CHAPTER ELEVEN

Now knowing that Ansem was no longer an immediate danger, Roxas was free to zip Axel, with his permission, back to his apartment while Kairi and Sora were out splashing in the waves. The place was silent and cool, empty with Sora still in Destiny Island and Riku doubtless off somewhere with Ansem.

"So," Roxas said firmly, straight to business, "how do you want to do this? If Ansem is willing to talk, we need to take advantage of that."

Axel sent him a pleading look. "Can I just – shower first, maybe? It's… it's been a while." He was acutely aware that in addition to the sand everywhere, the film of fever-sweat was still clinging to his skin. He was fucking ripe, man. He might have been wearing fresh clothes, but that was literally the only thing fresh about him. Roxas blinked, then grinned a little.

"Well. I didn't want to say anything." That was a 'yes', then, thank the gods. As he turned to go, however, there was a slightly tug on his elbow, Roxas catching the fabric of his shirt, catching his gaze and holding it wordlessly for a long moment.

Oh.

Axel hesitated, then, slowly, leaned down and gently kissed him. Roxas kissed back, sweetly at first, but then with growing hunger that Axel mirrored every step of the way. He picked Roxas up in his arms, the blond wrapping his legs around his waist, while, never breaking their frantic kissing, he staggered to the bathroom and set Roxas down on the tiles.

Then they were practically tearing off each other's clothes, fingers fumbling at buttons, fabric, zippers, anything that got in the way of bare flesh. Roxas reached into the shower cubicle to turn it on with one hand, adjusting the temperature until it was just right, tugging Axel along under the rush of water.

God. He immediately raised his face, letting it pour over him, the water pressure in this apartment was fucking fantastic. He let it soak through his thick hair, closing his eyes and letting go of Roxas to scrape his nails across his scalp to try and work it all the way through. Gaze glued to his naked body, Roxas lathered up some soap and started scrubbing him with a loofah, Axel gasping, shuddering at the sudden roughness dragging across his body. Eyes fixed on Roxas's distracted face, he lifted his arms obediently and let the guy scrub him from fingertips to toes. It felt so nice to be getting clean, but the entire time he was growing harder and harder, Roxas unable to avoid seeing it, the temptation in his expression almost enough to make Axel come there and then. But Roxas wasn't finished yet.

He turned Axel around, the man going willingly along with whatever Roxas was planning, only to smell something floral, and wincing slightly as, a moment later, cold shampoo hit his scalp. It rapidly warmed, however, and soon Axel was adrift in the pleasure of having his hair washed. Roxas rinsed the shampoo, followed up with conditioner, and massaged Axel's scalp deeply. He sighed with enjoyment, the relief of a real-world indulgence helping to ease his tense muscles after everything that had happened. He bent his knees slightly to make it easier for Roxas to reach, pressing against the glass cubicle for balance. When Roxas again washed the bubbles away, it was so tenderly it made Axel open his eyes amidst the running water and turn, meeting his gaze. Roxas's expression in that moment was… so yearning, so caring, it caused Axel to catch his lips, drawing him close. Roxas's hands fell away, sliding down his shoulder-blades, water and residual bubbles running between their faces as they eagerly, breathlessly exchanged kiss after kiss. Their bodies, slick, wrapped around one another, Axel planting a hand on Roxas's chest and easing him back to the cold tile wall to lift him up and kiss him hard.

Roxas moaned as Axel clasped his buttocks tightly, teasing a finger between them. "Oh, shit," he whispered, grinding himself against Axel, Axel groaning at the sensation. "Bed?" Roxas suggested, blinking through the water.

"Bed," Axel agreed, in a growl that made Roxas physically weaken in his grasp. He shut off the water, and they dried each other with soft towels, laughing as Roxas determinedly attempted to properly dry Axel's thick hair. "It's okay," he assured him, then kissed him and softly, shakily, said, "That's enough."

Roxas understood. He exhaled, cupping Axel's face with a hand, tickling it along his jaw as they once again were drawn back to each other's lips. They managed to stumble their way through the empty apartment and into Roxas's room, the blond shutting the door and sealing them off in a world of black and white. He pushed Axel to the bed, laying him out flat, and climbed on top of him, gazing down with clouded eyes. There was something almost… challenging about his attitude. He was daring Axel to move. When Axel did, when he reached up for Roxas's face, the blond responded by seizing his hands and pinning them down either side of his head. He breathed hard into Axel's face, studying him almost distantly. "What is this?" he asked, almost sounding drugged. He dragged his tongue along the side of Axel's face, the man groaning deeply. Roxas pushed him deeper into the bed. "This… heat," Roxas panted, grinding against him. "It's you, isn't it?"

"…Is it just me?" Axel asked hazily. Roxas kissed him in response, releasing Axel's wrists and letting them wind together, lying on their sides on his bed, legs tangled, desperately clutching the other.

"I think," Roxas eventually gasped with closed eyes, "it has to be you."

Axel lost sight of himself.

He rolled on top of Roxas and began kissing and nipping his way down his body, Roxas writhing with every searing touch. When he reached Roxas's cock, he took it into his mouth as he prepared him. Something hit him in the head amidst the strangled cries the blond gave, and when he paused to pick it up, saw that Roxas had tossed him the lube. Immediately, he was able to fit more fingers, widening him, fucking him with long digits, Roxas arching up from the mattress with a hand over his mouth to muffle the volume of his whines.

When Axel was certain he was ready, he let out another liberal squirt of lube, before climbing back up to Roxas's flushed, weeping face. He licked the tears from his face. "What's this?" he panted. "Did I hurt you?"

Through his teeth, a helpless mess of need, Roxas grated, "Get inside me now."

Axel moaned and obeyed. He entered Roxas carefully, watching his face for any hint of pain, but all he could see was… ecstasy. And he felt it, too. He was…

"Welcome home, honey," Roxas breathed, and reached up for him, the next while spent with Axel rocked deeply, slowly into him, kisses and whispers passing between them like a language all of its own, nothing more right, more perfect, than this. Axel buried his face into the crook of Roxas's neck and just… moved. Every breath was exquisite. Every sigh an unspoken admission of worship. Being inside of Roxas was – more than anything Axel had ever experienced. A tsunami building from somewhere within. And the feeling looked extremely mutual, Roxas's every shambolic expression spurring Axel on, searching for every possible part of the blond's body that could grant him further pleasure.

Roxas came first, crying out, Axel kissing him frantically, swallowing every pleasured wail into himself as he increased his pace, Roxas grasping at his shoulders, grunting with each push, eyes squeezed shut in the utmost bliss.

Axel exclaimed as he peaked, whimpering, consumed, Roxas right there with him, peppering his face with kisses, whispering soothingly, "I know. I know. Stay with it."

Axel bent over him, gripped by waves of shuddering, a blinding white filling his vision, and when he looked at Roxas, someone else was smiling back. Still Roxas, but… someone else, too. Axel felt tears sting his eyes before he knew it, streaming down his face, Roxas now the one to gently say, "Hey, hey, what are these?"

He stroked the streaks from Axel's cheeks, Axel turning in and kissing his palm, before lowering himself, heat coursing beneath his flesh, and whispering hoarsely into Roxas's ear, "I love you."

He felt Roxas go still for a moment, but felt his heart, their chests pressed together, suddenly seem to erupt. Roxas carefully eased his head back, gaze deadly serious now, but something… ardent in their depths. "Do you mean that?" he demanded, and even as solemn as the moment was, as loaded as it felt, he couldn't keep himself from caressing Axel's face, the man resting into his touch.

"I love you," Axel repeated, almost helplessly this time. He felt it with every single fibre of his being. He'd felt it from the moment Roxas had first looked into his eyes. He… remembered it, somewhere deep inside it. The beautiful, familiar shape of this emotion, for which 'love' was so inadequate a term. He was… devoted. Enraptured. Passionate. And now Roxas was crying too, and they were kissing once more, old friends, old lovers, in such new bodies.

They didn't leave the bed that day. They forgot about everything else and spent the time exploring, rediscovering, confessing again and again, promising anew that this feeling might get forgotten again but that each and every time, someday day, like today, it would be recalled. And that nothing – nothing in all of time and existence – mattered more than that.

When they exited the room, hand-in-hand, night had long fallen. The apartment was lit dimly by a single lamp over at the side of the room, next to which Sora and Riku were curled up on the unburnt sofa under a blanket together, watching TV. Sora, looking more tanned after his day at the beach, looked them quickly up and down, but for once didn't have a smartass comment to make. He just tossed his head in slight greeting to his twin, then turned back around to his show. Riku stared at Sora, then glared at Axel, who lifted his free hand and silently flipped him the bird. Roxas gave his other hand an approving squeeze, while Sora simply placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, kissed his cheek, and shifted his focus back to more important matters.

"Dinner's in the fridge," he said over his shoulder, to which Roxas nodded his thanks and tugged Axel in the direction of the kitchen. Small as the apartment was, Riku could still see them, and continued looking baleful until Sora apparently did something beneath the blanket that distracted him properly, and Axel was no longer a thought in his head.

He and Roxas sat at the small, round dining table beside the kitchen and wordlessly munched through reheated takeout. Because of Axel's long legs, their ankles were crossed together, as they dug at their containers of food until nothing was left. Tossing the empties, their hands went back to intertwining, and as Roxas said, "Axel agrees to meeting with Ansem," to Riku, they returned to the bedroom, and just… slept. Always touching, they slept.

When Axel woke at his usual early hour, he had to blink for a minute in the near-darkness, staring at the peaceful face across from him. Yesterday… almost felt like a dream. If he had woken in his own bed, he probably would have thought it was. But instead, he was still here. His fingers were tangled with Roxas's, and had been for a while. He could see the marks he'd left on his throat, even in the gloom. Axel was probably looking about the same.

That, and… there was no mistaking this feeling. Just looking at Roxas now was enough for it bubble up, make him want to reach out, to touch, but to let the boy sleep, he repressed his desires. He could look all he liked, though. For once, just because he woke up didn't mean he was getting up. He remained there, watching Roxas sleep, remembering not so much images or words but emotion and sensation and just… a sense of wholeness he hadn't realised he'd even been missing. It was like he'd been operating all these years without his heart, whereas now… now he felt full. Complete. And some part of him, somewhere, felt joy that they had an entire lifetime to look forward to together. They were so young. He was going to get to watch Roxas grow old.

When Roxas finally awoke, he stilled briefly at the sight of Axel's sharp, green eyes on him. He held that gaze, lips gradually curving upward. "…How long have you been awake?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Just before dawn," Axel answered casually, Roxas lifting his head and checking the digital clock.

"Axel, it's eight in the goddamn morning." But he didn't sound unhappy. He rolled into the redhead and kissed him. "Morning," he greeted quietly.

"Mm," Axel rumbled back, nudging him with his nose. They shared several long, languid kisses, before, to Axel's displeasure, Roxas turned away and sat up. The boy stretched broadly, Axel supporting his head with a hand, elbow digging into the mattress. "Come back," he pouted, sounding like the millennia-spanning god of nothing but a petulant lover.

"Ansem," Roxas yawned, over his shoulder, and Axel let out a huff. Ansem would have to work hard to recover from this blow to his reputation. But he, too, forced himself out of bed and yanked his jeans on.

"I'll clear you out a drawer," Roxas mumbled, digging through his dresser for a fresh outfit of his own.

"I want my own dresser," Axel joked, parting the curtains to let some light in and stretching out his underused cycling muscles. He turned and stopped when he saw that Roxas was staring at his body, then grinned cockily. "Oh, I see. That's all I am to you. Eye candy."

"Put a shirt on, slut," Roxas replied, tossing his tee at him, deliberately not looking at him again, pink in the cheeks, before leaving the room and making sure to close the door so no one else would cop a look. Chuckling to himself, he yanked on his shirt, following shortly behind to find Roxas sitting at the table with Sora and Riku, who refused to look at him with anything short of simmering umbrage, eating cornflakes. Roxas kicked the last remaining chair out for him to join.

He took his place warily opposite Riku, who appeared to vibrate with barely-tamped hostility towards him. He made a point of looking anywhere but at the man, who was clearly spoiling for a fight. Axel wasn't sure why, exactly, but this was Riku. Who knew what imagined slight against Ansem he'd decided was worth forgoing the god thing altogether and just having it out with his fists. Roxas passed Axel the cereal, a bowl, and a spoon, with the milk in the middle of the table, which Axel assembled and started eating, glancing around the room like he was extremely interested in the decor. Sora was looking extremely placid, like he was trying to exude it as an influence, while Roxas simply didn't give a shit about Riku's latest tantrum and ignored him entirely. He just wanted his breakfast, and Axel so badly wanted to follow suit, but eventually Riku just couldn't keep it down anymore.

"He is not living here, Sora. I can't do it. I don't care about the circumstances. He is not staying here."

Axel paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth, milk dribbling down into the bowl. "Well, this is news to me," he commented, and looked over at Sora, then Roxas.

"Only safe place," Roxas shortly answered, focused entirely on his cornflakes, and Axel was beginning to see what Kairi's frustration with his texting abilities might feel like.

"What about my apartment?"

"Fuck it. It was a piece of shit," Roxas offered.

"It was my piece of shit," Axel replied, starting to get miffed. "And since when did you start deciding things for me? You're not my keeper."

Roxas made an expression of extreme scepticism. "Who literally nursed you back from the brink of that fever?"

"With help," Sora inserted.

"Okay," Axel was willing to concede. "Okay, thank you. And you clearly know more about this god shit," Sora nodded approvingly, "than I do, I appreciate the support. But I am capable of making decisions for myself, you know."

"Exactly," Riku leapt in, with such conviction it was like he'd been born for this precise moment in time. "You can't just go making decisions for other people, it's rude, it's overstepping boundaries, you guys aren't even official yet are you?"

"We are," Roxas and Axel answered, at the same moment that Sora said, "They are."

Riku stumbled, but continued, sounding strained, "…Regardless! All – all the more reason you should be consulting before you go making. Making decisions for other people. It's not right. You have to take your, your partner's desires into account, too, or it's not a real relationship, you're two grown adults, so it's, it's time to start. Acting like it." He stopped talking, the other three staring until twin stains of red touched his cheeks, before Sora patted his balled-up hand and they turned to talk among themselves.

"He's got a point," Axel admitted. "I was completely unaware of this. What the fuck are you talking about, 'only safe place'?"

"Xehanort," Roxas said, with his mouth full. Then he waved his spoon for emphasis, as if this explained anything.

"I'm going insane," Riku mumbled, clutching his head with his elbows on the table.

"Can I try?" Sora asked, which got a nod from Axel, a positive flick of the spoon from Roxas, and a desperately muttered plea from Riku. He settled in, his empty breakfast bowl set aside, clasped hands together out in front of him. "So, basically, it goes like this: since Ansem doesn't want to kill you anymore –"

"As far as we know," Axel added, flatly. Roxas, chewing, nodded his support of this opinion.

" – so long as Ansem doesn't change his mind," Sora went on, a warning to his words that the pair of them had better be on their best behaviour when that meeting came, "your own apartment is compromised because your friend Demyx knows where you live. That means that they know where you live. Xemnas. Xehanort. Whoever." He waved his hand dismissively, details inconsequential. "So, we decided that since this is the only place Demyx doesn't know to look for you, we would – rather graciously, I might add – put you up for a while. You're already with Roxas anyway, it was only a matter of time before you were over here all the time." He said this last part with a long-suffering sigh, like it was the truest thing he'd ever said in his life, and Axel had to admit he was probably not too far off, there.

But still, he frowned. "Wait, are you telling me – I have to abandon my entire life? Everything?"

Sora had the grace to look troubled. He hadn't thought of that. No one had. He bowed his head, and said reluctantly, "I guess so, yeah." He looked to Riku for confirmation, and the man sighed.

To Axel, Riku said, awkwardly, "For now, I suppose so, yes. I'm sorry. It was… inevitable, probably. Xemnas knows everything about you through Demyx, and you said – you said you'd been friends a really long time, didn't you?" He asked it uneasily, not wanting to upset Axel, but trying to relay to him the fact that… that…

His face quivered. He twitched slightly. "…Demyx knows everything about me," he confirmed, voice so tight it was about to snap. "He knows all the places I would go. All the people I would contact. I never had any secrets from him." He forced a smile, razor-thin, which made Riku contritely drop his gaze. "He's my best friend."

Roxas had stopped eating. He touched Axel's shoulder, and when the man looked over, he placed a hand against his cheek. Just that. But Axel closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and forced the concept through his head. Demyx is with the enemy. Demyx knew everything about him, and had been behaving strangely, and, damn it, he was still in there, yeah, but he was also connected to that fucking parasite, Xehanort. So yeah. The enemy had every detail about Axel they could ever have wanted. So home wasn't safe anymore. Nowhere that he even knew of was safe anymore… except for right here, at Roxas's place. But, wait.

He turned to Roxas and said, "Demyx said he knew about you. Shouldn't that mean that your apartment is compromised, as well? They know who you are."

But Roxas shook his head. "I'm blocked from their sight. It's one of Ansem's powers. He basically renders us invisible to the enemy."

So, you had to join Ansem to benefit from his god power. Which meant that Axel, all on his lonesome, was basically exposed. This really was the only place he could stay right now. Looking uncertainly at Roxas, he asked, "Is that okay? That I stay here?" He cleared his throat a little. "I don't want to – you know, cramp your style or any-" Roxas shut him up with a kiss, chaste enough to not bother anyone too badly, but long enough to silence Axel's anxieties, both out loud and in his heart. When they parted, he double-checked, "So it's okay?"

Roxas instead tossed his head over at Sora. "It was his idea, you know. You think if Sora's okay with having you here that I'm… not… going to…" He trailed off as Sora was staring at him with the roundest eyes that Axel had ever seen. Next to him around the table, Riku was gaping at him, eyes also just… so wide.

Then his expression started darkening, turning stormy, and he sharply asked, "So it was… your idea?"

Sora dropped his head. Whoooooops. Axel exchanged a guilty glance with Roxas, fully aware of the pain he must be feeling for accidentally betraying his twin so casually like that.

Sucking in a breath through his teeth, seeing no clear path out of this, Sora confessed, "Yes, it was my idea. But, Riku, you know it's the only logical choice – "

"I told you that I was willing to accept him into my apartment instead," Riku said with rising volume, "and you are the one who said, and I quote, 'Roxas is being really insistent about this. I think he's scared of letting Axel out of his sight. I know it's a bummer, I wasn't keen on it, either, but in end –'"

"It's the only choice that makes sense!" Sora finished with him, quickly continuing, "And I stand by that, Riku. If you and Axel – listen to me – if you and Axel," he said pointedly, glancing over at Axel and forcing Riku to grudgingly do the same, "were living in your apartment together… and answer me honestly now – do you think you could do it without trying to kill him?"

The long pause in which Riku had to think about that paired with the absolutely grim expression on his face was alarming the shit out of Axel. "Hey, now –" he started, but was cut off by a finger held up by Sora, who looked back at Riku, who had calmed down somewhat now.

"Fuck me," Axel mumbled, patted sympathetically on the shoulder by Roxas.

"Therefore, by that logic…" Sora encouraged Riku to complete the sentence.

"…Your place is currently the only one that make sense," Riku with the utmost bitterness. Sora kissed his cheek.

"Exactly. And anyway, what are you even worried about, you idiot?" He turned Riku's face toward him, and Roxas tipped his head back exasperatedly. But, at this point, Axel kinda felt like Sora was entitled to evening out the PDA score a little. "You know it. I know it. Do I really have to say it out loud, in front of everyone? Because, and I am serious – it's a full declaration. You will want us to be alone when I tell you how much I love you. We might all die of embarrassment if it's right here, right now. But I'll do it, if you're prepared."

Riku was already blushing just at them having such a conversation in front of not only other people, but Axel, who was apparently his arch-nemesis in his own head right now. So it was to the relief of absolutely everyone that he eventually croaked, "No, that's… that's okay. You can save it for later."

"Oh, thank god," Roxas muttered next to Axel.

But still, Riku wasn't quite done. He might be Sora's putty, but he still had his line in the sand, and Axel apparently living in the same apartment as his boyfriend was well past it. After thinking about it, he curtly stated, "Counter-offer." When they looked at him expectantly, he looked at Sora and said, "If he stays, I stay, too. Permanently. Or, you know," he quickly rushed to add, "whenever it is that he moves out. Which he has to, because I am not okay with him being here, where you could get hurt by his fires –"

"That was one time," Roxas loudly interjected, immediately defending Axel's accidental burning of their home, "and it was because Ansem was trying to kill him, so, you know, I think there's a lot of blame to be shared around over that one." He crossed his arms resolutely, it taking every ounce of Axel's strength to not just fall over laughing with delight. Man, when Roxas was in your corner, he was there. He wasn't letting anyone give Axel shit in his presence, and Axel adored him for it. "Stop grinning," Roxas then said as an aside, causing Axel to cover his mouth, not wanting to distract him from his heated defence.

But he was also puffed up again, the sight incredibly funny to Axel, who would still tower over him if he ever tried it on him, and the mental image, oh, god – he burst out laughing, laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach. There was a shiver in the air as the outraged parties attempted to remain indignant, but Axel was just laughing too much, and soon they were all smirking along with him. Riku started chuckling quietly. Sora started laughing along with Axel, while Roxas bumped his head into his shoulder and smothered his face in his upper arm. When Axel picked up his arm to peer at him, he could see Roxas also grinning, and hugged him tightly.

"I don't care if Riku's here," he offered, aware that it wasn't his decision but nevertheless adding his own personal two cents.

In the warmth that settled over the room in the aftermath of the merriment, Roxas, cuddled up against his arm, said, "Me, either."

Riku and Sora stared at each other. Then, Sora asked, "Wanna move in together?"

The palpability of Riku's joy was like being able to physically see a wagging tail. "…I'm open to that," he answered, like he was trying to be cool and fooling absolutely nobody. Axel didn't need to be able to read the air around people like Roxas could to know that Riku was so excited by Sora's proposal he was barely restraining his glee. Axel didn't know why he bothered trying so hard to keep up appearances, when it was so obvious exactly how deeply he felt about Sora.

"Okay! So, that's sorted!" Roxas clapped his hands, causing them to jump. "I'd love to let you guys get all goopy with one another, but the fact remains that now that we've sorted that out, there's still a meeting with Ansem to get through."

Reluctantly, Riku returned from the clouds. "Right. Ansem. Um." He closed his eyes, shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and return to a focused state. He wasn't quite able to pull it off, but was at least on task as he said, "There are terms, naturally. No powers, from anyone, even if the negotiation reaches a standstill." Roxas snorted, apparently unforgiving of Ansem's first attempt to kill Axel.

"You work for the guy," Axel reminded him.

Feeling moody about it, Roxas answered ominously, "For now."

Riku soldiered on. "I also need an agreement that should talks break down, and you are unwilling to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement, you will relinquish your memories of us and our presence here."

"Hey! Whoa!" Roxas was up on his feet, making an X with his arms. "Nu-uh, we're not agreeing to that."

"If he falls victim to Xehanort, he'll know everything about you, and us, that Axel does," Riku stoically explained, repeating the company line, but then reached across the table and spoke sincerely. "I know it's a harsh term, Roxas, I really do. But it's for the benefit of everybody."

Roxas was panting, looking panicked, looking down at Axel with bewilderment that he wasn't similarly as upset. Axel was definitely shocked, and he did not agree to that term – but Roxas was taking this much, much worse than he was. He was already anticipating a breakdown of the talks, and was quite obviously terrified of losing Axel, or of Axel losing his memories of Roxas.

"Hey. Hey." Axel spoke softly, like you would a frantic animal. He held his hands out cautiously, and when Roxas gripped them, it was like twin vices. Carefully, he pulled Roxas into his lap, where the poor guy proceeded to basically have a panic attack at the prospect of losing him. Axel rubbed his back, making soothing sounds, the other two watching on with some wonder.

When Axel had managed to calm Roxas down enough, Sora said with awe, "I've never seen you like this about anyone."

Glaring at him, Roxas suggested harshly, "Imagine that it's Riku," and Sora looked… stung. He blinked rapidly, looking down, his initially troubled expression returning with force. He had, after all, set this in motion. There was silence for a while, as Roxas's first response died down and gave way to a shuddering that Axel just wanted to… hug and kiss away. Instead, he squeezed Roxas comfortingly.

To Riku, Axel said, "I do not agree to those terms."

Riku scowled. "So you're fine with it, then?" he challenged, lifting his chin. "You're okay with Xehanort knowing exactly how to find Roxas if you end up his victim?"

Axel jerked. Immediate answer: no. Roxas tried arguing, "He won't, he wouldn't, he'll never be part of Xehanort's web!"

Axel looked at him with concern. "That's…" They all turned to look at him. "That's what I was saying before we went to see Demyx." Gently, he returned Roxas to his own chair, then turned to Riku. "I agree."

"Axel!" Roxas remonstrated, grabbing him, but he wouldn't be shaken from this.

"It's right, Roxas," he said resolutely.

"So, basically, if you disagree with Ansem, your memories are forfeit?" Roxas snarled. "This is just a different way to eliminate you! He's going to be just as fucking stubborn as ever, and convinced that he's in the right, and he's going to just. He's going to." He started shaking his head. "It isn't right," he stated. "There's got to be more than just Ansem's way or Xehanort's way." He met Axel's gaze desperately. "Don't you think?"

"I do think," Axel quietly agreed, with a small smile. "And I won't go to the table with Ansem without that caveat. I'm going with the intention of changing his mind."

"And that caveat is accepted," Riku answered. "Ansem isn't asking for this meeting out of bad faith, to force you into an impossible choice. He is open to alternative opinions, and alternative solutions. He's not an unreasonable man, I promise you."

Eraqus. God of judgement and light, occasionally blinded by it, causing a false certainty. That… was what Axel was going up against. With wits alone.

Roxas took hold of his hand and squeezed it, looking so fearful for him that a pulse of love shot through him as physical heat, touching Roxas a moment later. The blond hesitated, looking down at their hands, then up at Axel. "You'll be with me," he said lightly, smiling at Roxas.

Frowning deeply, Roxas nodded hard. He didn't think that Roxas agreed to the terms, and he was quite sure he would try to whisk Axel away if things went awry, so he wasn't… too worried.

But the harsh nature of these opening terms, just to talk… they didn't necessarily bode well.

"When will it be decided that talks have broken down?" he asked. "Is this it? Is this my one shot, or are there like… recesses so people can think about it?" Riku looked away, and Axel instantly knew the answer. "…I see." He rolled his neck, shrugged his shoulders, limbered himself up a little. "That's fine. I didn't want it drawn out, anyway."

"When?" Roxas tersely demanded.

"Noon," Riku said. "I wanted to give you longer to prepare your argument, but –"

"Noon's fine," Axel answered. "I know what I need to say." Roxas was nearly crushing his fingers, and, honestly, he was squeezing back just as hard.

He was scared.

Scared of losing his memories of Roxas, of ending up a puppet for Xehanort. And he was scared of what Ansem was capable of. But there wasn't going to be any avoiding this, so sooner rather than later suited Axel just fine.