Prompt: Axel, Roxas, and Demyx - hotsprings.

It had been a simple enough recon mission, scouting out a new world. Xigbar was supposed to be taking Roxas, but he ducked out at the last minute, a grin and a wink and a vague explanation that he had 'more important stuff to do than the grunt work'. Instead, Demyx took his place, and Axel, for lack of a mission to do himself, had come along for the ride.

One lengthy exploration of the world later, they were trudging through the snow of a freezing cold mountain, staring longingly down at the sweeping green farmland and the comforts of the imperial palace below.

"Knew I should've gone with Xion instead," Axel muttered. "A boring old world is better than all this snow."

Stupid Xigbar and his stupid high-rank privileges.

"I hear you," Demyx made a face. "My feet are gonna fall off from cold- ahh!" He tripped, and almost fell flat on his face, but caught his balance just in time. "See! See! My toes have frostbite! I'm gonna die! Help, I'm dying!"

Roxas cocked his head. "You tripped on a rock."

"Just leave me here to die!" Demyx wailed, oblivious, clutching his supposedly injured foot, hopping on the other. "I can't go ooon!"

A strong and particularly cold gust of wind made Axel shudder. He hated chill, especially in extreme conditions like this; it was like Vexen was spiting him from beyond his nonexistent grave, laughing like a maniac the whole time. Impatiently, he said, "Roxas here might fall for that-"

"Fall for what?"

"-See? But I can see straight through you. You're being a drama queen so you can RTC at the first chance you get." Axel gestured to the musician, then the steep, snowy path ahead. "How about you take point where we can keep our eyes on you."

"But I hate taking point. What if something jumps out at me? What if I fall? Plus all this nasty cold stuff up to our knees!" He pouted and, gingerly, put his (allegedly) injured foot back on the ground. "Can't you melt the snow for us? Make a path?"

"Nope. It's against the rules. Or do you want something to follow the big trail we'd leave behind?"

He gulped and paled. "N-No."

Heaving the largest sigh he could muster, Demyx then took the lead – and Axel noticed he'd forgotten to pretend to limp on that injured foot of his.

As the two of them brought up the rear, Roxas asked, "What's a 'drama queen', Axel?"

The mountain trail was a series of treacherous paths and sudden drops, the conditions so harsh even the Heartless were few and far between, most only lurking in caves. But eventually, the three came to a sudden incline, and Demyx rushed ahead, shouting and cheering in excitement.

The two friends exchanged a confused glance, but the source of his excitement soon became apparent.

Around a bend, sheltered by high rock walls from the biting wind, was a pool of water. Steam coiled up and up into the open air. A discarded set of black clothes sat at the side of the spring, and their owner was already sinking into the water with a contented sigh. "Ahh, there is a god out there."

Axel folded his arms with a scowl. "Demyx."

"Ahh, I think my toes are coming back. Yep. Goodbye, frostbite!"

"Demyx."

"Ahh, it's so nice and warm. I don't think I'll move from this spot ever again. Never mind the Organization; good riddance!"

"Demyx!" Axel snapped. "What about the mission? I'm not becoming a Dusk just because you are a slacker."

Roxas headed over to the pool for a closer look, and up to the sliver of sky above. The wind howled in the distance, but it couldn't reach them here. "What is this place?"

"A gift to us weary travellers, oppressed by the harsh elements!" Demyx leaned back against the edge of the pool, arms behind his head and eyes closed.

As ever, Roxas turned to Axel for an explanation.

"A hot spring," he translated. "It's a naturally formed pool of water that gets heated by... rocks, or whatever. Pull that idiot out of there for me, would you, Roxas?"

"Are you kidding?" The musician's voice rose to that high, nasal quality that grated on Axel's nerves so much, amplified by the walls. How Demyx thought he could be a decent singer with a voice like that, he'd never puzzle out. "We should all take a break. Wouldn't the Superior, like, be completely bummed if his Keyblade master froze to death?"

Axel was about to bridle against the idea of Roxas being 'his Keyblade master' – Roxas didn't belong to anyone – but the kid was already shrugging off his own coat and boots, and clambering in.

Demyx grinned at the small victory. "It's good, right?"

Roxas disappeared in the water until he was only a disembodied floating head. "Wow, it kind of is."

Axel closed his eyes for patience. "Guys, seriously, that's nice, but-"

"Come on," Roxas grinned, cheeks flushed pink from the warmth, moving along to the other side so he could climb in. "As long as we finish the mission, having the icing on the cake isn't going to hurt, right?"

"A little something extra?" Axel echoed, and rolled his eyes. Still, it did look inviting, and Demyx looked as though he'd died and went to Nobody heaven. (Not that there was one.) "Ugh, fine."

Grumbling and complaining all the while, like sitting in a relaxing hot spring was the lastthing he wanted to do – someone had to act like the responsible one – Axel pulled off his clothes and lowered his wiry frame into the water. It was an uncomfortable fit, with elbows and knees bumping into one another, but the warmth over his freezing and aching muscles really was like a godsend. A shiver went down his spine – this time at the warmth, not the cold. Spending the rest of the day here wouldn't be so bad.

Not that he'd admit it. "We'll stay for half an hour, then finish the mission. Got it?"

From underneath dripping blond bangs, Roxas looked like a mournful, half-drowned kitten. "Okay..."

"One hour, tops." Damn, those big blue eyes got him every time.

From Demyx's side of the pool, there came a huge sigh of relief.