Face the Music

Axel stood in the shadow of an overhang, eating an apple and watching Lexaeus beat Demyx into the tarmac…again.

And still the blonde kept getting up. Axel's mouth twisted in a sardonic grin. How could he still be so bad at fighting? Just wasn't in his nature it seemed.

Normally, Axel would have heckling Demyx mercilessly, but that always attracted Larxene, and he wasn't in the mood to deal with her tonight. Taking up with her was turning out to be a bad idea.

He reduced the apple to its core and incinerated it. The flash of firelight caught the attention of the sparring match. He flashed them a winning grin and strode forward summoning his chakrums. As he drew near he thought he heard Demyx mutter something like "I thought it was too quiet," under his breathe.

"Care for a match?" Axel grinned. "Anyone? Anyone at all?"

Lexaeus regarded him coolly and Demyx glowered at him. Neither was very pleased about the interruption. Suddenly Demyx's eyes went wide and he ducked. A nanosecond later a bullet streaked past Axel's ear, slicing through several strands of red hair.

Axel stood stock still for a moment, before exploding (literally) into flames.

"Damn you Xigbar!" he snarled. Axel sent a chakrum the direction the bullet came from. Lexaeus and Demyx (who'd beat a hasty retreat and were watching from a safer distance) heard several pings and the chakrum's course was not just altered, but sent back towards Axel who then had to dodge his own weapon. It sank itself firmly into a wall. Axel had no time to retrieve it. He now had only one chakrum that Xigbar was forcing him to defend with. The pyro was pinned down and pretty much out of luck. He couldn't retaliate without leaving himself open and Xigbar was firing from outside the range of his flames. And they hadn't even seen the Free Shooter yet.

At last the barrage of bullets let up. "All right, all right. I guess that'll do for now." The Free Shooter appeared behind Axel and clapped a hand on his shoulder making the pyro yelp. He leaned over.

"But ya gotta promise me that you'll be a good boy, now," he sniggered in Axel's ear.

Axel was nearly white with rage. He could hear the Nocturne's laugher and the Silent Hero's appreciative applause. Xigbar had had the audacity to humiliate him in front of Demyx.

He took a swipe at the sniper with his chakrum. Xigbar leapt back smirking.

"Sorry boys," he said to Lexaeus and Demyx, "I hate interrupting your session, but looks like we're not done."

Lexaeus shook his head still faintly smiling. He gave Xigbar a signal that the change was all right by him and towed Demyx off towards the door. Demyx drug his feet a bit wanting to see Axel get his ass handed to him again, but Lexaeus was insistent.

Once they were gone, Xigbar held out a hand to Axel, but the pyro batted it away.

"Hey now, it wasn't that bad."

Axel wheeled around and slammed his blazing chakrum into his teacher. Xigbar blocked with the stock of his gun. There was the scream of metal in agony.

Inside the castle: Demyx cocked his head at the sound of steel on steel.

"Aww Lexaeus! We're missing the good part. Why couldn't we stay and watch?"

"Because Demyx, Axel has an important lesson to learn. I believe that Xigbar intends to beat it into him if he has to. We would only be in the way."

Demyx stared at the coco he was whisking up for his teacher and him. "Lesson? Like humility?"

"No, although some of that wouldn't do him any harm."

"Then what is Xigbar teaching him?" he whined as he tipped the coco into mugs. But Lexaeus only shook his head and smiled.

Axel grunted as Xigbar flipped him and sent him back first into the sizzling tarmac.The wind knocked out him, he could only nod as Xigbar demanded that he yield. The flames around them died down as he puffed trying to get his breathe back.

Xigbar sat down next to him, heedless of the glare he was getting.

"Now, I suppose you're wonder'in why I did that."

Glare.

"Well, I'll cut right to it then. This business between you and Demyx. It's got to stop."

"What (huff) are you (pant) talking (puff) about?" Axel gasped between ragged breaths.

"All the teasing. And don't say you do it to Roxas too. It's different and you know it."

Axel stared at the ground. "Why am I the only one getting raked for it?"

"Duh, Axel you're the instigator."

Axel snorted.

"Look Axel, just bang him and get it over with. Everyone'll be a lot happier. Especially you and Demyx."

"WHAT?" Axel yelled. Xigbar couldn't be…

"You heard me."

"I'm not gay!" he hissed, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. Xigbar laughed.

"Oh I beg to differ. Look at how you're overreacting."

"But I…"

"You're what? Seventeen, eighteen? Twenty at the most. I know you think I'm just an old fogey, but age and experience do teach a few things, and one of them is that it takes a while sort out this attraction business."

Axel glared at the ground. Where his gaze fell the tarmac began to ooze and bubble.

"What about Larxene?" he said defiantly.

Xigbar snorted. "Things aren't going to well with her are they?"

"You don't understand. She wants me to…"

The Free Shooter waved a hand dismissively. "So her tastes run to the exotic. Anyways she's just about decided you're a lost cause. She's already got her eye on someone more willing to cater to her…unique desires."

The patch of bubbling tar began to grow.

"Who?" Axel snarled.

"Hardly any of your business."

"Yes it is!" he spat turning his gaze to Xigbar. The shoulder of the Free Shooter's coat caught fire and he hastily patted it out.

"No it isn't," Xigbar said grumpily as he nursed his smoldering shoulder. "Not anymore. Let Larxene go and figure out how to get into Demyx's bed. Preferably soon."

Axel turned back to his little patch of melted blacktop. It began to bubble again.

"I keep telling you…"

"Axel, if he had been a girl you'd be yanking his pigtails. The tension is driving everyone crazy. It 's time for you to face the music Axel. You want to either kill him or screw him and since Superior frowns on killing other members (without provocation) I suggest you screw him." Xigbar sighed and got up to leave. Axel fiddled with his gloves.

"He hates me."

"That's your problem."

"What about Roxas?"

That gave Xigbar a pause. "What do you mean?"

"What will he think if I…"

Xigbar shrugged. "I'm not him so I don't know. But I doubt he'll kick ya to the curb, if that's what you're worried about."

Axel stood up but kept staring at the ground.

"Just think about it alright?" the Free Shooter prompted. Axel nodded.

"Hey Xigbar? What makes you so sure your right?"

The older man swaggered up to his student. He grinned and pointed to his good eye. "I see all young grasshopper."

Axel snorted, "Guess it's a good thing you only have one."

Xigbar ruffled Axel hair earning a squawk of protest. "If I had two, I'd have found your stash of cinnamon ice cream by now."

To be continued…

Okay folks, is this worth continuing or not?