Wind whistled through the dark city streets, scraps of paper skittering along the rain-slick cobbles. It was a biting cold, but one that could do nothing to tear his attention away from the lips that were a bare hand-width from his own
Axel wasn't sure exactly how they'd ended up like this. The dark stone steps of Memory's Skyscraper were a decent place to sit and think, crude colours of neon refracting off the wet steps and puddles to create bright streaks of light… something that wasn't found many other places in the World that Never Was. It made sense for them to be sitting there, protected even a little from the sting of the bitter wind.
It made a little less sense that Roxas was tucked so closely against his side, his face tilted up in silent invitation.
Axel wasn't even sure why he leaned down to almost meet him… except for the fact that he was there, and he was warm, and it seemed like the thing to do at the time. Through half-lidded eyes he could see that the blonde boy had half closed his own; both of them frozen inches from a line that, once crossed, could not be redrawn.
"Are we going to kiss?" Roxas said finally.
Axel laughed, softly, suddenly disarmed by how badly he wanted to lend his warmth to the blue-tinged lips that hovered so close to his own. "Only if you brushed your teeth tonight."
Roxas snorted in offense, turning his face away.
The silence was an uneasy one, the wind-chill biting all the harder without the warmth of the boy's breath touching his face. Axel watched his profile for a moment, the stern set of lips and frown of brow that would look more at home on somebody at least twice his age. He wondered what he was thinking.
He wondered why he even cared.
"Screw it."
Roxas looked up again at the words, and found the question forming on his lips muffled against the taller man's mouth.
One green eye slid open when seconds passed and Roxas remained stunned. The blonde's cool lips were trembling slightly, disbelieving or cold or maybe both.
Axel got the distinct impression he'd never done this before. But as those cold lips fluttered hesitantly against his own, warming slowly to the touch, it felt so good that it didn't really matter.
Another night. Hot enough by itself that the restricting black coats were shed, draped over the edge of the stairs where they sat. What cool night air there was couldn't breach the heat running across their skin as they kissed, heavily, fingers tangling in hair and tongues sliding together.
Axel's arms tightened around the slim waist of the boy straddling his lap as they separated, panting, for a few unhindered breaths. It was an easy silence, punctuated by their steadying breathing, small hands toying with the damp hair at the nape of his neck. But he felt like he had to break it anyway.
"Why do we do this?"
Roxas leaned back to look him in the eye, arms still loosely around his neck. Blonde hair hung limply in his eyes, the victim of lukewarm rain and sweat. "Because it feels good?" He said, as if it were the only possible explanation.
It feels good.
"You think?"
The tip of a warm, moist tongue traced one of the marks on his cheekbone, and he decided right then, as a pleasurable shiver ran down his spine, that the boy was getting too practiced for his own good.
"I think."
Axel grinned, leaning in to catch those lips once more.
"Why do we do this?"
Axel looked down into questioning blue eyes, so serious and calm despite what they had just done. He couldn't even wait for the sweat to dry on their skin to ask a stupid question like that?
He let out a sigh, relaxing his arms until his weight rested squarely on the body beneath him. Slim thighs shifted to accommodate him comfortably as he settled between them, but otherwise Roxas remained silent in wait.
"It feels good, yeah?" Axel replied finally, lips brushing an earlier bruise he'd inflicted on that pale neck, highlighted by the thin fingers of moonlight that shone through the open bedroom window.
"Mmm."
Axel felt small hands smoothing across his shoulder blades and down his spine. It did feel good. In fact, he was sure he'd fall asleep soon if Roxas kept rubbing his back like that. He moved his lips wordlessly against skin, a gesture so affectionate that he would have laughed at himself if lethargy hadn't been seeping into his bones.
Sleep was hovering near when the soft, warm form under him shifted, a hand on his cheek trying to make him look up.
"Axel…"
He batted the hand away, rolling sideways a little so he was sprawled over but not directly on the boy. "Nnn. Sleep."
A moment later, warm arms around his neck and his legs tangled between two others, he was asleep.
Winter returned to the World that Never Was. Neon lights once more reflected across cold, wet stone. In the shadows beside the stairs, two figures stood huddled together, hands tucked inside each other's coats in an attempt to ward off the bone-chilling cold that was roaming the streets again.
Axel pressed his face against the blonde hair of the boy shivering against him, and felt fingers kneading against his chest in silent response.
Neither of them needed to say anything.
It just felt good.
Despite the humidity of recent warm rain, Axel was cold.
Nobody would miss me.
It felt worse than he'd thought it would, to watch him walk away. The shards of neon glittering off wet stone seemed harsher somehow, the warmth in the air ineffectual.
I would.
He watched the shadows for a long time after the figure faded, even when the light rain started to fall once more. The redhead shuddered at the slick touch on his skin, eyes closed. Then he sighed bitterly, tucking his hands into his pockets as he turned away.
"Fuck you too, Roxas. Fuck you."