelin' generous, so I'll give ya' a straight answer." He leant back, eyeing Axel all the while. "A ranger was insultin' my mama. So I killed him. What I didn't know was, he was leadin' me into a trap. Guess I was a bit too rash and a little too careless." Axel stared and the man shrugged. "Dead or not, even bad guys love their mamas." Axel leant against the door frame, processing the answer.

"I probably woulda done the same." The blond laughed. It was a pleasant sound.

"Would ya', now?"

"Yes sir. She meant the most to me… and now she's dead." Axel paused for a moment then scratched the back of his head. "Can I ask you somethin', Mister?"

"Sure."

"Why'd you want me to hold onto your gun?" The blond's face softened and he looked thoughtful.

"My mama gave it to me and I don't like other people touchin' it. I'd rather you have it if someone had to." Axel stared, holding Roxas' gaze for a long time.

"I promise I'll take good care of it." The man leant back and let his eyes slide shut.

"I know ya' will."

~O~

"We're hanging that filthy outlaw today. 'bout time, too. Stay here till I get back. I'm helpin' the Sheriff set up the gallows. Then we can watch him hang."

Axel's heart stopped and everything blurred together, even as his uncle left. Panic crept into his chest as the minutes ticked by. No, they couldn't. Roxas… no… He hardly knew what he was doing as he ran toward the blond. Run, hurry, run, faster, were the only thoughts racing through his head. That mantra fueled his adrenaline, pumped his blood, even as his lungs and legs threatened to give out. It kept him going and he didn't stop. He couldn't, no matter the consequences. It wasn't an option.

Before he was even fully aware of it, Axel was fumbling with keys. They jangled and clanked together and the blond was staring. His eyes were wide. The red-headed kid he barely knew had burst through the door, grabbed the keys, and was coming to his rescue.

"Kid?" Axel pressed a finger to his lips.

"My uncle said they were plannin' on hanging you today, so he's helpin' the Sheriff's build the platform. We only got a few minutes."

"They're most likely gonna know it was you."

"I'll think up somethin'. I ain't worried." His eyes never wavered from Axel.

"Why you doin' this?"

"I don't want you to die." The lock clicked and the barred door swung open. Axel handed him his gun. "Here, Roxas. Now you can keep it." The outlaw took it and their fingers brushed. Their eyes locked for a long moment and there was something different about the way Roxas was staring at him. Seconds later, the man rushed past him and took his revolver, but when he got to the door, he paused.

"What's your name, kid?" Blinking in surprise, the red-head spoke, although, he didn't think it'd matter. It wasn't like he'd ever see the blond again.

"Axel." Roxas glanced back one more time.

"Thank you, Axel."

Then, he was gone.

~o~O~o~