"Axel!"

"What are you doing?!" howled the bride, turning sharply and giving a vicious look at the boy who ruined her wedding. "How dare you!"

"Axel, please!" beggared Roxas as he stood there, looking at the man who had betrayed him.

"Young man!" spoke up a guest who stood up along with two others. "You are interrupting this wedding."

"Get him out of here!" screamed the woman, looking crazed as a manicured nail pointed accusingly at Roxas.

They closed in on Roxas; he panicked and couldn't take his fearful eyes off of Axel.

"Axel!" he cried again desperately, trying to get closer to him.

Axel wasn't even looking at him.

"Let's go, boy," said that man as he took hold of Roxas' arm and started pulling the struggling blond.

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" cried Roxas, thrashing around to get free.

"Let go of him!" shouted Axel, voice echoing all around the large room, making everyone stop completely.

They all looked at Axel, his face looking enraged at the sight of people handling Roxas so roughly. Roxas froze as well, eyes looking wide with surprise at Axel.

"I said, let go of him!" he shouted again, ignoring his fiancé who was gripping his arm.

He shrugged her off and ran to Roxas, pushing the men out of the way before pulling the boy into his arms.

"Roxas, Roxas, I'm so sorry," murmured Axel in a broken voice as he hugged the blond tightly.

"Why are you doing this?" questioned Roxas as he looked up at Axel with eyes full of tears and he could hear the people around them starting to mutter to one another.

"Axel! What are you doing?!" shrieked the woman, face distorted with rage, but she didn't move from her place at the alter.

"I…had no choice," he murmured, ignoring Larxene and his muttering family.

"What do you mean?"

*"Axel!" she screamed again, this time storming up to them, hands in fists when clutched the front of her dress. "How dare you! This is my wedding! I told you to leave that brat!"

"I'm not marrying you," Axel snapped at her, letting go of Roxas and turning to face the woman with a cold glair.

"What?" she questioned, taken aback by that statement and she blinked at the man.

"I'm. Not. Marrying. You," he replied quite clearly.

Roxas couldn't help but smile when Axel said that, a victorious feeling welling up in his chest.

"What do you mean you're not?" she snapped angrily, glaring right back at Axel with deadly eyes.

But then her features turned sinister.

"Have you forgotten, Axel?" she asked in an almost sweet tone. "Why you are here?"

Confused, Roxas looked at the woman and then up at Axel who suddenly looked nervous and grave.

"I thought I explained this to you, Axel," she said calmly, that cat smile still on her face.

"Explained what?" questioned Roxas in a soft voice, hand gripping Axel's wrist.

"I'm sorry, Roxas," whispered Axel as he pulled away from the blond, not even bothering to look at him.

"Axel, what…" Roxas began to protest but the sinking feeling of despair stopped him from speaking further.

"That's right," said Larxene in a boisterous tone, grinning as she wrapped an arm around one of Axel's to show where his place was. "Axel knows what will happen if he disobeys."

"What are you talking about?!" demanded Roxas angrily, body trembling with fury toward her.

"Dear boy, I'm talking about a little death sentence that I placed upon that little head of yours," she stated in an airy tone with a smirk on her lips.

The statement made Roxas stop breathing, the shock of it going through him like a powerful hit from a train.

"W-What do you mean?" asked Roxas in a shaky voice, eyes looking from the woman then to Axel and then to the woman again.

"I mean, little boy, that I was going to have you killed, eliminating you from the picture if Axel didn't leave you and marry me," she said icily with a sneer at the boy. "And this family can make that happen and make it look like an accident."

He felt like he was going to panic. Was she serious?! Did she really threaten Axel by saying that she would kill Roxas if Axel does what she said? But now he understood all those times Axel had avoided him. Now he knew exactly why…

"Oh, Axel," murmured Roxas softly as he looked at the man with fearful eyes.

Even though Axel had lied to him…it was only to protect him and Roxas cursed himself for not seeing it to begin with.

"But…why? Why would you do all this?" asked Roxas in an almost hurt tone that was scared yet determined. "You made him miserable!"

"It was key that we got married," she replied back, enjoying how upset Roxas was getting. "We all knew it and so did Axel. He was happy with it until you came along."

Roxas was speechless, not knowing what to say in argument. He didn't want to loose Axel.

"And even if I didn't threaten you, he'd still have to marry me anyway," she said in an almost mocking tone as she glared sideways at Axel.

"Why?" asked Roxas with a frown.

"Because, he's finishing what his brother started," she replied with a despising smile. "Since Axel was the reason he isn't here now instead! This is his redemption for what he did to his own brother!"

"Be quiet," Axel growled, eyes looking threateningly at Larxene.

"Why?" she questioned mockingly with a grin, facing Axel. "Weren't you the one that picked up the gun and shot your own twin brother?"

"Stop it!" cried Roxas, not wanting to hear any more as he threw his arms around Axel and hugged him. "How could you say such a thing?! It's cruel!"

"Cruel?!" she spat back with a dangerous grin. "The only thing that's cruel is making me marry a coward like him! His brother was a far better man than Axel but he shot him because he's a useless idiot!"

"It was an accident! There was a fight and his brother was shot!" retorted Roxas, remembering what Axel had said about his twin brother getting killed.

He didn't know if Axel was the one responsible but Axel couldn't have done it!

"Is that what he told you?" she snapped with an even wider grin, eyes gleaming at the boy like a hungry cat that cornered a tasty little mouse. "That it was an 'accident' and that it wasn't him that shot his brother?"

"Axel couldn't have!" Roxas snapped back, hugging Axel tighter before turning to face the woman with furious eyes. "He would never do such a thing!"

"He would and he did!" she said viciously to the blond, her words cutting at him. "He shot him and now he's dead. Now Axel is a coward and can't handle the sight of a gun. Such a coward!"

Another lie that Axel told… First about how his brother died and now Axel's real fear. Did Axel really not trust Roxas that much? Memories of that time at Marly's apartment; when Axel froze up completely when he saw the gun instantly came to his mind. The signs were right there…and Roxas had no idea…

"Are family is ashamed that he is so useless to the most powerful mafia family in the country!?" she bellowed, hand in the air as she unleashed more of her rage upon the boy.

"M-Mafia?" whispered Roxas in shock, eyes wide as he back away from the woman before looking around the room at every single person that was watching him in return.

"That's right," she said thickly with a half smile. "I bet Axel failed to tell you that as well."

"No wonder Axel wanted me!" shouted Roxas loudly so that the whole room could hear. "I'd never want to be stuck with a old crow like you! This family too!" Roxas turned to them and shouted even louder, "You're all awful people! Axel loves me because he hates heartless bastards like all of you! He's better than all of you!" He turned to Larxene, adrenaline surging through his body. "Did you hear that? Huh? Axel would rather be with me than a large mouth, weaseling and bug-headed bitch like you! If I had to be married to you, I'd run away with another man too!"

Axel watched all this happen, something warming his entire body as Roxas defended him. Axel felt to hollow and powerless but Roxas pulled him from that black pit of despair.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" she shrieked deafeningly as her face turned into something vicious and animalistic.

She raised her hand, nails poised to dig right into the boy's face. She brought her hand down, screaming loudly in her rage.

Roxas was surprised by that, fear striking him and he froze when he saw that hand that promised to cause him pain. He stepped back, eyes shutting tight as he braced for the strike. But it never came.

"Axel?! What are you doing?! Let go of me!" she screamed at the red hear who had caught her writs and was holding it in a death grip.

*"Don't you dare touch him," growled Axel in a murderous tone, eyes looking just as dark and promised to bring death swiftly.

"I said let go!" she shrieked, trying to yank her wrist free but the effort was in vein.

"Axel, what are you doing?!" cried a women who stood and looked horror struck at the scene and many other people got up as well, all shouting at Axel.

"Enough! I've had enough!" shouted Axel, his voice someone louder than everyone else's. "I've already lost my brother, and I atoned for it. But I will not loose Roxas and I won't let you take that away from me."

His voice frightened even Roxas who clung to the man's side, eyes looking up at Axel's deadly face and eyes.

"Let go of me!" she demanded again and again, thrashing to get free and Roxas could hear the fear in her voice.

"You ruined everything," he said in that dark tone, speaking low so that only she could hear. "I never wanted to marry a bitch like you and you want to know what? Neither did my brother. He said he'd rather be dead than be married to you."

Axel looked at her with that deathly glare before throwing away her wrist. She held it against her chest and backed away from him with frightened eyes.

"I'm sick and tired of listening to you," he continued as he took a step closer to her just as she took a step back. "I've had enough of you ruining my life and for even thinking of hurting Roxas. I never want to see you again. I never even want to hear your name. I'm not going to marry you and after this day, I will never thinking of you again."

With that, Axel turned and took Roxas' hand gently in his own and his eyes softened to something loving as he looked down at the boy.

"Let's go, I think I've had enough trouble for one day," he said gently, giving Roxas a faint smile and he truly did love the boy.

"Good idea," murmured Roxas as he pressed against Axel's side, forgetting about the people who were shouting and causing a ruckus behind them.

Roxas looked ahead, seeing that golden framed mirror just outside the door, reflecting him and Axel, side by side, together. Seeing it filled Roxas' heart with enough happiness to cause it to burst. Axel smiled at Roxas through that reflection and Roxas smiled back, feeling overwhelmed with joy.

"This isn't over!" screamed Larxene.

In that mirror, he could see the woman standing behind him, her face distorted with fury despite the elegance of her wedding dress. But as he looked into that mirror, he saw in her raised hand…a gun.

Axel saw it too and in a fraction of a heartbeat, he threw an arm around Roxas and pulled him against his chest shielding him with body.

BANG!

The sound was deafening.

Roxas stopped breathing as he was held tightly against Axel. He was stunned, not knowing that just happened. All he knew was that that gun went off and the only thing it could have hit was…

"Axel!" exclaimed Roxas in despair as he saw the blood that streamed Axel's arm and soaked through his clothing on his shoulder.

Everyone in the room cried out in anger and despair, shouting at one another out of sheer confusion. But Larxene stood there, horror on her face but then it turned to satisfaction when she saw the wound to the man's shoulder.

"This isn't over!" she shouted again, raising the gun for another shot but was caught off guard when the gun was taken from her hand was being pointed right back at her.

Now she was suddenly looking down the barrel of her own gun with Axel as the wielder.

"But…you're afraid of guns," whispered Larxene in a scared and stunned voice, not believing it.

"Roxas is more important," replied Axel simply, tone dark again and spiteful towards the woman.

"Why…why couldn't you love me like that?" she asked weakly, tears steaming down her cheeks as she looked at Axel. "Why could you never love me that much?"

"Because you were never worth it," said Axel softly, almost gently to the other as he lowered the gun and stepped away from her. "I never loved you to begin with. You were never someone worth loving."

He dropped the gun on the ground and kicked it out of sight.

The look on her face was heartbreaking. Roxas almost cried for her. She really did love Axel. But it wasn't true love. It was a love that was twisted and void of real meaning. He did not pity her at all.

"This is my redemption: my freedom from you and this life," said Axel as he turned and took Roxas' hand again, leaving the room where the chaos continued and a bride wept.

---

"Roxas…I'm sorry," said Axel softly he lay on a hospital bed, shoulder wrapped up and cleaned.

Apparently Sora had called in some back up: "the police". It was unreal. They swarmed in and arrested Larxene along with the whole family who had outstanding warrants for their arrest. Apparently they had evaded the law for quite a while but with all the information Axel had, the cops finally had their chance and capture the most powerful crime families in the country.

Axel had been taken quickly to the hospital for his wound and Roxas got to stay with him.

"I know, Axel," murmured Roxas as he sat on the bed and kissed Axel's lips, hands resting on his chest. "I'm…so happy."

"I love you, Roxas," he murmured in a tired voice as he wrapped his arms around the boy as tightly as his wounds would allow him. "Truly."

"I love you too Axel," replied Roxas softly as he snuggled against Axel's side, nuzzling his neck and kissing the other. "Truly. Always."

*The End*

: Bonus Chapter Coming Soon :