I am so excited about this chapter, but also scared. It's been a while since I've posted anything like this… but hopefully the quality has improved since then. And I hope it isn't a letdown… I took my beta's advice and left the chapter alone. So yea. Blame her if it's terrible!

I loff you, Schmelly. 3

For some reason, I seem to enjoy listening to Rakuen by Do As Infinity while reading the last bit, even though it is completely different from the music I listened to while writing it (River Flows in You- Yiruma… also a good song). I suggest taking a listen. Enjoy the chapter!

XXXXX

Chapter 10- Sleep

It was a given that a Nobody should be alone. Maybe that was the only thing they really deserved. Naminé would have easily believed it, accepted it like it was common knowledge, because that's the only thing that made sense now. What little she knew was gone; everyone she thought she liked had disappeared. Rejection and pain were the only things in her life, and only now that she no longer had those people did she realize how much she failed to appreciate them. In such a short amount of time, she befriended the one who held her captive- maybe she even had a little crush on him- but he was killed by the one that she prayed would finally free her. The one she wanted so badly to come for her now was her enemy, and yet she could not hate him. How was it that one who was not supposed to have emotions could feel such anguish? Was this tightening in her chest an emotion, this feeling of being completely and utterly alone?

Naminé placed her hand against the glass of one of the many pods placed about the room. On the outside, they were all beautiful. Light reflected off the petal-like walls, creating a stream of dazzling colors, and they hummed softly, as though breathing. Inside, however, they housed the cause of all this torment she felt. They protected the three friends that fought so hard to get to where they were, and yet they chose to forget it all. They did not understand what she thought, what she believed she could feel. Insensitive, selfish, thoughtless. They didn't care about her. They didn't care that she was alone.

The girl gave a shuddering breath as she turned away. What was she to do now? Everyone was gone. Sora, Marluxia, Vexen, Larxene, Axel; all far away now. She didn't know what became of Zexion or Lexaeus, but she did not think they would come to look for her unless someone ordered them to. And if they did seek her out, she had no intention of being found. But she hadn't the faintest idea of where to go from here.

Though, she did have DiZ; a strange man, garbed in robes of black and red, with his face concealed by a mantle that revealed only certain aspects of his face. Maybe he was disfigured somehow, or maybe he simply didn't want to be known. He would help her restore Sora's memories, but she didn't believe she could ever fully trust him. He expected too much of her without giving anything in return. But he offered to help, and that was more than she could hope to have.

But he was not here now. Naminé was alone to drown in the fake grief that threatened to swallow her whole.

Another gasp of breath shuddered past her lips before she forced herself to leave the room; she feared she would claw open the pods herself if she didn't. As she walked, she noticed how the slap of her sandals against the tile seemed so much louder. The sound travelled down the empty corridors, bouncing back and forth off the walls, and disappearing into the far distance. The girl stopped then, stuck between the room she left behind and another she had never visited. It occurred to her that she never had any knowledge of where she was; all she had ever known was her room and, more recently, their meeting room. All else beyond that was a mystery, and yet she knew one thing for certain: they were just as empty as she felt.

This realization was enough for Naminé to finally let loose the barrage of tears that she had struggled to contain. She hardly acknowledged the sharp pain in her knees when she fell to the floor with the balls of her palms pressed tightly against her eyes. Sobs racked her body like tremors of an earthquake. She had never felt the urge to cry like she did now and she was more than happy to release the pent up tension.

That was how he found her not long after.

IOIOIOI

He was a genius; simple as that. Hands down, he was the most intelligent and cunning Nobody ever to exist. Well, not exist, but… whatever.

Axel snickered triumphantly as he slammed shut the refrigerator door with his hip, a glass vase containing a wilted flower nearly tumbling to the floor from the force. He lazily strode across to the table and plopped himself down in a chair, kicking his feet up like the king that he thought he was. Carelessly, he tossed onto the table a bar of unopened, clearly expensive chocolate that he had discovered hiding behind a couple containers of thawed meat, then withdrew from his pocket a can of some sort of liquid; the label was in a foreign language, but it tasted good, whatever it was. With a crack, he popped the tab open and took a long swig, closing his eyes in bliss. What better way was there to celebrate victory than by indulging in a little junk food? Especially since the chocolate was Larxene's, who forbade anyone to touch it unless they wished to have their head permanently removed from their shoulders.

Even though he knew from the very beginning that he would correct the disunity in the Organization, Axel never would have guessed that so many would be lost in the process. Of course, he didn't want to kill a fellow member, but he would not hesitate if he had to. The death of Marluxia and Larxene did not come as a surprise to him. If Sora hadn't have been able to do it, he would have taken them out himself. However, the loss of three elder members certainly did a bit of damage. It was a shame that only one of them died to protect the Organization. The other two were so willing to reveal their secrets to save their own hides and they were justly punished for it. Axel made sure of that.

It was a lot quieter now, though. No one moving about, preparing food, plotting the destruction of innocent victims. The pyro frowned a bit as he leaned onto the back legs of his chair. After only one day of solitude, he was ready to go back to the Castle that Never Was. To the others.

He couldn't yet, though. There were still people here, lurking in the upper floors of the castle. The freak with the red mask was hanging around, and Riku, too. That kid was still here, the one who killed Lexaeus. And the mutated rat.

"Maybe I should set out mouse traps," Axel thought aloud with a sadistic smile. He raised the can to his lips, then set about unwrapping the chocolate. It wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be; maybe because the thrill of stealing it and avoiding Larxene was now absent.

Naminé was still here, too. The thought quickly quieted any prior excitement that being victorious had brought. His fingers tightened on the can, leaving small indents behind, and he fell back onto all four legs of his chair. That was certainly a mood killer. Before he could go back to the Castle, he had to make sure this place was abandoned and that included the girl. Especially the girl. Bringing her back was completely out of the question; maybe she would be going with DiZ. That would work, wouldn't it?

But he wanted to see her again, even if she didn't see him. It would be better for her to think that he was dead, like she probably already did. Then she could get over whatever it was she had for him, and that would give him enough reason to forget all those thoughts about her that had been haunting him lately.

Axel stripped off a piece of paper from the chocolate, rolled it into a small ball between his fingers, and sent it flying across the table. He broke off a piece of a corner and popped it in his mouth. Maybe it wouldn't hurt just to see how she was doing. It would give him a sense of closure, at least, to whatever they had started. He would have no problem finding her, now that the others weren't around to cover up her faint aura. It was always there, her aura, pulsing at the back of his mind, beckoning him to come seek her out. Now that he had nothing to block it, it became increasingly tempting and frustrating.

Before he knew what he was doing, Axel had risen from his chair and formed a portal; the food sat forgotten on the table. It took a mere ten seconds to pinpoint exactly where she was, but he chose to come out a few halls down from her. Though he knew his caution was unfounded, the pyro quickly scanned the area for any sign of a threat; namely, DiZ. The guy couldn't hurt him, but they would only stay longer if they knew an Organization member was still running about the castle. Once confident he was the only one around, he started in the direction of Naminé.

He heard her before he saw her, and that was enough to hasten his pace. Crying… she was crying.

Axel peeked around the corner and, sure enough, the frail girl lay crumpled on the hard floor against the wall. The redhead frowned, not wanting his last glimpse of her to be like this, but unsure whether to approach her or not. Why was she crying anyway? She was safe, she was free, and her captors were gone. What more could she want?

His boots made soft thuds on the marble tile as he approached, but she didn't seem to hear him until he stopped only a few feet away. The girl abruptly stopped crying, her shuddering ceased, and she took an audible breath. Axel hesitated before taking another step closer and crouching down to balance on the balls of his feet; he fought the urge to touch her hair.

"Hey, kid."

There was a brief moment of silence, and then she reacted in a way completely opposite of what he had expected: she jolted away.

Axel stared in surprise at the confusion and fear shining in her bloodshot eyes. Dried tears stained her cheeks. Her lips parted, like she wanted to say something, but words failed to form. In an attempt to console her, the pyro tried a smile, but that only caused her to turn her face away and another wave of tears fell like a waterfall.

The redhead was at a loss of what to do. He couldn't remember ever having to comfort anyone; not having emotions sort of made it impossible to be upset about something. Not even Larxene cried, except maybe in rage. Axel tried to think of something that would make her feel better, but the best he could come up with was, "C'mon, enough with the waterworks. I heard you all the way down in the kitchen."

That caused her to stop and slowly look at him. Unsure of whether that was the best response, Axel gave her a cross between a grin and a grimace. If she was anything like Larxene, he was probably about to lose what made him male, or at least come very close to losing it. He spread his fingers against the floor to support his balance in case he needed to make a hasty retreat. Fortunately, his cause for concern was unnecessary, for the girl suddenly leapt at him with her arms wide. Before he knew what hit him, her head was buried in his chest, her arms were tight around his waist, and he was dangerously close to falling on his butt.

"Careful, Naminé," He chuckled with some hesitation, "Thought we learned to keep our space."

Axel could feel her fingers grip his coat. Her voice was rough from crying as she whispered, "I-I thought… I thought you were…"

"Yea, I know," Without thinking, the pyro placed his hand on top of her head, "You should give me more credit. You think I can be taken out by some kid and an oversized house key? I don't think so."

Naminé giggled, "I know."

The girl let out a deep sigh, and with it went the pain and worries that had slowly been eating at her mind. Axel shifted to his knees into a more comfortable position, and Naminé used this as an opportunity to draw herself closer to his warmth. He flinched, unused to such close proximity, but allowed her to do so; unbidden, his hand trailed down to rest between her shoulders. His peridot eyes darted from side to side, hoping and yet dreading for a distraction. A few moments passed in which the girl calmed down, but her grip never faltered. It was stifling to him, but not unwelcome. This was the closest to his daydreams he could ever allow her or himself to be.

"Hey," He started, "You hungry?"

A brief pause, and she nodded. Axel grinned.

"Lemme up then; we'll get something for you."

When Naminé made it clear she was determined not to move from her position, the pyro began an awkward shuffle back onto his feet until he was able to force himself up. Bruises from the more recent fights protested and muscles he wasn't aware he had threatened to send him back to his knees, but he finally made it to his full stature. The girl's feet dangled a good foot from the floor; Axel had to smirk as he said, "Persistent, aren't you?"

The girl mumbled something, then released her hold on him and gently slipped to the floor. There was a faint pink dusting on her cheeks as she looked up at him and smiled; he returned it by ruffling her hair. They crossed into a portal and out, emerging back in the kitchens. Axel approached the refrigerator and peered inside, motioning for Naminé to take a seat at the table as he did so. She eagerly obeyed.

"So, what will Naminé have today?" He asked over his shoulder as he leaned against the door of the fridge, "I'm sure if you look past all the crap that's been here so long it's growing legs and having kids, you'll find something relatively safe."

Naminé laughed softly, recognizing this as one of his jokes. She hoped it was a joke, at least. She said, "Whatever you think I'll like. I've never chosen my food before."

"That's specific," He muttered. Axel rummaged through the shelves for a moment before pulling out a particularly gruesome looking block of cheese with a bite already taken out of it, "How about this?"

The pyro snickered when the girl made a high pitched squeal of disgust, then placed the offending food neatly back in its place. Hmm… what did girls like to eat? Larxene always ate the most expensive things she could find and ordered them to be prepared perfectly, but he certainly wasn't going to do that for Naminé. He would be lucky if he could make a slice of toast without scorching it and saturating it with butter and jelly. Tentatively, he glanced back at her, only to find her eyeing the previously forgotten bar of chocolate. Oh, no. That wasn't going to happen.

"That's mine," He informed her; his attempt to be polite about it obviously failed. Naminé looked up at him, embarrassed, then nodded once.

"Sorry."

Was that supposed to make him feel guilty? He supposed that if he was even capable of feeling guilty, he would be feeling it right about now. Axel rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh, then slammed the refrigerator door shut. Naminé watched him curiously as he sat opposite her at the table, broke off a chunk of the chocolate, and offered it to her. The girl stared at the food for a moment, then back up to him. When she opened her mouth to question him, the pyro simply raised his hand to stop her.

"Eat it," Despite the less than encouraging words, Naminé obeyed. Carefully, she bit off a corner of the chocolate, and a smile immediately lit up her face. Axel chuckled, leaning back in his chair. He asked, "Never had that stuff before, huh?"

Naminé swallowed, shaking her head to the negative, "No, I wasn't given much choice for food. I just ate what was brought to me."

"Oh. Right," The pyro muttered, averting his attention to his fingers tapping in a steady rhythm on the table. He'd rather not go over her treatment during her time as a captive, more because he didn't want to remind her of it rather than his own opinions. He couldn't consider her a captive now, even though she technically still was. If she was a captive, then he wouldn't be sitting in the kitchen with her, sharing a bar of chocolate stolen from one deceased. He wouldn't be taking into consideration how she might feel about it, or what she was thinking right now. Axel's eyes glanced over the girl while she was distracted by the food. It would be easier to think of her as a captive, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not anymore. He didn't have the heart.

"I guess," The pyro drawled as he broke off a piece of his half of the chocolate, "Sora's gone already?" When he made eye contact, he quickly realized that wasn't the best choice for conversation. A small frown marred the girl's delicate features, and her gaze turned downwards. Axel wanted to smack himself. However, before he had a chance to change the subject, Naminé shook her head and forced a smile.

"Depends what you mean by 'gone'," She answered softly, "He's still here physically, but his mind isn't. I'm working on restoring his memories."

Axel grinned, "Well, that's nice of you. He must be happy. Why the sad face then?"

"Because…" Her voice hitched then, explaining what had caused her to be in such a state as she was when he found her. The pyro wanted to smack himself again for bringing this back to the surface, but she seemed determined to get this out. She took a moment to contain herself, then continued, "Because he's going to forget what happened here."

Always the sympathetic one, Axel rested his elbows on the table and said, "Seems like that would be best for him."

"Yea, I know," Her words did not match her expression. The redhead leaned forward.

"Does that mean he's going to forget you, too?"

That was enough to break the dam and unleash a waterfall of tears; what made it worse this time was he was the cause of it. As the girl buried her face in her arms to hide her red cheeks, Axel awkwardly chewed on his bottom lip, "Hey, it's okay," He tried to soothe her, "At least, he'll be happy later, right?"

A sniffle was the answer he received. Axel frowned; this wasn't working. Her crying was bothering him more than he expected it to, and he wanted her to stop before he did something overly dramatic. But perhaps it was already too late, for he soon found himself kneeling beside her with his head supported by his crossed arms on the table. Aware of his close proximity, Naminé peeked from behind a curtain of wheat colored hair, and the pyro could see the faint blush creeping up on her cheeks.

Axel brushed the girl's hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, then offered her the closest thing to a smile that he could manage. Judging by the uncertainty on her face, he wasn't quite sure he succeeded, but made up for it by gently touching his fingers to her cheek and brushing away the trail of tears with his thumb. The girl's eyes widened at the gesture, and he finally gave in to the grin that he was desperately trying to suppress. He said, "Do me a favor and stop crying. It doesn't suit you and it makes me feel like crap."

"What?" She mumbled. Axel moved his hand to rest on her head.

"Stop crying over Sora. He's gone and there's nothing you can do to change it, so why beat yourself up over it?" He stood to his full height, and her eyes followed him up, "Besides, you've got me now. And I guarantee I'm much better than some kid."

Naminé gave him a small smile, "I guess."

"What do you mean, you guess? Of course I'm better!"

The girl laughed this time, despite the few tears still trapped in her lashes. Grinning lightly, Axel casually leaned against her chair and allowed his hand to brush fleetingly against her shoulder. The action made him cringe inwardly, knowing that doing so would only make it harder for him to let her go and to continue denying that he had some twisted interest in the girl. He reminded himself of his own words, that age didn't matter to a Nobody, but a Nobody wasn't even supposed to feel these things in the first place. It seemed he was either breaking all the rules, or putting new ones in place. Hopefully, it was the latter.

"Where are the others?" Naminé asked suddenly.

"Who?"

"The other Organization members here."

"Oh," Axel scoffed as a smirk ghosted his lips, "Dead."

The girl whipped around to face him, "All of them?" She gasped.

"Yep, every last one of them. Hey, don't look at me like that," The redhead warned when Naminé's eyes began to narrow accusingly. Axel waved his hand in the air, "Sora did most of the work. He took out Larxene and Marluxia, Riku got Lexaeus, and the replica got Zexion. Little old me only got to kill Vexen, and that was just so I could get on Marluxia's good side. But no one really liked the old bat anyway."

"That's a lot of deaths."

Axel shrugged, "Miniscule when you look at the big picture."

Naminé frowned, "What's the big picture?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The pyro chuckled, lightly tapping the girl on the nose. Before she could ask anything else, he changed the subject, "So, now that we have nothing to do, what do you want to do today?"

"You mean, you're going to hang around with me?" The girl questioned, surprised that he would ask her such a thing. Axel rolled his eyes, like that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"What else am I going to do? I can't leave until the freak, the rat, and Riku leave. And, preferably, you'll be gone, too. Unless you want to come back to the rest of the Organization and become a prisoner again," He offered when she took up a look of hurt. Immediately, she shook her head, and Axel nodded in satisfaction, "Didn't think so."

There was a brief lapse in conversation as Naminé pondered over the many possibilities for entertainment, and Axel contemplated how those tiny air bubbles managed to get in the chocolate. It didn't take long for him to grow bored with this. Eventually, he wandered back to his seat and sat down heavily. After a moment, his eyes shifted up to the girl who was focusing on her food as though she were having a battle with it and, judging by her furrowed brow, losing.

"I just want to talk," She finally said. Axel paused.

"That's it?" He deadpanned. Shyly, Naminé nodded. The pyro blew out an extended breath past his lips, linking his fingers behind his head, "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

The girl shrugged. Well, that was helpful.

"I can't work with nothing, Naminé," He informed her. She nodded and lowered her eyes.

"Just… anything. Anything at all."

And so they talked about anything that came to mind. It was difficult at first for both to open up enough to make a discussion last more than a minute, but soon one topic led into another. Naminé was quick to pick up the difference between his jokes and when he was being serious, and Axel consequently learned what was alright to say and what wasn't. Usually, he didn't give a damn if someone didn't like what he said, but it was different with the girl. Just like everything else seemed to be, he realized during a pause. Naminé was going to be leaving soon and he might never see her again, but now was the moment that they chose to bond. Perhaps because it was the first real opportunity or perhaps because they had been too preoccupied with the events of the castle to notice what they were missing. Axel found himself laughing more than he expected, listening more, and the girl proved that she actually did have a voice.

The can of liquid had gone warm by the time the Nobodies finally ran out of things to say. They were left in a comfortable silence that neither were in a hurry to break. It was at this point when Naminé was fiddling with her fingernails that Axel began to wonder if maybe his interest in her was more than he originally thought it was. He still thought he was wrong for thinking it, but now that he had more to go on, he wondered if maybe it wasn't as twisted as it seemed to be. The girl didn't notice his eyes on her and it was good she didn't; he didn't want her to see the questions flickering behind them. He didn't want her to know that he was rethinking his words to her, to give her hope when they were so close to parting ways.

Parting ways. The notion created a pang of dread that Axel hadn't been expecting. It gnawed at his stomach and he tried to will it away. It only increased when he looked away from the girl's face.

"Are you okay, Axel?" Naminé's gentle voice asked.

"Yea, I'm good," He answered. He could feel her eyes on him, but he kept his own averted.

The girl shifted in her seat, "Am I bothering you?"

"Nah, of course not," He offered a grin, this time meeting her gaze, "Good conversation is hard to come by now that everyone is kind of, you know, dead." Even as he said it, Axel wondered if he intended that to be funny or not. He thought it was, yea, if not a bit dark. Naminé tried to appreciate the humor, but her smile was just a little too fake. The pyro made an awkward chuckle. He would have to work on his people skills.

"When do I have to leave?" Naminé asked out of the blue, catching the redhead off guard. Axel hesitated, knowing he should tell her to leave immediately, but he didn't want her to go just yet. He wanted just a little longer with her, even if only for a brief moment. Though he looked forward to going back to the Organization, he wasn't ready for things to return to normal. The girl who sat before him became more prominent in his life than he anticipated and it was unsettling. He shouldn't rely this much on her, but he did and that would make it all the harder to leave.

"Whenever you want," He forced out, despite yelling at himself to say otherwise, "I'm here as long as you're here."

For some reason, Naminé's face fell at this, but she nodded anyway, "Okay."

IOIOIOI

The majority of the day, Naminé and Axel found themselves drifting separately rather than their original intention of sticking together. Now that everything had concluded, new thoughts and ideas were finally allowed to meander through their minds without worry. The girl surprised herself by returning to her room early in the day to simply sit and stare at the sketchbook that was now useless. She would flip through each picture, studying every line and color, but then would forget the image as soon as the page was turned. Only one stayed etched in her mind, and that was the one that nearly got her in trouble. Some of the color had been smudged from Larxene's rough handling and a corner was crinkled, but it was in good shape otherwise. Naminé's fingers brushed over the picture and wondered what would happen if it ever came to pass.

Could it ever happen? They were Nobodies, and yet she felt this thing that she couldn't possibly label as 'fake'. It was too real, almost like it could be tangible. Now that she was alone with only him for company, she realized how much she truly desired it.

Night approached them swifter than they anticipated and Axel unknowingly found his mind drifting to matters quite similar to those of the girl's. As he shed his coat and tossed it carelessly on the floor, kicking off his boots as he did so, his thoughts raced over the possibilities that he was forced to ignore. He could deny it no longer, now that there was nothing else to distract him: as twisted as he believed it to be, he had an interest in a girl that should have meant nothing to him. Maybe because they were Nobodies, it didn't matter how many years separated them or what others thought. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could justify these feelings that shouldn't have even existed.

She was kind, thoughtful, pretty; everything that Larxene wasn't, and maybe that was why his interest in the Nymph would flicker and extinguish so quickly every few months. But Naminé… she was different from everything he had come to expect, and that was what drew him to her. While Larxene was a lick of a flame, Naminé was a roaring bonfire. She simply couldn't be ignored.

Still clad in his black leather pants and faded tank top, Axel haphazardly sprawled himself on his bed, face down, and let out a heavy breath. The place that had become a sanctuary over the past couple days was now unwelcome, but the gentle lull of sleep was too tempting to ignore. Soon, his eyes had shut and his breathing deepened. Darkness was all that he ever dreamed of, but there were always small flickers off to the side, like colored stars glistening on a moonless night. A true, relaxing sleep… he hadn't had that in quite a while.

It seemed he wouldn't get it, either.

The pyro's eyes snapped open when the door to his room creaked on its hinges. A faint light from the hall filtered through the small crack, catching him in the face, but he was able to make out a hesitant figure standing just outside. Shielding his eyes from the light with his hand, he pushed himself up onto his elbows as the door opened just a bit more.

"What do you want?" Axel finally ground out; his voice was rough from sleep. Maybe he had been out longer than he thought. The figure cowered back.

"Sorry… I was just… scared."

The pyro allowed his jaw to drop for a moment, "What do you mean, scared?" He snapped, "It's night time, Naminé. Go to sleep."

Anxiously, the girl moved closer to the door frame as though she were trying to disappear into it. She looked like she was struggling within herself, debating whether or not to say what was on her mind. Normally, Axel would be willing to wait for about five seconds for her to speak, but now he couldn't even give her that. His exhaustion wasn't willing to go along with her hesitation, and he found himself sitting completely upright in a second. Naminé wasn't given the opportunity to speak.

"I haven't had sleep in a week, okay? I want to go to bed," Axel spat, "So, unless you have something so important that the world is going to blow up if you don't say it now, I suggest you march yourself back to your room or I swear I'll-"

"Can I stay with you?"

That cut his tirade short. The words fell off his lips like weights, and he found he could only stare flabbergasted at the girl standing in his doorway. That she would even think to ask such a thing was amazing in itself, and to actually go through with it was so astounding that Axel, for a brief moment, considered complying with no arguments. However, he did not even want to imagine what would happen if he did agree. Before the images could begin to form in his mind, the redhead shot her down.

"You don't need me," He said, calmer this time, though certainly not in a better mood, "You've slept alone before."

Naminé cheeks had gone as red as a tomato, "I know, but-"

"Come on, kid," Axel groaned, "You're fifteen, right? You don't need me to hold your hand."

The girl surprised him yet again by stomping her foot in irritation. It was a weak attempt at intimidation and would have made him laugh under different circumstances, but maybe his fatigue made it impossible to find anything funny. Instead, he actually listened to what she felt was so important that she needed to wake him up.

"DiZ is leaving tomorrow!" She shouted, "Which means that I'm going with him and we're probably not going to see each other anymore. So I… wanted to stay with you."

Man, wasn't she just full of surprises tonight? Axel, for the first time, took into consideration what she was saying. Though he had no doubt that their paths would eventually cross again, she did have a point. This was the last time they'd have a chance to be together, having been separated most of the time when the other Organization members were still around. Axel couldn't consider Naminé a friend- she was nice, but moreover she was just an unfortunate witness to the chaos within the Organization. They were not supposed to be friends. None of them were.

But to Naminé, he was a friend. Maybe the only one she had. So perhaps, just this once, he could try to see her as she did him.

With an irritated sigh, Axel shifted his legs off the bed, "You're sleeping on the floor."

The girl hesitated, "…What?"

"I said, you're sleeping on the floor," He muttered again as he pulled off the wrinkled comforter on his bed. Without much care, he tossed it onto the floor in a big heap and attempted to smooth it out with his foot. When he didn't hear another word from her, Axel glanced over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, "You said you wanted to stay here, right? Fine. But you're not touching my bed."

It took a few seconds for Naminé to realize that he had given in, then hurried over to the makeshift bed. It certainly didn't look very comfortable, but at least he had given her this one thing. Like the brief moment they had spent in the rain, she knew she would cherish this one forever. It was one of the few things anyone had given to her during her time with the Organization. For some reason, the thought that this time was coming to a close was enough to make her stomach drop. With some dejection, Naminé watched as Axel flopped back down onto his bed; the mattress squeaked under his weight as he shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Thank you, Axel."

There was silence on his end, then a grunt muffled by his pillow. The girl giggled softly.

As he listened to her rearrange the blankets, Axel knew that he would get no sleep now. Her light breathing was a constant reminder of her presence, thus a constant image of her delicate form in his mind. Knowing that she was so close, so oblivious to the world around her, he was unable to shake the thoughts that haunted him so. He shut his eyes tightly, tried to think of something else, but she was always in his peripheral vision. One thought would lead to another, completely unrelated to the girl, and yet they managed to find a path to her. Eventually, after he was sure more than an hour had passed and she had long since fallen asleep, Axel simply gave up. She would never know that he was watching her, studying every curve and line of her face. She would never know he noticed that her lashes were like gentle brush strokes painted across her cheeks, and that her lips would always be slightly parted while she slept. She would never know that he wanted to touch those lips, caress them with his fingers, taste them…

"Agh," He groaned, burying his head under his pillow. It was insane that he was doing this to himself; he wanted this to go away. He wanted Naminé to go away so he wouldn't have to deal with this torture.

"You okay?"

Even laced with sleep, her voice was still soft and full of concern. However, Axel remained frozen as the girl shuffled in her makeshift bed. He heard her sit up, yawning as she did so. Maybe if he didn't move, she would think he was asleep, though his rigid posture didn't suggest that very well. Neither did the fact that he had just smothered his head under his pillow.

"Axel?"

"What?"

"Are you awake?

"No."

The pyro allowed a small smile to curve his lips. The girl paused, "What's the matter?"

"Scary dream."

"Uh-huh," The dubious tone of her voice told him that she knew him well enough to know when he was messing around; whether or not this was good had yet to be seen. As he tossed the pillow off his head to land at his feet, Axel turned his head to face her and allowed her a glimpse of his grin. It was obvious she was still tired; sleeping on the floor probably didn't help matters much. Still, he had a feeling she was getting more of it than he was. Naminé asked again, "What's wrong? And don't lie."

Axel let out a long breath that tousled the girl's hair. What was he supposed to tell her? He could think of a million things to say, but they were lies… and she told him not to lie. His lips twitched as he wondered when he began to care about what she wanted him to do or not do. He decided on a simple, "Nothing."

"I said not to lie," Was her quick response. Axel narrowed his eyes, frustrated that she wouldn't let this go. Naminé flinched back, seeing the exasperation flashing across his face, and she thought that maybe it was best to let him go to sleep. Awkwardly, she began to lower herself back down to her blankets.

But when a hand suddenly reached out to her and careful fingers brushed against her cheek, the girl knew she would not be able to lie back down. Cerulean eyes met a peridot shimmering with question and uncertainty, and she could feel those fingers hesitate. It took a moment for her to realize that the ghost of a touch had disappeared and when she did, she made a desperate reach for the hand to rest it back in place. A bright blush colored her cheeks as she stared back at him expectantly.

This shouldn't have come to a surprise to him. He knew that she liked him, so that she would hold his hand to her should have been expected. Even so, Axel could hear the explosions go off in his mind, yelling at him to take this opportunity while also screaming out his stupidity for starting this. Now, when his thoughts were so clearly reflected in his eyes and fingers so eagerly caressed her smooth skin, he couldn't imagine there was a way deny to these feelings that were based around memories that had never belonged to him.

Her lips parted to utter some trivial words, but a thumb placed gently over them stopped her. Axel could see her chest rise and fall, heavier than usual, but his probably would be, too, if he hadn't been splayed on his stomach.

"You told me not to lie," He said, voice quiet in the darkness. Naminé took a deep breath as he slid closer to the edge of the bed, now only inches apart, and she couldn't help but notice his eyes were fixed on her mouth. His hand traveled into her hair, drawing her close, "So I'm not gonna."

Immediately upon touching his lips to hers, he had the nagging feeling that she was too small. His fingers felt too large intertwined in her wheat colored tresses, and his mouth demanded more space than she was capable of offering. Axel tried to ignore this, but when Naminé failed to respond, he wondered if maybe she realized it, too. He moved away, but kept his eyes fixated on her. The girl was still staring at him, clearly in shock, and the pyro couldn't help but give her a lopsided grin.

"This is the part where you fall into my arms and beg me to kiss you again," When not even that elicited a reaction, Axel let out a sigh and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Maybe he messed it up or something, though he had no idea what could have gone wrong. It was this movement that brought Naminé out of her stupor and she realized what exactly she had missed. He probably thought she was an idiot now, the girl thought with a cringe, and she couldn't allow that. Axel started in surprise when his bed shifted downwards from newly added weight. Naminé hovered above him, planting her hands on either side of him and looking determined and fearful all at once, and the pyro wondered if maybe he did everything exactly right. A teasing smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth and he raised one brow in question, "Can I help you?"

Naminé took a shuddering breath and said shyly, "I want to kiss you."

The girl bit her lip when Axel suddenly sat up, supporting himself on his elbows. Again, they found themselves so close that she could see the flecks of varying color in his calculating eyes and she found that the small marks under his eyes were not painted, but permanently etched into his skin. She wondered if it hurt to get them; an offhand thought that flitted in and out of her mind within seconds. His serpentine stare flickered from her eyes, to her lips, and back again, and the marks crinkled when he smirked. Even looking down on him, he still managed to intimidate her, and this was enough to keep her from doing what she desired. Almost.

A drifting hand brushed her hair behind her ear, "No one's stopping you."

Neither noticed the faltering of Axel's signature grin as Naminé tentatively neared, or the vanishing of the superiority that always rested in his eyes, or the way his chest rose and never relaxed. The girl trembled, anticipating and yet fearing the contact, and her fists curled on his chest. When their mouths met for the second time, she inhaled sharply and had to stop herself from recoiling in embarrassment, but a gentle, reassuring hand found the small of her back and held her close. Sparks seemed to linger wherever skin brushed, and his wandering touch left in its wake a trail of a sort of fire that neither knew he possessed. And while his caresses set her skin ablaze, he couldn't help but shudder when her delicate fingers, hesitant and unsure, grazed his face, his neck, down to the wing of his collarbone; the cool of her skin was a relief to the constant heat that engulfed his body and he reveled in the feel.

A soft sound of protest brought Axel's hazy mind to attention, as unwilling as it was. He focused on her face, flushed scarlet, and he was reminded of his unruly hair, "What's wrong?" He whispered, tracing a thumb along her bottom lip. It was difficult to keep himself from moving forward again, from claiming her mouth again, but something was wrong… right? He couldn't remember…

Naminé took a shuddering breath, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. She made the same noise that alerted him and mumbled something indiscernible.

"You okay?"

The girl nodded once; an unconvincing nod that made the pyro push himself back up onto his elbows. Funny. When had he lain down? He leaned his forehead against hers, willing her to look him in the eyes, but even when she did not he pressed forward, "Naminé?"

A pause, and then the girl opened her eyes and she gave him a shaky smile, "I'm fine."

"You sure? We don't have to-"

Another kiss silenced him, and it left him speechless even after she pulled away and giggled at his stunned expression. Seeing the mischief glittering in her eyes, Axel allowed a smirk to curve his lips and he abruptly fell forward so that he rested on his hands and knees with her beneath him. He stared down at her wide eyes and, not even a second later, another peal of giggles burst from Naminé's lips; this may have annoyed him in any other situation, but now it only fueled his desire to win.

"Gonna play like that, huh?" He teased, "Fine."

Naminé nearly shrieked in laughter when his hands were suddenly tickling at her sides, an act she thought he wasn't capable of; then again, she never imagined him capable of any of this, so perhaps she should focus on breathing rather than the impossible which, really, were beginning to seem synonymous. When her breaths were coming out in short gasps, the hands finally stopped to allow her to recover. She hardly noticed him leaning down to her level again, but she quieted quickly when the redhead nuzzled against her neck and made brief touches with his lips. Her face softened and she uttered quietly, "You're acting different."

Axel paused, then said against her skin, "How do you know? You've never seen me like this before. Maybe this is completely normal."

Naminé quirked her head and a smile played at her lips, "Really? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Are you saying I'm cold?"

Far from it, she wanted to say, but even now she could never have the courage to confess such a thing. She answered, "Maybe."

"Betcha I'm not."

"I don't believe you."

"Oh yea?" Axel grinned devilishly down at her, "Watch this."

While not unwelcome, Naminé was startled by the demand behind the kiss that begged her to experience a passion that should not have been able to exist. It should have been invasive, she realized; she should have pushed him away, and she would have were her thoughts not clouded by fake feelings, but she became nearly lifeless under the feverous attention that put the other kisses to shame. She didn't know when she wrapped her arms around his neck, or when she had run out of breath and he made up for it by brushing his fingers across her cheeks and touching his lips to her shoulders. Time slowed to the point where their movements seemed delayed and sluggish, and yet it passed so quickly that seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours without them ever realizing.

It was so wrong, Axel knew, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Too old? Too young? He didn't know which it was, nor did he care to figure it out. This was what both had longed for, whether or not they accepted it, and there was nothing that could distract them from this moment. No fears, no concerns, and no arguments. Screw age. Screw the Organization. This was what they wanted and they would do anything to hold on to it.

At least, until morning came, and then the cover of darkness could no longer protect what they so desired.

XXXXX

Axel scored.

Harumph. I'm afraid to comment on this and drive myself into a hole that I may or may not already be driven into. That make sense? I like the chapter, but… mmph. Guess I'll just let you guys decide.

So… there's one chapter left to this. And then a short epilogue. Makes meh sad. :( Alrighty. Reviews are welcome and encouraged; flames will be used for Axel's enjoyment. Thanks for reading, guys, and I hope I didn't make your eyes bleed!

Until Next Time,
Manwathiel