Rating: M

A/N: Special thanks to those who took a moment to review (:

Black and White

Chapter 11

xXx

Axel crossed his arms. "I would advise you to keep your vermin out of my home." His eyes narrowed. "Unless you would like me to set them on fire." He glared at the trick-or-treaters venomously and they cowered behind their bathtub.

"Aw, what's the matter Axe? 'fraid cus I don't trust ya'?" Shaking Axel seethed, flames crackling around him as he lost himself to rage.

"You and all who serve you have never been welcome." His heart sank. "Ever since you took…" The flames died and Axel tried to calm himself by shoving the person he was thinking of out of his mind- a feat that was becoming harder and harder to accomplish lately. Oogie laughed.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Lookit boys, he's mad 'cus we took his little plaything 'way! Ha ha ha! That's just too funny!" Axel pursed his lips. Reno was not a plaything. "Oooh, I'm real scared," Oogie replied, mocking him.

"Find the boy yourself. If Jack doesn't first," he hissed, the air around him heating up dangerously as he fought with himself to control his temper. He couldn't afford to use up that much energy. Roxas wasn't strong enough to replenish it.

"WHAT! How DARE you!" Axel turned his head away, humphing. "I DEMAND your loyalty!" Axel frowned, angered further. He'd never wanted to be a puppet on somebody else's strings. He'd never wanted to get involved in plots to kill Jack so that Oogie could take over Halloween Town… All he'd ever wanted was to be happy with Reno. But Oogie had wanted him to be an ally and Axel had refused to pick sides, wanting to live and to love in peace. So, Oogie had forced him, after breaking him and ensuring that he was too weak to travel to the human world but strong enough to do his bidding. Even if it was just barely.

"Then do not insult me," he spat back, choosing to say nothing more. He already knew that he would be allowed even less human contact if he dared to speak again. He hated himself because thanks to Oogie, he was like a starving dog, willing to do anything for even the tiniest scrap of food. It made him want to die.

He didn't show it but he was grateful to Roxas. Roxas was his way of being free—something that he hadn't had in over five hundred years. However, he refused to let himself get attached to the boy. He would only allow himself to love the one he missed dearly. Even if it clearly hurt the blond.

Axel turned on his heel and walked away, disgusted with both Oogie and himself.

xXx

I gasped, underneath the older red-head as he broke away. We were both shirtless and undeniably aroused.

"A-Axe…" I was panting whereas he was breathing calmly. Green eyes slid shut.

"I won't… do this to you," he murmured firmly.

"P-please," I begged. Axel shook his head.

"No."

xXx

Axel knocked on an increasingly familiar door. The ragdoll who lived behind it opened the door, brightening. "Axel! I've got that food ready, let me get it for you!"

"Wait, Sally…" She turned seeming curious.

"Yes, Axel?"

"I need a remedy, for a fever…"

"Alright, come inside."

xXx

I held my head in my hands, trying to will away my dreams… but they just kept coming. I closed my eyes. My head was pounding. I bit my lower lip, startled, when I heard movement outside, but relaxed when Axel joined me.

"Here," he said, tossing something at me as he righted the vines, only flecks of sunlight filtering through. I picked it up. It was a vial of something. "Drink it and you will get better."

"Why should I?" I murmured unenthused. "So you can do as you please to me?"

"Your opinion is not required." I glared at him. My head pounded even harder as my anger grew.

"What's your problem! Why do you even keep me around, if you hate me so much!" Axel sighed.

"I don't hate you. You serve your purpose too well, for that."

I frowned, turning away from him, disgusted with myself for getting into this mess. Perhaps he was right, after all. I was foolish and stupid and innocent. I held my face in my hands, trembling as tears slid down my cheeks, hating myself. I didn't even realize that Axel was crouching beside me until he whispered in my ear.

"Take the remedy," he murmured gently. The usually cruel voice was soothing. I turned, looking at him uncertainly. Our eyes met and, even in the dimmed light, my heart skipped a beat. The possibility that I was dreaming flitted across my mind for the briefest of moments.

I swallowed, my racing heart pounding faster as his eyes lidded and he wiped away my tears. "Don't cry," he murmured. I searched his eyes confusedly. I didn't know what to think.

"Why?" I whispered back. That unreadable look was back in his eyes.

"I want you to get better." I gripped the bottle, squeezing gently before opening it, immediately overwhelmed by the potent odor. I gagged.

"What's in this?" I whispered, disgusted, "It smells like something died…"

"It won't be bad, if you hold your breath and swallow it all at once." My stomach churned. "Take a deep breath," he murmured. When I did, he raised my hand until something touched my lips. "One quick swallow and it will be over." I nodded, feeling hypnotized by that soothing voice and he tilted the vial. A horrible taste immediately assaulted my mouth and I immediately tried to spit it out. Axel grasped my chin, forcing my jaw to remain shut. I shuddered, feeling nauseous. I stared into his beautiful green eyes and he stared into mine calmly. "Swallow." Shuddering again, I did.

Just as I began to relax, my body seized up and I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut, trembling as pain coursed throughout my body. I whimpered softly. "Shh, it will be alright," A calm voice ensured. Hands pulled me closer and I let him pull me to himself, fully convinced that this was a dream. The Axel that I was used to would never be so gentle.

I began to feel lightheaded as I stared up at him, breathing quietly. Green eyes flickered with surprise when my fingers gently raked through his long red hair. I marveled to myself when the red-head didn't recoil, further convinced. If this was a dream, then I didn't have to be so afraid of that beautiful monster, my mind reasoned. I could do as I wished, now that I had the freedom to do so.

My fingers closed around long strands of red, grasping before pulling hard. My lips met soft, warm ones, pressing harder as my eyes slid shut until Axel's mouth opened for me.

His tongue readily met mine and his hand grasped the side of my face as the kiss got more intense. My hands buried themselves in his hair and I swallowed, never parting from him. He tilted his head, improving the angle and kissing me deeply. I hummed into his mouth, smiling as I pulled away. Then, I rested my head just under his chin, content, and he gently ran his fingers along my back as I closed my eyes.

xXx

He tried to follow, tried to deepen the kiss as Axel broke it, so the older red-head grasped his shoulders, pushing him away. "No, Reno," he breathed. "Stop." He whimpered again, the same way he had earlier, making Axel falter again. There was such longing in those pretty blue eyes… from a mere kiss… "No," he whispered. His eyes slid shut. If nothing else, he would repay the boy this way. He already knew that Reno wouldn't want to stop after a point. No one ever did. "Please." The smaller boy rested his forehead against Axel's shoulder, hugging him.

"Okay," he whispered back. Axel smiled a little.

"Hey," he continued when the other red-head hummed. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. He'd never given hugs before, and so the gesture was awkward for him. "Don't think that it's because I don't like you, okay?" Reno squeezed more tightly.

"Okay."

xXx

Axel gasped, waking from a dead sleep. Realizing where he was, he sighed gently, his fingers equally gently combing through dampened blond locks. The boy felt cooler than he had and so he was certain that he'd been sweating out his fever. Sally's potion was supposed to be a catalyst for that, after all, so it made sense. He blinked, realizing that Roxas was hugging him, snuggling closer. Gently, he hugged the boy back. Not that he'd let Roxas catch him, of course, but he missed the gesture.

"Mm Axel…" he murmured in his sleep. The red-head tensed automatically. "Please…"

"Please, what?" he murmured sweetly in Roxas' ear to coax an answer from the boy.

"Don't stop…" Axel smirked, guessing what the blond was dreaming about.

"What? Tell me," he whispered coyly, nuzzling against the boy.

"Being kind." Axel's eyes widened but otherwise, he didn't move. Roxas stirred and he hastily let the boy go. Roxas sat up, shivering slightly from the loss of body heat. Then he blinked, apparently confused. Axel stretched and Roxas' eyes widened.

"What happened to your hand?" Axel glanced away.

"My blood was needed for your remedy." The boy blushed darkly. That really happened, was the mantra that Axel caught, running through his mind, understanding the boy's confusion. He saw both Roxas' breathing and his pulse quicken as he stared at him unwaveringly, smirking as he realized that Roxas had only kissed him because he'd been convinced he was dreaming.

"What?"

"My blood was-"

"W-what else?" Axel blinked.

"I didn't ask." The boy's mind reeled. Axel huffed. "At least you are better." Roxas bit his lower lip, and this time, Axel caught him remembering his comment about closed-mindedness. Roxas nodded in agreement.

"You… You're right. Thank you," He murmured, ghosting his fingers across the bandage. Axel's fingers twitched slightly but he didn't pull away.

"You're welcome," he breathed. A shiver ran through Roxas' body at the sound of his gentle reply and Axel stared into his beautiful blue eyes, reading the emotions in their owner's soul. Roxas was feeling warm and happy and... hopeful. Axel turned away. "If you don't want to get hurt, don't make me reject you again."

Roxas closed his eyes but didn't remove his hand and Axel watched the blond in his peripheral vision. He knew that Roxas was afraid of him and it was easy to see why. Even if he couldn't see the boy's thoughts, he would have known. The little blond was completely infatuated, no matter how harsh he would be toward him. Axel knew that he would never have to try to get what he wanted from Roxas. Roxas would give it willingly.

Axel knew that he was always on Roxas' mind. He knew that he made Roxas' heart pound dangerously fast, no matter how much his common sense might plead with him to stay away. He had Roxas entirely. He controlled his emotions, his heart and his mind. He'd gotten under his skin quite easily, just as he'd done to countless others, both before and after Oogie had come along.

He felt a pang of loneliness. Roxas felt this way because of what he was, not because Roxas truly wanted to be with him.

"You shouldn't allow yourself to be feeling so deeply for me, little one," he warned.

"Why not?"

"Because, in the end, your heart will get smashed."

xXx

-TBC-

A/n: Well… there's some insight as to why Axel's pissy toward Roxas. I hope anyway.

Thoughts?

I apologize if there are flaws, I've reread over this so many times that my mind is shutting down when I read this xD