The books.

The books. Save the books. The books are burning!

Heat, dust, fires that touch but don't burn… but the books… the books are burning and the pages slip between my fingers. I have to save the books but they burn and burn and burn I can smell them burning. And the flesh and hair and the screams as the books are burning…

My chest hurts. Can't die yet. Save the books…

Axel awoke with a racking cough, and for a moment he tasted soot and felt phantom flames against his skin. Then he realized there were sparks in his hair and the couch was singeing.

"Damn!" Jerking upright, he extinguished the flames and frowned at the couch. Fortunately, the damage wasn't too bad… maybe the cleaning staff wouldn't notice if he put a pillow over it. Axel grimaced at himself… that nightmare happened sometimes, and he'd never found a way to prevent it. Fortunately, the flames built slowly so the few times he'd been sleeping with someone else, it woke them up and they generally gave him a sharp jab to take care of it. He made a mental note to warn Roxas about that… it might freak him out, waking up to find his lover setting the bed on fire. Then he blinked as he heard a whimper from the bed. "Roxas?"

"Axel?" Roxas tried to sit up and fell back, his face an unhealthy shade of green. "Bath… bathroom…" Axel quickly grabbed his arm and rushed him to the bathroom so he could make his offering to the porcelain goddess. Roxas retched, then heaved the contents of his stomach into the bowl as Axel kept an arm around his chest. The boy was trembling so hard, he was afraid he was going to pass out. "Oh… I want to die…"

"You won't die." Axel said soothingly, and Roxas looked up weakly, his normally beautiful blue eyes rather bloodshot.

"I know, I want to… urrpp…" Roxas heaved again, and Axel concentrated on murmuring soothing nothings, stroking his hair as the boy dealt with his hangover. "…Water?" He rasped out when he was done, and Axel nodded, letting go of him to fetch a glass of water. Roxas drained it as if he was dying of thirst, and Axel got him another. "Thanks, Axel."

"No problem. I've had a few hangovers in my lifetime. C'mon, let's put you back to bed." Axel helped Roxas up, almost carrying the boy back to the bed. He had Roxas settled in when someone knocked at the door. Frowning, he looked up. "Come in!" He blinked as Vexen's bodyguard came in, carrying a tray of food. Roxas groaned at the smells, but Axel's stomach clenched in hunger. It had been a long time since the bar snacks.

"I know you probably don't think so, Roxas, but eating would help." He said with a sympathetic smile, and Axel examined the man thoughtfully. He hadn't really had the time to get acquainted with him so far. He had long blue hair and an odd X scar on his face. "And I'm sure you're hungry, Axel."

"You're right about that. Uh, what's your name?" He couldn't remember Vexen mentioning it.

"Saix. There's a note from Vexen on the tray. See you later… I need to go take care of his majesty." Saix smiled at him again before leaving the room, and Axel frowned at the note. Deciding to ignore it for now, he put together a small plate of food for Roxas and carried it to the bed along with a large glass of orange juice.

"His majesty?" Roxas mumbled, blinking at Axel. "Never heard Saix say anything like that before." Vexen's bodyguard was usually the strong, silent type. Axel shrugged.

"You probably shouldn't repeat it to Vexen. Here's some toast with eggs. Eggs really do help." Roxas turned a little green and shook his head, but tried the orange juice. "Well, give 'em a try when you feel up to it."

"Okay." Axel smiled at Roxas before going back to the table and starting his own breakfast. There was a lot left, and he tucked into it immediately. Pulling out the note, he read it as he ate.

Axel,

I am going to be conducting business all day. Please show my son around. However, since it seems I must clarify, there are restrictions. Do not take him to any taverns. Do not take him to any whorehouses. Do not take him to any drug dens or gambling parlours. Do not, under any circumstances, no matter how much he begs you, take him to see the Animaniacs movie. Do not take him above the eleventh layer or below the second. Other than that, please have fun and if you can, take my stubborn, annoying son to bed.

-Vexen

Axel stopped chewing as he read through the note, blinking. What was an animaniac? And was Vexen ordering him to sleep with Roxas?

"Roxas, your dad is really weird." Axel had to comment, and Roxas looked up from his orange juice with a frown.

"Why, what's in the note?" Axel tossed it over to the bed, and watched, entertained, as Roxas' ears turned red. "I wish he would stop that! He acts like if I don't get laid soon I'm going to be a virgin forever like Rodrick."

"Hmm." Axel decided not to pursue that in favor of the truly unanswered. "What's an animaniac?" He had no clue, and it was cute when Roxas really started to blush.

"That's… it's… a cartoon. When I was a kid I sang the theme song for it for three years straight. I still like them…" Roxas admitted, shamefaced. "And a movie just came out. I think he's afraid I'll start singing the theme song again." Axel grinned.

"Three years? My mom would have drowned you. I guess this explains why your dad is so weird, hey?" Roxas glowered at him and Axel laughed. "Well! We can't go to the whorehouse, such a shame… would you like to check out the flea market? It's something else." Roxas looked a little dubious, then shrugged. He'd been to flea markets before and never found them very interesting, but it was something to do.

"Um… Axel? I'm really sorry about getting you into trouble with my dad." Roxas looked up, meeting Axel's green eyes, and Axel smiled for a moment before waving it off.

"Don't worry about it. It's hardly the first time I've had to skip a meal. Just think a bit about me next time, okay?" Roxas flushed but nodded. He would have to consider Axel now, before he did something to really piss Vexen off, and he suddenly frowned. Was that part of the point of getting him a bodyguard? "Before we go to the flea market, though, you should sleep a few more hours." Axel was sure more sleep would do wonders for Roxas' hangover. He was still pale and had only managed to eat one egg.

"I don't know if I can sleep, Axel." Roxas said wretchedly, and Axel chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. He wouldn't have offered for anybody… but Roxas looked so pathetic, so tired and worn.

"I can sing you to sleep." He finally said, his voice a bit harsh. Roxas looked at him with a frown, and Axel smiled crookedly. "It's a gift." He didn't give Roxas a chance to ask, sitting down beside him on the bed and taking his hand, concentrating on the feel of his soft skin as he began to sing. A moment later, Roxas was dozing comfortably.

Or at least, to Axel it was a moment later. But his throat was sore and, glancing at the clock, he knew he had been singing for almost fifteen minutes. The time was completely lost to him. He had no recollection of it whatsoever. Mongo had told him not to worry about it, that the gift always answered his desires so there was no point in fearing it… but he couldn't help but worry. It wasn't like his fire magic, it wasn't something he could consciously control… and when he used it, he felt completely out of control. Axel examined Roxas' face for a moment. Asleep, he looked like a beautiful angel. Axel bent down, pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek before looking around for something for him to do.

There were several books on the dresser, and Axel gravitated to them instantly. Flipping one of them open, he began to carefully read. The script wasn't his homeworlds… they used a completely different alphabet… but an intensive study of different languages and writings had been part of his studies. And he was good at languages. He'd learned to speak three when he was just a child.

But the subject matter of the book was another story. Axel sighed and started looking at the pretty pictures as he realized the terms and equations in it were simply incomprehensible to him. What was molecular gastronomy anyway? The pictures seemed to relate to bizarre foods. It was very confusing.

Another book on the table was much better… it was a story about a place called Camelot, and involved knights and dragons and glorious deeds. Axel couldn't be absolutely sure, but he thought it was a fantasy, not a historic novel. The descriptions were too fanciful, and it was depicting a class two or three world, not a class one like Roxas homeworld.

Time passed swiftly as he read the book. Puzzling out the script sometimes took a bit of time, but got much easier as he went on and the book was good. By noon, Roxas stirred again with a groan.

"Ohh… Axel?" Roxas pushed himself up, looking much better, and Axel looked up with a smile. "Ugh, I feel… so grubby." It had been a long time since he had had a bath. Axel's smile warmed… he was feeling more than a bit dirty too, but he'd put off taking a bath, mostly because he hadn't wanted to leave Roxas alone.

"Is your head feeling better?" Roxas blushed and nodded. "Great. So… where are the baths around this place?" Axel had no idea. Roxas blinked, surprised.

"Oh… right, you wouldn't know. There's baths in the back." Roxas stopped, blushing slightly. "They're communal. And… both sexes." Axel grinned at him, amused by his blushing.

"I know. I've lived on the Twisted World for years, remember? Nothing more precious here than water." Ya Tashra and his apprentices and followers had done a lot of things for the Twisted World… they had created a very efficient waste disposal system and endless water fountains… but still, there was only just enough water to go around. Communal baths, where the water was magically purified and recycled, were the norm. Roxas nodded, sliding out of bed and blinking as he spotted the book in Axel's hands.

"You were reading that?" Axel looked down at the book, frowned and set it back on the desk. Roxas sounded… surprised.

"Yeah. You thought I couldn't read?" Axel gently teased the blond, who blushed and shook his head. "Ah, don't look so embarrassed. We get that a lot. But to be a bodyguard and courtesan, you need to be fluent in all the languages of the places you might be sold. That's why we're so expensive. Although, I can read more languages than most." Roxas tilted his head to one side, fascinated by the revelation.

"Really? How many languages do you read?" That was interesting. He hadn't really thought about how intelligent Axel might be, although he'd immediately known the bodyguard was bright. Axel shrugged with a smile, pulling a change of clothes and his hair care items out of his bags.

"Four pretty well. Three more that I can puzzle stuff out in if I work at it. I speak all seven fluently." Axel decided to leave it at that. Anything more would have seemed like bragging… it already seemed like bragging, even though it was nothing but the truth. But mentioning that he had a working knowledge of magical runes as well as two types of hieroglyphics would have been too much. He'd learned that as a child, helping his mother…

Quickly shelving the memory in a dusty bin, Axel followed Roxas to the baths. They were larger than most, quite luxurious and at the moment, completely empty. They peeled off their dirty clothes, leaving them on hangers with their room numbers… the staff would wash them and return them… and slipped into the hot waters with a glad sigh. There was a cold tub, too, but Axel vastly preferred it hot. Soon he was busy lathering his hair, eyes closed. So he didn't see the way Roxas was staring at his chest.

"Axel… what happened to you?" Axel blinked, opening his eyes at the almost horrified question, and followed Roxas gaze down to his chest.

"Oh… that." Axel frowned, searching Roxas eyes for any sign of disgust. That was something he had been worried about for years, although Mongo had told him he was being too self-critical, that none of the customers would really care about the old scars. His chest was cabled with fine white lines… it looked like someone had flayed him with hot wires. Although if you looked very closely, the way the scars tucked and ridged in places hinted that the injuries had been far, far more serious than a flaying. But the healing job had been very good. What could have been a horror show was almost decorative. And Axel couldn't see any disgust in Roxas' blue eyes… just concern. That made him feel better, and Axel smiled slightly. "Just old injuries, from when I was younger. Nothing to worry about. They don't bother you, do they?"

"Oh no!" Roxas said hastily, then smiled shyly as he scooted over to Axel's side. Axel blinked, wondering what he was up to. "Actually… if you don't mind… I'd like to touch them." Roxas slowly ran a finger along the scar on his collarbone, and Axel sucked in a quick breath. His scars felt different than the rest of his skin… they were more sensitive, almost painfully so at times. Roxas' light touch felt tingly, and he had to suppress the urge to flinch away. Roxas started tracing a scar just below his nipple, and Axel had to grab his hand as the tingling threatened to turn into pain.

"Sorry." He said huskily at Roxas startled, almost hurt expression. "My scars… they're hypersensitive. It almost hurts, when they're touched like that." Roxas winced, and Axel grinned, sliding closer to him. "Although… it is hot as hell." Roxas eyes widened as Axel's face hovered over his, and their lips met for a slow kiss.

As first kisses went, it wasn't the best in the world. Roxas had clearly never kissed before, and at first kept his lips tightly closed. But Axel gently prodded at them with his tongue, asking for an entrance, and Roxas gasped, inadvertently letting him in. Axel explored the smaller blond's mouth, putting a hand behind his head to steady him. Roxas responded enthusiastically but a touch clumsily, and to Axel that was adorable. They finally parted, breathing heavily, and Roxas blushed.

"I… I'm sorry, I'm not very good at it…" Roxas started, a bit ashamed. Axel's polished skill showed him how much he didn't know. Axel smiled, his green eyes twinkling as he slid his hand down to Roxas back.

"You're great." Roxas gave him an I-know-you're-lying look. "Seriously. As a kiss from just anybody, yeah, it could have been better. But as a kiss from Roxas… it was great." He really meant that. He'd just met Roxas, but had a serious lust for him already. Roxas frowned.

"You've just met me… you don't know me at all." He said with a surprising bitterness, and Axel's eyes flashed, as he gripped Roxas hand and then laid it on his chest, across his scars. Roxas looked surprised as Axel leaned closer, until he was almost breathing on the blond's lips.

"And you don't know me. But you want to, don't you?" He said softly, and Roxas swallowed, then nodded. "I want to know you. And we have twenty years to do it." That was the duration of his contract. He would be twenty-nine when his commitments were fulfilled. Right now, it seemed like all the time in the world. Axel started to kiss Roxas again-

And pulled back as a woman entered the baths. She completely ignored them both, sliding into the cold bath, but the moment was broken and Axel was suddenly aware of the shampoo in his hair. It was starting to congeal into an unpleasant mass, and he quickly ducked under the water to wash it out. Roxas looked both relieved and disappointed to have the moment broken, but started washing up as well. Neither of them wanted to talk with someone else in the room.

Soon they were done, wearing clean clothes and ready to head out into the world. Axel took Roxas through the clogged streets, showing him how to navigate the insane architecture of the Twisted World. Thanks to all the magic that had gone into its construction, and all the wizards who liked to set up shop, there were plenty of parts that defied normal geometry and gravity. Although given the nature of the place, its gravity was artificial to begin with…

"Axel, I think I'm going to be sick." Roxas gasped out as they had to pass through one particularly non-euclidian area. Roxas couldn't know, but it was a hub of shortcuts in the reality of the Twisted World. Axel grinned at him.

"Just close your eyes for a second." Axel advised him, and when Roxas obeyed he picked up the younger man. Roxas yelped but kept his eyes tightly closed as Axel leapt onto a neighboring stairway… but technically, he leapt up onto the bottom half of it as the gravity reversed itself. Roxas whimpered as his inner ear protested violently at the treatment and he clung to Axel as if his life depended on it. Axel, who had done this a million times, quickly found the door that provided a shortcut to the ninth level.

"We're here!" Axel quickly moved to the side to let other people exit the shortcut. As nauseating as it was, the time savings kept people coming back to that area in droves. If they had actually traveled down the layers, it would have taken hours by foot, and even an aircab would have taken quite a bit of time. The spirals were inconvenient, in some ways, and they would have been starting on the fifth level. Roxas glanced around, blinking in surprise.

"It looks like a fair, or a farmer's market." It really did. Nobody grew anything on the Twisted World, but they didn't need to. Plenty of farmers who lived near the portals were eager to bring their produce and sell it at premium prices. Although for the general population, there were the greater portals that brought large shipments of goods to fill the supermarkets. The flea market was for all kinds of smaller vendors from hundreds of worlds.

"It's probably more like a farmer's market, although you can find a lot of inter-dimensional junk here too." Axel admitted, leading the way into the mess of stalls. If they had any rhyme or reason, it was difficult to decipher. "Before you buy anything, run it past me, okay? It's perfectly possible to end up with something cursed from this place. Or at least, something that doesn't have an instructions manual." Roxas nodded, pausing to look at a stall with a selection of fine rings available. The prices were suspiciously low, and he blinked as they suddenly winked into brass before returning to gold. "Fairy gold. It can last a while, but never forever. Really good for fooling a girl, though."

"Oh." Roxas shook his head as they continued through the fair. Most of it wasn't that special to him, but there were plenty of things that were interesting and quite a few that were incomprehensible. He would have bought the rocket boots, but Axel utterly refused to allow it when he saw the user manual was hand written. "Axel, aren't you supposed to obey me?" Roxas knew he sounded petulant, but couldn't help it. Axel grinned, shaking his head.

"Sorry kid, but I'm also your bodyguard. That means when I see a clear threat to your safety, I get to do whatever I damn well please. It's in my contract." The people being guarded were often unaware of how bodyguards needed to do their jobs, so disobedience in the line of duty was part of the contract. In fact, it was mandatory. "And I don't want you playing with those boots, and I bet your father would agree."

"Probably." Roxas sighed and dropped it. Axel was undoubtedly right… if rocket boots were a good idea, his own world would have them already. "Oh wow… what are those?" Roxas ran over to a display of miniature dragons. They were each the size of a small cat and as friendly and curious as puppies. "I want to get one!" Roxas gently scratched the head of a small green female, who purred and flapped her wings. Axel grinned and shook his head.

"Bad idea, Roxas." Roxas frowned at him, starting to get really angry… until Axel pointed past him. "That's momma." Roxas turned to look and almost blanched. The adult female watching them was the size of a horse. "They breathe fire, too, and start getting really ratty when they hit puberty. Unless you neuter or spay them, and I don't think the vets in your world would be ready for that, do you?"

"No." Roxas could imagine it, and while it was a hilarious thought, he didn't think it would be nearly as funny in real life. "Okay, Axel… what would you recommend I get?" Axel looked thoughtful for a moment.

"If you want a pet? How about a pet rock?" Roxas gave him a look, and Axel grinned. "I'm serious! Almost all of us have one. Let me show you…" Axel took Roxas through the flea market, easily finding the pet rock vendor. Every class ended up discovering them from the class above, then demanded a trip to the vendor. "These things are super popular, you'll love 'em." Roxas looked at the rocks dubiously. They were dozens of colors and glittered like talc, but he couldn't see what was special about them. "Pick one up." Frowning, Roxas did so, then gasped.

The rock was… vibrating. Almost singing, although no one else could hear anything. But to Roxas, the vibration was the most pleasant, relaxing thing he had ever felt. He closed his eyes for a moment and swayed, until Axel touched him on the shoulder. His eyes shot open as he shook off the spell of the rock.

"Pretty nice, eh? They make a great sleep aide. Why don't you get a couple? Vexen probably doesn't know about them." That made Roxas beam, and Axel felt his heart skip a beat at the happy expression. Roxas looked so beautiful when he was happy, his blue eyes bright and his smile wide and open.

"That's a great idea! Dad's birthday is next month and I didn't know what to get him." He was sure Vexen didn't have a pet rock… he'd have noticed something this strange. "Thanks Axel. Do you want one too?" Axel shook his head.

"I already have one in my bags." He liked using it when he was having a particularly bad night. It didn't prevent the nightmares, unfortunately, but it let him drop off after one. They kept exploring the fair but didn't find anything as fascinating, and picked up supper from a street vendor.

"Do I want to know what I'm eating?" Roxas asked as Axel bit into the crispy, spicy meat chunks on a stick. A few vegetables had been stuck on, but they were clearly an afterthought.

"Nope. Just enjoy it, it tastes pretty good." They snacked in silence for a while, and Roxas groaned as he saw they were going back to the shortcut, but didn't protest as Axel picked him up again. A short, stomach churning series of jumps later, and they were back on the fifth level. It didn't take them long to reach the Black Swan Inn… and find out that Vexen and Saix weren't back yet.

"They must be having a long day." Roxas said with a frown, and Axel shrugged as they entered Roxas room. It was almost nine, which was rather late. "I-oh!" Roxas gasped as strong arms slid around him from behind and warm breath touched his throat. "Axel, what are you doing…" He stopped with a blush as Axel chuckled softly. It was blindingly obvious what the redhead was doing.

"Your dad did say I should seduce you, Roxas." Axel said playfully, and Roxas blush deepened. "That's one instruction I don't mind taking." He started slowly exploring the small, desirable blond, but Roxas caught his hands.

"I'm not just a… duty to you, am I?" Roxas turned in Axel's arms to face him, and Axel smiled into his face, his eyes dark with lust.

"Roxas… you could never be just a duty to anyone." Axel was a bit amazed that Roxas couldn't see how desirable he was. He clearly didn't think of himself as anything special… but Axel was sure that most other people wouldn't agree. Roxas was more than cute enough to be a courtesan, if he'd been born in another time and place. "Let me show you…" Axel began removing Roxas' clothes in slow, sensuous moves. He undid his shirt buttons, sliding open the cloth and exploring Roxas chest, gently tweaking his sensitive nipples. Roxas gasped, leaning against Axel and trying to help him out of his leathers, but the ties on his enchanted armor were just too complex. Axel grinned at his frustrated growl, and helped Roxas get the armor off, then his clothes. Soon they were both naked, and Axel pulled Roxas to the bed as the boy looked at him with lust filled blue eyes.

"Axel…" He moaned as he lay down onto the bed, and Axel began exploring his chest again, grinding their hips together. Their erections slid against each other, and Roxas gasped in pleasure at the delicious friction. "Axel!" He was losing his mind, utterly intoxicated by the red haired man above him who was doing such wonderful things to him…

Axel, meanwhile, was trying desperately to control himself. The movements, the gasps, the desperate need in Roxas voice were all making him want to fuck the boy desperately. But he had to make this good for him, had to take his time and make sure it was right. Nothing less would do. So instead of taking Roxas immediately, he slid down until Roxas' twitching erection was in front of his face. He looked up with a grin to see Roxas watching him, confused, and then lowered his head to take Roxas in his mouth.

"Ahh… uhn! Axel!" Roxas tried to thrust up into that feeling, but Axel had him easily pinned. His cries turned into needy moans as Axel swirled his tongue over his length, prodding the tip and bobbing his head up and down. One hand was on Roxas' base, stroking him rhythmically in time with what he was doing, and the other was on his hip, holding the boy in place. "Axel… I'm going to… agh!" Axel swallowed most of it as Roxas came, but let a bit of it slide down the corner of his mouth, dripping down to land on Roxas thigh. He looked up to see Roxas staring, his blue eyes wide, and grinned, reaching up to wipe away the moisture.

"You like?" He asked teasingly, and Roxas gasped, his breathing still ragged from what they had done. Axel slowly stroked Roxas erection, which was quickly getting hard again, and had an answer. He leaned down, planting a kiss against Roxas belly. "Hang on a sec, Roxas. I need something." Roxas frowned, confused, as Axel went to his bags and pulled out a bottle of lubricant. Roxas blinked, and flinched a little as he realized what it was for… and what Axel intended to do next. Axel slid back onto the bed, then hesitated as he spotted the fear in Roxas eyes.

"Hey… we don't have to do this now if you don't want to. We can stop here." Although if they did that, he'd either have to spend some time alone in the bathroom, or teach Roxas a bit about oral or manual sex. Axel's hard erection was making demands, and he wanted the beautiful blond in front of him. Roxas hesitated, then shook his head.

"Keep going." He whispered, and Axel stroked him as he slowly began opening him. Roxas whimpered in pain, closing his eyes tightly until he became accustomed to the strange feeling of having something inside him. Axel shifted slightly, swallowing as he watched Roxas moan softly as he moved his finger deeper, trying to find Roxas sweet spot. He added a second finger, gently prodding that spot and making Roxas gasp. "Axel!" When he felt that Roxas was as ready as he could get, Axel bent his legs up and slid slowly inside, watching the boy's face. There was pain there, but they had both expected it, and Axel gripped the blankets tightly, holding still until the pain began to fade. Roxas tentatively moved his hips, and that was all the encouragement he needed to begin thrusting into the hot, slick, erotic feeling under him. He'd had plenty of experiences, but very few of them had been this good… "Axel, oh, please, please." Roxas didn't know what he was begging for, his eyes glazed in pleasure as Axel hit that special spot again and again… but Axel seemed to know what he needed, and began speeding up the pace, taking him harder and faster, their bodies slapping together. Roxas cried out as the pace drove him beyond words, took him to a kind of nirvana, a place where there was nothing but him and Axel and the mindless, wonderful sex, the tremendous sensations…

It couldn't last, and they both came hard, Axel spilling his seed into Roxas' insides as Roxas came with a small scream. For a long moment, they lay tangled together, and Axel slowly nuzzled Roxas throat before he pulled away. Roxas whimpered at the empty feeling, but then sighed as Axel's strong arms enfolded him.

"Roxas, if anyone ever tells you you're not great, don't believe them. You are so wonderful." Axel whispered in his ear, and Roxas frowned sleepily.

"You don't know me…" He had to say, and smiled as he felt and heard Axel laugh.

"Roxas, in this one way, I know you more than anyone else in the world." Comforted by the truth of that, Roxas drifted to sleep.