Title: Young Dudes

Genre: Romance/ General

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I no own

Summary: AU. - Axel stopped and I, not paying attention, ran into his back, getting a whiff of his hair as I scrambled away from him. Cherries, which was queer to me since I had expected something more masculine; like Axe body wash or just soap.

Main Akuroku. Background Soriku. All characters will be a bit OOC.

"Blah" means talking

"Blah" means phone conversations

III. Loose Lips - Kimya Dawson

We drove around for what felt like forever, it amazed me just how many people were still out and about.

"So what do ya do fer a livin'?" Axel asked as he made a random right turn; I couldn't help but think of all the gas that he was wasting, but I didn't say a word about it.

"I work for customer service slash tech support in Shin-Ra, but I'm still in school so it's hopefully a temporary thing." I shrugged, curling up in the passenger's seat and holding onto my seatbelt while watching him drive rather than watching the lights pass us by.

"Hopefully?" He echoed with a laugh, "I take it ya don' like your job?"

"Hardly," I sighed, "It's not where I see myself spending the next thirty years working at, that's for sure. What about you? What do you do?"

He glanced over at me for a second before shrugging, "I work for my dad. But on the weekends I'm an artist." He grinned.

"Like, a painter?" I asked curiously, adding more to my list of things that were interesting about Axel.

"Sometimes… I like photography though. Black and whites and sepia's," He nodded to himself; his red hair went every which way yet still managed to fall down to his shoulder blades.

The car stopped at a red and Axel nodded to a building across the street, "Ya wanna see a movie?"

I looked over at the brightly lit theatre, "I don't really want to pay twelve dollars for a movie." I answered uneasily, not wanting to disappoint him in case he did want to see one.

Axel chuckled, "We can find a way aroun' that Rox."

He drove around the block for parking and got out of the car, forcing me to follow.

"What do you mean a way around it? I'm not sneaking into a theatre," I looked up at him with a frown, and he beamed down at me. His grin caused butterflies to erupt in my stomach.

"Fine, you can wait out here and I'll go inside and enjoy a free movie." His greens eyes were reflecting all of the light around us, making giving them have an ethereal glow. Axel then strode forward, long legs taking lazy steps, not stopping even though I had paused on the sidewalk to glare at him.

I watched him walk around the building until he was at an alleyway exit and he turned to look at me, "Ya gonna wait out here or are ya comin' in with me?"

I huffed, annoyed at being peer pressured, and reluctantly followed. My heart was going a mile a minute, I'd never snuck into a movie before and it was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. If we were caught then the chances were most likely we'd never be able to come to this theatre again.

He expertly picked the lock to the door and walked in, holding it open for me and letting it shut gently behind us.

"I can't believe we're doing this," I groaned, running both hands through my hair. "We're gonna get caught and then we'll be arrested and I'll be a failure at life who won't even be hired at McDucks. Then I'll have to kill myself to end the shame and misery."

"Woooow," Axel whistled lowly, "ya need ta simmer down Rox."

"You just picked a fucking lock. What if there's an alarm on that door? Or what if there're security cameras everywhere that know we're here?" I knew I was freaking out and internally told myself to calm down. Maybe I was still buzzed on a high, which would be rational considering the paranoia that I was feeling.

Axel chuckled and shook his head, "Relax Roxas. First off that was an exit, so jus' 'cause it was locked on the outside don't mean that we can't use it, that's why there were no alarms. And there ain't no damn cameras, I don't know what's wrong with you but ya gotta chill; act natural."

Double negative! I chided mentally.

"'Ain't' isn't a word," I grumbled.

"Yet you just said it," He teased, but I refused to rise to the bait.

Instead I followed Axel through the corridor of the theatre. It was like any other cinema, with red carpet and slightly dimmed lights, posters of movies and cardboard cutouts every which way. I kept jumping every time a random customer would walk past us, I kept thinking that it would be someone who worked there and knew that we didn't pay to go in. Could a person even go to prison for sneaking into a movie?

Axel stopped and I, not paying attention, ran into his back, getting a whiff of his hair as I scrambled away from him. Cherries, which was queer to me since I had expected something more masculine; like Axe body wash or just soap.

"This movie looks like one we can see," Axel said, ignoring the fact that I had slammed into him.

I glanced up at what movie it was, "A romantic comedy?"

"They're my favorite," He grinned cheekily and dragged me in.

The movie was about a thirty-something year old woman who bitched almost the entire time about not being able to find a man because most men were unreliable and all that stuff until she met this guy who taught her what men wanted. Everything about the film reeked of total crap.

Twenty horrible minutes later I finally managed to drag Axel back out. "I'm going to burn my eyes out with battery acid because of the shitty acting. Watching the grass grow would've been more entertaining and less torturous. At least the grass understands when it's their scene and cue."

The redhead laughed, "It wasn't that bad." Yet even as he said this he looked just as relieved as I felt to be out of there. No more romantic comedies for a long time for him, this one made him learn his lesson on how God awful they could be.

I could only fix him a dull stare which made him fidget, "I'd imagine passing a kidney stone would've been less painful." I then shivered at the mere mention of a kidney stone, the very thought was too painful to me to even comprehend the exact analogy I had just used.

"Mmm, speaking of which, you're makin' me hungreh. Let's go to the concession stand," He led the way and I watched him with a look of disbelief, a slight sick feeling washing up my stomach. Ew, kidney stones.

"Dude, I mention kidney stone and you think food?" I looked at the movie posters that we were passing idly. Would the concession stand even be open at 2-something in the morning?

"Sometin' like that," He glanced down at me and I avoided his eyes.

The concession stand was still surprisingly open when the two of us got there. Of course there was a drunken guy trying to buy more beer from a harassed looking kid who was behind the register gently refusing the guy. Not that I blamed the kid, the guy's pores were just freely letting out the smell of booze and anyone in a ten foot radius could smell it.

The kid gave Axel and me a pleading look for help as we approached, which caught the drunkards attention.

"What're you two fags looking at?" He slurred, face red and veins in his neck popping out.

I wrinkled my nose at him, more than willing to ignore him, and ask the kid for some roasted almonds. Axel, on the other hand, went rigid at the derogatory word that the man had aimed at us, although he followed my lead and tried to ignore the man as well.

But then the man got really closed and pushed me, shoved me hard enough that I hit the concession stand's counter and most likely bruised my hip. I bit my bottom lip and put a hand to my side.

"God damn it," I gritted through my teeth, hissing uncomfortably. That had hurt like a bitch.

The kid behind the register let out a loud half-yell at the man, "I'm calling security!" he finally managed to say, picking up the phone that was at the end of the counter.

"Pssh, little fairy ain't gonna hit me back? Faggot." The drunkard taunted me and I glared up at him, but it was Axel who did something; punching the guy square in the face. He fell like a ton of bricks to the floor with a thunk that echoed throughout the snack area. In all honesty just the way he fell looked painful, I could only imagine how hard Axel had hit him.

"Ow," Axel rubbed his knuckles, "Ya alright Roxas?" He looked down at me, concern just washed off of him in waves.

"Yeah, it's just going to leave a bruise is all," I answered, hand still on my hip and embarrassment flooded throughout me. I could've handled that, he didn't need to emasculate me like that; it didn't matter if it was only in front of the damn concession stand kid. I could've fought had I wanted to.

"You guys better go before the security manages to mosey over here, he's gonna ask tons of questions and I know you two snuck in," The kid behind the register said, handing me my roasted almonds and ushering us out.

Without being told twice my companion grabbed me by the wrist and dragged us the way we came.

"Dude, you punched that guys' lights out!" I looked at him with a mixture of irritation and amazement; I had never in my life hit another person with the intention of harming them. Ever. That was why I was so hesitant to fight the drunkard, or to act out any form of retaliation. Yet this tall bottled redhead did it with no remorse, even though his knuckles were going to be most likely very bruised and sore in the morning.

"He was an asshole," Was Axel's response, leading the way to the car. I followed behind him, rubbing my sore hip and frowning.

"You do realize that if he hadn't gone down then you would've gotten in a stupid fist fight with a drunk." I pointed out with a frown.

He shrugged, "Ya gonna nag at me 'bout it? 'Cause if ya are then I can always drop ya back off at Wakka's."

Somehow I had a feeling that that threat was an empty one, but I immediately shut up about it. Grudgingly, I got into the car and clicked my seatbelt on.

He started the car but we didn't move right away, instead Axel turned to me and said a quiet, "I'm sorry."

I gave him a little shrug, "Nah, I'm the one who should be sorry. You were only doing what you thought was right. And that guy was an asshole."

Axel grinned at me and ruffled my hair, which didn't annoy me as much as it should have; I dodged under his hand more for show then intention. "Thanks for understandin'." He put the car on drive and we were off again.

Honestly though, I didn't really understand.

"Aren't you worried about all the gas that you're wasting driving all over the city like this?" I asked him while eyeing the fuel.

Axel shrugged, "Ya offerin' to fill 'er up?"

"Yeah, if you'd like," I answered honestly, it'd be only fair since he was driving everywhere tonight. Although he was the one choosing all of our destinations and I was really only along to enjoy the ride and have, allegedly, the best night of my life according to Axel.

"Shit, you're really offerin'? Don't worry none about it Rox, I got it all under control. Just sit back and enjoy the night drive," He grinned at me, it made him look sort of like a clown with his tattoos. I told him just that which he responded with: "Careful what ya say Rox, I might be a serial killer rapist or somethin', 'member?"

I snorted a laugh, "Well, if you are, just keep your promise of the best night of my life before you kill me."

"I think I can manage that," he replied.

We drove in silence after that, hearing the wind fly by the car windows as we went on until we met the city limits.

YOU ARE NOW LEAVING— was the sign that had really caught my eye.

"Holy shit, you really are going to sodomize me and then kill me and leave my cold body in a ditch somewhere at the outskirts of the city aren't you?" I asked, slightly panicked by the fact that there was nothing but woods and forest on either side of us.

Axel let out a bark of laughter, "I think that contact high fucked with yer brain Rox, you're a funny guy," he shook his head, "Nah man, we're gonna head over ta the next town; see how their late nights-cum-early mornin's are 'round there."

The woods were blurs of dark gray shadows in the inky night with the heavy moon above us and the star constellations shone brightly as well. With all the light pollution in the city, the stars were a difficult thing to see on most nights.

"Why?" I asked him a bit distractedly.

"Because Rox, where's your sense of adventure?" He concentrated on the road some more.

"Must've left it in my other flesh suit," I said easily, watching the dark scenery go by.

The town over was small, and it wasn't all that far from what I remembered, maybe twenty minutes if one were going as fast as Axel.

"Hitchhiker!" Axel said excitedly, stopping the car a few hundred feet after he spotted the man and then reversing.

"Dude, he could be a serial killer or crazy person," I hissed to Axel, but as it was his car it was his rules. I knew I was going to die tonight.

The backdoor opened and the guy slid in but I was too busy trying to remember moves of self defense to look at him.

"Ya headed toward the town over?" Axel asked him conversationally, putting the car back on drive.

"Yeah, thanks for stopping, I've been walking for a while," the voice was too familiar for me to not turn around.

Lo and behold, one of my best friends back in high school sat in the backseat, hair still a spiked dirty blond, eyes still brown. He looked tired and a bit worn around the edges, but I guess that was just life taking its toll.

"Hayner, what the fuck are you doing out here at two in the morning?" I demanded.

He seemed to jump at the sound of his name and stared at me with large eyes before letting out a small laugh. "Holy crapola, its Roxas. I'm just trying to get home since my mom wanted me home early tonight, but my ride ditched me so I had to hoof it. Dude, what're you doing out here?"

I held his gaze for a few intense seconds before shrugging, "We're just going for a night drive."

He gave me a weak, yet honest, smile, "No shit? Interesting, never pegged you as the night drive type of guy."

"I always pegged you as the crazed murdering hitchhiker though," Was my response. Hayner just let out another short laugh and I could feel Axel's gaze on me. It was going to be one long drive.

The small town over wasn't exactly what one would call a town; it had all the necessities to survive on its own if there was ever a need for it, but almost everyone commuted and worked or went to school in the city.

"This place looks nice and quaint," Axel commented, listening to Hayner's directions on how to get to his house.

"Looks can be deceiving, there are races all the time around here, usually the cops get there and break it up before the kids start anything though," Hayner shrugged from the backseat.

"Kids?" I echoed, looking back out the hitchhiker.

"Yeah, you know, people our age," My old friend shrugged, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn. "The house coming up is mine."

Axel stopped the car in front of the cottage looking house, I hadn't been to Hayner's house in years but it still looked the same. A hint of nostalgia crept through me and I sighed while allowing it. Why didn't Hayner and I talk anymore?

"T'was nice meetin' ya," Axel told the other, and Hayner grinned.

"The pleasure was all mine man, thanks a million for driving me." He took a twenty out of his back pocket and forced Axel to take it, "For the gas. See you around Roxas."

"Bye Hayner," I said, yet as he got out of the car it felt so final, like that was the closure of our friendship and childhood together. We'd more than likely never talk to each other again.

"Ya'll used to be good friends, huh?" Axel asked gently.

I sighed softly, "Yeah, we were."

We drove around until we found a car that looked like it was going to the races, along with three other cars following it. Axel grinned over at him and joined the group.

"You're going to race this car? One that isn't even tricked out?" I asked, shifting around as Axel added to the pile of money that everyone was putting into. I didn't want to tell him that I thought his car was a piece of crap; it wasn't really my place to judge.

"Don't worry Roxas, I'll win," He gave me a cocky grin.

It almost had me melting into a puddle at his feet; instead I crossed my arms over my chest, "Dude, what if you die? Like, what if your car flips over or something?"

He gave me a soft smile, running one of his hands through my hair. "Ya worry too much Roxas."

I sighed and watched him go back to his car while I stood at the sidelines with everyone else watching the race. There were cars everywhere and people milling around and music blasting from different cars at different areas. People looked like they were here more to chill and show off their cars rather than race.

"Hey, Vaan, Axel's back!" A girl with blond hair in two short, braided, pigtails went running up to a guy who was next to a tricked out Honda.

"No shit?" Vaan grinned, "He here for a rematch? I'm in."

The girl with the braids looked over at me and smiled, "You're new here, right? I saw you get out of Axel's car, what's your name? I'm Penelo."

"I'm Roxas, and yeah, I came here with Axel," I returned her smile with a smaller one.

"Hey, if the cops come to bust them up then I'll take you to our other rendezvous spot, Axel knows about it," Penelo nodded to herself.

Vaan and Axel lined their cars up, both revving their engines, a dark haired guy stood between the cars with his arms up, counting down when the race was going to begin. Excitement buzzed throughout my veins as they both peeled out.

"How long do races usually last?" I asked Penelo.

She gave me a half shrug, "It really all depends. They should be back in a few minutes though. Would you like something to drink, I'm pretty sure there's a cooler around here somewhere."

I shook my head and just looked up at the moon. It was a pretty night.

"They're coming back!" A girl yelled from somewhere in the crowd. People began to holler, whistle, and cheer for the car that they wanted to be the winner.

Vaan came in first with Axel as a close second. Both were laughing as they got out of their respective cars.

"Man, that was good, you've gotten better Ax," Vaan grinned, taking the money that was placed down between the racers. There had been two others racing as well and they had already parked and joined their friends.

I had meandered back over to Axel with Penelo. The conversation was about cars, which was cool even though I wasn't really into cars. I knew the basics on how to fix one and stuff, but tricking out a car wasn't something I wanted to learn.

It had been getting pretty interesting though until a guy somewhere among all of the people started screaming at the top of his longs.

"FIVE-OH! FIVE-OH!"

Suddenly everyone was scrambling to get out of there.

I was part of that group until Axel grabbed my hand and calmly led me to his car where I hopped back into it and clicked my seatbelt with shaking hands. "Go! I don't want to get arrested or any of that shit. Fuck!" I held my head in my hand as Axel began to floor it, and here I had thought that sneaking into a movie was bad.

"You won't get arrested, ya'll just get a ticket at worse, I'll be the one arrested an' my car taken." He growled, taking a back road away from the main group.

I turned to see through the back window, noticing how the cops had barricaded escape routes and only a few cars were following us.

"Holy shit man," I sat back down properly, "Let's get out of this town."

Axel laughed, "No need ta tell me twice."

I laughed too, relief pumping through my veins as we drove back home in peace.

TBC

Soundtrack:

Theme: All the Young Dudes
1: A Well Respected Man
2: A Dustland Fairytale
Insert: Hide & Seek
Insert: If I Fell
Insert: I Walk the Line
Insert: Somebody to Love
3: Loose Lips
Axel's Theme: What I Got
4: Hysteria
Roxas's Theme: Give Me Novacaine
5: Strawberry Swing

Can be found here (don't forget to take the spaces away): http :/ www. playlist. com/ playlist/ 20791623691/ stand alone

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MLL: Chapter 3 was pretty rushed. But I still enjoyed it. I hope you did as well :D Please review! They keep me alive and kicking.