Chapter 1 - The Experiment

Disclaimer - I do not own Kingdom hearts and never will.

Warning - I like the Axel / Roxas pairing. This story will definitely hint to a relationship between them. So this story will eventually contain very fluffy Yaoi. For all you people who don''t know, Yaoi is a nice way of saying a male/male relationship.

Summary -Due to an accident involving two of the castles biggest idiots, Vexen is left with a ruined potion. He decides to test it on Roxas. Unfortunately, the newly made potion turns Roxas into a toddler! Now Axel is left with a big problem on his hands, looking after his three year old best friend. The worst part of it is, it''s beginning to make him realize his true feelings for Roxas.

A/N - The title and the overall concept was inspired by a song called "Protecting me" by Aly & AJ. Even though this fic is not a songfic, I still thought it would be cool to put at least one line of the lyrics at the beginning of every chapter.

Protecting MeChapter 1: The Experiment

You, You''re always there for me. When I need you most.

Axel and Roxas. Just the mention of these two names together normally meant that something has gone horribly wrong. Ask any of the other members of the Organization XIII and they all will be sure to tell you a story containing at least one explosion following their names.They were always pulling pranks and bothering the superior members to no end. The second Roxas became a member of the Organization, Axel took him under his wing so to speak, and taught him the ins and outs of the place. The worst lesson of course being disrespect towards superiors. They were inseparable best friends, but unfortunately, they were utter chaos together.

Currently, they were both running down the plain white hall of the castle that never, was laughing insanely. Suddenly, the both skidded to a stop.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Axel panted as he leaned all his weight on the wall behind him. Roxas didn''t even bother to find a wall, he collapsed right in the middle of the hall.

"I hope Xiggy enjoys his new pink Coat!" Roxas laughed as a mental image of the old man wearing a bright magenta coat popped into his head. Axel always came up with the best ideas for his pranks. Dyeing all of Xigbar''s coats bright pink was even better then the time he pinned Larxene''s underwear to the Superiors door. Boy was she mad. Axel had the scars to show for it. The blond finally regained his posture and stood up. "Hey Axel?"

The redhead was still trying to catch his breath but managed to respond to his best friend. "Yeah?"

"I wonder what happened to Demyx? I mean...We did pin that sign on his back this morning. Wonder if it actually worked."

Axel ran a gloved hand through his spiked hair. It wasn''t that Axel wasn''t friends with Demyx, but to be completely honest, the boy was a walking headache. He begins his day by singing very loudly throughout the halls with that damn sitar of his. He greets everyone he sees by yelling their names at the top of his lungs. But worst of all, if he sees you in the halls, he will follow you no matter how much you tell him to get lost. The less time spent around the idiotic musician, the better in Axels'' opinion.

"Who cares, as long as he''s not around us right?"

Suddenly a black swirling portal appeared right on the wall beside where Axel leaned. The redhead visibly flinched when he heard a high pitched sing-song voice call out his name. "Shoot me now Xigbar ...." Axel muttered under his breath.

"Axel! Roxas!" Demyx stumbled out of the portal and flashed a big awkward smile at the two boys in front of him. " Hey guys, I just found this strange note on my back, see?..." Demyx dug into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with bold black writing on it. He held it up for the others to read :

Demyx

For Sale : 10 munny

Discount price

"This is the fifth time I''ve found a note like this on my back this week, and it''s only Tuesday!" Demyx continued to complain while Axel and Roxas were busy hiding their guilty faces. "The nerve of some nobodies! Only ten munny!? I''m worth more then that!"

"Wanna bet ?" Axel leaned down to Roxas and whispered, causing him to shake with laughter. Demyx smirked down at the piece of paper in his hands, then up at Axel. A half baked plan slowly forming in the musicians head.

"Heeeey Axxxey!" Demyx slowly began to advance on the Flurry of Dancing flames. "You wanna buy me?" He wiggled his eye brows in an attempt to further make his point.

"Not even if the world was crashing down around me!"

"Please!

"No."

"Pretty please!"

"No!"

"Come on!"

"For the last time, NO!" Unfortunately, Demyx was never one to give up easily. He just decided to come up with a new plan of action. Demyx quickly latched himself onto Axel''s arm. Holding on as if his life depended on it.

"Unless you want to become a walking torch, I suggest you get off!" Axel''s face began to turn as red as his hair. Demyx really knew how to get on his last nerve. At this point, Roxas feared for Demyxs'' well being. He knew how Axel got when he was angry. Demyx looked nervous for a second, but then smiled back up at Axel, apparently unafraid.

"You wouldn''t wou-AH!" Demyx jumped backwards when a small fire erupted on his sleeve. He let a steady stream of water escape his fingers to put out the fire. Axel didn''t look about ready to let him off the hook that easily. The pyromaniac held out his arms. Vines of darkness clouded his arms as he summoned his Chakrams to his aid. "T-There''s no need for violence...." Demyx began to back up at the oncoming threat. Axel drew his hand back, and with a sinister smirk, released the spinning weapon. Demyx ducked just in time and bolted down the hallway with Axel following close behind. Roxas, who was still laughing over the craziness of the situation , just shook his head and walked off in the opposite direction.

Number nine quickly rounded the nearest corner .To avoid Axel, it would require some quick thinking on his part .(Something Demyx didn''t do to well). Looking around, he noticed the door to Vexen''s basement laboratory slightly ajar.

"Ohhhh..... He told me not to go down there." Demyx nervously drummed his fingers against his forehead. To annoy the scientist, or not to annoy the scientist. That was the question.

"Oh Demmmmmyx!" Axel''s voice echoed loudly throughout the halls.

"Annoy the scientist!" He threw open the door and charged down the stairs.

The chilly academic carefully held up a test tube full of a sticky substance. He squinted his eyes so he could better see the potion he was about to mix. Bottles and vile bubbled around the long haired man as he carefully planned his next move. One wrong move could have put the whole experiment in jeopardy. He finally lowed the test tube over another bottle of liquid ever so carefully. That was, until he heard:

"It was just a joke Axey!"

"I don''t care!"

"OW! That thing is sharp you know!"

Vexen flinched as a frantic teen flew down the steps of the lab. A ball of fire flew in shortly afterwards. Demyx was able to, once again, dodge the attack.

"Burn baby!" Axel skidded to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, facing his opponent head on.

"Axel.... I just want you to stop and think about what you are about to do." Demyx tried to reason with him as he ran around the lab table in an attempt to escape. Axel tried to run around the lab table in an attempt to grab the blond, but instead ended up ramming into Vexen. The vile of liquid that the scientist held fell into another bottle of liquid that sat over a burner. It immediately began to bubble and smoke.

"You trouble making youngsters!" Vexen pushed Axel off of him dusted himself off.

"I have no time for you old man!" Axel stood from the floor and once again took off for Demyx. For Vexens'' sake, right out of the lab.

''FOOLS!'' Vexen thought to himself ''Weeks of planning and experimentation completely ruined by those...neophytes!'' Suddenly, the newly made potion let out a puff of smoke, then setteled. The definite sign of a well made potion.... Maybe... this experiment wasn''t in vein.

 

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Being a part of Organization XIII was like being a part of one really big dysfunctional family. Perhaps the most abnormal time of the day was meal time. Imagine all of the members of Organization XIII sitting at a long white table despite past conflicts between them. It only spelled disaster. Especially when Vexen decided to pull a little prank all his own. The scientist poured the concoction made when Axel rudely knocked into him, into the cup of the pyromaniac.

Slowly, the Organization members began to fill their usual seats. The last to walk through the door was Demyx, followed shortly by Axel. The musician had the worlds largest smile painted on his face and was tossing a bag filled with munny into the air.

"You bought him, didn''t you?" Roxas said through laughter. Axel glared maliciously at Roxas. If looks could kill, Roxas would have fallen over dead.

"Yup, I''m all yours Axey!" Demyx flung his arms around his new ''owner''. After ripping himself away from Demyxs'' death hug, he took up his normal seat next to Roxas.

Roxas began to poke at the food put in front of him, just taking in it''s wonderful smell. Lexaues was really a wonderful cook. He might not have looked like the type to cook, but his food always spoke for itself. The Superior knew of these skills and put him in charge of cooking. While Roxas was caught up in his thought of the food, Axel reached over to Roxas cup and switched it with his.

"What was that for?!" Roxas shouted, finally snapping back into reality only to see his cup being stolen.

"I get the red cup, you get the blue cup ..... Red mine ..... Blue yours. Got it memorized?" Roxas stubbornly crossed his arms and stuck out his lower lip in a pout. " Sorry buddy, your pout doesn''t work with me." Axel smirked. Axel had a color complex of sorts. Everything had to be red. If anyone else had something red, it was taken and most likely never returned.

"..... You always get your way...." Roxas said barely above a whisper.

"And always will." He replied.

Vexen just watched as the exchange took place. What an interesting turn of events. Sure, the payback potion aimed for Axel was switched with that other little abomination, but Vexen still saw room for revenge. He would make sure he got it. The scientist let a chuckle escape his lips, alerting the dark purple haired teen in the next seat. Zexion raised his visible eyebrow.

"What are you laughing at?" Zexion said with a hint of suspicion.

"Nothing that concerns you. Just sit back and observe the calamity unfold." Vexen saw Roxas finally down the contents of the cup in one gulp. As soon as he did, he clutched at his throat with a disgusted expression.

"You ok?" Axel turned to Roxas when he heard him couch roughly.

"I''m fine, that just tasted horrible!" Axel reluctantly turned away and focused back on his food. Roxas on the other hand, wasn''t doing as well. His face flushed of all color and his appetite disappeared. Roxas looked down at his food and sighed. He looked to the end of the table towards Xemnas.

"Superior... May I go lay down?" Roxas asked in a low tone. When he got a nod from his boss, he slid from the table and headed for the door.

"Can I have your food?" Demyx shouted.

"I knew something was wrong!" Axel said while ignoring Demyx''s comment.

"Nothings wrong. I just -" Roxas collapsed right before the door. Axel stood from the table and ran to his best friends side. The rest of the Organization just watched silently.

"Roxas! Say something!" Axel shook his friend in an attempt to wake him, but his head just rolled about.

"Take him to bed number eight." A strong voice addressed him. Axel turned to see Xemnas hovering over him " He looks sick." Axel nodded and proceeded to follow his orders.

"Man oh man Roxas, whatever you did this time ..." He told his unconscious friend as he carried him toward his room. Axel set Roxas down on his bed and watched as the young boy peacefully slept. It was strange, nobodies had no hearts, yet, one look at Roxas always made him feel so different. Almost like a faint glimmer of one may rest in his chest. Of course, his pride wouldn''t let him make that a public announcement. The idea would probably be discarded by the superior members anyway. Shaking his head he looked back down at Roxas. He didn''t just want to leave his friend when he was obviously going through something. He wanted to be there when he woke up. Axel took a chair from the side of the room and pulled it close to Roxas''s bed. of course with nothing to do but listen to Roxas''s gentle breathing, sleep wasn''t looking like a bad idea. Soon, Axel was fast asleep.

 

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"Axey...." Axel slowly opened his eyes to the half darkened room and looked over at the clock ... 5am... One more hour until breakfast would be called. He was going to make sure he got to make the most of that hour. He closed his eyes again.

"Axey...." Axel felt a tug on the sleeve of his black Organization coat. He knew that nickname, Unfortunately that was the one Demyx gave to him. If this was Demyx''s idea of a joke, it wasn''t very funny at all. He pulled his arm away without opening his eyes.

"Axey." A voice hissed from below him. The redheads eyes popped open.

"What do you want Dem- ..... oh." That was definitely NOT Demyx. Two very big electric blue eyes looked up at him. Strangely, this kid looked a lot like Roxas, but it was impossible, he was only about knee height! Sure Roxas was a little on the short side, but not that short. Axel blinked several times ..... wait ..... it WAS Roxas! The small child proceeded to tug on Axel''s sleeve.

"Axey, I''m hungwey!"

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A/N - Come on! The Organization is like a big dysfunctional family. Xemnas is the All-must-obey-me Dad, Xigbar is the cool uncle, Roxas, Axel and Demyx are like the kids, and Larxene is the mean older sister who threatens people with knives . Anyway, Most of the Organization members will be in this fic. Especially Demyx, Larxene and Zexion seeing as they are my favorites.

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