Chapter 2- Birds of a Feather

It was easier to forget...

"You..."

The pain, the betrayal...

"You're.. what are you!?"

The only one that ever gave a damn...

"Don't touch me! You fucking liar I'll kill you myself!"

It was all his fault... all his fault... why... why...

Creak

THUMP

Creak

THUMP

Creak

THUMP!

The relentless ostinato tore Roxas from the depths of his dreams, eyes remaining tightly shut fighting back furious tears threatening to engulf him. His body still hadn't fully regained its senses, the ground beneath him swaying and rocking rhythmically. Noises started flooding his mind as unintelligible mumbles and a chorus of heavy groans wrapped around the senseless sounds finally starting to put them into order. Roxas looked to his right jumping to horrified attention once he grasped the realization his two new roommates would not let this mysterious stranger interrupt any of their fun.

In a mass of tangled limbs and flaming red hair the two redheads lay together covered in thin layers of sweat and blood. Axel's hips rocked fiercly pounding into the slender body beneath him, one of the man's legs tossed over Axel's shoulder. Roxas shuddered with every move Axel made becoming slower and more laborious as the submissive undoubtedly became almost painfully tight. Their faces remained contorted in hot, oblivious bliss, moaning and groaning each other's names tangling bloodcoated nails to yank their hair.

"Oh baby... Oh more yes there!" the thinner of the anorexic pair writhed and squirmed under his dominant, moaning like a cheap whore. Axel didn't seem to pay any heed to how horrendously cheesy it sounded, only that it must have felt so damn good buried inside him. Roxas couldn't find himself the will to tear away from the couple for fear of disturbing their games. He had no idea what he was dealing with yet and as pleasant as death may have sounded he was in no hurry to achieve it just yet.

Axel finally brought the other to climax, sticky white shooting up to splatter on his stomach and chest. Though Roxas found it faintly disgusting it was apparent the redhead found it highly erotic. When the two finally lay sated Roxas dared to sit up, twin pairs of eyes analyzing every inch of the boy's supple skin.

"He's a pretty one.." the submissive slid out from underneath Axel stumbling around in a half assed search for pants. "Where'd you find him?" Axel shrugged, flopping down on his back wiping his torso clean to dine on the sweet substance.

"Damn you taste good." The longer haired man winked back at him, grabbing a brush to haphazardly struggle out the knots until he finally gave up and threw it back in a ponytail.

"That's what they all say." Roxas didn't want to know what he meant by that. Not that he was any cleaner. His senses has already begun to fail, the pain clenching his throat obstructing air with every pitiful gasp. It was coming back again, the withdraw, the horrible recoil, the pain, everything was coming back. He needed it.. craved it, hopelessly addicted to it. It was all his fault.. All his fault!

"Don't ever come back!"

Bright blue eyes widened as something pushed into his mouth and he inhaled upon command, soothing sweet nicotine working into his bloodstream and unclenching the wired nerves. He yanked the cheap cigarette from the other's hands and puffed it to naught in a matter of seconds desperate to ease the burn. Axel settled in next to him and lit another offering it out to the boy who smoked that one down in no time flat. He'd seen some nasty chain smokers in his life but nothing beat a desperate stoner. Nicotine would only work for so long but it would have to suffice until he could get a real fix.

"What's your poison?" Axel lit up a cigarette for himself, dark bags faintly underlined the redhead's eyes as he turned to face the newcomer.

"Heroine." Roxas replied slowly, holding his hand out shyly for another hit. Axel took another long drag on the cancer stick before passing it off to Roxas.

"You're gonna kill my last pack kid. We'll hook you up with a good supplier, he sells your shots pretty cheap." Roxas nodded quickly finishing off the cigarette and putting it out. It wouldn't last long but it would suffice for now. Stepping out into the main room dull sunlight filtered in through grungy blinds on the other side of the room, the second redhead sitting over a cup of steaming black coffee twirling strands of hair.

"Roxas." Axel motioned to the other. "That's Reno."

"Yo." he gave a little wave and unfolded the morning paper. He didn't regard Axel as he spoke, "He going to see Xemnas?"

"Yeah probably." Axel got himself a cup of coffee and reclined back at the table. Shyly Roxas slide into a third chair, gripping the table for dear life as one of the legs sagged under his weight.

"Oh, the chair leg's busted by the way." Reno repeated the obvious.

"Yeah, thanks.." Roxas shifted in the chair until he found a good angle to sit at, carefully situating himself to equalize the balance. The addiction still scratched his his throat but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. Reno looked up to a clock on the wall, disappearing back into the bedroom and then into the bathroom. Shards of glass jutted from the edging of the clock and glistened dangerously on the end table declaring testimony one of these men harbored a much darker side within. Not that either of them were truly angels, none of them were. Roxas fit right in with the grungy pair. Sex, drugs, and alcohol all sharing a cramped little hole in the wall. Birds of a feather certainly did flock together.

Axel walked over to the fridge and yanked the door open, lips curling into a foul scowl as whatever he sought wasn't to be found. Muttering choice words he threw the door shut rattling the ancient machine threatening to just collapse over dead. Roxas pressed himself back against the wall, quickly looking back over to where the shattered clock face lay. Trembles of addiction heightened with fear of Axel's wrath, the redhead attracted to the stench like a moth to a flame. His walk swung with predatory sway as he closed in on the small boy, pinning long legs to either side of him to deter any escape. Roxas shoved trying to throw him off only to bring the wild temper down upon him, nails biting into his wrists locking Roxas's arms behind him and pulling. Pain replaced desire, watching the horrible hunger within those emerald depths grow until Roxas feared the redhead would denounce alcohol and dine on his flesh instead.

"You got any cash kid?" His voice was slow and deliberate, daring him to deny.

"Y-Yeah.. a litttle..." he swallowed hard, tears biting his eyes as Axel relinquished his hands.

"Fork it over." he held a palm out, "Consider this your room and board fee, hmm? You scratch my back and I'll take you to see Xemnas." Roxas didn't have much of an option at this point. He dug what little cash remained to his broken name and pushed it into the other's hand watching it disappear into skintight pockets. Axel dismounted him as Reno came out of the back brushing sopping wet hair.

"You going out?" Reno inquired, digging in his pockets for something.

"Yeah, you need another bottle?" Nothing was considered sacred between these two.

"Do I ever. Rude used it all again!" Reno tossed Axel his wallet, reclining back on the couch. "You taking him?"

"Yeah." he pulled on a leather vest and slipped the other's wallet inside. "You gotta start taking it easy on the lube man or you'll be out before you get paid again and then what?"

Reno huffed. "It's not my fault he's huge. You're just jealous."

"Sure." Axel rolled his eyes. "That's what it is. C'mon Roxas." he strolled out the apartment. Roxas hesitated, considering he lived here now he might as well feed himself. He opened up the fridge, grimacing when he saw there truly wasn't much to pick from. Beggars couldn't be choosers, he grabbed an apple and forced the door shut before following Axel out into the bright sunlight.

Now that he was conscious he took in the details of his surroundings, a dilapidated impoverished section of town crawling with who knew what. Obnoxious punks loitered around grungy corner stores brandishing all brands of typically thug weaponry, billy clubs, guns, the classic baseball bat. Those who lived in the name of the law had no place in the Hollow Bastion district, home to scores of degenerates and dropouts. That was life, beating the existance out of the smallest man or fucking the life out of the closest girl in order to make ends meet. Roxas tailed Axel as he stole into the nearby "Whirlwind Whiskey and Liquor" store paying no heed to the sign long worn prohibiting those under 21.

Behind the bar a stocky man glanced up and gave a snort at the pair, reaching beneath the bar without even looking and withdrawing a bottle pushing it across to the approaching redhead. Axel grabbed the bottle and heaved a six pack up onto the counter, money quickly exchanging hands. The man's interest picqued at the sight of Roxas, interested to see a new face hanging around the dingy little store. Upon the wall hung six very long, very sharp lances glinting in the light off bottles casting slivers of rainbow prisms along the cieling.

"He's here to see Xemnas?" his voice rumbled with a strange, warm accent.

"Yeah." Axel opened up a can and chugged the sweet liquid. Sweet addiction washed through unclenching wired neves. Peace eased Axel's face and the goofy smile Roxas had recalled from the night before returned.

"The cab will be around soon. Just wait here." Axel gently tugged Roxas back outside. He offered the other a can but he waved it away, his body refusing to accept any further substitutes. It wanted a fix and wanted it now. Roxas slid down against the wall and rubbed at his pounding head trying to hide himself from the brutal light of the sun above. Roxas just wanted to cry. He wanted him back, wanted to be held and coddled again. It had been nearly six months since he'd been reduced to a crack whore, laying on his back and spreading for the first to offer him a quick fix. Anything to be numb again.

"C'mon." Axel tossed the box in the front seat of a cab, climbing in. "This is our ride." Roxas barely felt the plush interior as he slid in, his body convulsing and shaking again. He burst out in shameless tears screaming and crying for the pain to end. He called his name, over and over called for him apologizing and begging to take him back. He lost all sense of where he was, all sense of feeling. Nothing made sense. He had no money for this deal, he would undoubtedly have to take the lord onto him. He almost didn't care anymore. It was just part of the game, an unfortunate side effect of the endless addiction. He'd do anything for another taste. Anything.

Anything to be numb again.