A/N: Holy crap this chapter's long –satisfied sigh– FAIR WARNING, there will be foul mouths and gore from here on out. Pleasant readings!

P.S. I give virtual cookies to those who recognize the chapter title -which is not of my claimageness-

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I do not own KH or it's characters.

Mezzanine

Chapter Six: Mother is God in the Eyes of a Child

Adjusting was an extremely familiar word to Axel. It had a fluid meaning that he knew almost too well. Adjusting, the capability of adapting to a change of almost any kind. Axel smirked at this. He was of lizard discent, he thought. A stealthy, sly, secretive, urban chameleon. He hid his emotions irrevicably. He whipped out acts like a magician pulled rabbits out of a hat. And he simply adjusted to what he felt like best whenever he pleased. He was so good at it, he felt it became his profession in some sort.

A chameleon. An illusionist. An impervious wall. A master of disguise. However… not as of late. His skin failed to replicate his surroundings. His sleeves refused to let him pull out tricks and treats. His act was failing. It was crumbling. Faltering. Until finally, it was demolished altogether. And the snide immortal gladly served up the demolition order on an exquisite silver platter.

It had been a few months since their encounter with each other at Axel's place. Since then, they grew close. Best buds, one could say. They hung around on weekends, talked up storms between passing periods, and even exchanged company during lunch. As together as they became, one thing was set aside. One thing that Roxas simply would not allow. That was his name and along with it, his past. As much as it ate up the skinless chameleon's curiosity, he respected his wishes and let it slide to his displeasure.

Axel could tell that Riku and Demyx had a whole lot to say about his new friend but they said nothing, they kept to themselves. He liked it that way. Nothing disturbed their freindship and no one pried at them for answers. But nothing was perfect. A question would pop up here and there. Along the lines of: "Since when did Roxas become the catch of the year?" or "Why didn't you come to the party last weekend?" or even "Something's not right about Roxas. Can't you see it?"

He could see it. He could feel it. He could almost taste it too. The beautiful vampire was in his hands now. He was careful but he was also eager. He wanted him all to himself, and he was sure it was a mutual feeling with Roxas. Push came to shove, and Riku and Demyx became last weeks trend. It wasn't nice. But Axel didn't care. Roxas was his world now.

"Are you even listening to us, big red?"

Axel's expression was rock solid. Empty and unable to decipher. He shrugged off his friend's interjection and fiddled with his favored mercilessly cracked and dented pencil between his long agile fingers. He wasn't paying attention to his two friends, who insisted on accompanying his eager arrival of the morning bell. After all, how could he? He was overloading with inept information that nearly fried his synapses. His mind kept ticking and ticking, over and over. Ventus Ventus Ventus. He needed to know. He needed to know.

"Something happened, huh?" the dazed one heard Riku say.

This question however, broke him free from the restraining tick. Axel's lips parted and he began to reply but his vocal chords denied him sound. He closed them and simply nodded a yes. Of course something happened. Roxas is the damn savior of his past time. Demyx painfully watched as his mute friend whirled his pencil around and around like it was all that mattered in the world. He teased a hand through his heavily hairsprayed fohawk mullet and restrained himself from speaking, even though he wanted to badly.

"We're not gonna push you to say anything," Riku said calmly. "But we're here when you need to vent, okay?"

Vent. Ventus. Axel shook his head no this time. This made his friends frown and the ticking came back with a rippling punch. He felt no need to respond to either of them.

"Suit yourself," the silveret coldly retorted, departing from their uncomfortable circle of 'friends' and disappeared into a throng of students in their high school.

"Riku don't be an ass!" Demyx shouted and nervously redirected his gaze to Axel when the other was out of sight. What's gotten into them? He thought with worry.

The dishwater blond wasn't sure of what to do. Whenever Axel was in his fits or just not himself, he usually let Riku do the talking to calm him down. Demyx was just the kind of person that tended to say the wrong things at the wrong time. He was well aware of this though. So he stood where he was with his lips sealed, annoyed that Riku had wandered off to leave him alone with the brooding boy. Axels should seriously come equipt with manuscripts. Unfortunatley to Demyx, the world just didn't work that way.

The first morning bell rang to Demyx's relief. It seemed the world granted him some goodness still.

"Come on Ax. Let's go to class."

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Axel was surprised to see the undead boy already in his seat. He smiled and trudged his way into the class and down an isle to his own desk. He scanned the familiar faces of his classmates, oblivious. They were completely oblivious that such a celestial creature of immortality graced their precense. But he knew and that's all that mattered. He just couldn't entirely understand why he was so taken back by it all. Roxas made a mess of him. Scattered every fiber of his being to the wind. Roxas unregrettably shook his world.

"Good morning." The blond greeted as Axel eased himself into his chair.

The redhead looked at the vampire, noting that his eyes were the dull honey brown again. "Morning," he replied softly. This was his first word spoken today.

Something was different. The human began comprehending the fact that Roxas was acting friendly for once. The change was alien to Axel only months prior but he wasn't complaining about it. It was a nice change. Roxas had a change of heart. Didn't that happen often? He glanced once more across the room and found something interesting this time around. There was only one empty seat and it was in the middle of the classroom. Sora didn't show up today. In fact, he hasn't been showing his mug around for the past few weeks. He found that peculiar.

"He wasn't feeling well," Roxas reassured, startling the student at his side. The blond laughed. "Don't tell me you've forgotten everything I've told you?"

"No," Axel half panted. "You just keep amazing me, that's all."

Was Roxas blushing? Axel could have swore he was, but he couldn't confirm it because the vampire turned the other way. The senior –school term speaking– smirked brightly. This only meant that Roxas was hiding rosy cheeks and a flush face. Oh yeah, Axel still had it. He paused in thought. He felt the heat of eyes glaring dangerously at him. His satisfied smile left the second his gaze met with Demyx's and he looked ticked. Uh-oh.

Demyx whirled around –nose up– in his cushioned black computor chair and went back to work aside Xigbar who had just begun his lesson for the day. Axel slunked into his chair with faint guilt. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't up for talking to Demyx and Riku earlier. It wasn't his fault either for feeling better now that Roxas was there with him. Why was it okay for the teacher's aid to leer at him so hatefully? Answer: it wasn't okay. He should be happy that he was talking now. Shouldn't he be happy for him?

For the remaining time the class had, Axel stayed quiet and this threw off the nosferatu completely. He was so used to being teased and assualted by his words. Now that it didn't happen, he second guessed himself for revealing who he was. But Roxas didn't question him and he didn't add anything after. For once, they didn't speak and they did the work required to pass for the day. The rhythm to their system broke. Change was consuming them and uknown to the both of them, change was devouring everything around them as well.

.

"Where were you at lunch, Axel? We barely see you around anymore." Demyx shot down the redhead, who seemed to be in a hurry towards his truck, mere moments after the school day ended.

He froze at the question and sighed with jade eyes rolling. The truth was, he had spent his lunch away from the two pushy boys and instead with Roxas. It was a little harsh on his part but he knew it would only be dismal and awkward if he had invited the immortal to share the noon meal with his two curious friends again. He knew they were growing tired of his cold shoulder but he couldn't tell them about Roxas and he didn't want to lie to them anymore. So he began to avoid them at all costs. To his misfortune, he couldn't make the great escape he had invisioned all day.

"Sorry," Axel apologized, turning around. "A lot of things have been going on and I–"

He trailed off as the beautiful blond vampire approached from behind Demyx who had his hands on his hips with agitation. Roxas sent him a rather suggestive leer as he swaggered past his questioning friend, hooking his arm with Axel's when he met his side. The redhead's heart did somersaults and the mulleted boy before them cocked his head in curiosity at the sight. It explained plenty of things, but he was still upset with Axel no less.

"I hope you don't mind if I steal him from you." Roxas chimed playfully.

"I do," another voice boldly stated.

Huh?

A blur of black clothes, pale skin, and mercury hair darted between the three boys. Two angry hands shoved at Roxas' chest, unlinking his arm from Axel's and sent him stumbling backwards in surprise. This can't be good.

"You think you're so special huh? Coming here, acting like you can take anything that you want at a whim?" Riku snarled, continuing to stride at the confused blond. Axel grimaced. This definitely wasn't good. It promised no good outcome either.

"Do you think you're obligated to Sora?" he aggresively shoved at his chest again. "Do you honestly think you can torture him like this? Just because you won't consider dating doesn't mean that you should put him to shame and make him do the same damn thing. How can you just–"

Axel slipped between the two and he easily towered over Riku, giving him a slight advantage. The situation confused him endlessly but he stood up for his new unearthly companion anyway, and stood his ground against his familiar human companion.

"Calm down, Riku."

"No," Riku spat, now pinpointing his anger to him. "I won't calm down. Isn't it frustrating when someone else is pissed off and you can't do anything about it?"

"Calm down." Axel repeated, this time he gladly expressed the irritance in his voice.

"Or what? The freak will kick my ass like he did to you? Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots."

The air suddenly went ice cold and Axel knew this eerie feeling all too well now. He glanced over his shoulder to take a look at the immortal. Roxas was glaring, obviously offended. His dark brown contacts looked a little brighter than usual and his boyish hands were clenched, his knuckles churned a hot white. Axel shook his head in objection and turned to do the same to Riku but the look on the pale boy's face told him that he didn't need to.

Riku's angry front had dissapated. His eyes were oggling past Axel and he backed up a bit. This amused the hot head. He knew that Roxas could be seriously intimidating. But this? This was just too priceless to take in all at once.

"Wherever you're taking him, Roxas, I don't care. Just do it now."

Axel's brows drew together and he searched from Riku's shaky gaze to Demyx's horrified expression. This couldn't have been Roxas' doing. Couldn't have been. The lanky one about faced and found Blondie looking just as equally confused as he was. Whatever stirred up his good buddies, it was something else aside from the vampire. Then, green eyes slipped past Roxas and focused on three approaching people that suddenly made his innards scorch to the core. The ring leader in the middle chuckled loudly, catching Roxas' attention too. Axel's teeth ground together as the guy did this.

"What the hell are you doing here, Seifer?" Axel spat.

The one who went by Seifer grunted, shaking his beanie adorned head as the petit girl and overly built guy to his sides laughed. Seifer stepped a little closer to the Twilight boys and tsked with disapproval. "That's no way to greet your good old school rivals. Is it? Come now, we came all this way from Hollow Bastion just in hopes to cross your path. Take it as a compliment. So tell me, how have my three favorite faggots been since I've transferred? I see you've recruited a new member to join your gay gang."

"Leave him out of this." Axel deffensively stood in front of Roxas who was a little taken back at the anger beginning to overflow before him. "You came here looking for trouble. I'm the one who's more than willing to give that to you."

"What's wrong, queer?" the girl with lavender hair giggled sourly, adding, "Can't take it when we bash your boy?"

The burly guy interjected too. "Come on hot head. I've heard better comebacks than that man, you know?"

Roxas noticed Riku and Demyx came to back up Axel too. They presented their best war faces but he sensed that fear was too overpowering for either of them to lash out. He frowned at that. However, the utter heart quaking adrenaline that fumed off Axel was enough to fuel Roxas too. He became increasingly agitated at the fact that he was being defended for. He could take care of himself. He wasn't a damsel in distress. He was a blood lusting immortal dammit. The blond gave the taller one credit though. For the sake of his care.

"What's the matter tough guy?" Seifer narrowed dire eyes on Axel's. "You too pissed to cry on your whore for a mothers shoulder? Oh wait, you don't even know where the slutty bitch is."

The three hoodlums laughed.

The blond twitched at the words.

The ticking time bomb bursted.

"You're fucking dead!!!"

Axel threw his body forwards and swung furious fists. Miss. Roxas ensnared the back of his shirt and yanked him away from the troublesome trio without effort before any flesh could be damaged. Axel struggled and writhed and squirmed towards his precise victims to no avail. Blondie had the teen right where he wanted him. The back of his shirt began to tear. Roxas saw this and enveloped his arms around his thin waist, hauling him backwards. The others watched him do so with reasonable shock.

"Cool it." Roxas muttered in his ear so only they were the wiser.

"No!" He wailed. "Let me go! Get off or I swear I'll–"

"Or you swear you'll what?" the undead boy asked calmly. "You'll take it out on me instead? Would that be better?"

He only snarled and attempted to wrench away from the vise-like clutches of leather masked claws with no success. Roxas strongly overheard a hushed whisper from Riku, saying something along the lines of "Please get him out of here". He gladly obliged to do so. Roxas simply turned on the ball of his heels and walked off with the kicking and screaming Axel, like he was only an armful of textbooks. Swearing and hollers came from the three rivals but Roxas paid no attention to them. He headed for his motorcycle across the lot.

When he reached his destination, Roxas jerked the outraged teenager and firmly pressed two fingers into the very faint bruise that still resided on the enraged one's neck. Axel hissed as a bolt of pain surged through him, and this stopped his wild tantrum almost immediately. Roxas removed the pressure from his collar bone and turned to straddle the ebony gleaming sport bike.

"Sorry about that. I was debating on slapping you but that seemed too cruel, even for me. Now come on," he motioned for Axel to come hither. "Let's get out of here."

There was no response to this. Axel merely rubbed at his sore throat, thinking that he'd prefer the slap over the unwanted fingers delving into his pulsing bruise. He watched the immortal with cautious eyes as his heavy pants of rage were beginning to subside. He clamped his teeth down on his bottom lip and nearly drew blood. Roxas could tell. He could just barely detect the aroma of his sweet skin start to break. He shook the unwanted thought far away and patted the seat behind him. Axel looked at him strangely.

"Where are you gonna take me?"

"That hardly matters now. Don't you think?"

There was a pause before Axel huffed out a breath of air. "Yeah," he agreed.

He swung a leg over the back of the motorcycle, his heated body nearly smothering the shorter, colder one. He gripped the vampire's hips so tight it was almost too agonizing to withstand. Roxas didn't mind it. He knew Axel needed to relieve his anger in some way. He was just glad he was there to intervene so he hadn't relieved it through violence. Violence never solved anything. It only exacerbated problems. He knew this best. Roxas kicked back the metal stand that propped the motorcycle up and revved the engine. It roared beneath them and with the tires screaming, they were off into the town without once looking back.

.

As pissed off as Axel was, he couldn't deny the fact that his anger was nearly forgotten now. He was not only alone with Roxas. He was alone with Roxas in his luxurious mansion. He had hesitated at the fact that Cloud might be there but the vampire reasurred him that he wouldn't be back home until later. This comforted him. Alas, his temper was nearly forgotten. It still sat rather uncomfortably in his belly, wallowing and saddened that he couldn't do anything about it. Roxas was aware of this entirely.

"I had no idea who those guys were," he watched as Axel browzed shifty eyes around his home. "Or what they knew. But I understand now. I apologize about what happened back there."

"I hate that."

Roxas stiffened. "Hate what?"

"When people say sorry for something they were never responsible for. It's degrading. I don't want to be pitied. I don't ask for that." He locked his aggrivated attention on a particularly expensive looking coat of mail behind one of the many glass displays.

Roxas contemplated on whether he should apologize for that too but he figured he'd only bother him further. So he remained quiet. Years of experienced conversations taught him that the best answer to one who needs attention the most, is to not give them attention. They would eventually come around when they were ready in their own time. So silence engulfed them. It wasn't awkward and it wasn't tense. It was comfortable in fact. Axel's curiosity wandered everywhere imaginable. Until finally, he came around to Roxas' correct delight.

"You don't have a mom either. Do you?"

The blond sighed. "I never knew her."

"Lucky," Axel's hurt gaze met Roxas'. "I haven't seen mine for years and I don't want to. She… well, you heard Seifer. He summed it up as honestly as he could, the bastard. I guess that makes me a real son of a bitch then."

He pressed a laugh and Roxas looked down, hurt that he knew this front very well now. He couldn't help himself, saying, "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" he snipped angrily.

"Because you don't deserve that," Roxas countered. "Because I can't stand to see you pretend like everything's okay when its not and I want… I want you to be happy. Regardless of your past and any troubles it held, I think of you just the same and… I like who you are."

Axel stared at him. Speechless. He was annoyed at the fact that he said he was sorry again but at the same time, he was enthralled to know that Roxas gave a damn about his crazy antics and even somewhat admitted feelings for him. His mother –or lack of a better term– was never there to give a damn like Roxas was doing now. Axel could never recall upon the vaguest memory where the uncaring woman acted motherly, not once. He only knew the stench of alchohol on her when she would come home, the dismissal of her only son's existance, and the overpowering heartache that she had brought him and his devoted father.

Mothers aren't supposed to be addict drunkards. Mothers are supposed to stay with their child's father forever. They're supposed to love their children, embarrass them in front of their friends, bake them sweets, make all the wrongs right, and tuck them into bed with the promise of adventure stories galore until a more youthful child Axel rendured to the sweet nirvana of sleep. He longed for this. He wished for this. He cried for this. He pummeled anything and everything that dared to disrupt this yearning. It killed him inside. He tried with all his might to have that fantasy mother. Try as he might have, she never came. Never. In fact, the more he wished, the less he'd see her. Until altogether, she vanished from his life completely.

He wasn't happy. No one ever really cared enough to do anything for the foul tempered boy. Too many people feared him. At least not until now. The frail mortal eyeballed the wolf in sheeps clothing before him. An innocent lamb. A vicious wolf. All in one wonderfully wrapped package. Underneath it all, the tepid vampire was a lot like himself. This made him smile. This made him happy. Even if it only was for a brief moment, it mattered the world to him. He relaxed his tense posture and gave way to their conversation. He felt good doing this. Relieved.

"Thank you." Axel said, trying his best to restrain himself from chuckling when Roxas was gave him a cute lost puppy look. "But I'd like to hear more about you if you don't mind."

Roxas scoffed, crossing his arms childishly. "What else is there to hear? I've told you just about everything."

"Not in detail. Besides, you never mentioned that you didn't date according to Riku."

Blondie cringed. That nosy, pain in the ass, silver haired boy must have pried it out of Sora. Damn him. He made a mental note to get him back for that later. "I can't date. I won't date. It hardly matters anyhow. I'm fine on my own, Axel."

He sent him a devilish smirk. "I don't think you mean that."

"Why would I go and make something up?"

Axel snatched the vampire's hand and pulled off the leather glove, exposing ravenous nails. "Sensitive hands, my ass. You only lie to protect what you are, Roxas – No… Ventus. What the hell do I even call you now? I don't even know if that's your real name or not."

Blondie shifted almost nervously, almost. His composure remained uneffected and his unnatural poise was still regal and undisturbed. He cleared his throat and leaned his back against the glass casing that sealed the coat of mail Axel was eying earlier. Now was a better time than any to explain a thing or two again.

"Roxas is my first name, given by my mother," he looked for any hint of anger in the mortal's eyes and found none. He sighed contently at this. "Ventus however, is my middle. It was given to me by my father. When I was younger, I moreover went by Ven."

"I like Roxas better."

"Me too."

"Roxas..."

Roxas drew his attention away from the floor and to the human, who had suspiciously lessened their distance and was almost cornering him against the glass. So much for comfort zones. Then, the empathetic blond felt something strange swell and brush off the other being. It was a feeling he wasn't accustomed to. It made him uneasy. Axel seemed to want to close in what little space there was between them. His eyes were clouded with an unrecognizable emotion and his hazy gaze hungrily wandered over undead lips. Roxas gulped. He did not like this situation at all.

"Wanna see my room?" Roxas mumbled, looking away.

Axel's face fell. "Err, sure."

He quickly about faced and led Axel by the hand, across the bottom of the mansion floor and up one of the decadently embellished staircases. He let go of Axel's hold as they met an old door that didn't look quite as refurbished as the others along the hall. Roxas opened the rickety, sqeaking door and darkness swallowed them whole. The redhead entered blindly, wondering hopelessly how Roxas could see in such conditions. He considered it had something to do with his inhuman abilities since he was continuing to lead him further still.

The dainty vampire set the lanky teen still in one unidentified spot to only leave his side, reasurring that he was going to retrieve a source of light. Not long after he left Axel standing alone and a little cold, a sickly pale brightness streamed itself from behind thick velvet drapes that Roxas fastened back. Axel's eyes adjusted to the light then suddenly widened, his mouth frozen in the shape of an 'o' as he finally caught sight of Roxas' personal domain.

"Whoa," was all he managed to say.

It was everything that Axel remembered the mansion as. Ancient, beckoning, and simultaneously frightening. Towering bookshelves splayed along the walls, dusty victorian antique furniture were scattered all over, numerous persian rugs were sprawled across the floors, and a King size bed with four wooden collums presented itself devinely at the end of the room. Beside the sleeping quarters rested a tall open-door wardrobe, presenting a petit, prestine set of medival armor. Axel gawked at it, his mouth still unable to close. It looked like it was made for a child, a warrior child. Beside that was a closed glossy black casket. He felt goosebumps give rise.

"I apologize if it's a little messy," tuned in the immortal warrior himself. "The mansion went under major restoration but I kept my room untouched by my request. Makes me feel at home."

"Home," Axel said again, feeling taken back by it all and even a little lost. "Roxas… You're a legend. A hero."

"And immortal," he said bitterly, plopping down at the foot of his enormous bed.

Axel joined him with more enthusiasm. He lept backwards onto the bed, bouncing as he collided. He grinned, outstretching his arms across the almost endless matress. "You say that like it's a bad thing. You're so lucky, do even realize that? I'd give just about anything to be like you."

Roxas winced. He then scowled, removing his other glove and gently took out his sulking brown contacts. Bright cobalt optics were exposed, gleaming with fury, and just hinting the faintest red around the pupil. "There is nothing lucky about an endless life, Axel. I've gone through hell. Cloud, put me through hell. But the worst part… is seeing my friends die at my side and then continuing on with my life without ever having the hope of seeing them again. You're foolish to want this curse."

Die? Axel was surpised by this. After all, Terra and Aqua did die. He felt too guilty to ask about it though. He had obviously hurt his feelings. He made a mental note to ask about that later. Preferably at a more appropriate time. "Roxas. I didn't –"

"It's not your fault. I don't dwell on my past too often but it's better to remember than to forget, right?" he smiled. "Thank you."

Axel was confused by his sudden thanks but he accepted it anyhow. It seemed he still had a lot to learn about him. He would never imagine these possiblities when he first met him. Granted, he was thankful Roxas eventually welcomed him into his life anyway. That must have taken a lot of trust to do. Axel frowned. The more he thought about it, the more he figured Roxas trusted him not only with his secret, but with his life. Immortal life no less. What would his friends think if they knew? His father? The rest of the town?

Would they accept him? Or fear him?

He scoffed inwardly. Surely they wouldn't reject him. He was the world's savior. A hero, Xigbar had proclaimed. Who in their right minds would tear down a hero? Axel found himself frowning again. A lot of people would. Recognition for something is obsolete. It isn't immortal. Not like Roxas. It only fades. Just like happiness.

Feeling rather depressed now and noticing that Roxas was brooding quietly too, he drew his attention onto something that would hopefully lift his spirits. It didn't take long for that to happen. He arched his neck back, discovering a bright display of two glorious and breath taking swords that were crossing each other just above the head rest. One was silver and designed so curiously that Axel had never seen one of that fashion before. The other was black and detailed differently but they shared the same overall feel. Like keys.

"Holy shit," Axel gaped. "Are those yours?"

Roxas hummed to himself, then turned to see what the fuss was about. He chuckled when he saw what it was. "Oathkeeper's the silver one and Oblivion is the black. Those are almost as old as I am."

Axel tore his eyes from the ancient swords and lurched forwards to face the shorter male. He arched a red brow. "You call your coffin black beauty, your swords Oathkeeper and freaking Oblivion. Do you name anything else that I should know about?"

Roxas only smirked. He promptly hoisted himself onto the bed and made his way over to the wall where he lifted the black blade he called Oblivion and tossed it for Axel to catch with cautious hands. He then took the silver one, Oathkeeper, and twirled it about with great skill. He tossed it into the air, catching it with ease and pointed it at the redhead in a challenging stance.

"Let's see how good you handle that on for size and then I'll consider telling you."

He winked, lowered the blade, and leapt off the bed. He gestured for the flushing mortal to follow him out of the room and the breathless human could only trail in awe, noticing how the vampire's hips intoxicatingly swayed from side to side as he departed his room and declined down the extravagent stairway. He broke from the trance-like state once they met the bottom and he fiddled with the dark sword in his hands.

"Are you flirting with me?" Axel asked forwardly.

"Maybe."

"You're full of bullshit."

"What makes you say that?"

Axel looked at the sword in his hands for a moment and prepared himself to spar. "You say you can't date, won't date. Yet here you are, teasing the hell out of me. Do you get off torturing me?"

An equally teasing smile painted along his pink lips. Roxas whirled Oathkeeper around and around, swinging it at full speed towards his interrogator. Axel smirked, blocking the attack with Oblivion, which was slightly trembling in his clutch. The vampire was impressed but not quite enough. He swiped away from the lock, twirled into a crouch and gently swung his leg at the back of Axel's knees. The soft blow sent him to the floor. Roxas pounced in a flash, squatting onto his torso with a hand pinning down his huffing chest and the other aimed the archaic silver blade to the redhead's throat.

"I'd be more careful with your choice of words," he purred and stood, offering a hand to help him up. "No, I don't get off like that and no, I'm not flirting with you either. I'll leave that for dates… which I don't do by the way."

Defeated, Axel set down Oblivion and took his helping hand to get back on his feet with an unexpected, victorious grin. "According to you, I'm already yours."

"What?"

"You forget already, Blondie? That night in the woods? "Mine"."

"Oh," his face became a rosy color as he averted his azure eyes. "Sorry. Sometimes I can't help the possessive vampire in me."

"Can you help it now?" came a third voice.

Axel cringed. Though he only heard that voice once before, he only needed to hear it once more in order to recognize it had belonged to Roxas' father. He turned to the entrance doors and discovered not only the intimidating elder immortal but he decided he found him even more intimidating as he tightly grasped at a ridiculously monolithic sword. The damn weapon was as big as Axel. His already fair complexion went three shades lighter. Axel grieved at the dizzying thought that he might faint again. The possibility of death utterly shook his being with a fear he hadn't felt in years. Today just kept getting better and better.

"Cloud," Roxas hissed, stepping forward and in front of Axel. He watched him do this with a little pride. He was defending him, just as Axel had. "He's my friend and I say he stays. I won't let you push him away from me."

"Rox." Cloud discouraged, glowering in a manner undeniably similar to how Roxas passionately did too. "I'll credit you for bravery, but I cannot disregard that you broke your word. However, I'm feeling rather nice today. He can stay. He is allowed my acceptance entirely. If he doesn't bleed at your disposal."

"Excuse me?!" Axel screeched. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Stay where you are," Roxas crooned in a comforting manner, taking Oathkeeper in both of his hands now. His brilliant blue irises blinked a glowing blood red as he whispered. "I'll protect you."

.

Pale: Hmm… sense seme Roxas much?

Axel: Me likes it.

Pale: I concur.

Roxas: I guess I get no say in this.

Pale: Damn straight you don't.

Axel: Psst! Reviews make Pale write seme Roxy!

Roxas: I'm so not gonna protect you now.

Axel: Gulp O_o'