Guess who remembered! :D Yay Sunday! Blegh. Good and bad. Good, because I get to post a chapter. Bad, because that means I'm back at school. I should have chosen a different day…

Thanks for all the confidence boosters, guys! I can't wipe the grin off my face. I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story, especially this chapter. It's one of my favorites. For some reason. Eheh. ;)

Another big thanks to Schmelly Inc. for her help! 8D

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Chapter 3- Touch

"Feel free to wander," Zexion said, "Everything is open to you, except that section there."

Naminé followed the length of his arm to a far off section in the library, but paid little attention to it; she was too overwhelmed. The room was covered by shelves upon shelves, housing hundreds of books that probably had never been opened. Dull shades of blacks, browns, and blues were most common, but a few green and red bindings stuck out and caught her attention. It was a relief to finally see something other than white; it was almost like she had forgotten what other colors looked like. The room smelled of old wood and paper, but it was a homely scent that put her at ease. Everything was neat and tidy, exactly how she believed a library should be.

When her fascination showed no signs of relenting, the Cloaked Schemer started towards another side of the library. Over his shoulder, he said, "You're welcome."

"Oh!" Naminé gasped, turning around to face him, "Thank…you…" She frowned when he failed to acknowledge her. She watched him leave until he disappeared around a row of shelves, then returned her attention to the vast new area she was to explore. She had never encountered anything like this; she didn't even know where to start. Zexion had suggested that, if she was so desperate for reading material, she should find her own books. What Axel had brought was apparently not suitable for her, for some reason; she hadn't even begun to read them before they were taken away. But now she had an opportunity to make her own decisions; a privilege she wasn't often allowed. Choosing a shelf at random, she peered closely at the titles she couldn't begin to understand. She was more intrigued by the varying shapes and colors of the books.

It didn't take her long to find a small section filled with tattered paperbacks tucked away in a corner. Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she trailed her fingertips over the bindings slowly, scanning each title. One in particular caught her attention. It was simple black with red letters, reading 'Misery', and she slipped it off the shelf. The author's name and part of the picture had been scribbled out with a black marker, and it looked as if it had been handled roughly. Naminé was about to flip it over to read the description, but the whirring of a portal caught her attention. Eyes wide, her head whipped about in search of the new arrival. Silence, and then heavy footsteps.

Naminé struggled to shove the book back in its place, but froze when she heard voices. A softer, quieter one: Zexion. Deep, rumbling, like the earth: Lexaeus. Brittle, harsh: Vexen.

What were they doing?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Naminé started towards them as quietly as she could. She knew if she were to be discovered, they would stop, return her to her room, and she would never have the chance to learn about what was going on. That she almost never saw these three, much less together, made her wonder why they would suddenly decide to congregate. Their voices grew louder, and she stopped.

"It is absolute insanity," Vexen hissed, "I don't trust any of them."

"That's not too surprising, coming from you," Lexaeus murmured in response, "What have they done to make themselves untrustworthy?"

There was a sharp intake of breath, "You didn't hear him yesterday. He thinks I'm foolish enough to fall for his 'plans'. There had to be another motive behind the Superior's decision to name him the lord of Castle Oblivion. There is nothing he can achieve that one of us elders couldn't have accomplished. Put me in charge and things would get done."

"Then I suppose it's a shame you aren't in charge, Vexen," Zexion cut him off before he could continue. There was a pause in which the Schemer hoisted himself up onto something, putting him at equal height to his cohorts, "Though if it would put you more at ease, we will keep watch on their activities."

"Ousting him from his position would better suit me."

"That is not an option."

Another long stretch of silence, in which Naminé feared she had been discovered. They were listening, she knew, but she hadn't made any noise. Someone shifted.

"What of the girl?" Lexaeus questioned, quieter now.

"In league with them, my guess," Vexen snapped, "Corrupted."

The girl frowned. Far from it, actually; she was still unsure of her true mission, or rather, the purpose behind it. But what if Vexen was right? Maybe she was corrupted and didn't even realize it.

Suddenly, darkness stole her vision and stopped her breath, clamping over her mouth and eyes like a vice. Naminé struggled against the restraints, her screams muffled, but then the scent of cinnamon and ash invaded her nose. A smooth warmth pressed up against her cheek, and a hot wisp of air tickled her skin and caused the hair on her neck to stand up. Muscles tensed, she barely registered the nearly inaudible, "Shh…"

The girl's chest deflated when she realized the identity of her captor, only to promptly inflate when she noticed the close proximity. A small squeak escaped, and the redhead held his hand tighter against her mouth. Naminé grabbed the hand covering her eyes and tugged; without much thought, he allowed her vision again, and she looked up at him. He was focused straight ahead, listening to the conversation between the three elders; his lips pressed into a thin line. He must have been what the others had detected in their pause only moments earlier. Naminé returned her attention to them.

"If it comes to that, it can easily be countered," Lexaeus was trying to comfort Vexen about something she had missed.

"I am well aware of that, though I-"

"I think it is best we relocate," Zexion said suddenly, hopping down from his perch. The other two exchanged glances, "The girl will be fine alone. Come," He didn't wait for the others to agree. A portal was opened and the three elders disappeared within it. A long, drawn out silence followed.

The redhead released the breath he had been holding, tickling Naminé's skin again, and he let go of her mouth.

"Axel," The girl whispered breathily, turning around on the spot to face him and effectively worsening their position. She blushed hotly, finding herself pinned between the shelf she had been hiding behind and his body; he wasn't as tall as she originally thought. Her head was able to touch his chest, but only just. She dared to look up at him, shy and awkward in this situation, but he didn't seem to notice. Roughly, he grabbed her shoulder and began directing her deeper into the library. She didn't put up a struggle.

Once they reached the shelf with the paperbacks, Axel stopped and turned her to face him, "What did you hear?"

The urgency in his voice startled her, and she was hesitant to share her information because of this. His eyes were too frenzied, too shifty, to be considered normal. Naminé tilted her head, studying his expression with narrowed eyes.

"This is a bad time to be shy, Naminé," His fingers were too tight on her shoulders, but she knew she didn't have the strength to shake him off, "Just tell me what they said."

It occurred to her then that if he was worried about what they had been discussing, something was wrong. Things were happening without him knowing and, by the sound of it, that wasn't good for his sake. Was he part of the 'they' that the three had been talking about? There were only three other members of the Organization; he had to be one of them. So what were these 'plans' that Vexen was so worried about? The girl couldn't imagine what three elder members would have to worry about; that they did worry made her wonder if she was dealing with the wrong side.

Naminé yanked fruitlessly against her captor, "Why should I have to tell you anything?"

Wrong choice.

Axel's face was suddenly inches from hers; she could see her fear reflected in his acidic green eyes. Teeth audibly ground together, and angry creases marred the space between his brows. His grip on her shoulders was too painful, so much so that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Gravity tugged uselessly at her feet; dangling a foot from the floor.

"You will tell me what they said, Witch!" He hissed, "You have no choice."

A whimper escaped her lips, "Let me go…"

"Try cooperating and I might consider it."

Naminé winced as a sharp pain shot down her arms to her elbows, "They said… I was corrupted…"

Axel paused, mulling over the unexpected information, but decided it was unimportant and tossed it out of his mind, "What else?"

She didn't want to give him any information. Based on her own conclusions about what she had heard, he had to be the enemy. He was working with Marluxia, the mastermind of these plans the elders feared; he had lied to her. Every moment they shared, though few, was nothing more than a necessary measure to keep up the guise.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me!" His fury had returned, and this time the strangled cry managed to break free when he shook her roughly, "You forget that I don't have to be nice to you."

This was being nice? If that was the case, she was terrified of seeing him angry. She was reminded of the day before when he had become furious at Marluxia, and how nervous she had been about being near him. Now, it was directed at her, and she felt all the trust she had built up slip away. She didn't recognize the eyes staring so intently at her; maybe this was who he really was. Just like the rest of them.

Naminé didn't think twice before kicking swiftly upwards into his gut, and she was dropped to the ground. Winded, Axel bent over to protect his stomach while reaching out to grab the girl before she could escape, but his fingertips only managed to brush her dress before she bolted from the room; her book lay forgotten on the floor, turned to a page that had been bent and creased from being left open too long. He watched her leave, knowing she wouldn't be able to run very far. Fury that he shouldn't have been able to feel twisted his thoughts into evil pictures he never would have imagined otherwise. Laced within them was worry; not for Naminé, but for what she was hiding. If she wouldn't speak, then what had been said couldn't be good for him, and that meant he was missing a part of the bigger picture. It seemed Marluxia wasn't the only one with secrets.

Crouching down, Axel picked up the discarded book from the floor.

IOIOIOI

Naminé had run until she had no idea where she was. Everything looked the same, just endless white hallways and corridors. She wondered if she would forever be trapped within the castle, lost, but she was more nervous of being found. Who would it be? She would have given anything to make it not Larxene, Marluxia, or Axel. Especially not Axel. It felt like her feet had been kicked out from beneath her, forcing her to realize the truth: she could not truly have friends in the Organization. What could she offer them? She had no skills, no talent; she couldn't protect them. In their eyes, that made her useless and unsuitable for a companion. Axel knew this; maybe it was time she accepted it, too.

It wasn't surprising that Zexion found her, huddled against the wall with her face hidden in her knees. He knelt down before her, and she slowly raised her tearstained face to meet his eyes. She was glad he didn't touch her; she was afraid she would have recoiled from him.

"Hello, Naminé," He said.

The girl willed her voice to be steady as she whispered a meek, "Hi."

"Why are you crying?" The question made her hesitate. She didn't want to tell him about Axel because that would mean admitting she had been eavesdropping, and there was still a part of her that didn't want the redhead in trouble. Even if the Axel she knew was fake, there was still some hope that maybe there was a part of him that was real. But Zexion was waiting for an answer, and she didn't know him well enough to know if he would grow irritated with her silence.

"Um…" She bit her lip, "You left me."

Even to her, the idea sounded unlikely. Judging by the gently raised brow, he didn't buy it either, but he didn't say anything. The Schemer simply stood, summoned a portal, and directed her through it. Naminé returned to her room without any complaint; once inside, she hurried to her chair where her art supplies lay waiting, grabbed them up, and retreated to her bed. She never heard the sound of a portal, so she assumed Zexion planned to stay with her for a bit, despite it being her alone time. She wondered if maybe he was trying to make up for leaving her, but tossed the notion away when he left a few minutes later. That was fine; she wanted to draw anyway and just try to forget about what had happened.

After a few hours had passed, Naminé began to worry. It was time for someone to come keep an eye on her, but no one had shown up. Usually, she hated it when others were there, but now she was anxious. Had something happened? Maybe Axel found out what she had heard, told Marluxia, and they were making their move now. Whatever that move may be. Naminé looked down at her picture; it was only a simple sketch, with mixtures of blues, blacks, and reds dancing across the page. The red had been a mistake; she had picked up the pencil and started scribbling without looking at it. Now it stood out and contrasted harshly with the deeper colors. Maybe it had something to do with a subconscious awareness of the aching bruises on her arms from the incident in the library.

Relief washed through her chest when she heard a portal, which was quickly replaced with a sinking feeling when she recognized the face that was watching her with careful, serpentine green eyes.

She wanted to run away again, but knew it was impossible for her to escape. Slowly, Axel approached her spot on the bed, a hand in the pocket of his coat. Fleeting images of torture devices hidden within that pocket began to haunt her. What did he want now? She didn't want to tell him anything else, but if she didn't, she knew she would experience a repeat performance. Naminé unconsciously dug her fingers into her blankets.

Axel stopped by the side of her bed, silent. The girl kept her head down, afraid to look at him. When, from behind her, the mattress sunk under his weight, she tensed up and shut her eyes. She heard the rustling of clothes, followed by a distinct pop.

An overwhelming scent invaded her nose, the kind where you can't really decide whether it's good or bad. The smell was pushed out of her mind, however, when something soft and terribly cold touched her. Hissing between her teeth, she instinctively flinched away from the touch.

A sigh, "It's cold, I know. Sorry."

It was like he had undergone a complete turnaround. Naminé was unsure if this was even the same person she had been with in the library. He was the Axel she knew again, or so she wanted to believe. He had proved he could easily switch in and out of both personalities. A few moments passed in which she didn't respond to his apology, so he continued.

She gave another wince at the contact of the cool substance, which then seemed to melt away as he rubbed it into her skin. It didn't take long for the heat of his skin to replace the cold, creating a soothing and numbing effect. The pain of her bruises seemed to disappear, like they had never been there in the first place. When he had finished with one arm, Naminé dared to speak.

"What is that?" She asked, just as he brushed her fair-colored hair over her shoulder, away from the untreated arm. The movement tickled her, and she resisted a shiver. She offhandedly realized that this was the first time she had seen his hands without the leather gloves.

"Some sort of ointment we picked up a while ago. It's supposed to help sprains and bruises and stuff," He answered.

"It smells weird."

A faint chuckle reached her ears, "Yea. It's probably from the toxin that- hey, no! Wait!"

At the word 'toxin', Naminé jolted away from the contact and made a desperate attempt to wipe it off on her sheets. Just as she had expected, he hadn't changed since the library. He still wanted to hurt her. It became even more obvious when he lunged for her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist to stop her, but promptly released her.

"It's not going to hurt you," He said, trying to keep his voice level, but she could sense the annoyance, "Only if you're an idiot and eat it will it mess you up."

Now she felt stupid; he probably thought she was ungrateful that he was trying to help. She glanced up at his frowning face and was surprised to see a yellowing bump just below his cheekbone. It had swollen slightly, giving him the look of being lopsided; on the area was a thin residue of the cream he was attempting to put on her. Questioningly, she met his eyes.

"What happened?" She gingerly reached out to touch the area. Axel flinched and took her wrist again, but did not push her away.

"A scuffle," He answered. Upon seeing the troubled look on her face, he elaborated, "With Sora. But he's okay, don't worry. He passed with flying colors."

The horror in her expression switched to curiosity, "'Passed'?"

"Oops. Wasn't supposed to tell you that. Unless," He turned his sly eyes on her, "You would like to tell me what you heard in the library. Then my tongue might accidentally slip," Grinning, he bit the tip of his tongue, as if to keep it from doing just that. Naminé did not look amused, immediately turning back around and pretending to ignore him. Axel watched the back of her head for a moment, thoughtful, then moved forward.

The girl froze when his hands planted themselves on either side of her legs, supporting his weight as he leaned over her to rest his chin on her shoulder. He whispered into her ear, "Don't worry, Naminé. I've made my choices. I don't need the information you are so keen on hiding."

To Naminé, it felt like the moment went on for ages, but really took only the few seconds for him to speak, and the contact was broken. His warmth still blazed on her skin, sending little shocks down her spine; it didn't occur to her until much later that his words may have been important. She wasn't given time to think about it at the present, for Axel had resumed rubbing the ointment on her other shoulder. His fingers had lingered a little too long on her skin as he brushed her hair away again, and she found that the places he touched tingled long after. By the time he finished, both of her arms seemed alive with a flame, and she wondered whether that was an effect of the ointment or him.

The scent of the cream had been unnoticeable until it was gone; Naminé peeked over her shoulder to see Axel pushing the top back on the small container. His lips were pulled down, but when he noticed her attention on him, he smiled.

"Feel better?"

Naminé nodded once.

"Good. Here," He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a tattered book, "You left this in the library. I have no idea why you would want to read it, but whatever."

Eyes wide, the girl took the book from his outstretched hand. It was the one she dropped while fleeing from him. Her fingers brushed over the marked out picture on front, wondering who had done it. A smile flitted across her lips as she gently bent it back and forth, admiring the use it had acquired. She glanced up at him and asked, "Have you read it?"

Axel nodded, "Yea, not for the faint of heart. That's why I'm surprised you want to read it."

"Oh," She flipped open the cover, where the words 'Property of FCPL' was written in scratchy writing, "Who's FCPL?"

"No idea. Someone must have picked it up on a mission and forgot to give it back," He shrugged, recognizing the accusing frown on her face, "What? The books had to come from somewhere. Did you think we just grew them in Marluxia's gardens?"

The idea elicited a peal of giggles from Naminé, which in turn brought about a grin from Axel. Affectionately, he ruffled her hair; the remaining bit of ointment caused her tresses to cling to his hands. The girl attempted to be angry, mustering her best scowl, but he only raised his brow and allowed a smirk to tug at his lips. He teased, "You might want to get that out. I think it speeds up baldness in some species."

"Thanks," She muttered, crawling forward to pull open her chest at the foot of her bed, "It's late anyway. Might as well take my bath," Awkwardly, she peered pointedly over her shoulder at him. Axel tucked his gloves in his pockets.

"I guess that's my cue to leave."

"Well, um, you can stay and wait for me," Naminé blurted. The redhead tilted his head, narrowing his eyes a bit; the girl blushed, "If you want."

Axel's lips twitched, "Not tonight. I have a few things to do."

"Oh," Naminé lowered her eyes in an attempt to hide her disappointment, "Okay."

Behind her back, the pyro was hesitating. His hand wanted to reach out, assure her that everything was alright, that he hadn't meant to treat her that way in the library. Hovering just inches from her exposed neck, the hand quivered, then clenched and fell back to his side.

Axel stood abruptly, "See ya, kid."

The girl blinked slowly as the redhead started towards the center of the room where a portal stood waiting. Just as he was about to pass through, Naminé rose to her knees and called, "Wait!"

Unseen by her, he winced, but looked over his shoulder silently. The girl bit her lip.

"Axel, can I… trust you?"

The pyro grinned, "Sure, you can trust me. You can do anything you want, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Why?" Naminé shuffled anxiously.

"No reason."

If she didn't want to elaborate, he didn't want to hang around. He turned away, waving his hand, "Goodbye, Naminé."

It didn't take long for him to return to his own room. Alone now, the pyro allowed his true thoughts to show on his face. That had not been good, he realized as he flopped down on his bed; he should never have gone to her. He knew even before he had decided to go that it would be a mistake. Satisfying the urges fueled by fake emotions never ended well, no matter the reason behind them. Now he had to deal with the results that were just another means to dilute the thoughts that were truly important. Once he finally figured out Marluxia's intentions, made his decision against him, and started forming plans of his own, he had to go and ruin everything because of her.

She was only a child, and for a brief moment he had found pleasure in touching her; sick, twisted pleasure that qualified him for the deepest pits of Hell. He wanted to burn himself in his own flames for thinking such thoughts about her, no matter how brief and unimportant. In an attempt to justify himself, he repeated in his mind that it was because the supply of females in the area was poor. Sure, he had his interest in Larxene, but so did almost every member in the Organization. He wouldn't have been the least bit surprised to learn that even Xemnas had a go at her. Axel relieved himself by keeping these ideas in mind, but every time he forgot, the haunting images of Naminé stained his thoughts. She was only fifteen… the Savage Nymph was only about four years older than her, but that seemed okay. She looked her age. Naminé looked like she should still be eating sandwiches cut into triangles and holding her mom's hand. But she was fifteen… almost…

He would just have to stay away from her for a little while. Let the images fade, then maybe he would see her again. He'd be fine. Besides, he had other things to think about; they would be dominant in his mind from now on.

Little did he know, his resolution was doomed from the start.

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OMG foreshadowing? D8

Strangely enough, my favorite part of this chapter is actually the discussion between Lex, Vex, and Zex. Maybe because I've read the sorta fluff so many times that it's not as exciting. Or maybe it's not that exciting at all… I dunno. You tell me.

Axel scares himself. Poor guy. I betcha Naminé wouldn't have any problem with him thinking things about her. At least, I wouldn't…

To save any questioning or confusion, FCPL stands for my county's public library system. Is that considered a self-insert? Whoopsies. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading and thanks to all of you that have favorited/alerted this story and/or me!

Until Next Time,
Manwathiel