Unlucky Thirteen

~O~

Roxas watched Axel with a small smile. He was tinkering on some sort of project, as he'd grown accustomed to. It had been just about a week since they got back, and Axel was always holing himself up and working on something as he went about his business. He seemed the most content that way. Axel was simply enjoying the freedom to experiment in Roxas' quarters unrestricted. Again, the man was being more than generous to him. He hoped that Roxas knew how much he appreciated it. He felt safer in here anyway. He'd been around the camp a few times but preferred staying out of sight. Projects like this were perfect for him. There were a lot of whispers and stares when he went out. Specifically from the troublesome duo that had picked him up. He huffed in annoyance, certain they were bound to make trouble for him at some point or another. It was just a matter of time.

"Goin' how ya' want?" the blond purred softly. Axel grinned, humming in affirmation and quietly appreciating Roxas' hospitality toward him. He blond left him alone for the most part throughout the day, content to have all of his attention at night, but popped in to check on him now and then. Axel's cheeks flushed warmly at the sound of Roxas' voice. Just being near Roxas left him burning up. He carefully wrapped the powder he was working with in thin cigarette paper. He was determined to repay him for it. He smiled gently.

"Hey Roxas," he murmured before glancing up at him. His heart was fluttering. Roxas was leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed and a small smile was curving his lips upward. His hair was windswept and there as dust on his dark clothing. Axel knew by now that it had meant he'd just gotten back from riding Oblivion. Whenever he left, he was sure to leave Zexion close to Axel. Some of his men weren't smart enough to heed a warning. "Watch this," he murmured, throwing it. Roxas grinned when it popped loudly, like a gunshot. The blond returned his gaze to him and closed the space between them. Axel's heart raced as he pulled up a chair beside him.

"Clever…" He murmured, smiling at the red-head and admiring his intelligence. "I like that about'cha." Axel smiled, pressing his lips to Roxas'. A gloved hand stroked his hair affectionately. Axel pulled back, his green eyes warm.

"You gotta be one'a the smartest people I ever met though," he answered. "Sharp, too. I ain't nothin' compared to you." Roxas gazed at him affectionately and tugged him close to return his kiss. The red-head shuddered against him and with a satisfied smile, Roxas pulled back.

"What else you makin'?" he asked softly. Axel showed him a small bundle.

"'m still experimentin' but, this'd make a nice distraction." Roxas hummed in appreciation of his handiwork.

"That the idea you mentioned?" Axel nodded. The blond's blue eyes sparkled in amusement. "Th' itty bitty firework?"

"Yeah. I wanna get it smaller though… easier to transport that way. 's mostly gonna be loud an' full'a sparks. I can show you sometime, if ya' want." He smiled, gazing up at the blond and lowering his eyelids as he teased, "Just a little explosion. That ok, or do we gotta leave camp?" Roxas nodded.

"I like it," he answered. Then he rested his arm on the table, leaning close to Axel and watching him thoughtfully. "If ya' want, we can go for a ride an' test 'em out. Whenever ya' want," he purred softly. Axel beamed up at him.

"Sounds nice," he answered, staring deeply into blue eyes. "I gotta make more first. I made a couple so far but 'm keepin' some with me." he tilted his head gently toward the table. "These 're for you." Blue eyes glimmered. "Might be handy in a bind…" Roxas smiled at him, the expression making his face softer.

"You tellin' me yer worried 'bout me?" Axel blushed.

"Yeah," he answered. Roxas pressed his lips to his little red-head's.

"I ain't gonna get caught again," he promised, "but thanks. I like this. 'll keep 'em with me," he answered. Axel positively beamed up at him.

"You care if I make somethin' bigger after this?" Roxas watched him in contentment.

"Course not. Whatever you want," he answered. He rested his hand over Axel's, making him pause. "C'mon. Take a break." Nodding, the red-head grabbed the bag he'd grown accustomed to carrying and let Roxas guide him out. The sun was sinking below the horizon and stars were beginning to light the sky. Axel sighed with a smile. The night sky was always breathtaking. Roxas led him down further into the camp. Axel immediately felt uncomfortable as eyes sized him up. Members of Unlucky Thirteen. He shuddered. Roxas scoffed, tugging him closer.

"Mind yer damn business," he hissed dangerously, and just like that, the scrutinizing pressure lifted. Axel squeezed his hand in silent thanks. He was guided to Zexion, who was sitting at a small campfire and found himself exhaling in relief. Being directly between Roxas and Zexion felt like the safest place in the whole world. There was a blond on the other side of the man. He had seen the two of them together quite often. Axel blinked in surprise when he bent forward, smiling brightly.

"You must be Axel!" The red-head nodded, sitting next to the slate haired man and taking a hand when it was offered, reaching over Zexion awkwardly and shaking it. The blond had pretty aquamarine eyes, and a gorgeous smile. He wasn't quite sure of what to make of him.

"Demyx." Axel returned his smile. "I been wantin' t' meet ya but Roxas ain't sharin' you with nobody," he complained, directing a pout just past Axel. Laughing a bit, Axel ran a hand through his hair, tugging the crimson strands.

"You are… brutally honest, ain't'cha?" he answered in amusement. Demyx sighed childishly but continued to prattle on.

"I hear you're 'bout my age. Thought we could be friends?" he asked hopefully. Axel smiled a bit, glancing up at Roxas. The blond nodded, so he said,

"Sure. Sounds nice."

"Great! Move over Zexion," Demyx chattered excitedly. He pouted when the slate haired man didn't oblige him, despite the blond shoving at him a bit. So he sat on him instead, to get closer to Axel. Roxas chortled in amusement at his second's irritated expression. "I do most'a the cookin' 'round here. If ya' want somethin' in particular come find me." Axel smiled at him, letting him chatter away excitedly until he was rudely interrupted.

"What you doin' with th' kid, Roxas? Keepin' 'im as a pet?" Their conversation paused and Axel felt cold at the sound of the big guy's voice, as well as the contempt in his words. He'd never forgotten. He could practically feel him and eye-patch leering at him. Oh he hated this troublesome pair. He stared into the flames to calm himself and felt his skin paling. His gaze drifted to Roxas when he rested a hand on top of his head, running his fingers through fiery hair pleasurably and tugging at the red spikes affectionately. He gasped softly. An arm wrapped around him before pulling him onto its owner's lap. Axel could hardly breathe as his face flushed darkly. Lips pressed to the nape of his neck. Roxas was making it known that he belonged to him in front of his entire gang. His heart was racing and he felt a little light-headed, even as Roxas spoke.

"Axel's gonna join our ranks," he tapped his pistol against his lips meaningfully as he stared down Xigbar and Lexaus, silently daring them to protest. Axel was awestruck as the behemoth of a man paled and bent to the blond's will with a submissive nod. The smaller of the two was the one stupid enough to cause friction. The rest of the gang held back, most of them curious to see what Roxas saw in the kid and why they'd been sent to find him. It wasn't like Roxas to make rash decisions over a pretty face. He had never been one to intervene in someone's fate like that before. All they knew was that Roxas owed Axel his life and that now, Axel belonged to him. Crossing the kid would be dangerous, even if he didn't realize it, and they had yet to see what made him so special.

"The hell's this?" Axel scrunched his nose in disgust at eye-patch, unable to stop himself. He hadn't grown to like him one bit since their first encounter and the feeling was mutual. They glared at each other for a long moment. What was his name again? He pondered for a moment before deciding eye-patch wasn't worth the effort. Blue eyes glinted dangerously.

"Got a problem, Xigbar?" he asked quietly, but his tone was dangerous. Axel scoffed. Still not worth the effort, he decided.

"Unlucky Thirteen's already got thirteen members," he complained. The blond's lips quirked up.

"Maybe he should take yer spot then," Roxas drawled patronizingly.

"Aw c'mon Roxas, that ain't even fair. Kid's wet behind th' ears. Ain't done nothin' to prove 'imself, 'cept fall into yer bed. Everybody knows it! I been with ya for three years!" Blue eyes sparkled dangerously with and undertone of amusement, before falling on the red-head, whose pale face was flushed in anger as he scowled at Xigbar defiantly. Still he held back, waiting for Roxas' permission. His lips quirked up wryly. Kid had more brains than this one, too.

"Go on then," he purred to Axel, "show 'im whatcha been workin' on." Cold green eyes glittered in excitement.

"Can I?" he gasped in delight. Roxas smirked wryly and hummed in affirmation.

He shrugged his bag off of his shoulders, and reached into it. With a flick of his wrist, he threw a handful of poppers at eye-patch. Green eyes gleamed in delight as he yelped and fell on his butt like a coward. Axel watched amusedly as he glowered at him with his golden eye. Roxas' fingers trailed his skin in small, reassuring gestures.

"Cheap tricks all ya' got?" Axel smiled at him maliciously, watching him pick himself up and readied himself for the next attack.

"Nah, I been dyin' to see ya' be the coward you are over nothin'," he answered spitefully. Eye-patch barked at him, fuming.

"I'll show you, ya' damned brat!" Axel smirked, unconcerned, and tossed the firework bundle in the fire. It exploded in a fury of sparks and bangs.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Xigbar hissed falling over himself for a second time as the firework shot out of the blaze, past his face, narrowly missing his good eye and exploding somewhere behind him. There were excited murmurs, just as Roxas knew there would be. There wasn't a single member of Unlucky Thirteen that had seen such a display, even from him, and the kid had made these in just a few days. The kid was a genius in his element. Axel didn't have to do anything else to prove himself after this, if he didn't want to.

"Aw c'mon, it ain't even that big," Axel sneered back. Eye-patch glowered at him, furious that the brat hadn't even left Roxas' lap yet and had knocked him on his ass twice. It was humiliating. Roxas had crossed his arms and was biting his lower lip, grinning in amusement, but was unable to hold back his laughter as Axel asked patronizingly, "That why you overcompensatin'?" Xigbar's jaw worked uselessly and he no more than drew his gun, aiming it at Axel before it was shot out of his hand by Zexion. The man yelled in pain, holding his bloodied hand close and yelling obscenities at the Roxas' second. Roxas shifted the red-head off of his lap, entrusting him to Zexion, and came up to him slowly, his mood darkening quickly. He crouched down in front of him, all traces of humor gone. Axel stared wide-eyed and shifted to go after him but a hand rested on his shoulder. Zexion shook his head and he remained frozen in his spot. The entire group had gone eerily silent.

"You really wanna cross th' line. Seems yer th' useless one after all," he told him, too calmly. "I ain't got no use for a useless old dog like you." The man was gasping in pain but went still when Roxas pressed his gun in between his legs.

Axel gasped, remembering the man's promise to him, just before Roxas pulled the trigger. Xigbar howled in pain for a single moment before the blond pressed the gun to his temple and shot him again. The silence that followed was deafening. Roxas stood, wiping the filth off in disgust.

"Any one else got any qualms 'bout what I decide?" He drawled. His lips quirked up and he nodded as his gang remained silent. His eyes landed on Lexaus, regarding him coldly. "You don't touch what's mine either. Don' even look." Then he tilted his head at the mess behind him. "Take care'a that." The man paled but wordlessly followed Roxas' command. The blond dismissed the gang of outlaws with a cold glare.

Axel remained frozen, staring at Roxas even when they were alone. He offered a hand to Axel and tentatively, the red-head took it. He was reminded again of just how dangerous the beautiful man was, but aside from the shock of watching him in action, he couldn't stay away if he wanted to. He squeezed gloved fingers reassuringly and Roxas smiled at him. "Sorry, I shoulda' warned ya," he murmured gently. Axel let out the breath he'd been holding.

"I ain't worth that much," he breathed. Roxas tugged him closer and touched their foreheads together. He didn't want to touch the kid too much. Not until he cleaned up.

"Course ya' are," he answered. Roxas hesitated for a moment and then pressed his lips to Axel's cheek. "Still wanna be my thirteenth?" he whispered gently. Their eyes met and Axel gazed into blue eyes, completely captivated.

"Absolutely," he whispered back. Roxas smiled, his eyes gleaming.

"Good. Head back, 'm gonna clean up," he murmured to back.

"See ya' in a bit?" Axel asked, pulling away. With a smile, Roxas nodded.

~O~

Axel sat at the table, working with his explosives and trying to keep his mind busy. The ones he'd made had worked beautifully, and he was proud of that, but his mind was fuzzy. Everything happened so fast, it was almost a blur and now a man was dead and he was officially an outlaw. It made him breathless. He knew Roxas had done it to protect him, but his head was spinning a bit. He took a deep, determined breath. He needed to prove himself as soon as possible and make himself stronger if he wanted to avoid situations like this in the future.

Demyx stopped by, offering some food and some comfort, offering him a flask to calm his nerves after seeing someone die like that. No less at Roxas' hands. Axel had to admit that it helped immensely. He was growing to like this kid. Demyx chatted with Axel for a bit, asking him all sorts of questions about the explosives he'd used.

"Zexion told me 'bout th' trip ya' took with Roxas," he was practically gushing, absolutely awestruck. Axel smiled a bit, feeling warm as they shared the alcohol.

"Yeah. We got some stuff in common," he murmured back with a smile. "Roxas has been great 'bout givin' me th' freedom t' work here too." He watched him for a moment before grinning wickedly. "Wha's goin' on with you and Zexion? Th' two of ya' seem awful close," he teased. Demyx smiled.

"He's my partner." Axel quirked a brow at him, not understanding.

"I thought he was Roxas' second." Demyx shook his head.

"Mmm-mmm no," he murmured, "Meant like you and Roxas." Axel blushed. He hadn't realized it was that obvious. Demyx sighed happily. "I ain't never seen Roxas so obsessed in my life." The red-head's flush deepened. He was saved from answering when the door clicked open. Said blond was in the door frame, his blond hair slightly damp, only wearing a pair of trousers that were still wet and clinging to his body, leaving nothing to the imagination. Might as well have come back naked. Heat shot right through Axel as he openly stared. Roxas caught both of the kids' eyes eating him up and chuckled. He settled on crystalline green eyes before purring,

"Hey beautiful." Axel blushed, his heart lurching, his eyes devouring the man. His gaze drifted to Demyx and he took notice of the flask. He hummed in interest at Zexion's little blond. "You best be gettin' back," he advised "These 're th' hours I don' share Axel," he purred. Demyx giggled a bit, patting Axel's shoulder as he passed him.

"'kay," he chirruped, winking at the red-head.

"'m gonna punish ya' if he passes out," Roxas warned softly, his blue eyes tracking the blond dangerously. Axel chuckled a bit, running a hand through his fiery hair.

"Hey now, 'm helpin'," he protested. "Just look at th' good mood he's in. Bet he'd do anything ya' want." Demyx looked like a dirty old man as he waggled his eyebrows at Roxas.

"It ain't my first time drinkin'," the red-head answered amusedly, lifting the flask and tipping his head at the blonds before he drank. Roxas gently pushed Demyx out of his quarters and whispered to him,

"I don' need alcohol t' get 'im in my bed, beggin' me to make 'im scream." Red brows furrowed as Demyx' face over-heated. He didn't hear Roxas say anything to him except. "Night!" before he shut the door, locking it. Demyx protested as he cut him off from watching. Roxas simply shook his head, chuckling wryly. Then he turned to Axel, his blue eyes burning up as his hands worked at his pants and he stripped them off. Green eyes watched every movement hungrily and the blond came to him, completely naked. Axel licked his lips, appreciating Roxas' body. "I guarantee you ain't had nothin' that strong b'fore," he warned, "better slow down." Axel stared into blue eyes daringly and took another mouthful. Roxas grinned as he gently yanked the flask out of nimble fingers and took his lips in a soft kiss. His eyes fluttered and he murmured, "Moonshine too. That little shit." Axel's brows furrowed.

"I was under the impression Demyx was safe," he answered, winding his arms around Roxas to tug him closer. The blond grinned down at Axel and took a drink, humming pleasurably at the burn.

"Never assume somethin' like that 'round here," he answered. "Wait for it…" he teased. The red-head shuddered at the echo of his own words. It wasn't long until the room was spinning and he was muttering,

"Oh shit." Roxas smiled at him wryly and let him touch his body in pleasurable caresses as he chuckled breathlessly.

"Mmm," he purred back, making the little red-head shudder, "you sure?" Soft lips pressed to his muscled chest and he hummed softly in pleasure, making the red-head shiver. Axel's face flushed and he wrapped his arms around Roxas' neck to pull him down. Their noses brushed and Roxas let the red-head kiss him. He hummed again in pleasure at the unrestrained kiss, tempted to let Axel go wild. He grasped the red-head's legs, pulling him straight up out of the chair. They wound around his waist on their own volition and Axel pressed their bodies together eagerly. He gasped, moaning and sighing into Roxas' mouth. It felt so good. Satisfied with his answer, Roxas delved into his mouth until he was whimpering and gasping. As Axel clung to him, he fumbled with buttons. He grew impatient, ripping Axel's shirt open instead. The red-head moaned as their bare skin pressed together. He was keenly aware of his back meeting a wall and Roxas impatiently nipping at his skin. Roxas ground into him, thrusting against his still clothed erection and their mouths met in hungry kisses. Axel was aware of moaning for more. Roxas let him down, turning him to face the wall, guiding his body until he was thrusting into the red-head and Axel was screaming. His body had grown accustomed to this and he was ready and willing. Roxas had had him so many times that he had lost count. He moaned as Roxas pulled him close with one hand, pulling him back to slam into him harder and covered his hand that was bracing himself against the wall with the other, twining their fingers together, not stopping until he came deep inside. Axel gasped at the feeling, moaning languidly. Roxas turned him around, holding him there and pressing their lips together in a deep kiss before working his way down to finish him with his mouth.

When Axel became aware again, they were laying in bed together, their arms around each other, their legs linked. They exchanged sweet kisses and Axel sighed in contentment. One thing led to another. Roxas was leaving him weak as he deepened their kisses, exploring every last bit of his mouth. He was hardly aware of Roxas shifting until his strong body was pinning Axel's. The red-head moaned deliciously as the man took his body for a second time. Roxas hummed in satisfaction, pleased that the kid was getting bolder, when legs wrapped around his waist, and Axel rolled his hips, moving with Roxas. He moaned when they found a rhythm together. A strong arm wrapped around him, shifting him so that Roxas could thrust deeper until they were coming, one shortly after the other. Axel kissed the man, getting lost in the feeling. It felt so good that he never wanted it to end. He wanted to stay with Roxas like this forever. One day, he would be the one to take care of Roxas and dominate him. He was gonna make sure of it. His fingers trailed through blond hair, smoothing it back and he pressed his lips to the Roxas'. The blond was holding him protectively, caressing his skin pleasurably before finally resting his chin on top of his head. Axel couldn't think of a single thing better than this moment. Whatever Roxas wanted from him, he would gladly give. With that final thought, he fell into a deep sleep.

~O~