The Reward

~O~

Axel smiled softly, waking up on top of Roxas' warm body. It had to be the best feeling in the entire world. The fire had simmered down and dawn was breaking across the horizon. There was a blanket covering him. Other than that, they were naked. He nuzzled against golden skin, watching as the fire dwindled, mostly smoke and hot coals now with an occasional flame. It was one of his favorite scents, especially when mixed with Roxas'. He sighed in pleasure, his heart racing as strong arms pulled him closer.

"Mornin'," the blond breathed to him. Axel melted against him, feeling a rush of warmth and happiness. He took a moment to listen to Roxas' strong and steady heartbeats. He didn't want to move.

"Xion and Saix gonna be back soon?" he asked finally. Lips pressed to the top of his head and Roxas hummed in affirmation. If everything went according to plan, he'd have something exceptionally nice to give his little red-head, to show him just how pleased he was with him. He just needed to wait for Saix to return.

"S'pose so," he answered. Axel held him, frowning at the idea and Roxas slowly smiled, watching him for a moment. Seemed Axel was enjoying this. He'd really enjoy it if everything went the way he was hoping for it to. Either way, he'd have to bring him back out here like this. He stroked red hair thoughtfully, simply enjoying their closeness. "Nice, ain't it?" The kid hummed in confusion and shifted to look up at him. Roxas smiled. "Freedom t' do anythin' ya' want." Axel's lips curved up and he pressed his lips to the blond's. Roxas caught his lower lip with his teeth, sucking and nipping playfully. "You best get dressed." Axel pinned him down muttering against his mouth,

"Don't wanna." Roxas grinned as his mouth was taken again. They got lost in a string of kisses, losing track of time until there was a sharp whistle. Wryly, Roxas muttered against Axel's mouth,

"Ya' don't got long 'fore they see ya' naked." With a discontented sigh, Axel kissed him one more time before obeying. Roxas smiled at him in amusement and got dressed. He was just pulling on his shirt as Saix came into view. He glanced at Axel one more time to make sure he was dressed. Kid had settled next to the fire as he tidied up. He appreciated his little red-head for a moment longer before meeting Saix halfway. He looked particularity happy. Roxas smiled at him wryly. It meant one of two things and hopefully he was about to please his master. Saix was loyal and obedient to a fault. Roxas enjoyed that immensely about the man. "Got somethin' for me?" he purred. Smiling, Saix answered,

"I might." Following his lead, Roxas smiled in delight at what his men had brought him. Seemed that Saix had even outdone himself and picked up something extra. He knew just how to reward him, too, but he'd settle that later.

"Good job," he purred. His eyes flicked to Xion. Vanitas and Xaldin had come with them to help guard their prize. "Go an' get Axel." He smirked smugly, watching her go. Saix was the absolute best tracker he'd ever met. Which was merely one of the reasons they had taken over last night. Roxas wasn't one to intentionally provoke but this would be absolutely worth it. He heard a surprised gasp from his little red-head and eyed Xaldin, tilting his head and motioning for him to come forward. "I got that reward for ya'," he murmured, eyeing the raven-haired man that was being forced forward. Glittering blue eyes landed on the spiky brown-haired kid that had been with him. "Looks like a bonus too."

"I thought…" Axel's heart was pounding and his voice caught in his throat. His mind was racing as he stared at the captive man. Roxas glanced back at him, still grinning and winked. He extended his hand to accept the rope that was being offered and tugged hard, making the captive man stumble to the ground. Axel stared at his uncle Zack. It seemed so unreal. He was blindfolded and gagged. He'd never seen him so helpless before in his entire life. Their eyes met as he handed it to Axel, absolutely pleased to say,

"Now you don't gotta be 'fraid'a nothin'." Axel accepted it without looking away from Roxas. "Do what ya' want with 'im." Green eyes traveled to their other captive. Without a doubt, he was certain that the two of them had been looking for him. That man had been in the group he'd run into with Demyx and was particularly close to Riku and his uncle.

"What 'bout Sora?" Roxas hummed, pleased that Axel knew him. He hadn't even begun to use Axel's knowledge of the rangers yet. It was one of the many assets Axel brought to their band of outlaws.

"'ll make 'im useful," he answered, "this one migh' be good bait." Sora unintentionally stiffened as Roxas talked about him and the blond smiled wryly. They tried so hard to act tough but he knew better.

"Don' hurt 'im," Axel warned, "Riku migh' go crazy." Roxas chuckled.

"'m aware." He eyed Zack with a smirk and told him, "Have some fun."

Axel watched him go before he stared at the man for a long moment, feeling conflicted. Zack had tormented him for years but at the same time he was the reason he had met Roxas. His stomach was churning. Tentatively he crouched down, tugged off his blindfold and met his uncle's frightened, worried eyes. His expression was filled with shock as he gazed at Axel. It put him at ease to see him so powerless. "Been a while… Can't say I missed ya'," he drawled finally, deciding on what to say to the man. Zack gave him a nasty scowl, and tried to answer but was muffled by the gag. It only helped him realize this was the only solution if he wanted to be free. Axel's lips curved up wryly in amusement. "Sucks t' be powerless, don't it? You ain't controlin' me anymore an' I ain't 'bout t' listen t' yer lectures." He leered at Zack for a moment. "I never wanted t' be out here, but I s'pose I should thank you. Tha's why I ain't gonna hurt ya'. I ain't gonna be like you." He glanced up to see Roxas smiling and laughing with his men. As if drawn by his gaze, the blond looked up to meet green eyes. He smiled warmly at Axel and excused himself to go to him when the red-head motioned for him to come back. He stopped just behind Axel.

"Somethin' wrong?" he asked. The kid bit his lower lip for a moment before guiltily saying,

"'m sorry 'bout th' trouble you went through but I ain't gonna stoop to his level. Let 'im go." Roxas crouched down beside him, knowing that doing so would be a mistake. He wasn't going to wait for Zack to cause trouble for Axel, even though it seemed Axel had more of a heart than he did. He had no problem keeping his promise or with being the one to enforce this man's punishment. Axel simply needed to agree since he'd left his fate in his hands.

"Oh at least let me have some fun with 'im 'fore ya' decide somethin' like that," he breathed into Axel's ear, knowing he would melt. Green eyes fluttered and he turned toward the blond to find himself being kissed deeply. He forgot where he was for a moment, sighing blissfully as his eyes slid shut and Roxas pulled him in deeper. All the while, Roxas gazed at Axel's uncle dangerously. Zack was petrified as the red-head kissed him back before he nodded obediently. "Good boy," Roxas purred against his lips. "Run 'long now." He smiled at the man who had hurt Axel vindictively. "I ain't playin' nice," he promised. The man flinched when Roxas tugged down his gag. He was gonna show Axel this coward was nothin' to be afraid of. He was bettin' it wouldn't take long before he was begging for mercy.

"I should'a hung ya' without hesitation ya' filth," Zack muttered in disgust. The blond pressed a gloved hand to Zack's throat with practiced precision, cutting off his airway and smirking when the man's eyes widened in surprise as he gagged, his eyes wild with fear. Then, he punched him in the stomach before answering patronizingly,

"Th' only thing I better be hearin' outta yer mouth 're screams for what ya' did t' Axel." He watched the man cough and groan in agony with a scoff. He could only imagine how much his little red-head had suffered at this weakling's hands. It filled him with rage. His anger was simmering, hot and ready to be released. Before Zack was ready for it, the blond was dragging him up by his hair and toward the cave systems. He'd already imagined what he'd do to him if he got his hands on the man. Zack stumbled and tried to keep up, desperately trying to get away. Roxas shoved him to the ground and stomped on his back before kicking him in the ribs. There was a nasty crack and Zack howled in pain. While he was otherwise distracted, the blond tethered his hands to Oblivon's post and disappeared. Zack was retching and struggling to catch his breath. He struggled, trying to escape, but froze, wide-eyed when Roxas reappeared with dynamite, the pain forgotten over his fear. He'd heard stories of how insane and cruel the leader of the infamous Unlucky Thirteen could be. How nasty his temper was. He'd even heard of his obsession for destruction, down to derailing a train and setting it ablaze. He could only imagine the amount of chaos having Axel at his side would bring. The cheeky kid had already had a few destructive streaks that he'd lost sleep over. This man very clearly had a hold over Axel that he had hoped he could break. Instead it had not only remained but had gotten more intense as Axel grew more defiant. He fought helplessly against the man, recognizing how much danger he was in. Roxas wrapped an arm around his throat as they fought, applying pressure until the edges of his vision blackened and forcing him to submit. When he came to his senses again he was horrified to realize Roxas was strapping explosives to him.

"Ain't ya' goin' a bit far? E'vn Axel said t' let me g-" Zack complained, trying to keep his voice steady. He was shocked into silence when Roxas hit him across the face with his pistol before trailing it across his temple teasingly. All of the color drained from the man's face.

"This ain't nothin'," Roxas promised. Rolling his eyes he shushed him and muttered, "Ya' ain't gonna die. Yet. Ain't suffered enough an' I been lookin' forward t' this." Zack fought him as the blond forced him back the way they'd come from until he was tethered to his own horse. The outlaws watched in quiet anticipation as Roxas loaded extra explosives onto Zack's horse. They didn't know much about the situation, just that Roxas did not like this man, which meant they'd be having some fun. No one crossed Roxas and lived to tell about it. The blond didn't stop until he was finished, looking up and finding green eyes. Axel's gaze was filled with a quiet understanding of what was going to happen and he didn't question Roxas' judgment. The blond's lips curved up in response. "Xion, keep an eye on Sora for me. The rest'a'ya' saddle up. We're goin' t' Radiant Garden." Vanitas laughed in delight. Zack gasped audibly.

"No, you can't do this! Axel, do somethin'! We raised you, remember that?! You owe us that much!"

The red-head simply mounted Oathkeeper, riding at Roxas' side and ignoring his uncle's pleas but scoffed darkly when the man couldn't see his face. Roxas noted his expression and decided to cheer him up. "Van, go on ahead, invite th' rest'a'em." He smirked when Vanitas agreed with childish delight, taking off full speed toward camp. More importantly, their captive was stunned into silence. A law man like him would know exactly what it meant to have the lot of them ride into that little speck on the map. Roxas pointedly turned back to him, smiling wickedly. His face had gone ashen.

Axel found himself smiling a bit at Roxas' antics. No matter what, this man could lift his mood and make him feel at ease. His heart was pounding in nervousness and excitement. He would never forget Roxas or what he had done for him in their short time together. Roxas caught him and winked. Axel's breath caught when he reminded, "Anythin' darlin'." He smiled in satisfaction as his little love blushed adorably and motioned for his men to follow his lead, picking up their speed as Zack struggled to stay on his feet.

~O~

Zexion sighed softly, giving up on reading his book. Demyx had flopped against him and was absolutely demanding all of his attention. He was pouting childishly, but Zexion had to admit he was pretty adorable. Ever since Roxas had had a chat with him about laying low and had disappeared with Axel, he had been completely listless. Like all of the fun around camp had shriveled away and he was simply left to wallow. It was such a contrast from his normal cheerful self. The only thing Zexion had been able to anticipate was how dramatic his blond had been. He was hardly surprised when, with a frown, the blond sat up determinedly. Even a warning from Roxas wouldn't be enough to stop him. Phase two would proceed. It had to. He needed to protect his Zexion and his Axel.

"Don' cause trouble," he warned gently. Demyx puffed his cheeks and then stuck out his lower lip. He knew it was Zexion's weakness. The man pretended not to notice. So the blond went all in, laying on his love, sighing exaggeratedly as he sprawled out, knocking him down into soft blankets. Laying on Zexion like this was one of his favorite pastimes.

"Stop tryin' to resist me," he murmured confidently, "both'a us know ya' can't!" He gazed down at Zexion, gently pushing the hair out of his face. The man smiled a bit. Demyx was right about that at least. He hummed softly, deciding to bite.

"Who ya' targetin'?" Demyx grinned like a misbehaved child and pressed his lips to Zexion's.

"Marluxia," he answered excitedly. Zexion slowly grinned, realizing what Demyx was doing.

"You don' gotta get 'em back for me." Demyx shook his head.

"Axel too!" Chuckling, he nodded his head agreeing,

"'course, Axel too..." He knew there was no talking Demyx out of anything when it came to Axel. "Wait for 'im at least, don' disobey Roxas." Demyx pouted a bit.

"Fine, I won't but…" he murmured, his eyes lighting up in realization, "if you helped me an' got 'im back for me…" Before Zexion was prepared for it, he was met with pleading blue eyes. The man tilted his head at him.

"Mmm, what you givin' me in return?" with a grin, Demyx answered,

"'m already protectin' yer honor." Chuckling softly, Zexion wound his arms around the blond.

"Let me have you," he breathed against his lips. His mischievous little blond reddened just like he did every time Zexion brought up the topic. He'd only been teasing but he never grew tired of Demyx gazing down at him, lost for words. He winked. "Least once 'fore Roxas kills us ov'r yer shenanigans." The tension melted out of the kid's body as he laughed breathlessly. The man had been incredibly kind and patient to him. There was a close friendship and deep affection between them now. Demyx had been terrified of him once. Zexion knew that there was still some fear about giving in to him, even after all this time. Demyx trusted him now, at least. The little blond gazed into the man's eyes thoughtfully, his mouth opening and closing. He really did love Zexion and he couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else. He'd been with Zexion for five years now… and he loved him deeply.

"'kay." Surprised satisfaction lit deep blue eyes. Before Demyx could change his mind, he rested a hand on his lower back, cupping his face with the other as he kissed the blond deeply. As he relaxed into him, Zexion pulled him down, their bodies pressing together, and tangled their tongues together at the same time. He didn't stop until Demyx was whimpering in pleasure. He knew how Luxord had conditioned Demyx to be obedient. He'd worked hard to help him get through it. The only time he wanted him to obey was when he was willing to. Zexion's hands slid under his shirt, lifting it, gliding along the skin in pleasurable caresses. "W-wait, mm, Zexion…" he panted against the man's lips. Zexion pulled back to gaze up into beautiful aquamarine eyes. Demyx was adorably flushed. He smiled a little and hummed softly. "Should I uh… be under you?" Smiling absolutely wickedly, Zexion flipped him onto his back.

"I always been stronger than you," he answered. Demyx' blush only deepened and when Zexion dipped back down to kiss him again he turned his head and adverted his gaze. His heart racing and his stomach churning.

"You ain't gonna be tired'a me after this, are ya'?" Lips brushed his cheek before trailing to his ear. Teeth nipped the lobe, sucking before the man whispered,

"Never." When their eyes met again, Demyx's were burning with desire. He moaned deliciously as his mouth was taken passionately and clung to the man desperately. Zexion pressed his firm body down hard, guiding the blond's legs until they were cradling his hips. Then he began to roll into Demyx, rocking against him and giving him a taste of the pleasure he was going to give him. The blond was gasping and sighing in pleasure. He brushed their noses together before allowing himself to be kissed. Just as he began to undress the blond, there was a knock on his door and Vanitas' cheerful voice, telling them they'd be riding to Radiant Garden. He hissed softly in irritation. He knew as Roxas' second that he absolutely had to go and that Demyx would never forgive him if he had to miss helping Axel. "Comin'," he called back. He gazed down at the perfectly delectable looking blond. He was so gorgeous and finally willing. With a sigh he pulled away. Demyx needed to focus or he could get hurt. "When we get back you 're mine," he told the blond," stroking him tantilizingly. The blissful moan that escaped his lips set Zexion on fire. His eyes fluttered and he took the kid's lips in a deep kiss. Demyx nodded. He understood why Zexion was restraining himself and took a moment to breathe before murmuring,

"I love you, Zexion." Lips pressed to his forehead in a loving gesture. Demyx leaned into the familiar caress. Zexion was one to tell him with his actions. Honestly, it meant more to him than words ever would.

"I love you. Be careful t'day." Demyx smiled widely and nodded.

"You too."

~O~