"The Crematorium." Axel ran the words over his tongue and decided he liked the taste. They suited him, in so many ways. "Hmm." He stood still for a moment on the sidewalk, ignoring the other pedestrians walking past. The Crematorium was an impressive place, made out of brownish grey bricks that looked like they'd been through a fire sometime in the last century. Axel vaguely wondered how they'd gotten that color. The lamps flanking the doorway were set in red glass, shedding a malignant glow over the jet black door and the black letters above. The stark modern letters were also backlit with more red lights and Axel smiled approvingly before he walked up to the door and confidently went inside. As he opened the door he was met with a blast of heat. There was laughter, pounding music and the scent of burning wax as he stepped into the club. Axel glanced around as he mouthed meaningless pleasantries to a hostess and let another take his coat. It was very easy to spot his table. Roxas was already there, sampling something pink and frothy. Axel was surprised it wasn't on fire.

Everything else was. Torches and candles were everywhere, and Axel watched, fascinated, as a soup was lit on fire near him. Soup? The rice or barley cakes in it sunk with a sizzling sound and the waiter waited for the flames to subside for he ladled out the soup. Shrugging to himself, Axel made his way to the table, grabbing a jet black chair with bright red padding and taking a seat. Roxas looked up from his drink with a smile.

"Good. I thought maybe you were going to stand me up." He said as if he didn't really care, and Axel quirked an eyebrow at him for a moment. The blonde was a bit odd.

"I would never do something that rude." Axel said lightly before ordering a bourbon for himself and glancing over at the stage. "This is one amazing place. How did you find it?"

"A boyfriend brought me here." Roxas said simply. Then he smiled, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I hope you can afford it. It ain't cheap."

"Oh, I think I can manage." Axel said lightly before tilting his head, regarding Roxas thoughtfully. "I was wondering… how old are you?" That 'ain't' made Axel suspect the blonde was younger than he'd thought. Although he hadn't really tried to estimate his age. Roxas shrugged and reached up, brushing back a bit of hair from his face. Axel was fascinated by the heavy rings he was wearing and the line of a tattoo, barely visible under his sleeve.

"Eighteen. Just left hell for good last year." Axel chuckled at that. He'd felt much the same way about high school. Roxas smiled again and held out a card to him. "Want the drink menu?"

"Oh yes." Axel took it and began looking over the drinks, wondering if he could find one they set on fire. "My daughter would have been only a few years younger than you." Axel murmured, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice. Roxas rolled his eyes, clicking his barbell against his teeth.

"Way to ruin the mood, granddad." Axel choked at that, then laughed. Roxas smiled at the sound. "What do you do for a living, anyway? Investment banker? Lawyer? Used car salesman?"

"Nothing that reputable. I'm a politician." Axel said with a straight face then grinned as Roxas snorted his drink. "No, I lie. Investment banker is pretty close actually. I play the stock market sometimes. My portfolio is doing very well…. Well enough to fund a year long vacation from the missus." Roxas laughed and Axel leaned back, enjoying the sound. The blonde had a very nice laugh, clear and clean. It was a young, carefree sound and it made him remember the time he'd been that young and free. "I was wondering Roxas. Would you like to go to Arizona?" The waitress came by and Axel quickly an order for two Backdrafts

"You know they're going to set that on fire, right?" Roxas asked and Axel nodded with a grin.

"Flambe at my table! I'd eat shit on a shingle if it was flambé at my table!" He proclaimed and Roxas snorted, polishing off his drink.

"You totally stole that from Stephen King." Roxas scoffed and Axel shrugged with a smile. That was absolutely true.

"He's not using it - ah!" The drinks came back quickly and true to Roxas' prediction, the waitress expertly lit them on fire then used a pair of special coasters to put them out and contain the fumes. Then she poked straws through so they could drink both the liquid and the vapor. "Fascinating idea." Axel tried the drink and found it was very potent. But then, the menu had mentioned that it had 151 in it. "We should order a Blue Blazer after this." That was whisky and water. Axel wasn't really that fond of whisky, but the preparation said the waitress would pour it from glass to glass, creating a trail of blue flame. Axel was interested in seeing that and hoped the wait staff had special training. But surely they did, handling this much flame.

"I've never tried that one. So how about the food granddad?" Roxas said with a grin and Axel smiled, glancing over the menu. He wanted some of that sizzling soup. "Skip the appetizer. Let's get the Steak Diane." Roxas jabbed a finger at the menu and Axel glanced down at that before nodding.

"It sounds excellent." He could skip the soup for now. It would leave more room for dessert and Axel had his eye on the Flaming Turtle Fondue. It looked like the most decadent dessert he'd ever seen, all chocolate and caramel with run to set it on fire, with cheesecake, pound cake and fruits to dip in. "Let's get that."

The rest of the meal was absolutely wonderful. Axel vaguely wished he'd discovered this restaurant years ago, but then, he hadn't eaten out much until recently. The waitress made a show of the steaks, setting them on fire tableside. The steaks came with smooth, buttery mashed potatoes and vegetables that had been artistically charred. The dessert was just as good a show, with the waitress setting it on fire with a flaming spoon before dropping in the pecans and extra chocolate bits. And there was alcohol in everything. By the end of the meal, Axel was feeling both tipsy and more than a bit stuffed.

"Come on granddad, let's go watch the show." Axel smiled as Roxas poked him with the toe of his foot. "Can you dance?"

"You wouldn't believe how well I can dance." Axel's voice was warm and full of promises. Roxas smiled, a quick, fleeting expression that lit up his face. For a moment Axel was enchanted. He'd never realized he could be this strongly attracted to another man. Was it something about Roxas or just the situation? "But is this the kind of place where two guys dance together?" That worried him slightly. He didn't want - wait, actually, a fight would be fun. Roxas just laughed though.

"Everything's flaming! Of course it is!" Axel took Roxas' hand with a smile and they went out to the dance floor. The stage was taken by a man juggling flaming brands and tossing them in complicated patterns. They watched for a moment until the music changed, starting a new song. "A tango. You know how to do a tango Roxas?" Axel asked and the blonde shook his head.

"No. Show me." Axel slid his hands across Roxas' waist and spun him onto the dance floor. It wasn't easy with an inexperienced partner, but they managed a decent tango. Axel could feel people watching but found he didn't care. It was a good feeling. "Not bad." The music changed again to a more modern song about fire and burning and Roxas grinned. "Let me show you how people my age dance!" Axel yelped as Roxas grabbed him, taking the lead, then grinned and went along with it. The kid was feisty.

He was really enjoying his first night on the town.

"Jesus, I haven't had this much fun in ages." Roxas giggled drunkenly as they stumbled off the elevator. His redheaded sugar daddy had gotten a cab to the most expensive hotel in town and rented a penthouse suite. They were going to have a whirlpool tub and a fully stocked wet bar waiting, although it might not be wise to have more booze. Roxas felt plenty loose as it was. A hangover would be coming the next day but then, did he really care?

"I haven't had this much fun since I first started dating Larx." Axel said as he fumbled with the card key, managing to miss the slot several times. "Shit I am so drunk." He finally got it in and unlocked the door. Roxas grinned and held onto him to keep from falling over. "I haven't been this drunk since - no, bad thought, bad thought." Axel mumbled to himself and Roxas wondered what he was babbling about. But he didn't care.

"Fuck bad thoughts. No, fuck me." Roxas said as he leaned closer to nibble on Axel's earlobe. The redhead started then laughed, yanking him close and pushing him against the wall. Roxas groaned as he felt the redhead's body pressed firmly against him. Hands were wandering and it just felt so damn good.

"Hey, I've never done this with a guy before. Anything I need to know? I've done anal with a girl." Axel added and Roxas tried to focus. It was hard through the alcoholic haze but he had high hopes for this, he needed to make it happen.

"Pretty much the same. Try to hit the prostate. And if you know how to jack off you can do the rest." He managed and Axel laughed warmly before catching his lips in a kiss. "I've got a condom and lube." He'd come prepared. One thing he was fanatical about was protection. Who knew where his sugar daddies had been?

"Good." Axel murmured and Roxas decided to take the initiative. He shoved the redhead towards the bed, working on opening his pants. For a moment he considered giving the man a blowjob then decided against it. He wanted to feel Axel inside him, right here and right now. Roxas swallowed as he saw that his new lover was… pretty big actually. That was promising. Axel was working on his clothing but Roxas managed to get the condom and lube out first, before his pants were kicked away. They were on the bed then and he smiled as he opened the condom, slid the plastic down slowly and teasingly over Axel's thick erection. The redhead groaned heavily as Roxas slid the lube over the smooth plastic. He was reaching back to open himself when Axel grabbed his hand.

"No, let me." Axel smiled, green eyes meeting surprised blue. "I know what to do, mostly." Roxas nodded, letting the redhead spread him, slowly stroking his erection as long, warm fingers opened him up. It felt nice, really nice. Axel really did have long fingers…

"That's it." Roxas gasped as Axel found that special spot inside him. His body was on fire, full of such need and desire… the blonde blanked out, mumbling half-formed words as Axel slowly stroked that spot again. "Yeah, do that again granddad." He finally managed to say.

"Hey, I'm not that old." Axel sounded pained and Roxas snickered before gripping Axel's cock and positioning himself. He was on top at the moment, which was how he liked it and Axel didn't seem to mind. "Ah!" Axel gasped and Roxas moaned softly as he slid down, taking the redhead inside him. He really was big and it hurt but it also felt so damn good. "Roxas, fuck! So tight…" Axel gripped his hips, urging him onwards, but Roxas took his time. Anal sex before or not, Axel was used to girls and he didn't want it to hurt too much when they -

"Ahn!" Roxas groaned as Axel thrust up to meet him, their hips slapping together as Axel brushed against his prostate, sending a jolt of almost painful pleasure through him. Axel shifted slightly, angling for that spot as they moved together. It felt so damn good and Roxas vaguely decided that Axel was just as good as Paul, no, he was better, smooth and experienced. Which was strange since he wasn't, but he was sure getting the hang of it quickly. The thrusts were long, slow and assured. Then those long fingers wrapped around his erection and began pumping him in time with each thrust…

"God, Axel!" Roxas panted as he felt like he was going to fly apart. The thick hot length inside him, the hand on his cock and the heat and pleasure were just too much. But he didn't want it to end, didn't want it to stop. Axel's lips sought out his throat and Roxas tilted his head back, giving the redhead more access. There was no thought to it at all now, just the animal pleasure. Not that there ever was much more to it. Roxas wouldn't have known what to do if there was…

"Roxas." That whisper of his name, so low and sultry took him to the edge. Trembling in pleasure, the blonde surrendered himself to the need pulsing through him. Axel pumped him through his climax, not put out at all by the messy spill across his belly and chest. His thrusts speeded up for a moment, pounding harder and faster into the blonde until he came with a grunt. Roxas smiled in pleasure as he felt the redhead pulsing inside him, finding his own release. They lay together for a long moment until Roxas slowly pulled away, sliding down beside his new lover. He yawned contentedly as Axel stripped away the condom and tossed it in the trash.

It had been a very nice night.

"Ow fuck." The next day announced itself with a mixture of blinding pain and general discomfort. Roxas shifted, wincing at the sticky, dirty feeling of really good sex. He sat up gingerly and looked down at his new lover, smiling faintly as the morning light caught bright red hair and warm skin. Axel was buried in the blankets and had a death grip on his pillow, reminding Roxas of his first lover. A teenage kid… what had his name been?

Shaking away that bit of whimsy, he started to get up but stopped as he happened to glance at the bedstand. There was a nice big glass of water and two aspirin there. "Huh." Axel must have gotten up sometime in the night and left them there for him. That was nice. Paul hadn't been anywhere near as considerate. Roxas had woken up one time to find that he'd left to go on a jog. Picking up the pills he quickly swallowed them then washed them down with a gulp of water. Checking the time he frowned. It was getting pretty late in the morning. "Axel? Axel baby, you awake?" No response. Roxas chewed his lip before lightly poking the redhead's shoulder through the blankets. "When do we need to check out?" His guess was they had an hour and a half, but he could be wrong. "Axel, come on." There was a mumbled sound of complaint and Axel rolled over, still clutching his pillow. Roxas sighed and rolled his eyes. "Wake up granddad!"

"What?" Axel grumbled, lifting his head a little. His eyes were half-slitted against the light and he reminded Roxas of a newborn kitten.

"When do we need to check out?" Roxas repeated patiently, keeping his voice low. Axel probably still had a hangover although he'd have taken some aspirin. The redhead blinked and rubbed his eyes, coming more awake.

"Twelve. What time is it?" Axel answered his own question, glancing at the clock. "Ten… huh. We should go take a bath." The redhead groaned, pulling himself out of the bed. Roxas didn't have a huge amount of sympathy. His head felt just as bad and his ass felt a whole lot worse. "It's a whirlpool tub." Axel added and Roxas grinned, stretching a bit.

"Sounds great granddad." Axel gave him a half-amused, half-irritated look but didn't protest. Roxas smiled to himself as he watched the redhead start the water running, testing the heat before adding a bit of complimentary bubble bath. He was feeling too sore to start anything at the moment, but he could always watch.

There would be time for more later.

Axel casually glanced at Roxas as they settled into the tub. Last night he hadn't been paying much attention, between the booze and the lust, but today he was curious about Roxas' tattoos and piercings.

The blonde had plenty of both. There was a tangled vine around his wrist and upper arm on his left side. There was a brightly colored butterfly on the right side of his navel. The really interesting one, though, was on his back. Axel had caught a glimpse as the blonde stepped into the tub and he was fascinated by the single angel wing on his right shoulder blade. He'd never seen a tattoo like that before. As for the piercing, Roxas' had a pierced nipple and belly button. Fortunately, he didn't have a piercing in his privates. Axel wasn't sure he could have handled that, the thought made him feel a bit ill. The redhead made a mental note to see what could be done with the nipple ring. It looked intriguing…

"You like what you see granddad?" Roxas' amused voice pulled him out of his reverie and Axel blushed, a little embarrassed. Then he laughed and made a tossing gesture, dismissing the feeling.

"Of course. If I didn't, we wouldn't be here, would we?" Roxas dipped his head, acknowledging the point before leaning back and just enjoying the whirlpool jets. Axel decided that was a good idea and let his head fall back, just enjoying the feeling. "Hey Roxas. How would you like to go to Arizona?"

"Arizona?" Roxas lifted his head, a flicker of wariness crossing his face. Axel could guess why. They had just met and the blonde really didn't know anything about him, except what he'd told him. "What's in Arizona?"

"A race track." Roxas looked confused and Axel cheerfully explained. "I told you I'm on a year long sabbatical from my marriage? I thought I would learn how to drive a race car. Would you like to go? I'll pay for everything." And it would be so nice to have someone along. Not only that, Roxas was young and in tune with things Axel hadn't been interested in for a long time. Roxas had known about the Crematorium. Sure, he wouldn't know Arizona but surely the blonde could turn something interesting up. Roxas thought about it for a moment then smiled slowly.

"Sure Axel. I'd love to go to Arizona." Axel shivered slightly at the warm promise in Roxas' voice and smiled, meeting bright blue eyes.

"Great. But lay off on the granddad thing, okay? I don't want everyone to think I'm a total perv." Roxas warm laughter filled the air and made him smile again.

"Alright… Axel." Roxas caught his hand for a moment, giving him a quick squeeze before reaching out for the shampoo bottle. "This is all the shampoo they give us? Cheap bastards."

"There's more over there." Axel chuckled and stood, going to fetch the basket of complimentary soaps and shampoos. He could feel Roxas watching him and it was a good feeling. It had been a long time since someone had looked at him like that.

He couldn't wait to see how things would go.