Okay, the reason this is so late is because I have been freakishly sick for the past week, roughly. I've missed a bunch of school and took my exams with a 102 temperature, which only got worse over the weekend. But here I am and I'm back to writing so things will be kicking in again. So sorry about the delay. I don't own Kingdom Hearts and enjoy.

Axel let his claws rip through another tree, carving out a large hole. This movement barely soothed his need of violence but he supposed it was a start; after all, it distracted him from the other things on his mind. Roxas in particular. He didn't know how long he could do it for, resist the urge of Roxas. He could smell the sweet scent of his master, even from where he now stood.

He was able to comfort himself with the fact that he was able to keep himself relatively sane in the situation, enough to allow Roxas's first time be special, not something fueled by crazed lust.

But that meant he would be here for the next who knew how many hours, and tear a part trees in order to stave off the lust and anger. But he would do anything for Roxas, even if it meant he was worse off. As long as Roxas was okay, it didn't matter.

(INSERT BREAK HERE)

"Are you satisfied now?" Marluxia grumbled, yanking tightly on the bandages that he was using to properly bind Vexen's wound.

"Yes actually," Vexen replied, hissing in slight pain as Marluxia jerked even harder on the white cloth, squeezing the injury painfully. "Just hurting him and sending him into a god damned rut is enough for me."
"Your anger scares me sometimes," Marluxia said, gazing at the flickering lamp in the corner of their tent as Vexen grabbed his shirt and yanked it on over his head. "I worry that it will be the death of you."

"My death shouldn't matter to you," Vexen said quietly.

"You know why it does," Marluxia snapped.

"Yes. But it shouldn't. You shouldn't love me and I shouldn't love you," Vexen sighed, rubbing a hand over tired eyes.

"It's too late for me to change my feelings now. We'll just have to deal with it," Marluxia said. "And when the time comes, when the rest discover what we have been hiding-"

"Then we run," Vexen finished.

"And never look back."

(INSERT BREAK HERE)

Morning came, unbidden by both human and Neko. Roxas was grateful to see that Axel was in better control but was warned away with a gaze.

"I'm in better control but it doesn't mean I can resist you completely. Don't test me," Axel said, swinging up onto his horse.

He had packed the ruined tent, insisting that if they didn't make it to the capitol by nightfall it would still give them some shelter, how ever meager. Roxas kept a suitable distance away from the Neko as they rode but that didn't keep him from talking.

"Who was that, that attacked us? Do you know?" he asked.

"Vexen. I smelled him before he attacked," Axel told him, ears back in irritation. "He's bad at sneak attacks."

"They shouldn't be attacking us in the first place," Roxas hissed angrily. "They work for Nilan and I'm an ally of theirs."

"That doesn't mean I am," Axel started. "I mean, Vexen attacked me. Only me. If they were after you, they definitely would've attacked straight on. It's probably just some foolish grudge against me for what I did to Vexen. They can attack me because technically, I'm not an ally of Nilan."

"I now question why I didn't see this," Roxas commented.

Axel cracked a tentative smile. "I could be wrong. But if I'm right, I highly doubt he'll attack us again. I'm pretty sure after what I did this time, he won't want to challenge me again."

"that's good. I'm still going to be talking to the King about this though. I won't stand for Vexen getting away with hurting you again," Roxas said firmly.

"Whatever makes you feel better," Axel said with a shrug.

(INSERT BREAK HERE)

It was noon before Xigbar saw Demyx again. According to Larxene, he had been holed up in his room, refusing to come out. After the blond skipped lunch, Xigbar decided he had had enough and stormed to his cabin.

"Open up before I break down the god damned door," he growled.

"Come in then," Demyx called, voice tired.

Xigbar tried the door. It was locked. "Nice try, now unlock it."

"I can't! I can't stand up," Demyx said.

"Har, har. Open the damn door."

"I'm telling the truth I'm too sick to stand up," Demyx said, voice pitiful.

Xigbar sighed and pulled out one of the knives, activating its power and teleporting himself into the room. At first, Demyx was nowhere to be seen, and then Xigbar realized he was huddled under the covers of his bed in a small ball.

"You're serious?!"

"Yes!" Demyx cried, voice slightly muffled by the blanket. "I'm sick and it hurts to move."

"Well let me see what's wrong," Xigbar said, voice softening a bit from sympathy.

"I know what it is," Demyx told him, peeking his head out of the covers. His dirty blond hair was mussed and his blue eyes were clouded with exhaustion. "Sometimes I get really weak if I'm not in the water. It strikes at random times, Zexion says it's because I should be in the water all the time. I'll be better in a few hours though"

Xigbar sighed, resisting the urge to throw his hands up in the air in irritation. "Alright then. I'll stay here and make sure you're okay. There's something I want to talk about anyways."

Demyx began to sit up and then winced, collapsing back on the bed. "Uh, okay then. I'd get you a chair but I can't move."

"It's the thought that counts I suppose," Xigbar mused, grabbing one of the chairs and sliding it over towards Demyx's bed. "Now. I've been thinking about somethings and Larxene told me something very interesting."

"Larxene's crazy, don't listen to her!" Demyx yelped, eyes growing wide and all tiredness vanishing.

Xigbar chuckled. "You just confirmed what she said was true. You really should learn to think before you speak."

"Oh, just get it over with already," Demyx grumbled, turning away from him so he wouldn't have to look the other man in the eye. "Tell me that you don't return my feelings and you think it's endearing but it's making your ego swell way too much because you're already way too over confident and-"

"Now if I didn't return your feelings that is what I would say," Xigbar said with a chuckle. "But I actually like you very much, Demyx, I just feel like a dirty old man because you look so young."

Demyx suddenly twisted around, staring up at him with his wide cerulean eyes, tentative hope in them. "You mean it?"

"Yes, Demyx. I do," Xigbar said. "Though I don't know why you're attracted to me in the first place."

"Because you're brave and smart and you don't do anything half-assed and you hate lazy people and you make me laugh and there's so much more I want to know about you compared to what you've told me so far and-"

"Remember that thing you said about my ego swelling?" Xigbar asked, laughing lightly.

Demyx blushed. "Oh right. Whoops."

Xigbar reached forward and ruffled his hair. Demyx pouted at him and tried futilely to fix it with one hand, only serving to mess it up more than it was.

"So what does this mean now?" Demyx asked, finally giving up and turning his gaze up to Xigbar. "Are we together or something?"

"Well usually, when two people find themselves in our situation they date, yes," Xigbar said, smirking a bit.

"Yeah but most people aren't mermaids with a lost memory, now are they?" Demyx snickered. "But yeah. Okay. I can do that."

Xigbar sighed, glad that it had gone over so well. "Well that's good for me to know. And now I feel pretty damn awkward. So if you're okay, I'm heading up top to get some air."

"I'm fine," Demyx said with a nod. "Bye, bye."

(INSERT BREAK HERE)

"So you and Demmy got together finally?"

Xigbar jumped when he heard Larxene's voice right behind him and it was only through the woman's quick movements he didn't end up tumbling over the edge.

"God damn, stop sneaking up on me you crazy bitch!" Xigbar snarled. "And how the hell do you know that?"

Larxene smirked, green eyes bright with mirth. "I'm good at eavesdropping you know."

"And I'm good at killing people," Xigbar retorted. "Especially eavesdroppers."

"Oh I'm so terrified," Larxene said in mock horror. "But on a more serious note, Demyx told me about his merman powers or whatever. He told me when I asked him what he thought of you. I didn't even have to ask."

"I still feel like a dirty old man," Xigbar grumbled, turning to lean against the rail and stare out at the sea.

"But that's because you are!" Larxene told him, her laugh letting him know she was joking. "Seriously though, you know how it works. When people are attracted to each other they mind as well get together. No one knows how much longer we have to live."

Xigbar shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. With all this war shit that's going on, we could be dead tomorrow."

"I'm not talking about the military, those guys are weaklings," Larxene said, waving her hand dismissively. "I mean the Organization. Marluxia and Vexen are probably heading to the capitol to regroup and knowing Vexen, he's probably still steamed about being beaten by a Neko."

Xigbar straightened with realization. "Shit."

"Calm down," Larxene ordered, leaning on the rail beside him. "That Neko can take care of himself. Besides, Roxas is an ally of Nilan and if he complains, the whole Organization is screwed unless Xemnas punishes Vexen."

"Less trouble for us then," Xigbar said with a shrug, relaxing a bit.

"So, these guardians of Demyx's," Larxene started. "Think they're cute?"

Xigbar rolled his visible eye. "They're gay."

"Doesn't mean I can't uh…watch," she said, snickering at Xigbar's disgusted expression. "Kidding Xiggy. Kinda."

"I worry for you sometimes," Xigbar sighed.

"Aw, you don't need to. I'm already corrupted," Larxene said with a smirk. "I'll be below deck if you need me."

Xigbar watched her go and then turned his gaze back out to the sea. Something felt off and he couldn't tell what. After Larxene brought up the Organization…

"Hey, John!" Xigbar called up to the crewman in the crow's nest. "Anything behind us?"

The man turned and checked before shaking his head no. Xigbar sighed. Must be nerves.