Author's note: what's up guys? -bows- gosh, i'm so sorry about this late update...well...i'm not even sure if it's really that late an update because i haven't quite adjusted to the time here yet...bahhhh!

anyway, after a full week of adjusting and typing for only ONE HOUR every night (i've been so sleepy!!), i managed to buy myself some internet time to update! i've been bugging my dad to buy me some internet minutes for the past days...but he told me to wait until last minute...

THAT'S ENOUGH RAMBLING NOW! ehhh. my suffering isn't happy for you, is it? buuuut, axel fondling a certain someone? ...possibility of happiness. XOOO

Chapter 4: Fondling

Roxas?

Hm?

What happens now?

What d'you mean?

I mean, now that we're by ourselves...we don't have much of anyone.

I...dunno.

I guess there's always dad's shop. We could live there. Even make a living there, don't you think?

Sora?

Hm?

Is it hard? Growing up, I mean.

Don't tell me you're afraid of getting bigger. Remember what mom used to say?

Mom?

She said that you're supposed to take care of yourself...and the people that you really care for. It doesn't even matter if they refuse you, or if you refuse them. No one's really your enemy, right? Doing things that you might not want to do...that's normal. Growing up.

I...guess.

Roxas?

Yeah, Sora?

It's ok to change. You can leave things behind, if you really need to. There's a reason for everything.

Since when are you smart?

Heheh, not used to hearing words like that, eh?

Not really. But, I guess you're right. You too. You can leave things too...just, don't leave me, 'kay?

Yeah. Promise. Just learn to put up with me, yeah?

Haha, that's a promise.

Promise? For some reason, the very first thing that he thought about when he got up was his brother. Why? He couldn't pinpoint the reason and it was growing to a point where he wished he hit his head hard enough to forget. He groaned and reached a heavy arm out to his side, letting it dangle in midair before the weight pulled it back down.

"Huh?" With a jerk, Roxas lifted his head and blinked down at his arm. He heard chains shaking when he moved it. Chains...cuffs. So, it wasn't fake. There's a reason for everything. There was a reason why he was thinking of Sora. And, just like that, he needed to forget.

"Sora." Roxas softly squinted his eyes and ducked his head in closer to his chest. It was useless to think that acting sad about his death would eventually calm him down. Sighing, he managed to pull his chained hand up to his body. There, he pulled it close to him and nudged his chin against a blanket.

Wait. Since when were there blankets?

Stupefied, Roxas pulled his head back out from under the covers and glared down at his body, partially covered up with a neatly patterned, maroon, black and white blanket. The sides were ripped, most likely intentionally for design, and just barely covered his ankles.

Trying hard (he still had the stupid cuffs on) he wiggled far enough to place his back against the wall beside the spot where he had been sleeping. He took a good look around him, keeping his hands rested in his lap. The whole room was constructed of dull grey wood, from walls to ceiling to floor. The only source of light for the room came from three wide ranged windows, placed upon the very back wall, which were dusty and littered with webs in their corners.

Below those windows was a desk, a rather long one which was cluttered with...whatever someone could imagine was on it. Roxas didn't bother to concentrate on one item on that desk, thinking that he'd just get dizzy trying.

Aside from that desk and the bed, there really was nothing more to say about interior design.

The corner where he'd been sleeping in was slightly elevated from the wood floor with two steps that led from the bedside down. The bed he was in wasn't that huge, or luxurious for that matter.

'You'd think,' he thought, 'that pirates would splurge all they had on gold furniture and rum. You'd think that their ships would be carved out of gems and that they had a whole level inside that stored the booze.'

Pirate stories. Now he had proof that they were nothing but wasted breath.

Then, it occurred to him, he was in a pirate ship. In a bed. Bed? Why the hell here?

In a near panic, Roxas muttered to himself through gritted teeth while he attempted to slip his hands through his handcuffs. He kept a close eye on the door to his right and the windows to his left.

He made a promise to Sora. He kept it for that long and wasn't about to abandon it. Just thinking about it, Roxas grew persistent and brought his foot up, sticking it in between his arms where he pushed at the chains.

"Come on, come on, come on," he whispered, just barely feeling his bruised fingers slipping out. If he was fast enough, he could jump through the window and swim to shore before they set sail. That was logical. "Come on! Get..."

With his back still pressing against the wall, Roxas heard a sudden click from behind him. He swung his head around and stared down at his leg. He inched it against the wall against until the sound came back. Right...his gun. If he remembered it right, he could manage to tip the trigger.

Worth a shot. No pun intended.

He gave couple more nudges with his leg until he heard the gun load correctly. "Got you."

"Now, what'd I tell you about being a pirate, Roxas?"

Roxas gasped and all muscles in his body locked. He kept his foot pressed against his wrist, unable to decide whether to drop it or for it to stay that way. His eyes were glued open to stare down at his own hands, bruised and muddy. He suddenly remembered why he was here, what had happened earlier.

"I mean, look at you. You're completely stubborn about wriggling yourself out of a tight spot. Don't tell me that's not pirate-y at all." Axel's voice was just as sarcastic and innocent as before, and Roxas hadn't even heard it all too much. Something about his tone made him freeze. A bad habit.

He swallowed, feeling his throat clench afterward, and slowly turned his head away to stare at the blanket laying at his left. He made the mistake of not watching his breathing.

Axel could easily see him shaking, even some steps away. Something about it was indescribable. What was so amusing about watching that boy tremble?

"Why...am I in here?" Roxas asked quietly. He wasn't sure if he really wanted Axel to answer that.

Pushing away from the doorframe, Axel's eyebrows raised as his eyes greedily observed Roxas when he was turned away. "Why?" he repeated, walking smugly in his direction.

Roxas heard the footsteps dragging along behind him, but he pretended to ignore them, taking in deep breaths as each one came closer. Eventually, they stopped. In the corner of his eye he could see the captain standing right in front of him, most likely staring at him again. He honestly didn't get it. What was so interesting about him? His closed off throat prevented him from asking.

"You're being locked up, mate."

"Why in this room?" he shot back.

Axel chuckled and bent down, reaching a hand out to Roxas' face. When he was sure that Roxas didn't notice it, he let his fingers cup his chin.

Roxas reacted instantly, bugging his eyes out when he was forced to face Axel with a simple pull. He shut his mouth and anxiously tapped his teeth together.

Axel's smile curved into something evil and his eyes narrowed in a heartless manner. The boy seriously needed some teaching done to him. "You're lucky I went soft on you. If I hadn't, you would've been unconscious in a boxed off cell with nothing but a bed of seaweed. Not a glorious thought, is it?"

Roxas blinked several times and switched glances in every possible direction...just not forward.

Axel caught this and took a second to think. "But, since you sound so bold about it...I see that you're old enough to, not only stand, but experience punishment as well." With his palm pressing a bit against Roxas' throat, Axel could feel his breathing delay in his hand. If he could control his breathing that way, what else could he possibly control? This boy was like a dog, a toy, even.

To test his own curiosity, Axel twitched two fingers ever-so-slightly and carefully inched them up Roxas' cheek while pushing his face closer in. Being so close, he had the perfect opportunity to scan the littlest details in his face. So, his eyes were really that blue, then? Not fake? His lips were thin, pale and quivering against his cheek. It suddenly occurred to him that they were nearly exchanging breaths with each other.

"I think that's very reasonable," Axel whispered into Roxas' ear through clenched teeth.

Without thinking, Roxas shook his head violently enough to wiggle his face away. Hotly, he panted and sent death glares into the captain's face. It was honestly too close for comfort. Pirates were so unaware of personal space.

Click

Axel backed his head up and eyed the ceiling. "Hm?"

Roxas instantly held his breath, holding his leg still.

"You hear that?" Axel turned his head back down, gently cocking his head in a cute angle.

Roxas shook his head so hard that his shackles jingled. That didn't support his answer very much. It was obvious that he was hiding something.

Click

"Ah, I get it," Axel paused and slapped a hand atop Roxas' head, holding it against the wall, "you're hiding something."

When Roxas failed to reply, Axel decided to take action. Like he said, the boy needed to learn some manners. "Where's the gun?" Secretly, he used his other hand and edged it against the bed toward Roxas' left foot.

Again, Roxas shook his head. He was getting dizzy. "I have nothing to hide from you."

"Ah, ah, ah. Just because you're a pirate doesn't give you the complete right to lie all the time. In the presence of those higher up than you," Axel's fingers began tiptoeing up Roxas' ankle, "you're advised to respect, meaning that truth does play a major part, understand?"

While Roxas did understand what was being told to him, he didn't pay much attention. If he really was a pirate like Axel said, then he had his own rights. He had the right to keep words to himself. You can't trust a pirate.

Besides, he wasn't about to toss away Sora's gun.

Axel scoffed and blinked slowly, dragging his hand further up until he stopped midway at Roxas' thigh. Right when he stopped was when Roxas caught him, but he didn't go against it. He couldn't understand it. Why not?

While Roxas expected something completely passionate to happen, Axel only kept on task: distracting the boy while he reached into his pocket and yanked the gun away. With the weapon in his possession, Axel twirled it around his finger and tucked it away behind him. Roxas took in another normal breath when he felt the weight of Axel's body move away from him.

"You should know better than to keep a gun pointed downward when it's tucked away."

"What?" Roxas breathed, finally resting his leg back down.

Axel rolled his eyes and positioned both of his hands at his hips. He didn't seem to care at all. "If it's pointed down, you risk bumping the trigger which causes the bullet to shoot toward the ground. It can then ricochet and come back toward you or one of your mates," he paused and walked toward the door, holding it open with one hand while he spoke over his shoulder, "That, or you could just ruin a good pair of pants."

Roxas growled and shook his cuffs in frustration.

"Oh, and for attempting a getaway," Axel raised a finger and continued, "you get the brig now. I'll have one of my men come down and escort you." He smiled cunningly. It was hard work, pulling everyone's strings.

"What?" Roxas snarled.

"It's what you get for choosing your own fate, Roxas."

xxXXxx

With a heavy thud, Roxas literally flew across the air and landed in a painful position on the disgusting floor. As he barely managed to sit himself up, legs pulled in to his body, he stared through one open eye at the door; a rusty, seaweed infested, metal-bar door.

He shook some loose hair away from his eyelashes and watched as the other goon walked off, pounding his feet up the stairs and out of sight.

He wasn't a very talkative pirate. Roxas figured that he kept most of his amusement and joy to himself. Then again, his frown could've just been a part of his personality. Maybe he just wasn't one to pillage and plunder.

Biting his lip, Roxas' eyes traveled around yet another unknown environment. There wasn't much to see; just darkness, wood and metal bars separated him from the world. What was the point?

Grumbling slightly, he glared down at his knees and lowered his forehead against the cold chains that were still binding his wrists. He wondered how long he would have to stay down in the brig for. If he tried to escape again, what was the next level of 'punishment'?

Well, below that room he had been in was the brig; below the brig was the sea. Great, he would be thrown to sea.

Maybe if he stayed put in the same position long enough, he'd force himself to pass out again.

The floor creaked when the boat gently rocked to the right. Roxas felt stupid, remembering that he had thought that the ship was still parked in the docks of The Isles. The truth was: they had to be at sea for at least hours; miles away from home. Home...

Irritated, Roxas thrust at the floor beside him with his foot, not really caring that it hurt.

"Hey, listen up."

Roxas gasped and lifted his head enough to peer over his knees ahead of him. He didn't turn his head in the direction of the voice, thinking that it would just make him look idiotically weak.

"The captain's asking for you on deck."

What? After he'd just been slammed up in a cell? What could possibly be going through the captain's head? Still, Roxas couldn't take being in some smelly cell for very long. After dragging his back against the wall, he stood up and shook his wrists, trying to get them to wake up. He couldn't see the face of the man opening the door for him, but he didn't much care.

All pirates were the same to him.

this chapter was supposed to be longer, but i cut it in half because i feared for my head. -shivers- besides, i read somewhere that, if an author is bored with their writing, then their readers will suffer the same boredom. please don't be bored!! -hides-

nuuu...i ruined my new french tip. gah, i'm supposed to be having a great vacation but i can't even enjoy it if i have to pay for my internet by the hour!! -kicks stupid policy- DX

i'm sorry if this chapter was shorter than most of the ones that i wrote in the past. guh. it was written from a deflated mind that was pushing to survive through 8 o clock at night. DX forgiveness?

please bare with me with the updates coming in. i know they're a little scattered, but i'm trying. i'm heading to the beaches for a four day trip so i'll be (depressing as it is) without a laptop. forgiveness times 2? -sporked-

some vacation, eh?
kokoro77