Rating: M

Summary: His doubts about Vexen and Zexion's abilities faded away as he approached it. It looked as perfect as, "…Roxas?" Axel breathed. The look alike opened its ocean blue eyes, giving Axel a questioning stare.

Trick or Treat?

Chapter 6

xXx

Days passed and Axel found himself longing to feel alive again. Finally, it became too much to bear and he found himself acting on the impulse.

Ven woke, surprised to see Axel watching him. "Good morning, Axel." The red-head grasped the side of the blond's face. "Axel…?" he questioned, just before the nobody pulled him into an innocent kiss. Ven gasped, but didn't resist and Axel took it as an invitation, deepening the kiss.

His hands slid up that perfect, but small body, snaking under the blond's shirt and memorizing every detail of Ven's skin. Axel climbed on top of him as the boy submitted, wanting, needing, feeling more and more. He was beginning to feel it again. That delicious, lively spark that made his existence feel like it was worth something.

Axel's door opened wide and they both froze. The red-head silently prayed that it wasn't Vexen or Zexion. When he gathered the courage to look, he found himself wishing he hadn't. Roxas was standing in his doorway, looking like he was both shocked and appalled by the sight.

"Roxas?" Axel finally asked, silently wishing that the blond wasn't really there. As if jolted back to reality, Roxas' gaze hardened and then the door slammed shut. "Roxas!" Axel yelled, completely forgetting Ven and scrambling up and after him. Roxas had only gotten a few corridors away before Axel caught up with him. "Wait, please!" Roxas hesitated then crossed his arms, sighing dejectedly.

"Why should I, Axel?"

"Just let me explain, please," he pleaded. Roxas sighed again and then turned toward the red-head almost impatiently, his blue eyes stormy and dangerous.

"How the hell do you expect to explain yourself!" Axel hung his head and didn't say anything. "What the fuck is that… that… thing, Axel!" The red-head closed his eyes.

"I didn't think you'd ever wake up… so I asked Zexion and Vexen to construct a clone of you. They were happy to, for the sake of research."

"Am I that easily replaceable to you!"

"No, Roxas, it's not like that-" The blond's glare silenced him.

"Go fuck yourself, Axel. Oh wait, you already have a clone of me to do that for you."

"Please Roxas, I did it because I love you!"

"Save it, Axel. Don't you dare say that when you know we can't feel! Go be happy with your new plaything." The red-head reached out, grabbing the blond as he tried to leave and pushing him into the wall.

"That's a lie! I can feel, I know I can!" Angry blue eyes widened in shock when the red-head pressed their lips together, desperately trying to make him understand. A sharp slap across the face and then keyblades forced Axel back. Darkness began to swirl around the blond as he summoned a pathway through the darkness. "Roxas, please, don't!" The smaller nobody raised his keyblades even more defensively.

"Stay away from me!" He yelled, and before Axel could do anything else, he was gone. The red-head heard a noise behind him and sharply turned. Ven jumped back, startled, as their eyes locked. He was crying hard and Axel knew he'd seen everything the moment he looked into those beautiful blue eyes.

"…Ven," was all he could say before the blond took off. Axel chased him, but when he turned the corner, he was nowhere to be found. The nobody leant against the corridor's wall before banging his head against it.

"Damn it."

xXx

Axel didn't give up. He searched for Ven until he found him, wishing he hadn't when he did. The boy had climbed up the side of the Castle and was high enough that the fall would kill him. He knew that that was Ven's intent by the boy's posture.

"No, please no, don't do this, come down, please!"

"Why should I? You probably don't even care about me… you're in love with him, after all."

"Please Ven! I love you both." The blond turned his head away and closed his eyes. "I do care about you… You're so much more special to me than anyone I've ever met… You've shown me all that I can be and make me want to be more than what I was meant to be." Ven still refused to look at the red-head. "Please come down. I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

"Yes. I promise." Their eyes locked.

"You will take me to Destiny Islands and let me live out my life in peace." Axel nodded in agreement.

"Alright, whatever you want." The red-head felt the weight in the pit of his stomach he'd been feeling lift as the blond climbed down to him. Axel stepped toward him and the blond was immediately surrounded by nobodies. Ven cried out in alarm as one wrapped around him from behind, holding him in place. "What the-?" Axel began, freezing when he heard footsteps approaching. Zexion stepped out of the shadows, shaking his head as he approached the two.

"It seems it's worse than I thought…" The slate-haired boy paused to glower at Axel. "You've completely ruined him." The taller nobody stiffened just before Zexion snapped his fingers. The scream behind him made him whip around just in time to see the blond being impaled by the nobodies' sharpened arms. Number Six immediately found himself on the ground, pinned down after receiving a blow to the face. He was surrounded by flames, with a Chakrum's spike less than in inch from his eye. Ven's eyes widened at the sight. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

"Give me just one reason why I shouldn't give you a good reason to hide one of your eyes," he snarled, his eyes ablaze. Zexion smirked.

"Because if you cooperate I'm going to let you have him, since he's going to die anyway." The red-head shook from anger then backed off slightly. "Don't you want to fulfill your promise to Ven, Axel?" The red-head brought his arm back, as if he were going to strike the other nobody.

"This isn't over."

"Actually, it is, or I will be changing my mind… you see, Vexen still believes he's like us and would love to experiment further… With him, your little blond's end will be much more… painful. That I can guarantee." Still glowering, Axel got off of Zexion slowly.

"Get out of here. Now." The smaller nobody smirked, summoning the darkness around him.

"As you wish," he murmured, just before vanishing. As he did, so did the other nobodies. Axel quickly went to the marred blond's side. He knelt beside him.

"I'm so so sorry Ven," he whispered delicately. Ven gazed up at the red-head, his face paler than usual. Then he turned his head to the side, coughing up some blood.

"It's my fault not yours… I told Zexion everything, including how I fell in love with you and demanded to know the truth as well." After a moment he gazed up at Axel. "I'm sorry." Axel held him in his arms, hugging him tightly. "Will you still take me?"

"Why Destiny Islands," he whispered, feeling an unfamiliar stinging everywhere. Ven smiled softly, his eyes closing.

"Because… that's where you made my dream come true." Axel nodded.

"Alright… close your eyes." Ven shook his head.

"I want to see how you do it."

"No. I don't want you to see the darkness. It's ugly and terrifying and-"

"Please, Axel, I'm not afraid." The red-head sighed softly.

"Fine."

Ven watched silently and curiously as Axel summoned a pathway through the darkness before gently picking him up and walking into it. He looked around the vast amount of empty space, seeing a light at the far end. "What's that?"

"Our destination." He gripped Axel more tightly as black shadowy creatures formed around them. Sensing Ven's distress, Axel made them burst into flame. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." Ven nodded and they continued in silence.

When they stepped out into the sun and onto the beach, Ven smiled slightly. The sun was just starting to set there. Wordlessly, Axel went to their spot, setting the blond down on the sand and propping him against the fallen tree. Then he sat beside him.

"Thank you."

"Any time, partner." Ven shook his head. The smaller boy grimaced, looking like he was in a lot of pain.

"No, for being in my life and for having spent it with me." Axel grasped the blond's hand, slightly surprised when Ven gave his own a gentle squeeze. They sat in silence for a long time and finally, as the last traces of twilight vanished the red-head gazed down at the blond who had closed his eyes.

"If I were free to live the way I wanted to… I'd spend the rest of my existence here with you," he whispered, wishing it, as he saw a shooting star. The blond said nothing. "Ven?" After still no response, Axel shook the boy. His head fell lifelessly to the side and the nobody understood. Eyes shining, he wordlessly pulled Ven closer, holding him for a very long time.

xXx

-TBC-

A/n: Love it? Hate it? Let me know? Thanks (: