A/N: Sorry for the delay! My poor beta is bogged down with midterms, so I decided to go ahead and edit this myself. Any and all mistakes are my own. Hope you guys enjoy!

Roxas was a bit put out when he woke up by himself as he clearly remembered curling into a warm body but he didn't even need to open his eyes before he heard the clacking of keys along with Axel's muttered comments to himself. The writer must have had a serious brainstorm because it was the only thing that could tear him out of bed while Roxas was still sleeping. The blond took a deep breath and stretched before opening his eyes.

Dawn was beginning to streak the skies of Traverse Town and Axel was perched on the hotel room's window seat with his laptop. His glasses were perched on the edge of his nose and his lips moved silently as he muttered to himself. The sunlight streamed through the partially opened curtains and it was this light that Axel was using to type. He was so absorbed in his work that he had yet to notice that he was being watched. These types of mornings were Roxas' favorites and he silently feared what would happen once Axel had all his research material and they returned to Twilight Town. Would this – thing – between them continue or would things go back to the way they had been? A small frown marred the blond's features. Axel had said that seven out of ten times their paths had converged in some way shape or form. And the red-head had even died to save his life in another reality. But that didn't mean that this Axel felt the same way. Roxas' brows furrowed as his frown deepened.

"You're thinking too loudly," Axel stated and Roxas nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise.
The writer slid off the window seat, leaving his laptop on the cushion before padding silently back over to the bed and slipping beneath the covers. Roxas allowed himself to be pulled against the taller man without protest – he had since discovered that the red-head was an extremely tactile person and he briefly wondered how Axel had coped growing up in a household so devoid of emotion. "What's bothering you?" The writer asked softly and Roxas silently cursed the man's ability to read people. He waited to answering, choosing first to hum contentedly at the warmth emitting from Axel's body.

"Are you ever planning on going back to Darkling?" he asked, deciding to keep his real thoughts to himself. Axel froze at the question before he relaxed, his fingers lightly tracing the scar the harpy had left behind on Roxas' arm. They hadn't been to Darkling since Roxas' birthday trip and that was nearly a month ago.

"I'm not so sure that it's a good idea to go back," Axel stated. Roxas groaned even though he had been half-expecting that answer.

"Axel, I just woke up. I don't have the brain function required to have a decent debate on the subject so let's just shelve the issue until I've had my coffee, okay?" the blond asked. Axel huffed in annoyance but let the smaller man get up from the bed in order to get dressed. "You can't avoid the House of Darkling forever," Roxas told the writer after he had gotten his first cup of coffee into him.

"I'm not avoiding it," Axel snapped, spearing his eggs angrily. Roxas merely raised an eyebrow while he cradled his second cup of coffee between both hands and Axel sighed. "Do you honestly think it's a good idea to keep world-jumping after the last time?" he asked.

"I thought the circus was very enjoyable," Roxas stated as he popped a strawberry into his mouth. Axel glared at the blond.

"You know what I mean," he stated, his gaze lingering on Roxas' left arm. Roxas sighed in annoyance.

"Yes, I do. But I was the one injured and I'm over it and ready to go back. So all you have to decide is whether it's safer for me to go by myself or with you," the blond stated as he pushed away from the table and headed out to the streets of Traverse Town. He was already halfway through the Third District when he heard the sound of feet slapping the pavement but he kept walking, his hands stubbornly shoved into his pockets.

"Roxas, wait!" Axel called. He sprinted toward the smaller man, grabbing the blond's elbow and spinning the editor around to face him. Roxas jerked his arm away from Axel's grip and glared at the taller man. Axel sighed in frustration, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Okay, look, if we're going to be world-jumping I want both of us to brush up on our fighting skills."

"And where, pray tell, are we going to do that here?" Roxas asked, clearly unimpressed. Axel didn't answer but continued onward. For a brief moment Roxas thought that they were actually going to Darkling but Axel veered off the normal path and the two men entered a large drain. As the daylight vanished the echoing sound of their feet on slick stone seemed extraordinarily loud. The unending darkness made Roxas feel claustrophobic but just as he felt his control begin to slip a dim light appeared at the end of the tunnel. "Is that where we're headed?" Roxas asked, wincing as his voice reverberated back to him.

"Yeah. Why?" Axel asked and Roxas shrugged.

"Usually they tell you to move away from the light." Roxas stated and Axel snorted. As they pulled up to the edge of a tiny lake, Axel motioned for Roxas to look and the blond turned, noticing a house floating on a small island in the middle of the lake. "That's where we're going to train?" Roxas asked incredulously. "What kind of person trains people here?" he asked but began following Axel as he bean jumping the stones.

"Merlin does!" Axel yelled and Roxas nearly slipped off the stone he was on.

"THE Merlin? As in, Merlin from The Sword in the Stone? These stones are moving." Roxas stated, carefully hopping his way to the island.

"Yeah, Merlin likes to test people." Axel responded, cupping his hand beneath Roxas' elbow as he helped him up the short incline. Once the editor was safely on solid ground the red-head turned to the left and led the way into the house. Inside, a tall, thin old man in a blue robe with a matching pointy blue cap was studying a book. His hair was pure white, as was his mustache and long, flowing beard. He looked up as Axel and Roxas entered and the light gleamed off his small round spectacles.

"Mr. Lea, what a pleasant surprise. And this is…?" he asked, inspecting the shorter man.

"Merlin," Axel greeted. "This is Roxas, my editor."

"Among other things, I'm sure," Merlin stated knowingly and both men flushed. "I've been keeping tabs on you since you were last here." Merlin stated, shelving his book. "And I much approve of your writing over that other nonsense you were mixed up in."

"I know, Merlin. But I have a favor to ask." Axel interrupted.

"You need training." Merlin stated, pulling his wand from his robe. "Well, don't look so surprised," he said, taking note of the two men's expressions. "People seek me out for stories or training and when you have one so adept at telling stories," he stated as he gestured to Axel, "it's not hard to figure out why you're here." The wizard waived his wand and in a flash the three men were transported to an arena upstairs. "Normally I use this arena to train apprentices in magic but it will serve for your purposes as well. Now, is there anything in particular you need to work on?"

"Aerial assaults," Axel stated, releasing his chakrams. Roxas followed his lead as Merlin waived his wand again. The blond let his defensive stance fall away as he looked at his opponents.

"Seriously? We're fighting furniture?" he asked before ducking as a wooden chair rushed him. Roxas rolled his eyes at the resultant smirk on Axel's face before throwing himself into the fray.

Roxas groaned as he sank further into the soapy water. For a week now he had been training with Merlin both with Axel and on his own. Roxas found the magician utterly fascinating with his stories and he had a strong suspicion that Merlin had played a major role in Axel's decision to become a writer. But the blond wasn't in the mood for deep thoughts tonight; Merlin might be fun to talk to but he was one devil of a trainer and their sessions always left the blond bruised and aching. The editor nudged the hot water handle with his foot, letting the fresh water reheat the water in the tub.

"Roxas?" Axel called as he tapped on the door. "Are you in there?"

"No, I'm just some strange and random person who broke into your hotel room to use your tub." Roxas called back sarcastically.

"In that case, there is a positively hideous watercolor hanging above the toilet. Feel free to take it with you when you leave," the writer stated and Roxas snorted as he turned the water off. The previously locked bathroom door swung open and the blond really regretted teaching Axel to pick locks. Said man raised an eyebrow and asked, "Bubble bath, Roxas? Really?"

"You're just jealous because you can't stretch out in the tub," Roxas shot back, glaring at the taller man.

"And to think, there was a point in time when I used to be frightened by you. By the way," he continued, cutting off the blond's scathing retort, "I don't think I've ever been so jealous of bubbles in my life."

"Axel, what do you want?" Roxas sighed, resigned to having to deal with conversation while he was naked in a tub.

"Oh, come on, Roxas," Axel stated. "Neither one of us is a blushing virgin." He smirked. "At least not anymore." Roxas pointedly ignored the burning flush covering his face and waited for Axel to get to his point. He didn't have to wait long. "Actually, I just wanted to say that I think we can go back to Darkling tomorrow," the writer stated. Roxas opened his eyes - he had shut them while luxuriating in the silence - and looked at the red-head.

"Are you serious?" he asked, resettling himself in the water. Axel nodded and the blond grinned. "Good. Now get out so I can get out of the tub," he ordered. Axel grinned lasciviously.

"Oh, don't be shy on my account, darling; it's not like I haven't seen it before."

"OUT!"

Roxas sat on the couch and watched in amusement as Axel flittered back and forth. He'd pull a book from a shelf, read the jacket, and shove it back onto the shelf with a groan.

"No luck?" he asked, hiding his grin. Axel's response was to throw himself onto the other half of the couch with a groan. Roxas took a moment to make some edits to the chapter he was working on before asking, "What about the paintings?" At Axel's inquisitive glance he elaborated. "You know, the paintings Duncan showed us before the books? We went down the rabbit hole, the crazy queen wanted to decapitate us - is any of this ringing a bell?" he asked after noticing Axel's blank stare.

"Oh…right," the red-head said slowly before launching himself off the couch and taking the spiral staircase two steps at a time. Roxas sighed and packed up his work before following. By the time he caught up with his revitalized…whatever Axel was to him…the writer was standing in front of a picture of an old galleon pirate ship painted red with yellow trim. There were two masts and a crow's nest, three cannons on deck and a plank. A Jolly Roger flag was waiving from the front-most mast and Axel's gaze seemed riveted.

"Is that our new world?" Roxas asked, moving to stand next to the taller man. The red-head turned and grinned at the shorter man before grabbing him around the waist and jumping into the picture.

The two men landed on the ship's deck and Axel kept a tight arm around Roxas' waist as the blond stumbled to regain his footing. While Axel quickly regained his sea legs, the blond struggled to acclimate to the rocking motions of the boat. After all, he hadn't been on water since he helped Sora and Riku build that raft all those years ago. He finally managed to get his feet steady beneath him when the Captain's door banged open and a tall, thin man walked out. His curly black hair fell to his shoulders and he was dressed in a long red coat which fell mid-thigh on him. His pants were of a maroon color and ended below his knee, though white stockings covered his calves. A red, wide-brimmed hat with a white feather was perched on his head but perhaps his most shocking feature was not his thin mustache but the hook he had in place of his left hand.

"I'm telling you, Smee, now that we have that dreadful brat, Peter Pan won't be able to resist putting in an appearance to save his darling Wendy," the man crowed triumphantly. Roxas took in the small, plump man trailing after the Captain to be Smee. Whereas the Captain looked every bit the dashing pirate, poor Smee made a comical visage with his floppy red cap, too small striped shirt and blue shorts with sandals. He trotted after the Captain and stood next to him as he scanned the horizon with a telescope. It was only as the Captain swung the telescope in their direction that Axel and Roxas realized that they were standing out in the open in the middle of this man's deck. The Captain pulled the telescope away from his eye and shoved it against Smee's chest before stalking over to the two men. "Hello," he greeted casually, twisting his hook back and forth. "And, uh, who are you?" he asked, voice silky smooth.

"Uh, I'm Axel," the writer stated, slipping his arm from Roxas' waist and subtly moving forward to block the blond.

"Axel…Lea?" the man asked, recognition sparking in his eyes as suspicion darkened Axel's. "Oh, we could use a man like you around here. In fact," the Captain grinned and made a motioning movement with his good hand. "We insist on it," he finished as two of the crew grabbed Roxas by his upper arms.

"Axel!" the blond shouted but the Captain had his rapier at the writer's throat and Smee had a blunderbuss pointed at Roxas before Axel could move to get his chakrams.

"Ah-ah," the Captain stated. "None of that. We just want some insurance that you'll do what we want before we let you go." He told Axel. "Take him to the hold," he instructed Smee and the first mate led the way as the two crew members dragged Roxas below deck. "Now, we haven't been properly introduced," the Captain continued, sheathing his rapier. "I'm Captain Hook," he stated and swept his hat off his head as he gave a low bow.

"And I really don't care," Axel snarled. He kept his eyes trained on his partner until the door swung shut behind him.

"A word to the wise, boy, never let people know your weaknesses." Hook stated as he tossed an arm around Axel's shoulders and led him to the Captain's Cabin.

As they entered the cabin Axel reluctantly sank down in one of the chairs across the desk from Hook.

"What do you want with me?" Axel asked bitterly.

"Just this," Hook stated as he pulled out a rag and began polishing his silver hook. "There is a certain flying brat among these parts known as...Peter Pan." Hook spat out the name. "You're...skill set...will be particularly useful in ridding me of this nuisance."

"And how am I supposed to find him?" Axel asked as he settled himself into his chair.

"Oh, he'll come here. You see, my crew has already acquired Peter Pan's greatest treasure," Hook stated, motioning for the red-head to follow him as he stood and crossed the cabin. He released a floor hatch and Axel peered into the room below. A young girl was locked in the cabin beneath them and Axel examined her as she paced back and forth. Her blue dress covered her shoulders and fell to the floor with a bow tied in the back. Her brunette hair was pulled back and curled into ringlets which fell just past her shoulders. For all her composure Axel could clearly see the distress in her blue eyes. The writer pulled back and stood in anger.

"That's kidnapping," he hissed. "She's a child!" Hook rolled his eyes as he walked away.

"She'll serve her purpose. And you'll serve yours," the Captain stated as he turned to face Axel. "Your name became well known when you worked for Ansem. You'll do what you're told or a certain blond takes a long walk off a short plank into the jaws of a hungry crocodile!"

Roxas grunted as he was unceremoniously dumped into the hold. He jumped to his feet and rushed to the door but it was already locked. Roxas jiggled the handle before slamming his fist into the wood in frustration.

"Dammit," he cursed, leaning his back against the door before sliding to the ground. He looked hopelessly around the hold but there were only barrels in the corner of the room. Still, maybe he could find something to pick the lock with. He picked himself off the ground and went to investigate, dusting his pants off as he went. For some reason his clothes hadn't changed with this world. As he approached the barrels, a young boy flipped out from behind them. He was dressed all in green – with the exception of his tan shoes, black sword belt and the red feather in his green cap. He floated cautiously around the blond before hovering in mid-air and scratching his orange hair.

"I don't understand. You're an adult; why would Hook lock you in the hold?" he asked.

"Uhm, because he's trying to force my friend to work for him." Roxas answered. "Why are you in the hold?"

"I'm waiting for someone," the boy answered. Before Roxas could ask anymore questions a tinkling sound came from the door and a ball of glittering light shot through the keyhole. "Tink! Did you find her?" Although Roxas heard no sound from the ball of light – a closer inspection revealed a small blond female fairy in a green dress – apparently the boy seemed to have no problem understanding. "I'm not leaving Wendy behind!" the boy argued, effectively drawing Roxas' attention back to him.

"Wendy?" Roxas asked. "The young woman in the blue dress?" he asked.

"You saw her?" the boy asked and Roxas nodded. The boy eyed him suspiciously. "How do I know you aren't working for Hook?" he asked. Roxas sighed in irritation, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Because the crazy guy locked me in here? And he has my friend, too," he added. He wasn't quite ready to classify what he and Axel were as anything more serious. At least not yet.

"Alright, we're in this together. I'll trust you on one condition. There's some type of shadow monster running loose; it takes the shape of whomever it's fighting. If you defeat it I'll know you're on our side for sure. For now we'll stick together – at least until we find Wendy." The boy dropped to the ground and stuck out a hand. "I'm Peter."

"Roxas," the blond stated, grasping and shaking the offered hand.

"Well, Roxas, let's hope Tinkerbell unlocked the door." Roxas activated his bracelet and grasped his keyblade as Peter drew his short sword and together they moved to the door. The editor gently tested the door-handle, smirking triumphantly as he felt it turn beneath his hand. He pulled the door open slowly and Peter slipped through the opening and took out the crew member standing guard.

The next room was what appeared to be another storage room. To the right were more barrels but the rest of the room was suspiciously empty. A large circular column stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, supporting the upper deck but they moved around it and climbed the wooden ladder. Two more pirates were waiting for them and Roxas was glad that his keyblade was already drawn. He and Peter attacked.

Although the pirates packed more muscle than either Roxas or Peter, the two men had the element of surprise on their side. Thus they were able to knock the pirates unconscious before they were able to call for back-up. Realizing that the pirates could wake up and sound the alarm before they completed their mission, Roxas grabbed some spare rope and tied the two pirates up before gagging them. Peter realized what he was doing and floated down to take care of the guard and once he rejoined the blond the two of them passed through the next door.

What greeted them was a – blessedly – pirate-free storage room. There were another assortment of barrels but it seemed that the only way to continue was to climb down a ladder into the ship's freezer. So with no other choice, Roxas descended the ladder as Peter glided down.

"So what does Hook want with your friend?" Peter asked as the awkward silence began to annoy him.

"I don't know. He had me thrown in the hold before I heard his plans. All I know is that he said they could use a man like Axel." The blond stopped short as he found Peter's sword at his throat.

"Axel Lea?" Peter demanded. Roxas swung his keyblade and knocked the sword away from his artery. He took a defensive stance against the flying boy.

"How do you and Hook know Axel?" he asked warily.

"We don't know him. We know of him. And the others in his group," Peter stated. "But I don't remember your name being among that list." Realization dawned on Roxas' face.

"That's because he's not a pirate anymore. He quit. He's a writer now and I'm his editor," Roxas explained. "And we're wasting time being suspicious of each other when we could be helping him and Wendy," he continued, relaxing his stance. Peter kept a wary eye on the editor but he dropped his fighting stance when he saw that the blond wasn't going to attack him. Roxas took that as permission to start examining the new room they found themselves.

It was another vacant room. The only space that was occupied was the two cylindrical support beams and a large wooden storage box. Other than that, the only other thing to look at was the ribs of the ship. Roxas edged his way across the floor until he came to another ladder in the corner of the room.

"Should we go?" he asked. Peter glided up the ladder in response. "So, uhm, how can you fly?" Roxas inquired as they continued down the hallway.

"Anyone can fly," Peter stated. "Well, at least any child I've met. All it takes is pixie dust and a happy thought."

"Is that what all that shimmery stuff is?" Roxas asked, wrinkling his nose at the sparkles surrounding the boy. Peter merely laughed in response and the blond took a look around the room they found themselves in. It appeared to be the Galley and a large fire was burning in the hearth. Above their heads in the corner was a grate.

"Peter?" A soft voice asked. "Peter Pan?"

"Wendy?" Peter called, flying up the grating. The young girl knelt down on the floor.

"Please hurry! The pirates are coming! Smee discovered that you were with an escaped prisoner and Hook has ordered that I be brought to his cabin!"

"What?" Peter asked, distressed. "Just hold on! We'll be right up there!" But before they could move they heard the sound of a door opening and Wendy being dragged from the room. "We have to get up there!" he cried, turning to face Roxas.

"There!" Roxas cried, pointing to a break in the grating in the far corner of the room. Peter was off like a shot and the blond quickly followed behind him, grateful that he had taken gymnastics as a child. He quickly launched himself off the Galley table and grabbed the edge of the shelf. Pulling himself up he turned around and jumped, grasping the edge of the grating. Peter helped haul him up and they found themselves in the recently vacated cabin. "Now what?" he asked.

"We need to find some way out of here," Peter stated, trying to force the cabin door. "I don't think we're getting out this way."

"So...why is Hook trying to use Wendy to lure you out?" Roxas asked as they began inspecting the cabin.

"Because we're enemies," Peter stated. "During one of our fights I cut off his left hand and fed it to a crocodile. I guess the crocodile liked what he ate because he's been following him ever since. It drives Hook crazy."

"You're joking," Roxas laughed but Peter's grin said otherwise.

"If you ever hear a ticking noise but don't see a clock, you'll know the crocodile is around. Hook goes absolutely crazy if he hears a clock ticking, whether it's the crocodile or not." Peter sighed and shook his head. "I wish I knew why he hated me before that, though. Aha!" he cried triumphantly, releasing a ladder from the ceiling. They quickly climbed it and found themselves in the Captain's Cabin but there was nobody there. Or so they thought.

As they headed toward the door, a shadow slithered underneath the door.

"That's the shadow monster!" Peter cried. Roxas gripped his keyblade, remembering his deal with Peter.

"You keep going. Get Wendy," he ordered. Peter paused to scrutinize the smaller man before nodding and continuing out the door. Roxas turned his attention to his adversary, surprisingly unsurprised to see that it had taken his shape. The two Roxas' stood facing each other, each in a defensive stance before the blond finally launched himself at his shadow. He got a few good shots in before his shadow flattened himself out along the ground and slithered away. Roxas followed at a safe distance and automatically parried his shadow's attacks as it popped out of the ground. Roxas rolled to get out of its way before turning and carrying his momentum forward, getting in a combo hit before the shadow once again flattened itself against the ground.

The fight continued in much the same manner for another five minutes before Roxas discovered that his shadow had another trick up its sleeve. The blond was on the defensive when the shadow suddenly split itself into three. Roxas hesitated, not quite sure which shadow to attack, and found himself shoved against the table. He grit his teeth and let out a hiss of pain. His ribs protested the rough treatment but Roxas allowed his momentum to carry him and flipped over the piece of furniture, effectively putting the table between himself and the shadows. For once, he was immensely grateful that Axel had demanded they both train before they came to this world. As if knowing that Roxas was thinking about him, the red-head barreled into the room.

"Roxas!" he shouted, eyes locking on the blond. The smaller man was glad to see that Axel's chakrams were at the ready.

"Watch it!" he shouted and was happy to see two flaming discs take out two of the three shadows.

"What the hell is this?" Axel asked, attacking the remaining shadow.

"Some type of shadow creature. Peter said it just showed up but I don't recognize it from any of your stories," Roxas stated as he rejoined the fight.

"That's because it's not one of mine," Axel grit out. He winced as he missed blocking a particularly hard hit. "Why the hell does is look like you."

"It takes the shape of whoever it's fighting. Where's Peter?" Roxas asked.

"He's coming," Axel answered. "FINALLY!" he shouted. The shadow dissipated under the onslaught and Roxas was grateful to see that it disappeared. "During all the hullabaloo I managed to get away from Hook. He wasn't exactly happy to hear that you had escaped and were helping Peter. Anyway, Hook had Wendy brought to the cabin but then decided to leave her where she was," he stated, opening a hatch.

"Wendy!" Peter cried, entering the cabin. He floated down to where the unconscious girl lay. "Sorry guys, this is as far as I go. I have to help Wendy," he stated, lifting the girl into his arms. "Roxas, sorry I was so suspicious of you. And Axel...I'm glad you're on our side," Peter stated before taking off.

"That was nice of him," Axel said blandly.

"You didn't have his sword at your jugular." Roxas responded drily. "Can we go home now?" he asked. He didn't care if he sounded petulant, his ribs hurt and he wanted to go home.

"As soon as I settle something with Hook," Axel stated. His tone caught Roxas' attention and the smaller man turned and shuddered at the dark look on the writer's face. He did not want to be Hook right now. Axel lit his chakrams on fire and Roxas gripped his keyblade tightly before following the taller man onto the deck.

"Damnation!" The Captain cried as he watched Peter fly away with Wendy. "We have to find that blond! Axel is the only thing we have left, Smee!"

"Wrong," Roxas stated angrily. Hook whirled around and took in the pissed off faces of Axel and Roxas.

"You already made the mistake of taking Roxas hostage once," Axel hissed. "And now you're trying to do it again?" he asked. "Hook, you and I have a score to settle." The writer sent his chakrams flying into the group of pirates. The crew scattered – some attempted to run below decks but the majority, which had been lit on fire, jumped overboard. Roxas headed off the runners and it wasn't long before they were joining the rest of their mates overboard.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hook begged, hearing the ticking of the clock. "Don't send me overboard," he begged. "The crocodile will eat my other hand!"

"What was it you told me?" Axel asked. "A word to the wise, boy, never let people know your weaknesses," he quoted before throwing a burning chakram at the cowering captain. Hook screamed before falling overboard and Roxas watched in satisfaction as the Captain swam for all he was worth, trailed by a ravenous crocodile. "Now we can go home," Axel stated as he slipped his rings back on.

"Look," Roxas pointed to the other side of the ship. "Mermaids." Along the coast of the Neverland islands, mermaids were swimming among a cluster of rocks.

"Aren't they supposed to be good luck?" Axel asked, leaning against the railing of the ship.

"Depends on who you talk to. Some say they lure men to their deaths with their siren song," Roxas answered. Axel tilted his head and listened for a moment.

"Guess it doesn't work on gays," he stated grinning and Roxas laughed despite the ache of his ribs. "At least it's not working on me. How are you feeling? Any pressing desires to jump overboard and swim to your death?" he asked mock-seriously.

"You know, I was gay before we started this – whatever the hell this thing between us is." Roxas informed him. Axel chuckled before dropping a kiss to the blond's unruly curls.

"Come on, let's get back to the hotel so I can check on your ribs," Axel stated and Roxas willingly followed the red-head as he used the key to take them back to Darkling. Later, after his bruised ribs had been wrapped and he had been given an excess of pain killers he would ask,

"What are we, anyway?" Roxas blearily opened his eyes to look at the writer. Axel paused in his typing and contemplated his answer.

"We're whatever we want to be," he stated. After a moment's pause he added, "For however long we want to be it." Satisfied with Axel's answer Roxas shut his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him.

~Review~