When I awoke the next morning, Axel was already out of bed. I smiled and stretched as the memories of last night came back. God what a fantastic day. It was by far the best birthday I had ever had and I couldn't help but wonder how Axel would ever top that next year. I also decided, I liked bonfire night, it was beautiful.

I jumped out of bed and walked into Axel's ensuite. I brushed my teeth and washed and then I jumped under the shower. I washed my body down and changed into my old clothes so my new ones could get washed and dried my hair; then I headed downstairs. When I got to the balcony, I heard Axel talking to someone. I looked over the banister and saw Demy. They looked as though they were having a pretty serious conversation. I bit my lip and coughed quietly to get their attention. They both looked up at me simultaneously and I smiled and waved as I skipped down the stairs.

"Hey Roxas, how's things hanging?" Demy asked me and I nodded to him and smiled.

"Yeah great thanks..." Demy cocked his head to the side and smiled at me and I walked towards Axel, wrapping my arm around him and hugging him tightly. Axel smiled and hugged me back.

"Sleep OK?" he asked and I nodded and smiled, looking up at him and tiptoed up, kissing his lips softly. Axel wasn't that much taller than me, I had grown quite a bit since being here. I was probably up to his chest or stomach, somewhere like that. But it did annoy me that he was so tall.

I released Axel and turned to Demy.

"How's Ana?" I asked, genuinely and Demy smiled and bit his lip.

"OK." He replied. I frowned a little and Demy looked at Axel and I noted Axel nod his head. Demy held out his arms.

"Come here kid." He told me and I glanced at Axel. Axel let his arm drop to his side and I walked over and received a strong hug off Demy. I didn't know why everyone was acting so oddly today. They seemed quite sad actually, and it was sort of worrying. Demy released me and smiled.

"You got used to Axel's mood swings yet?" he asked with a wink and Axel laughed.

"I think it's me trying to get used to his." He replied and I smiled and Demy patted my shoulders, ushering me towards Axel.

"OK, well I'm going to love you and leave you... er... I'll call you." He told Axel as he made a phone sign with his hand and Axel nodded and saw him to the door. It was a sunny day but it was still awfully cold. I shivered and sought out warmth inside Axel's jacket and he held me close. When Demy was out of sight, we headed inside and started with breakfast.

"What's wrong with everyone today? You all seem really, weird." I asked and Axel shook his head.

"Nothing Roxie, we're fine." he replied and I decided not to push it.

A few days later, Axel took me to the Macbeth play. He informed me that Ana and Demy would meet us there and said that Demy attended nearly all of the plays he could, apparently he loved them. I couldn't help the comment that came from my mouth.

"Guess I should expect a repeat of the last time we went to the theatre shouldn't I?" I asked coldly and Axel stared at me, his eyes a little angered by my random outburst.

"No Roxas... I told you already didn't I?" I sighed and crawled towards Axel. He was sitting in his big red leather chair in the main hall waiting for the ride and I sat on the floor in front of him. I rested my hands on his knees and opened his legs before I crawled closer and rested my head on his thighs, gently rubbing at his kneecaps.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it." Axel smiled a little as he ran his hands through my hair.

"Yeah you did... but its OK, I guess... you should get up, you're gonna get your suit mucky." He told me and I stood up and rested on his lap. He turned my face to his and kissed me softly, slowly running his tongue over my lip. I opened my mouth and he slipped it inside, his tongue finding out my own and caressing it.

I whimpered against him and felt my heartbeat quicken and my body grow hot. Damn hotness, why do you do this? Hmmm I want more... now! I gasped as his hands slowly moved to my chest and his head to my neck, kissing and biting lightly and suckling at my flesh. God it felt so damn good.

We were rudely interrupted by a car horn being sounded and Axel looked towards the door.

"Mm, that's our ride, come on then blondie." He said, tapping my thigh gently. I jumped off his lap and we walked towards the car. We climbed inside and I watched him carefully. God I wanted him. I moved closer to him and he turned his head to look at me. I placed a hand to the side of his face and kissed him. It was a bit of a teasing kiss really, I moved in, kissed him slowly and softly and let it linger just enough for him to think it was going to be a long kiss and then I moved away, smiling and continued to look out of the window.

Axel hated it when I did this but I thoroughly enjoyed the consequences later so that was all that mattered. He'd usually end up tormenting me for a while with his kisses, move in and not actually kiss me or just plant the faintest smallest kisses across my neck, jaw and cheek before I'd give in and kiss him roughly. It was strange, just a few months ago if you had asked me if I would ever see myself letting another man touch me, I wouldn't have answered but I would be thinking fuck no!

Yet here it all was.

We pulled up outside the theatre and Demy and Ana waited for us. Ana didn't look herself. I frowned a little and when I got closer I saw why.

She had a massive black ring under her eye and a small scab on her lip. Now, I didn't like Ana, but I was actually quite saddened to see that. I looked at her after embracing Demy and she glared at me.

"I want to apologize for the other night, I'm sorry I locked you in the closet." I knew it wasn't genuine and she was just saying it because Demy had told her to but I nodded, my jaw still drooping from the shock of her face.

"OK." I told her and Axel rested a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. He bent down a little to my ear.

"You're staring, Roxie." He whispered and I blinked for the first time since seeing her and looked away.

"Sorry." I muttered and Axel smiled and led me into the theatre. My mind was racing. What happened to Ana? Did Demy do it? He couldn't, he's too nice, he's a nice Master like Axel...

We sat in the same seats we had last time, with one slight change, Demyx and Axel swapped places. I smiled at him tenderly as he sat down and he winked at me. I stole another glance at Ana. She sat erect; her hands in her lap and her head up high with no cocky arrogance in her face and her eyes were glazy. Demy sat beside her, one leg crossed and talking to her in her ear. It seemed as though those two were having problems.

I glanced at Axel and shuffled closer to him. I was glad he was my Master. At least I never had to worry about getting slapped or us falling out. Things between us were perfect.

I enjoyed the play thoroughly and occasionally turned to Axel and told him what was going on... even though he knew; he let me tell him anyway. I was really excited about it all and I think he could sense it.

Near the end of the play I lay against the banister and closed my eyes, feeling ever so slightly sleepy. Axel stroked my back and I looked at him and he indicated for me to lie back. I did as he told me and was rewarded when he raised his arm and let me lie against his chest so I could watch the end of the play but drift off comfortably.

It was so nice to have him do that after the last time we went to the theatre. I stole a quick glance at Ana and she glared at me evilly. What was I thinking in feeling sorry for her? She's a nasty piece of work. I noted a small knowing smile stretch across her face and she smiled smugly at me. I ignored it and carried on with the play, she did that a lot and if anything, it was just creepy.

When the play was over, we headed back outside. Demy was holding Ana's hand and Axel had his arm draped over my shoulders.

"Erm, dinner on Friday night?" Demy asked and Axel nodded.

"Yeah sure be round for seven." He told him and Demy nodded and headed to the car, waving and winking at me as he did. I smiled and waved as he opened the car door for Ana. Axel led me away to our own car and we got inside.

"What happened to Ana's face? She looked like she had a pretty bad smack." I asked Axel and Axel looked at me. He was lying against the back seat, his legs spread out and his right arm at a ninety degree angle as he fiddled with his fingers.

"Yeah well, she had it coming to her if you ask me." he replied heartlessly. I blinked and frowned.

"What?" I asked and he looked at me again.

"Well she's been taking off Demy for a good few weeks and he's let her get away with it, she goes out on her own, spends his money and the other week got caught with a bite mark on her chest and he hadn't done anything about it. She's been getting too big for her boots."

"So it was Demy?" I asked, startled by what I was hearing.

"Well it wouldn't be anyone else would it?" Axel asked a small smile on his face. I sat back in my chair in complete shock.

"I didn't think Demy was like that... I thought he was a nice man, like you." Axel nodded.

"Oh he is. He's a fucking bigger softy than me. Trust me when I say he let that girl get away with murder, guess he's just got a longer fuse than I have but when he looses it, he looses it." I frowned not really understanding half of what Axel was saying.

"What do you mean?" I asked and Axel smiled and sighed.

"OK well, just between me and you... the first time she over stepped the mark, she stole two thousand from him..." my jaw dropped and Axel nodded.

"Yeah I know, damn cheeky really considering that Demy found her in a brothel... but anyway, at that point, if I was her Master, I would have knocked her back to last Tuesday... but Demy being Demy didn't. Then she started going out on her own, and stopped telling him about it and was basically treating his house like a damn hotel. Sleep there at night, go out during the day that kinda thing..." I nodded and leaned closer, intrigued with the story he was telling me.

"Again by this point I would have probably kicked the damn girl out. But Demy didn't really bat an eyelid. The final straw came the other night when he saw how upset she made you and he just lost it. Plus he knew that if he didn't do something about it then I would." I shook my head.

"So it was my fault?" I asked sadly. Even though Ana was a royal nasty woman, I didn't like to think of me being the reason she got a beating. I had endured them all my life and I knew what it was like. Axel shook his head.

"It was her fault Roxie, don't you dare blame yourself." I nodded and licked my lips.

"So, anytime she oversteps the mark too far, she gets a smacking?" I asked and Axel nodded.

"It's the same for any companion. You have rules you need to follow and if you break them, you have to learn from it." I felt fear grip my throat and clasp my heart.

Axel noticed my expression and held my hand.

"Luckily for me I don't need to show you that side of me because you're a good, obedient kid and you do as you're told... unless you're throwing a hissy fit but that's few and far between." I swallowed before questioning it all further.

"So if I broke a rule... I'd get a smacking?" Axel nodded his head.

"Unless it was unintentional, like accidentally knocking over a glass and smashing it, or something. When you first came here, I made a point of telling you the rules and even if you had have broken them I wouldn't have done anything about it. But you're not new anymore, you know what I expect of you, and if you do piss me off, you learn not to, it's that simple." I nodded my head. It seemed like a fair enough point but I was still nervous.

"If it's a one off I'll usually just tell you about it as a warning but if you continue pushing the buttons I will snap." Axel added and this made me feel a little more relaxed.

"Do the rules change after a certain amount of time?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Not really kid. Just the general really... you do as you're told when you're told, you don't break shit on purpose, you don't disrespect me or my guests, don't answer the door or phone unless I tell you to, don't skip your meals, always let me know where in the house you're gonna be and don't let anybody touch you. Pretty simple really." He told me and I nodded. There were more added in there from before. I licked my lips.

"Why those specific rules?" Axel smiled.

"They're just my rules. Demy has different ones to me."

"But why those in particular?" I asked and he sighed.

"Because I don't like people disobeying me, so do as you're told... I pay a lot of money to have pleasant things around me so don't break them... I don't want people thinking I have a companion like Demy so don't disrespect my guests... you don't answer the door or phone because I'm funny like that... you let me know where you're going to be because if I need you or if there's a fire and I don't know where you are it could be really bad... and nobody touches you because you are mine. I get very possessive with my companion's I think you should know that." I smiled and nodded. They seemed like good enough reasons.

"What about Demy?" I asked and he licked his lips and thought.

"Ah Demy, is an exception. He's my best friend. He still sometimes asks if it's OK, like if he wants to give you a hug or sometimes if he wants to talk to you, he'll ask me first... it's just out of respect really. That rule is pretty basic for everyone. Just polite really, but Demy's OK, I know he wont try and hit on you so...." I laughed and Axel smiled at me. I shook my head. Demy hit on me? Yeah that would be quite funny.

"OK so what are the rules between companion's?" I asked. Axel shrugged and smiled.

"Anything goes really. That's why me and Demy don't really interrupt when you and Ana have your little spats. We know it won't escalade into anything too serious but it's fun to watch and see who has more spine." I nodded my head.

"But if it did get serious, could Demy smack me?" Axel shook his head.

"No. That's one rule that is the same to anyone, if anybody else lay's a finger on you or even shouts at you aside from your Master, it causes uproar. Say if Demy shouted at you that would cause a war between me and Demy. It's not allowed."

"But you snap at Ana." Axel smiled.

"I'm different. I don't care whether it starts a war and Demy knows it. If I think someone is acting out of line with my companion, and their Master isn't doing anything about it, I will step up. Simple as. But you usually have to address the Master and tell them to do something about it first. Demy understands though, he knows that sometimes my mouth runs away with itself before I can stop it." I smiled at him and leaned in and kissed him. I was glad that I had Axel as a Master. At least if he thought I was stepping out of line he'd warn me first instead of letting me walk all over him and then just attack me like how Demy does with Ana.

But Ana deserved it. I don't know how she could treat Demy like that. I mean Demy's not even my Master but I would never treat him like that, yet alone consider behaving that way to Axel. It was just wrong.

We pulled up outside and we entered the main hall.

"So, Ana goes out of the house on her own?" Axel nodded in reply as he hung up his jacket.

"Yeah, stupid girl." I removed my jacket and hung it up beside Axel's.

"Hmm, what does she do?" Axel shrugged.

"No idea Roxie, just know that the other week she broke the ultimate rule by returning home with a bite mark on her chest that Demy hadn't given her." I bit my lip.

"You think she's going back to the brothel?" I asked and he sighed.

"Most likely, some people get into a pattern and they just never change. They aren't comfortable with things that are different to them." I laughed loudly.

"Well I wasn't used to this but I turned out OK!" I exclaimed and Axel smiled. I shook my head.

"Personally I think that's just an excuse, I mean seriously, if you're not used to having something and then you get given it, sure it might be weird at first but not after a couple of months because that becomes your routine..." Axel nodded.

"Yeah I know Rox. This is why I'm more lenient in the beginning." I smiled then and threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"I promise to never displease you like that." I told him and I heard him laugh a little and he lifted my head to him and kissed my lips.

"I know you wouldn't, blondie. You haven't displeased me once yet so I know you wouldn't." I smiled at him and hugged him.

"I'd have more to loose than just a nice place to stay." I told him and he smiled and lifted me off my feet, kissing me amorously.

"Bed time I think?" he asked and I smiled and nodded my head in agreement. I was tired. That play and everything else had caught up to me.

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Loves and stuff xx