Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

Warning: Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

Author's Note: Holy crap. This is late. I think every author's note is probably going to start this way. I just suck at keeping deadlines which is probably why I'll never publish. BUT, on the upside, this chapter is around 9,600 words without the A/Ns so… hooray for that.

Summary: Roxas hates his family. He hates that his mother and father are separated. He hates his mundane job. He hates his girlfriend. He hates being gay. He hates that his best friend is dying of cancer. He hates, and hates, and hates, and one day his girlfriend buys him a Hookah pipe to cheer him up. And even though he doesn't smoke, he decides to light up anyway because it makes him sad to see his beard cry. So he breathes in and then he breathes out. And before he can accurately comprehend what the fuck is going on, a drop-dead gorgeous genie named Axel is sitting on his bed, yammering about three wishes. And before Roxas can wish his beard away and his life back to normal, Axel tacks on the addendum: "But I'm binding us together and if you make your three wishes, we'll both be stuck in that Hookah pipe for eternity."


Smoking Lamps
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

3 – Human Qualities

Demyx said two things. The first was, "It's selfish to mourn the loss of yourself when someone else is already mourning for you." And the second was, "Because, you know, if you mire the people you love in constant grief – even if things are totally hopeless – they'll breathe a secret, contented sigh of relief when you pass."

In the beginning, this all seemed like the faux altruistic hogwash of some dying kid who was trying his damndest to make up for any bullshit during his lifetime. When people realize they're going to die, they begin to repent. Cranky folks who've never been anything but cynical and selfish resort to sudden philanthropy and people make themselves into martyrs when they've only ever been demons.

Sometimes people try to make up for their past transgressions because they believe in an afterlife that they would prefer to be pleasant. Sometimes they don't believe anything, but as the situation becomes more hopeless people quickly change. Any negativity that burdens the human spirit and weighs it down to the eternal fires of a perilous Hell is lifted in the last seconds of death, and people hope and they pray and they wish – always wishing – that they've divested enough of the bad so their soul will rise instead of fall.

I can't tell you if God is merciless or not. Genies aren't governed by his rules and though we know of his existence, there is an unspoken canon that genies don't meddle in God's affairs and God won't meddle in ours.

Of course… This lack of divine intervention is what makes the situations between genies and humans so treacherous. I've seen whole empires fall. I've seen children, animals, the elderly and sick slain at the hands of a human so altered by the power of a wishing lamp. When humanity loses faith it isn't because God is ignoring their prayers or watching with relish as cities burn and people die. It's because genies are the root of the problem and there is nothing God can do. So He watches as genies and their masters create mayhem and havoc and unleash the most untamed, unreal hatred known to both humanity and divinity.

Demyx seemed to be made up of the same human qualities. Tossing all the weight off his soul so that when he was forced to jump ship, he'd float instead of sink. If probed for an explanation of why he felt these things, he'd probably say what everyone always says:

I want to make things easier for my loved ones or It's just what I believe.

Both responses are bullshit. Whether or not humans know the responses are bullshit, I don't know. Maybe it's subconscious. Maybe it's their way of keeping the fear of death, and ultimately the fear of the unknown, at bay. People have this idea that love will protect them from evil. In reality, love just causes humans to act wildly irrational.

I believed for a long time that nearly everything Demyx said was bullshit mainly because Roxas was walking proof. How could they be best friends and yet none of Demyx's seemingly infinite wealth of selflessness, human sacrifice, and genuine love and care rub off on Roxas? If Demyx really was as saintly as he was trying to appear, why was Roxas so terrible?

But as things progressed, especially at this pinnacle point, I realized that Demyx wasn't trying to be anything except himself. I realized that Roxas was just like Demyx except Roxas had mired how he really felt in outward acts of total societal defiance.

Demyx had the tools to express how much he loved and cared. Roxas didn't.

As we walk to the hospital, I take his hand in mine.

"I wish I didn't lack the appropriate human qualities so I could mourn this loss properly."

Roxas' brow furrows and I think we're both a little surprised that a genie could have a need to wish for anything. But I think it's been proven time and again that power doesn't bring happiness, no matter how great.

People have to make their own happiness. And conducting a meticulous search of what, exactly, happiness is will yield an unfavorable result. Happiness isn't found. It is bestowed.

"What's there to feel?" Roxas asks with a sense of total neutrality.

"Fear?" I offer. "Maybe… Guilt? Or perhaps sadness?"

He pauses and digests the words, but then he shakes his head. "I've gone about things all wrong. This is my story. It's always been my story and I don't want anyone to continue writing it for me. And…" Roxas pauses briefly. "And being the author, not a character, means I have the control I've always wanted. With you here, I can decide my fate."

"Our fate," I correct him. Genies are never the curators of anyone's fate – not even their own.

••••••••••••••

"Things have really changed, haven't they?"

Roxas opened his bleary eyes and blinked a few times to bring his bedroom, and Axel, into focus. He sat up and rubbed sleepily at his face, his heart rate finally back to normal and the exhaustion he had felt lifted. His tongue darted out to wet his dry lips and he gave Axel a look when he saw the redhead was wearing one of his t-shirts. Of course Axel was much taller than Roxas so the shirt barely fit him. It came up over his belly button and the short sleeves barely covered the genie's shoulders.

"What are you doing?" the blond asked groggily.

"Trying on your clothes," he responded as he pawed curiously through his master's dresser drawer. "Are all humans your size now?"

Roxas' brow furrowed and he stood up from his bed. He yanked the shirt Axel was holding in his hands and shoved it back into the drawer before closing it loudly. "I'm normal size if that's what you're asking." He was trying to give the genie a very disgusted look, but his head suddenly felt much too heavy and he sort of swayed for a moment.

Axel gave him a very rough push away and disbelievingly said, "Sure."

Roxas stumbled for a moment and then glared. "Don't touch me."

"I was doing you a favor," the redhead muttered as he removed the other's shirt from his body. He folded it up and then placed it back in its proper place in the dresser.

The blond was giving Axel a rather funny look and, for a very, very brief moment, the genie felt just the slightest bit self-conscious.

"What?" he asked. "It's rude to stare, Short Stack."

"I bet those scars could tell one hell of an epic," Roxas stated darkly.

Axel smirked. "I've been around since Julius Caesar. I think it'd be pretty strange if I didn't have a few bumps and scrapes."

"Bumps and scrapes?" He looked the genie up and down. "Some of those look like stab marks."

He leaned against the dresser and shrugged his shoulders before crossing his arms over his chest. "Humans are fierce. I've fought in wars. I've been the perpetrator in some fairly indecent deeds."

The hair on the back of Roxas' neck rose and he got the distinct feeling that Axel was trying to frighten him. "Following orders, huh?"

The genie smirked.

Roxas glanced over at his bedside clock and sighed. It was around five in the morning and his mother, who was probably already at the bakeshop, would ride his ass for being late. They lived together and she could have bothered to wake him up, but it wasn't exactly in her nature to do certain things for Roxas. She had never been the kind of parent to wake her child up in the mornings. Not even when he was little.

"I have to go to work," he mumbled. Axel moved away from Roxas' dresser and watched him closely as he pulled on a shirt – the one Axel had been wearing – and then a pair of jeans. He retrieved a belt from the bottom drawer and looped it through his pants before running a hand through his mess of blond hair.

"Why don't you wish for a shower?" Axel teased.

Roxas rolled his eyes and walked over to his bed. He got on his knees and reached under it, pulling out a pair of shoes. He shot the genie a really dirty look when he saw that the laces had been badly knotted together.

Axel feigned innocence. "Oh, look at that. Maybe you could wish the laces unknotted."

Roxas sighed loudly through his nose and took a seat on the floor as he worked to get the tiny knots out of his laces.

••••••••••••••

"Roxas, you're late." She tossed him an apron as he walked into the kitchen. The bakery smelled of freshly baked dough and Axel, who was sitting at a table near the counter, was practically drooling. Eating was purely for pleasure. Genies didn't have a need for food (or nutrition) the way humans did (which was a good thing in Axel's book because he would have starved to death a long time ago).

"I know," the blond said with a sigh as he slipped the apron over his neck and tied it around his back.

"And what… What happened to your shoes?" his mother asked, a little smile on her lips when she saw that his laces were gone and he had, instead, decided to thread his shoes with thin pieces of rope. "Is this popular with the children now?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "No. Axel knotted my laces together and, mysteriously, all my other shoes were gone. So I had to cut the laces off and all I could find was rope to replace them."

"Axel?"

Roxas' shoulders sagged and he walked over to the beeping oven. He turned the timer off and put on an oven mitt before removing two trays of freshly baked pastries. "Axel, Mom. The guy that's been living in my room for… I dunno, two days now?" He set the trays down on the counter top and placed two more trays into the oven.

"The redheaded fellow?" she asked as she grabbed a tray of pastries and walked to the front of the bakery. Roxas followed her with the second tray and just sighed.

"Yes, Mom. The redheaded guy."

She set the tray on the edge of the countertop and began to load the hot pastries into the display case.

"Can I have one?"

Roxas and his mother looked up at Axel who stood on the other side of the case. A look of pure want was reflected in his jade colored eyes and Roxas' mother picked up one of the pastries and placed it in his awaiting hand. "There you go, dear. Why are you up so early? You certainly don't have to be here."

Roxas glared at the back of her head. "Mom, Axel's a genie. He and I are bound. He has to go where I go or…" He paused. "I dunno. The universe implodes."

"Right, okay, dear…" She mumbled dismissively. Roxas always seemed to be playing pretend. "Is it good, Axel?"

The redhead nodded and was busy licking his fingers clean. He ate for enjoyment and eating truly was enjoyable. Axel had been all over the world and had had the satisfaction of sampling some very tasty cuisine in a variety of countries. Italy had probably been his favorite, though the last time he had been there was…

Well, probably the 60's. The food had to be much better now that 50-something years had passed. They probably had perfected pizza. Axel was actually surprised food didn't come in a little pill. The last time he had been out of his pipe, people talked about robots and hovercrafts and food that didn't require effort. He had yet to see anything like that.

"Do you want another?"

Axel debated, but then he nodded and she happily handed him a second pastry.

"You know, since he's here, he could help," Roxas pointed out sourly.

"He's company," his mother chided. "Be polite."

Roxas wanted to tell her that his arm was breaking from having to hold the stupid pastry tray while she sat and watched Axel. He also wanted to tell her that cougars were really unattractive, but he wasn't sure if she exactly counted as a cougar considering Axel was old enough to be…

God, her great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-until the beginning of time grandfather.

It gave him the creeps and he put the thought of the two of them out of his head before the urge to projectile vomit became much too overwhelming.

••••••••••••••

The oculosympathetic pathway. Hypothalamic fibers project to the ipsilateral ciliospinal center of the intermediolateral cell column at T1. The cliliospinal center projects preganglionic…

Zexion pressed his hands against his eyes and let a heavy sigh fall from his lips. All the years he had spent at school, from elementary up through college, had been, for the most part, easy. He went to class, he studied, and he always did well on all his tests. He had never doubted his intelligence (even going so far as to, quite pretentiously, call himself brilliant), but now his insecurities of perhaps not being as smart as he once thought were lingering on the edges of his brain.

Maybe it was Neuroanatomy that was just hard to understand, but Zexion was having a difficult time accepting that. He didn't have trouble reading books or comprehending them. He had never had trouble. This sudden inability to follow the words on the page was new and different and Zexion didn't want to deal with it.

"Who needs neuroanatomy?" he mumbled to himself as he classed the thin, intimidating book. "I'm never going to be a brain surgeon." And, at this rate, he probably wouldn't even be a doctor.

"Morning…"

Zexion looked up from his school book and mumbled some pleasantry to Demyx. "Don't you have work?"

Demyx, who was still limping some from yesterday's procedure, shrugged as he meandered into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. "Someone does a biopsy on your ass and suddenly everyone wants to give you the day off," he said with a shrug. "You look awful."

Zexion shot him a look. "Thanks. I'm trying this new, 'not eating or sleeping' thing."

Demyx smiled as he poured coffee into his favorite mug. "Isn't that unhealthy, Dr. Zexy?"

He rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch, stretching his body with a small groan. "Want to read this book for me?" Zexion joked as he brought Neuroanatomy into the kitchen and placed it none-too-gently on the counter. He grabbed a mug from the cupboard and began to pour himself a cup of hot, black coffee.

Demyx sipped from his cup and flipped the book open. Zexion had done a practice test on one of the pages and (much to the blonde's very controlled surprised) had done poorly. He looked over the answers and then pointed to number 18. Zexion leaned over and read, Transmits vibration sensation from the ankle.

"Why did you get it wrong?"

Zexion shrugged. "Because none of the words make sense."

Demyx flipped and the page over and read the answer. "Oh, no… It makes sense. Come here…"

Curiously, the student walked around to Demyx's side.

"Fasciculus gracilis... Both are Latin words. Fasciculus means curved bundle and gracilis means slender, right?"

Zexion shrugged a little dumbly. He had neglected to take Latin in high school or college because he had been convinced that learning a second language that people actually spoke, like Spanish and French, would greatly benefit him in the medical world.

"And, look… The gracilis muscle is right here…" He touched slightly off to the side on the middle of Zexion's leg. "It's slender. So just think like… Legs are curvy and slender from the ankle to the gracilis muscle. So… You know… You get the vibration sensation from the ankle all the way up the curvy, slender leg. And then you have love handles which aren't slender or curvy so no vibration there."

Zexion blushed. "I do not have love handles."

Demyx rolled his eyes. "Do you understand?"

Somewhat annoyed, he grabbed his book and, gracelessly, threw it into the leaving room. "Yea, I get it…" he mumbled. Zexion didn't like it when anyone was smarter than him and he certainly didn't like it when Demyx, who had nearly failed out of high school, could look at certain words and just know and just comprehend. Zexion had to study and work hard and he had to make flash cards and take practice tests and Demyx just…

Sometimes he just knew and Zexion hated it.

"Why don't you go to medical school then?" he asked sourly.

The blond, bemused, ruffled the other's hair. "Because some of us are too smart for school."

Zexion's disposition wasn't improving.

"Oh, come on. We all know you're the smartest guy in the world. So maybe my grasp of language is better than yours… And maybe I can comprehend better… and maybe –"

Demyx was effectively silenced when Zexion gave his ass a very rough smack.

••••••••••••••

Roxas, unsurprisingly, was becoming increasingly annoyed. The bakery was busy and because of his late arrival mixed with Demyx's absence, people were standing around waiting for their pastries and coffees. Roxas' mother was in the back trying to bake up a few more trays to get them through the morning while Roxas stood at the till, taking orders and trying to make lattes, cappuccinos, and cups of coffee.

Axel was standing rather uselessly near the espresso machine. He was examining his nails and, occasionally, glancing up at the people who came in. They all dressed rather differently than they used to. Kids in skinny pants and t-shirts and girls who didn't seem to understand that leggings were not a substitute for pants. There were also individuals who were in pajamas and Axel certainly hoped that that wasn't a customary thing to do. The only thing that hadn't really changed, he noticed, were the suits and ties people wore and the poorly done color schemes. People made all sorts of awful color combinations and while he had hoped that that "style" had been left in the 80's, where it belonged, he could see it was still abundant.

Luckily, Axel had noticed, high-waisted jeans seemed to be almost nonexistent.

"Roxas…"

The blond, frazzled and trying to remember what went in a latte, grunted at the redhead.

"Are more people colorblind now? And what are those… things girls are wearing? They look like jeans, but seem to be much too tight."

Roxas, through gritted teeth, mumbled, "No. People are just stupider and those are jeggings."

"Jeggings…" Axel mused curiously. "Leggings made out of jean material?"

He shook his head. "Leggings made out of legging material, but made to look like jeans."

Axel made a sound from his throat and then he asked, "And this is an acceptable substitute for pants?"

Roxas sighed and shook his head. "You know, some people think so, but I'm going to say no. I've seen enough came ltoes and moose knuckles to last me a lifetime…" He paused and then he gave the redhead a look. "You could be helping, you know."

"You could wish for some help," he retorted.

Annoyed, Roxas shoved the latte at Axel. "Go give that to table 5."

The redhead raised a brow and he and Roxas stared heatedly at each other. They were in a silent argument and the noise in the bakery was drowned out by the way they were looking at each other. The fiery, dangerous green into the defiant, yet timid blue… Their body language could say more than words could ever hope. Sometimes Roxas didn't need to scream or yell or throw a fit. Sometimes he could just give these hardened 'I don't give a shit' looks that just forced people into disgruntled submission.

After a moment of this intensity, Axel sighed and said something like, "Whatever you want, Master."

Roxas breathed heavily through his nose and began to make another beverage.

••••••••••••••

Sometime around ten in the morning, things had slowed considerably. All the morning baking was done and Roxas' mother was loading pastries into the display case. Roxas was making another batch of coffee and Axel, heavily distracted by the newness of everything, sat at one of the tables, sipping something from a white, porcelain mug.

He was staring at a man. He was somewhat tall, had shoulder length brown hair, and was dressed like a gang member. He wore jewelry (but not flashy jewelry) and he had a scar running across his face. He was stirring liquid creamer into a cardboard to-go mug of coffee and, occasionally, his eyes would dart to look over at Axel.

Roxas watched with mild interest.

"Why do you wear so many belts?"

The man seemed to be caught off guard by the question and he gave Axel a look. Something that said, 'What the fuck kind of question is that?' but then he looked away and decided it was best to ignore the redhead.

"I'm sorry. You must not have heard me… I said, Why do you wear so many belts?" Axel practically yelled at the man.

Roxas walked over to the table and placed his hands on the surface. "What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

"He's wearing like five belts."

"Shut up," the blond said through gritted teeth. "It doesn't matter what he's wearing."

Axel scoffed. "It's a reflection on him. Specifically, a reflection on his inability to properly dress."

Roxas opened his mouth to chastise the genie more, but the man walked over to the table. He was somewhat nonplussed by the situation, but he would handle it like he handled anything that could be controlled with fear.

"One belt is for my pants. The rest are for ass whoppping."

Axel was quiet for a moment and then he nodded slowly. "Good to know."

Once the man left the shop, Roxas glared hotly at the genie. "Are you crazy?"

"You act like he pulled a gun on us."

"He threatened to beat us up!"

Axel rolled his eyes. "He implied he would use his belt to do you bodily harm."

Roxas' jaw was slack. "Me? You were the one prying into his… his weird belt fetish!"

Axel stood up from the table and stretched. "Well, perhaps it would be in your best interest to wish for something that would allow you to defend yourself."

His eyes narrowed. "Stop telling me what to wish for."

"They are merely suggestions." Axel grabbed his mug from the table and walked behind the counter, Roxas following him at a safe distance.

"I'll wish for what I want when I want!"

"You sound like a bratty child."

Roxas blushed. "Why are you pushing my buttons?"

"Why, Roxas, haven't you noticed? It's just so easy to do, how can I possibly resist?"

Irritated, he responded, "Maybe you could wish for a little self-control."

Axel smiled.

••••••••••••••

Zexion and Demyx were silent. They sat across from each other in the living room and seemed to be playing some kind of game. It had begun to rain outside and Zexion, frustrated with his books, had put them aside and was sipping hot tea from a mug. The ticking of a clock on the wall echoed painfully in the room and Demyx, quietly, cleared his throat.

"What?"

The blond glanced at his boyfriend. "What?"

"Did you say something?"

"Oh… No, I just… I cleared my throat," Demyx answered sheepishly.

"Oh…" Zexion sipped from his mug. "I see."

They were silent again, but this time it was awkward. There was tension between them and Demyx couldn't recall a time they had ever been like this. Maybe once or twice after a very, very bad argument, but they seldom fought and they always made up. But this time was different because, unlike their other problems which were internal, this problem was external. Neither of them had control over it and the lack of control, for Zexion, was devastating.

"I have cancer."

His fingers gripped his mug tightly. "I know."

Demyx looked out the window and the urge to get up and console the other was overwhelming. But he was afraid to because he knew there was a very distinct possibility that Zexion would push him away. That Zexion's inability to deal with any kind of deep, emotional peril would lead them into some kind of awkward, strange argument about something that didn't even matter.

It was clear Zexion wanted to ask why. That he wanted to ask Demyx why and how, but it was also clear that the blond had no answers. Cancer, like happiness, was bestowed. It couldn't be granted any other way.

"I'm… sorry?" Demyx stated, but he kept looking out the window at the falling rain. "I'm sorry," he said decidedly. "For… being sick."

Zexion stared into his tea. "It's not your fault."

Demyx looked over at his boyfriend. "But maybe we can pretend like it is, you know? Because then I can say sorry and you can tell me it's okay and then we can go about things like we always do." He paused and played with the hem of his shirt for a brief moment. "Because, you know, we need someone to blame and subsequently forgive or we'll start blaming the doctors or the hospital or the medicines or the therapies."

Disgruntled, Zexion said nothing. The only sound between them was the rapping of the rain on their window and the occasional sipping sound he made when he drank from his mug. Demyx turned to look out the window, but he smiled gently to himself when he heard Zexion say, "I forgive you."

Demyx had a feeling he would.

••••••••••••••

"Do you think Demyx is all right?" Roxas' mother asked for the fifth or sixth time. It was around two in the afternoon and Roxas and his mother were cleaning up the kitchen. Around noon, they had sold out the rest of their breads and pastries and, whenever they sold out, they closed up the shop. Because he had been late and they were shorthanded, they were closing very early. Usually, this was Roxas' favorite part of the day because his mother would leave and he and Demyx would clean and lock up the shop.

And he liked spending that alone time with Demyx because all the other times they were together, there were people around. Naminé, Zexion, his mother, customers… Roxas really liked it best when it was just himself and Demyx and sometimes he got the feeling that Demyx preferred it that way too.

"I don't know, Mom…" he said as he scrubbed the mixing bowl clean.

"Well, he's your best friend. Why haven't you spoken to him?"

Roxas glared at her from over his shoulder and stopped when he realized she wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying. She had no idea how upsetting her words could be because, half the time, the lights were on, but nobody seemed to be home.

"I don't know, Mom…"

"I think we should go over. Maybe see him and Zexion. Maybe bring them a casserole or something."

His shoulders sagged. "Casseroles are what you bring to a wake or a funeral."

"Perhaps a tuna casserole or maybe lasagna. What kind of lasagna does Demyx like?"

Spinach and shrimp, Roxas thought, but he certainly wasn't going to tell her. She didn't deserve to know things about Demyx. She didn't deserve to be his friend. She already made it abundantly clear that, if she had to choose Roxas or Demyx, she would choose Demyx. In his book, she already liked Demyx too much and it made him really mad.

It also made him a little jealous because he hated to think that maybe Demyx, if he had to choose between his best friend or his best friend's mom, he might just pick the mom. She certainly had more to offer than Roxas did. She also got along much better with Zexion which meant there wasn't nearly the strain that there was between Roxas, Zexion, and Demyx.

Frustrated, Roxas placed the clean mixing bowl on the counter and then left the kitchen. He took his apron off and tossed it onto the floor before walking over to the coffee maker and pouring himself a cup. It was old and lukewarm, but he didn't care because he just wanted something to do with his hands.

"Who's Demyx?"

Roxas didn't look at Axel, who was perched on the counter like a very proud lion. "None of your business."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Shut up," he snapped. "I said it's none of your business."

"Oh, I see. You have a crush on this Demyx character."

Roxas blushed and drummed his fingers on the counter. Looking for something to do, he poured the coffee from his mug back into the pot and then, after a moment, poured the coffee from the pot back into his mug.

Bemused, Axel watched.

Roxas reached for a nearby spoon and began to stir his coffee even though he hadn't put anything in it.

"What are you doing?"

"I… I don't know," he said honestly. "I really don't know."

Axel smiled just the slightest bit before reaching out and taking the coffee gingerly from the blond. "Why are you in so much pain today?"

"I'm not. At least…" Roxas' brow furrowed and he looked pointedly away. "I don't think I am…"

In reality, there was a storm brewing in his chest. He felt such a strange combination of intense emotions that he didn't know exactly how he felt. He was angry, but he didn't know why. He was confused and he was sad and he felt hurt. There was also a bubble of anxiety sitting patiently in his chest just waiting to explode.

"I've never seen you so subdued," the redhead teased.

Roxas didn't say anything.

The door to the bakery swung open. Without looking up, the blond said, "We're closed. Come back tomorrow."

"I know. I saw the sign. Usually we're open until six or seven. I'm surprised, to be honest."

He looked up and a sensation of relief followed by a wave of fear washed over him. He walked out from behind the counter and looked at Demyx as if he hadn't seen him in a very, very long time.

"Are you okay?"

Demyx smiled brightly. "I'm always okay."

"Oh, Demyx!" Roxas' mother appeared from the kitchen. She looked absolutely delighted to see the blond and, much to Roxas' dismay, she walked over to him and hugged him very tightly. "My goodness. I've been so worried about you!"

Roxas wanted to cross his arms, but he feared it would make him seem childish. And he didn't want to seem childish in front of Demyx. Nor did he want to seem jealous. No doubt his mother would see the way he acted and make some wildly inappropriate comment about him having some burning lust for his best friend.

And then he'd have to waste a wish to make her head explode.

"How are you doing? Is everything all right?"

Demyx opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes darted to Roxas. "Y.. Yea," he said with little confidence. "But, actually, I need to talk to Roxas."

He felt relief at the other's words followed by gratitude. Before she could argue, Demyx grasped the blonde's hand and pulled him out of the bakery. Out of the corner of his eye, Roxas saw Axel meander casually toward the front. It was probably to eavesdrop and Roxas certainly didn't appreciate his nosiness.

"Zexion isn't with you?"

Demyx rubbed nervously at the back of his head. "No, he…" He shrugged. "I thought it would be better if I just came to see you." Originally, he had been planning on calling the other, but the rain had let up and Demyx thought it would be a good idea to leave his boyfriend alone for a while.

Roxas sighed and took a seat at one of the tables that had been placed outside for customers. "You're acting weird and nervous, Zexion isn't with you, you blew off my mom…" He paused. "Either you're here to confess your undying love for me or you're dying."

Demyx sat next to his best friend. "Unfortunately, it's the latter."

Roxas nodded.

There was silence and it was uncomfortable. Demyx felt incredibly awkward sitting there and Roxas, who didn't know how to make the weirdness go away, kept casting little glances at the tall blond. Someone needed to say something. Roxas really felt he should say something, but he didn't even know where to begin.

"I'm sorry."

Demyx looked at him. "Why are you sorry?"

"I… don't know…" Roxas shrugged. "I just don't know what else to say."

The baker smiled and stretched his long limbs above his head. "I forgive you." He let his arms fall over Roxas in a sideways hug. "And now you have to sit through this prolonged, possibly awkward hug because Zexion doesn't know how to cope or comfort."

He breathed a little sigh through his nose and shifted slightly. He wrapped his arms around the taller boy and was happy, for once, to be hugging someone other than Naminé. Roxas kept his distance from Demyx for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons was Zexion. Another one was his mother. And the last reason was because he was afraid of what secrets might spill out if he were to get too close to the other.

"You're going to try and fight this, right?" Roxas asked unsurely.

"The sky is blue, right?"

He let his shoulders sag and didn't mention that Demyx kept saying he was dying. He didn't point out that he didn't say, "I have cancer" or "I'm sick" or anything like that. He said he was dying. And while Roxas didn't know a lot about cancer or medicine or the medical world, he knew enough to know that leukemia was quite curable whereas lung cancer really wasn't.

And it was very jarring to him that Zexion was so afraid and so worried. Zexion was always so sure about everything and Roxas had expected the medical student to shine in this moment. And because he wasn't, Roxas felt frightened that maybe Demyx had less of a chance than he originally assumed.

"I need you, though," the taller blond said softly. "I'm afraid."

Roxas hated that fear was such a natural human quality.

••••••••••••••

His mother cried. She cried as if Demyx was her favorite son, as if he was already dead, as if she and he had been the best of friends since the beginning of time. She cried and wailed and insisted that this was more painful than when her husband had left her. She, in Roxas' opinion, made a scene and the blond didn't appreciate Demyx having to comfort her.

It was Demxy who needed the comfort. It was Demyx who needed help. It was Demyx who should be crying and wailing and insisting this was more painful than the death of his parents. But it wasn't like that at all because Demyx was much too controlled, much too kind, and much too optimistic to do anything like that. And he was much too nice to slap Zexion and Roxas' mother around and tell them that this was about him, not about them.

Axel and Roxas walked most of the way home in silence. Demyx had left sometime after breaking the news to Roxas' mother and Roxas' mother had decided that, in order to quell her pain, she would need to go out and do something nice for Demyx.

He really loathed her sometimes.

"Your mom certainly likes that Demyx boy," Axel said. He walked slightly behind Roxas, always following him at a safe distance.

"Why were you eavesdropping?" he snapped suddenly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Earlier. I went outside with Demyx and… and you moved to the front of the bakery. You were eavesdropping."

The redhead was mildly offended at such a silly accusation. "I don't need to eavesdrop. I can read you like a book, Master."

Roxas stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Axel. "Oh, really? Then what were you doing?"

Axel didn't say anything.

Sneering, the blond said, "Yea, that's what I thought." He turned and began to walk down the sidewalk. He got a small distance away from Axel before he realized the redhead wasn't following him. Annoyed, he glanced over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" he asked.

He waited for a response, but the genie didn't say anything.

"Fine," Roxas barked. "Stay here, then. I don't give a shit." He continued to walk down the sidewalk. A casual glance was cast in Axel's direction, but the glance was followed by a gasp. Cracks had begun to appear on the genie's hands, arms, and face. They traveled like vines up his neck and threatened to shatter him like glass. He didn't look real. He didn't look like Axel. His eyes had faded to total black and he looked like a vision from a nightmare.

Roxas quickly ran back over to him and a surprising feeling of relief swept through him when Axel's eyes went back to normal and all the cracks receded.

"What the fuck was that?" Concern was clear in his voice, but Axel didn't comment on it.

Though he appeared fine, he most certainly wasn't. There were very few things that could actually cause a genie pain and refusing to stay within the boundary line he had created with Roxas was one of those things.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Axel said quietly. "I was protecting you."

Roxas stared at him. "What…" He paused. "Is that… Is that going to happen to me?"

Feeling ill, Axel said nothing and walked past Roxas. He kept his distance from the blond though it now proved much more difficult because it was clear Roxas was afraid. Whatever had just happened to Axel could happen to him and he had no idea what had caused it. Had it been up to him, he would have grabbed the genie's hand and never let go.

••••••••••••••

Axel didn't need to really ask his master what was wrong. He had been around long enough to know why people felt the way they did and, more often than that, Axel felt that people were very stupid for feeling the things they felt. He would admit that he didn't quite understand death in a first person sense. He understood it as a third party and as someone who caused death. He had lost someone once, but it had been so long ago, his memory failed to recall how he had felt.

He supposed maybe sad or… angry. But it was difficult for him to say. Genies felt, but they felt to a much lesser degree. It took a lot to make a genie angry or sad or happy and the frustration Axel had felt toward Roxas made their relationship incredibly dangerous. It was dangerous to tip the emotional balance genies had. They lived in an emotional homeostasis and Axel had only had maybe three masters before Roxas that had pushed him.

Roxas had thrown himself down onto his bed and instructed Axel not to leave. This was, the redhead noted, the first time Roxas actually wanted him around. The fear of death, as well as the fear of unknown, was a powerful motivator for humans. Axel knew that all too well.

The genie removed his shirt from his body and sighed at the jagged, lingering line that went from his navel down past the waistline of his jeans. He would never admit it, but he needed to be careful. He was fragile much like his pipe and while he thought the demonstration would be a worthy lesson for Roxas, he had to make sure he didn't put himself in any real danger.

The jagged line was a crack, both metaphorical and literal. And he, for once, was quite happy that this century wasn't filled with battlefields and swords because a violent enough stab to his stomach would only create further jagged lines that wouldn't heal.

Axel began to meander around Roxas' room. Things really were different than they had been since his last outing. Computers, which were still in the works of being perfected, were much sleeker now. They also seemed to do much more than they ever had before. He had heard of the internet, but he imagined that, whatever it had been in the 80's, it was much more sophisticated now.

He wouldn't know how to go about working a computer. He knew how to work a television, but he had a feeling that they were more complicated now. He had heard things while in his pipe. Things about something called TiVo and DVR and DVDs. He had witnessed the Nintendo Internet System and he knew about Donkey Kong and Mario. But now there were greater things. Things like the Wii and the Xbox 360. He heard these things mentioned, but had never seen them. And he had heard people say the phrase, "Google it" quite a bit.

He had no idea what "googling" something meant, but he could only assume it was either something very good or something very bad.

If only his pipe had a window, he wouldn't be so ignorant of all the things humans had begun to create.

Roxas turned on his side. "Don't genies sleep?" he asked from his spot on the bed.

Axel looked curiously at him. "Maybe some do for pleasure."

The blond looked at the redhead. "Genies don't require a lot of maintenance, do they?"

Axel smirked. "No. I suppose not." He began to scan the books Roxas had on his shelves and was rather surprised at the collection. Most of the books Axel had never heard of it, but he hadn't expected Roxas to be quite so into reading. He didn't seem like the kind of boy who liked to sit quietly and immerse himself in some alternate, usually fantastic reality.

And while Axel scanned the books on the shelves, Roxas was looking at his body. He was looking at his muscles, at his scars, and at the way his body seemed to be perfect. He stood straight with his shoulders back and his head held high. His spine was completely straight even up to his neck. He looked massive and dangerous and so incredibly powerful.

"Your eyes are wearing a hole," he commented lightly.

Roxas ignored him. "How come you aren't dead?"

"I'm immortal."

The blond rolled his eyes and sat up. "I know, but… All those scars…" He eyed Axel's back. "Some of those look like scars from a whip."

The uncomfortable feeling of self-consciousness came back to him and he tried to push it away. "Humans are volatile when you don't give them what they want."

Roxas looked away. "Why…" He paused and hesitated. "Why didn't you kill them?"

Axel smirked. "I didn't need to. They usually did themselves in by the end of their three wishes."

Roxas looked perturbed. "Does anyone survive having a genie?"

Axel came to sit on the edge of Roxas' bed and thought for a moment. "Maybe…" He sighed. "But if there are survivors, they haven't been my masters."

The blond eyed Axel warily which caused the genie to laugh.

"You're thinking I did something to all of them, aren't you?"

"Not all of them…" he mumbled.

Axel smiled. "Humans become wildly corrupt when they become drunk on the amount of power they believe themselves to have. They don't understand that true power isn't wielding destruction and death… It's knowing when to use force and when to be gentle. It's knowing the right way to speak. It's knowing how to manipulate people into thinking that everyone wants the same thing. You can only use fear against humans for so long before they realize the only thing they have to fear is death. And when they realize that all they have to be afraid of is the unknown and that it's coming regardless of everything else, they tend to pick up their arms and fight."

Roxas watched Axel curiously.

"Humans are an odd bunch. They don't want to live under tyranny nor do they wish to live in anarchy. Humans require order and genies disrupt that order. We grant wishes and tip the balance in favor of a few select people. It can be incredibly difficult, Roxas, to make a wish that does not hurt someone else."

The room was quiet. The rain started up again and both master and genie looked out the window with interest before looking away again.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Roxas said quite suddenly.

Axel looked at him from over his shoulder. "Why not? You're quite good at it."

The blond shook his head. "I… I mean… I don't want to wish for something that'll benefit me if it's going to ruin someone else's life."

The redhead appeared to be perplexed by the other's words. "I can't say I believe you."

Roxas frowned and lied down on his bed.

After a few moments of silence, Axel looked at him. "Have I upset you?"

"I'm going to sleep," the blond responded irritably. "Is that something you can believe?"

He opened his mouth to argue or maybe apologize, but the words didn't come. Instead, he closed his mouth and walked over to Roxas' bookshelf. He grabbed a book entitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone from the shelf before sitting down on the floor and opening it up.

••••••••••••••

Sometime in the night, Zexion had wrapped his arms around Demyx's waist and held him impossibly close. The blond, who slept like a rock, didn't notice this small gesture and Zexion was grateful for this. He didn't know how to deal with what was happening. Part of him, a very guilty, irrational part of him, was upset that Demyx was sick now. Not in a few years when Zexion would be at least a resident. Not a few years ago when Zexion was in college and could have handled this. But it was right now and he was afraid.

If he lost Demyx, he knew he was going to lose everything. Zexion couldn't go to medical school and take care of his boyfriend and he certainly wasn't going to leave the blond all alone in a hospital room with a bunch of doctors and nurses prodding and poking at him.

Demyx was going to need help and Zexion genuinely felt that he was really all his boyfriend had. And to some extent, this was very true.

He pressed his face against the other's bare back and nuzzled him lovingly. He would gladly give up anything for Demyx and he knew that the other would do the same for him. He also knew he was going to have to keep his absence from medical school a secret from Demyx or he would be incredibly upset.

He would feel he was holding Zexion back and to some extent, he did.

He raked his fingernails down the other's chest and held him impossibly close. The thought of losing Demyx was so devastating that he couldn't even bring the thought to the very edges of his mind. He had never been so infatuated with anyone before in his life and he had the very unpleasant feeling that Demyx was his soul mate. That they were kindred spirits. That they absolutely belonged together.

As cliché as it sounded, Demyx was the one and Zexion was pretty confident that he would never be able to find someone like him again.

Anyone else would just be an incredibly poor substitute. They would just be the Wal-Mart version of Demyx. And no one would ever be able to replace the blond lying there with him.

"Mm… Zexy?" He placed his hand on the other's arm and squeezed. "Are you okay?" He felt the other's arms retreat and Demyx turned to look at the other. "You look mightily uncomfortable," he said sleepily.

"Go back to sleep."

"Come here…" He snaked his arms around the other and was briefly hurt by the way Zexion struggled to get away. "Don't be that way," he said softly. "I won't be able to hold you like this in the hospital."

Zexion stilled in his arms and then, hesitantly, tangled himself around Demyx. He tangled their legs together, he wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck, and he pressed himself impossibly close in hopes that maybe the cancer would pass from Demyx's body and onto his own.

Zexion could never be physically close enough to Demyx. He felt that even if they could meld their bodies together and become one single entity, he still would not be close enough. And it bothered him to feel this way because how in the world could he ever even begin to feel so strongly about anyone else?

"It's okay to cry," Demyx mumbled into the other's mess of hair.

Zexion rolled his eyes. "I don't cry."

"All girls cry, Zexy."

The student fisted some of Demyx's hair and pulled. "What was that, dear?"

"Ah, okay! You're not a girl!"

Zexion released his hair and snuggled against his body. "I suspected I wasn't."

"You know, soon enough I won't have hair to pu –"

"You'll still have leg hair."

Demyx paused. "Touché."

Zexion smiled slightly and pressed the smallest of kisses to the blonde's throat and neck. "I love you, Demy."

"Mm… I love you too. Even more so when you're kissing me."

"Don't talk. I love you considerably less when you talk."

Demyx squeezed Zexion close to him and allowed his hands to wander to the other's behind. "I guess it's a good thing I'm so adept at talking with my hands."

Zexion wasn't going to argue with that.

••••••••••••••

Axel was staring because Roxas kept grimacing in his sleep. He had stopped reading Harry Potter a few minutes prior and, instead, had turned his attention to the fitful blond who appeared less like he was sleeping and more like he was in some kind of horrible trouble. He moved around a lot and he kept making faces. But he never made any noise and he never talked.

The genie stood and leaned over his master. When Roxas turned on his back, Axel gingerly placed his hands on the other's shoulders. His eyes were wide and he knew he looked wild, and surely Roxas would have been very afraid if he were to suddenly awaken. He tried to move, but Axel held him. The blond began to shiver and when he breathed through his mouth his breath looked like pale, white smoke.

He lolled his head back and appeared to be in great distress. Axel positioned his thumbs along the other's collarbone. To keep him from fidgeting, the redhead placed his knees next to the other's hips and squeezed gently.

Axel could feel the other's heart beat and it was very hard for him to ignore. Humans could be so tantalizing because of that heart beat. Each thump seemed to radiate heat all through Roxas' body and across Axel's hands. The warmth was almost palpable and Axel's normally pale, almost transparent appearance suddenly flushed with color and it made him, for the smallest of moments, very excited and very needy.

While what he was doing was dangerous, it would also benefit the fitful blond beneath him. He just had to keep focused and it was becoming increasingly difficult because the way Roxas' heart felt beneath his fingertips made him long to touch the other. To caress him and hold him and soak up all that heat.

It wouldn't kill Roxas, but it really wouldn't be pleasant.

Keeping his mind focused, Axel pressed his thumbs gently against the other's collarbone. Hesitantly, he hovered maybe two or three inches over the other's lips (which were radiating heat and all Axel wanted to do was kiss them and nibble them and take all that warmth away). One hand slid up to Roxas' chin and he gently propped the other's mouth slightly open. The triangles that marked Axel's face and Roxas' hand began to glow a faint, deep green and smoke – or what appeared to be smoke – began to waft from the between the blonde's lips.

Axel was taking it in. He was breathing the smoke in through his own mouth and he only stopped when the heat was becoming too much and he needed to dismount his master. He stumbled when he stood and then he leaned against the wall for support. The heat made him dizzy. It made him feel stupid, but also very pleasant.

He slipped to the floor and touched his face, his arms, his chest… He groped at his body because, for a few moments, he possessed a very human quality. And it was a human quality he liked very much.

But then there was a sharp pain in his chest, where his heart would have been if he had one, and Axel tried to ignore it. But it ached and it burned and he felt, for a moment, that he might be sick. He pressed his head against the wall and tried to concentrate on how warm he felt, but the pain didn't cease.

It intensified and Axel, who could stab himself with a chef's blade and feel no pain (another pro of being a genie), actually let out the smallest of cries. It hurt. It ached and it hurt and he was suddenly wishing he hadn't helped Roxas.

He had no idea how much pain Roxas actually felt. He had no idea trying to take all that pain away, just for a while, was going to cause him a lot of, what felt like, heartache. He placed a hand on his chest and tried to will the pain to go away, but it didn't. And he was uncomfortable and it hurt, but Roxas was finally sleeping peacefully.

How did Roxas walk around with all this bottled up inside? How did he walk around and not occasionally let out a little scream? Axel figured he would be in a bad way too if he walked around feeling as if his chest were about to implode.

The redhead caught his lower lip between his teeth and a horrible, burning sensation cascaded down his face and then his chest and there was an icy cold sharpness that felt like a blade made of ice melting dully in his chest.

And then it faded and Axel breathed. All of that emotion – that horrible, awful, negative emotion that Roxas always walked around with – suddenly dissipated. He took another breath and reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow. He was surprised to see he was sweating, but sweating was not an uncommon phenomenon after being so close to his master.

He sighed and glanced at his chest. It was rosy in color and he was hoping that, with time, it would fade. Glancing over at the now peaceful blond, Axel mumbled, "You owe me.".


A/N: This is late. But if you read the A/N up top you know that. I actually expected this to be delayed for another month so I'm really glad it wasn't.

For those of you that read GC, that has also just been updated. For those of you that don't read GC, feel free to start because the next chapter is going to be the last and that story will finally be complete.

I hope you guys liked this chapter. I tried to add in a little bit of fluff at the end. I also tried to show a little bit more of Axel's genie side and his range of powers, as well his teeny tiny amount of compassion that's budding just for Roxas. The next chapter will really put this story on track and I want it to, hopefully, be out by next month (so.. you know.. late June/early July. But who the fuck knows?).

Thanks for reading, altering, favoriting, recommending, reviewing, and all that other awesome stuff you guys do. Thanks, as usual, to Aindel S. Druida, my super-duper awesome beta. She edits all this crap and I pay for her eye doctor. Please give her profile a look or just make nice with her because she is really just tops.

You know what? I never proofread the review section anymore because everything is always so damn late.

Thanks for reviewing:

Twisted-Virus: Wow, thanks. I really hate the long waits, but I do try and make up for it by putting out extra-long chapters. These chapters, generally, take me around 4-5 hours to write. If I proofread them a few times, which I generally do, it takes me about 6 hours. And then I send it off to the beta so she can edit it. I don't like to put out crap so I try and make everything quality.
Yes. Axel and Roxas are slowly growing. And Axel's compassion, the teeny tiny bit he showed, is kind of showing the more human side of him. I'm definitely going to expand upon this, I think, in future chapters.

Diabolus Kara: Axel isn't as dangerous as I'm making him out to be. I hope I showed a softer side of him in this chapter. And I have the whoooooole ending worked out (I don't publish anything that doesn't have a worked out ending). I think it's going to really surprise readers.

Ldrmas: How Axel feels about people is kind of how I feel about people. Now, I'm not as severe as Axel. I know there are some good folks out there, but there aren't enough of them to balance out all the shitty people.

IchiakiI: They used to do that with Rugrats too. Put in all this little shit you never even noticed until you got older.
Yea, I hate the way my profile looks because it looks like shit. Ffnet needs an IT team that's worth a damn. I hate them. Er… I mean… I love them for hosting a free webpage for me to publish all the crap I think about.
Hah, thanks. Glad you like it so far!

MysterySky8: Roxas will become much less bitchy as the story goes on. And Axel and Demyx's interactions will be much different as the plot progresses.
Roxas… I dunno what to say about him because I think he's just really confused. Like he feels a LOT of things, but he doesn't understand why he feels them. Like uh… Like when you feel like you might have a crush on someone, but then you go out and you kiss them and then the next day you feel… weird about it. Like maybe it wasn't right or maybe the kiss shouldn't have happened or maybe nothing is weird and it's just you being weird. I think Roxas feels like that a lot of the time. I think he feels like he has no idea how to feel so it makes him upset.
I like writing Axel's view on things because he's pretty pessimistic when it comes to humans. He's pretty sure the whole world is going to end because of them and Roxas pretty much feels the same way. He just doesn't know how to say he agrees with Axel because then he would be admitting that all humans – including himself – are a waste. And no one wants to admit to being a waste.

Kiramizu: Roxas will mellow out soon enough. Axel is kind of helping him by using his powers, but… Well, the story will progress and you'll know.
I have always felt that Zexion is the kind of person that really needs stability and needs to be in control. And I think that when things aren't in control, it makes him incredibly anxious because then he feels useless and that uselessness makes him feel stupid. And Demyx works well under pressure because he is almost never in control of anything. Mostly because someone seems to always be running his life. I dunno. I've always felt that Demyx and Zexion work as a couple because of how they deal with stressful situations. They balance each other out.
Thanks. I hope this chapter was just as good as the last two.

xFallenSpirit13x: Roxas will change. Generally, people change the older they get and with the things they experience. Roxas would be fairly one-dimensional if he was the same from start to finish. The same thing goes for any character in any story.
I feel like Demyx would be the kind of person to laugh and joke while Zexion quietly broods about the future. I just don't see Demyx taking things too seriously because, well… Everyone else is already being serious, why should he be all serious too? There has to be comic relief.

Sana-chan9: Honestly, I don't really understand the whole mother-issues thing with my stories. I don't have any issues with my mom or woman. So… You got me why I always make Roxas' mom such an ass.
Well, you know me… I like things to be three-dimensional. And I like stories within stories so… I think this story would be really, really boring if it was like, "Master does this, genie follows rules." Besides, genies are way too powerful to follow things like, "You get x-amount of wishes."
I do like to list the pros and cons of things. Because, you know, I don't think actions should be executed without a decent amount of thought. I think you have to list the pros and cons and really think about things before doing them. Which is what Roxas is doing with his wishes.

Sweet pandamonium: Haha, thanks. I think a lot of readers do that because, at first glance, my stories seem really typical and cliché. But I learned that I really, really super like stories that have some kind of uh… story within a story. So… Whatever I write will never be exactly what the summary says. There will be all these other things going on because my stories are never about the summary. They're always about the characters and how they change based on circumstance.
Yea, I don't like to post crap. It took my beta a little longer to edit this so… it's a few days later than I wanted, but it's better than she catch the errors instead of me posting something with missing words, misused commas, and so on.
Actually, writing about the magical properties with Axel is my favorite part. I like being able to totally make something up without being confined by preexisting standards. I like to write fanfiction, but sometimes staying with the constraints of each character is difficult because I have to do things like make Roxas' mom some total blob character (you know… an OC. Gag.) because no one really fits the personally I want for her.
Zexion and Demyx… I have the whole ending for this story figured out. And if you know my writing, you know that there will be so crazy twists and turns at the end. I don't like things to be predictable so I try my best to keep things relatively interesting.

Riley: Hah, thanks and you're welcome. I really like how this story is coming together so far and it's definitely going to continue until I complete it (unless I get killed, banned from ffnet, or the story ends up removed or something awful like that).

Hahanowyougetit: Thanks. Glad you liked it and thanks for the favorite!

Poisonapple88: Axel's past is the most fun to write. Axel is a really fun character in general and making him a genie makes him, like… 6x more fun to write. I like being able to weave this history for him and I like being able to just make things up from scratch as a I go on. Because I write fanfiction, I have to keep everyone within this preexisting box that's their personality so I don't get to make things up a whole lot. But with Axel as a genie… It's just fun to kind of do whatever I want.

Grandmano-is-everything: Thanks. I think the extent of Axel's powers will be seen a little later on. He's a pretty scary dude when he's got all this magic pumping through his blood. Glad you liked everything. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

dixonTICONDEROGA pencils: I actually really like first person because I can really pull more emotion from the readers. However, first person is only really good for writing for one character if you want to like… really zero in on how they feel. I just fuck up the tense all the time in first person so it gets a little awkward when my beta tries to edit.
I hope so. I promise I didn't snag the idea from that story. I actually got it from an episode of The Fairly Oddparents where Timmy summons Norm the genie and then tricks Timmy into trapping his fairy godparents into his lamp. Norm was such a dick genie.
Nah. You have imagination. The only thing about chapter stories is you really have to think up a strong beginning and a strong end. I keep a fairly loose plotline, but I 100% adhere to the beginning and end. The ending really makes or breaks a story, you know? A terrible ending will destroy the whole story so… I always try to think of a proper ending before I publish anything.
I know. But I always feel like such a little bitch whenever I post something that's way super late. I know people check consistently so it's like a serious 'fuck you' when nothing is posted in the span of two months. Also, real life is stupid.

ILoveLollipops: Thanks. I really hope you like this chapter and I really appreciate your words of kindness. Also, I had to omit the periods in your name because the document manager on ffnet was removing the first part. I guess it was reading your username as a URL.

pearlsXofXsin: Axel's Fables could have been considerably better and I think that if I could go back and change some things, I totally would. That's the problem with publishing chapter-by-chapter, though. You think of something great and you want to add it in, but can't because the chapter has already been posted. Glad you like this story so far. I'm betting it'll turn out much better than AF.