"Eddie—Eds... Yamaguchi." Axel giggled. He'd been twirling her messy hair around his finger for the better part of a few minutes. "Akuma."

Eddie snorted out a little laugh. Poked him in the nose. Maybe they had nearly finished the bottle of wine. Tipsy was a good word—even with the pasta in their bellies. "Axel."

"I need to say something."

"Say it."

"Can we—you know, you and me. Us."

"That's what we means."

Axel laughed again. Eyes surrounded by loving crow's feet, nose wrinkled. "You're so smart."

"Say something. Say that thing. Thing you wanted to say."

Axel's eyes were a little glassy but they refused to leave Eddie's features. Wandered around her face like they were trying to figure out what they wanted to focus on. More than a few darts down to her mouth. "Would you... I don't want this to sound bad. An—And you can say whatever you want."

"Can't say whatever I want if you don't say your thing first."

Axel let himself look back at the curled hair around his finger. "Your hair is really soft. My God."

"That's what you wanted to say?"

"Among other things."

Eddie put a finger under his chin and raised his head to look at her. "Other things?"

"Can I?" Axel asked.

"Can you?"

"Can we?"

"You haven't told me—"

"You can say no but if you want to I want to and if you don't that fine." Axel's knuckle trailed down Eddie's arm and she didn't stop him. "I like your skin. It's soft. Like your hair."

"Axel."

Axel laughed. "Eddie."

"You haven't—"

"What's Eddie short for?"

"That's what you wanted to ask?"

"No." Axel shrugged. "But now I'm curious."

"That's classified information."

Axel narrowed his eyes at her. "Edwina?"

"Disgusting. No."

"Edna." Axel snorted. "Edna Mode."

"Are you this drunk?"

"I forgot my meds but that's probably a good thing." Axel frowned. "Doc says mixing Adderall and alcohol is no bueno."

"It's not Edna."

"Kennedy?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell me if I guess it?"

"Sure."

"Theodora?"

"Where does that tie in?"

"Theodore would be Teddy..." Axel said. "Eddie is Teddy. Like that guy Robin Williams played in Night At The Museum."

"The former president?"

"We had a president named Teddy?"

Eddie smiled. Tried not to laugh. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Well. Now I'm afraid I've made an ass of myself."

"You think you've made an ass of yourself for not knowing presidents in a country that was colonized and who shouldn't have had presidents in the first place?" Eddie asked. "No. It's fine."

"How are you so smart?"

"I'm really not," Eddie said. "Colour me nothing special, Boston boy."

Axel had been staring at her the entire time on the counter, but never quite like that. "Pardon?"

"Nothing." Eddie looked at her hands. When did Axel start holding her hands? She looked away again. "Slip of the tongue."

"Fall down the stairs and die of the tongue."

"What did you want to ask me?"

"Now it really sounds asshole-ish."

"I bet you it doesn't."

"I can't say I wasn't thinking this the other night. Before you left. Well. Can't say I wasn't thinking it every time I've watched you fight."

"You've watched me fight?"

"Well, yeah, silly, where do you think I took the pictures?"

Sometimes when Eddie looked in the mirror, she didn't recognize who she was looking at—there used to be a little girl staring back at her who had enough light in her eyes for the entire world to never blackout. She was the blackout, now. No hope for illumination. Axel's eyes brought so much light, the universe begged for some shine in return. Hazel like moss on a log cabin welcoming a glorious summer vacation.

"Ask your question, dingus."

"Can I please say I was not letting you sleep here in return for—"

"Axel."

"I need you to know I'm not an asshole."

"I don't think you're an asshole."

"You might."

"Axel."

"Ed, Edd, 'n' Eddy." (Eddie was going to ignore he started humming the theme song.)

"Axel."

"Good show."

"Canterbury."

"Yamaguchi."

Eddie leaned in a little closer. Caught his attention when she looked him in the eyes. "Ask your damn question."

Axel leaned on his fist. Chin pressed into the heel of his palm. Pursed his lips for a moment. "I don't know how to ask this without sounding like a douche."

"Scout's honour I won't think that."

"What are your thoughts on—" Axel's eyes widened a little. "I know I jokingly mentioned the counter earlier but I was thinking more bedroom if you wanted to say yes—"

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I still haven't asked the question. I'm a dumbass."

"You almost have several times," Eddie said. Barely stopped herself from smiling. "And my thoughts are... interested."

In a moment, Axel had moved a little closer. Ran a hand along the edge of the hoodie Eddie wore. Searched her eyes for a moment. If his words were going to betray him, he would let his eyes do the talking.

"You can." Eddie nodded. "Yeah."

Axel trailed his hand under the edge of the sweater. Fingertips grazed Eddie's hip. His other hand brushed her hair behind her ear with the gentlest fingertips. Leaned in slowly, lips soft and gentle. No words to tell her she could say no at any moment, but the promise was there. No judgement, no pressure.

As it turned out, Axel had a wonderfully polite set of fingers that Eddie let him use to her advantage. His lips, in all their glory, did some wonderful work as well. Compliments to the winer, the diner, and the... well.

*

Eddie had had sex before. Many times. It wasn't a new experience, or even a life-changing one, really. Sex with a new person was always a little nerve-wracking but never something that was panic inducing for her. She'd had one-night stands and she had sex with partners she'd dated for years. There was angry sex and euphoric sex and drunk sex and sober sex and messy sex and secret sex. That was all to say: sex was nothing new in Eddie's life.

Axel was polite. He was gentle at first, then as he figured out what Eddie wanted, he changed it up. It was fun. Eddie had a good time, Axel had a good time. From what Eddie could tell, there was finishing from both parties, so what was there to critique? Eddie felt fucking good. During and after.

For someone who didn't enjoy other people, Eddie couldn't deny that one of her favourite things was seeing things she didn't get to in public. When Axel's shirt was off, there was chest hair. More than she expected but it wasn't unwelcome. There were a couple of nicotine patches on his shoulder. A small tattoo on his thigh—faded, like it was older and hadn't quite been taken care of or touched up. Clearly words that didn't line up, but he was Axel Canterbury, of course he would have a tattoo that said the / of / life / dragons / you, each word a different line. He didn't need to make sense. Eddie liked seeing his hair after she'd run her fingers through it—it was always sticking up, but she enjoyed how soft it was, how she got to claim space that her fingers fit into.

Sure, someone might've seen most of the parts of Axel that Eddie saw at a beach. (Most being the operative word that ensured he wasn't going to get arrested.) But they didn't get to touch it. They didn't get to feel his heart beat through his chest. Feel his breath on their slick skin. Eddie liked kissing the freckles on his neck and digging her nails into his shoulder blades.

Like every person Eddie had slept with previously, Axel was beautiful. With his messy hair and his sweaty skin and his weird tattoo and his hazel eyes and his stupid freckles and his tongue and his lips. Eddie wanted to memorize every inch of him.

It helped her afterglow that Eddie had slept in that bed before. She was more than comfortable, even before they'd had sex. (She didn't even require Axel to sleep beside her, really.) (Eddie was used to empty beds.)

"Cigarette?" Eddie quickly pulled a t-shirt and a pair of discarded underwear on.

"I'm okay," Axel said. Raised his arm behind his head, other hand on his chest. There was no denying the patches she'd noticed earlier. Lost in everything else Eddie wanted to remember about him.

Eddie's eyes widened a little. "I'm sorry—I shouldn't have—"

"It's okay," Axel said. "It's a good band. Can't blame you for following their lead."

Eddie sniffed out a small laugh. She wished she didn't need to go to the balcony to smoke. He was better at controlling himself than Eddie was, evidently.

Padding through the living room, Eddie dug through her jacket and grabbed her box and lighter from her pocket. Didn't light up until she closed the balcony door. Maybe it was progress that she didn't bring a second one out with her—she was only gone for a few minutes. Maybe addiction was thinking that one was okay when she was supposed to be down to none. Coach would probably have something to say about that.

When she returned from her cigarette, Eddie expected Axel to be in the same place she left him, maybe asleep. Eddie didn't know his sleeping habits, but it was early in the morning and she assumed he had studio time sooner rather than later. The last thing she expected to find was Axel sitting at his desk, putting together a gigantic Lego Millennium Falcon in Star Wars boxers. Some kind of post-nut clarity. The Lego itself wasn't concerning. The concerning factor was that Eddie, for some fucking reason, kind of wanted to sleep with him again after seeing it. Even after he made ship noises with his mouth and flew the Lego around with his hand.

Deciding she needed to stop watching his fingers and go to bed, Eddie buried herself in his blankets.

*

Eddie wasn't usually woken up by the sound of a loudly vibrating phone, Coach and Rush would be able to confirm, but lots had happened that night that she wasn't prepared for. She didn't even manage a hello before the other person started speaking.

"Before you say it, I know I'm the last person who should be complaining about timing, but as they say, time is money and, well, I'm really hoping you're okay but, also, where the hell are you?"

"What?" Eddie managed.

"Eddie?"

"Oh my God—"

"Oh my God—"

"Um." Eddie rolled over in bed and pulled the phone away from her ear. Axel sound asleep beside her. Maybe she should've thought twice but flicking him in the ear seemed the quickest way to wake him up. A nasty shout of a whisper. "Axel."

No movement.

"Axel." Eddie poked him in the shoulder.

Like a fucking log.

"Axel!" Eddie reached over and plugged his nose, covered his mouth. Axel lurched and elbowed her in the nose. Eddie grunted and threw the phone as she went to hold her nose, nailing him in the face with it. There were limbs and sheets and groaning and—

"What is wrong with you—"

"Answer your phone—Ow—"

More flailing, somewhere along the way, Maverick was put on speaker, they still hadn't found the phone.

He probably thought he was covering the speaker. From somewhere in the sheets, there was, "Everleigh, I have some tea."

From a little farther away from the phone, Everleigh's voice rang out, "Verbal or herbal?"

"For you? Both."

"Fucking capsicum, the answer's always verbal. I drink black tea."

"And, quite frankly, that's a character flaw, baby."

Axel finally found his phone and pressed it to his ear. "Mav?"

Eddie laid back on her pillow, holding her nose with both hands. Tears in her eyes, mostly from the impact itself. She pulled her hand away and stared at it—no blood, that was a good sign. A couple quick breaths while she tried to convince her nose it wasn't swollen and her nostrils that they were allowed to breath on their own.

"Um. Hey, sorry to bug you—"

"Fuck," Axel managed, taking the phone off speaker and pressing it back to his ear. He listened for a moment. "Sorry. Yes. I'll be there soon... Yes... Yes..." Axel's eyes darted to Eddie in probably the least stealthy way they could've, especially considering she'd noticed through the tears pooling in her eyes. Axel pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll be there soon. But know I've seen the Grammy's footage, so I'm going to take my time... Okay. See you soon. Bye." Axel put the phone down. Took a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

Eddie wiggled her nose around a little. "I've been hit harder."

Axel looked at her. Laughed a little. To himself.

"What?"

"You're terrible at answering questions."

Eddie made a face. "You're terrible at asking questions."

Axel waved his hands around for a moment. "Start over."

Eddie nodded.

"Hi, I'm Axel."

Eddie swatted him in the shoulder.

"Ow."

Eddie sighed and dragged herself out of bed, looking around for the sweatpants she'd worn the night before.

"Where are you going?"

"Why would I be here if you're not?"

"Also not an answer." Axel pushed himself off the bed, too, and started rummaging through his closet. "For the record."

Eddie sighed as she walked around the bed, looking for her pants. "I have sparring practice. You have studio time. No need for me to be here."

"You're... allowed to stay." Axel quickly pulled a pair of socks on.

Eddie chuckled, grabbing her sweats from the floor and pulling them on. Biting a hair tie while she knotted hers back up. "I'm honoured."

"Um. I'm Axel," Axel said, "I had a good time last night."

Eddie turned to look at him. Hand extended her way. She wrapped the tie around her hair messily before shaking Axel's hand. "Eddie. I did too."

Neither of them let go of the other's hand.

"Is it Edith?"

Eddie scoffed. "No."

"Do you really have stuff to do today or did I make it weird?" Axel pulled his hand away first. Dug a pair of jeans out of his closet and stepped into them quickly.

"You didn't make it weird," Eddie said. "I have a job too."

"Okay," Axel said, tossing a shirt in her direction. "Good."

"Good." Eddie caught the shirt with ease. "I think I had a hoodie here somewhere, you don't have to—"

Axel waved her off before he pulled on a shirt. Walk of Shame was written across the chest with a poorly drawn star around the words and a sad face to accompany the line drawing. He looked down. "Is this work appropriate?"

Eddie laughed. "For you? Probably."

Axel snorted, grabbed a stick of deodorant off the ground and quickly swiped it under his armpits. Took a quick sniff. Made a slight face. "I think this shirt's dirty—Fuck it, Mav can deal with it, I'm already late."

"Cute. He'll love that. Sex and dirty t-shirt."

"Eau de... Axel." Axel swatted a hand in the air. "I'll be in the booth, it's fine. Mav got in a creative block after lunch yesterday and shaved his stubble into a moustache, hoping to release it, so... he has other issues, it's fine."

"Did you have the honour of hearing what Everleigh thinks of it?"

Axel chuckled and tucked his phone into his back pocket. Grabbed his wallet off his desk, near the Millennium Falcon, and did the same with it. Picked a zip-up hoodie from the back of his desk chair and pulled that on, too. "I believe the words were bisexual Ned Flanders."

"I can't tell if that's a good thing or not."

"Honestly, she named their dog after some horror guy with a moustache, so... I haven't figured her out yet."

"She seems tough to figure out."

"She's pretty cool." Axel looked around for a moment. "I—um, don't take this the wrong way. Can I drop you off somewhere?"

"My car's here."

Axel made a face. "Right. Can I walk you out? Are you... ready to go?"

Eddie looked around. Only partially remembering what she'd worn the night before. Her phone was definitely with her shoes at the front door, now that she thought about it. There was no reason to think the phone ringing beside her head had been hers. It was a terrible force of habit. "I think I have everything."

"If you don't—" Axel winced at himself. "You're more than welcome back. Any time. Um. With or without... you know."

"Thank you."

"Nice to have a friend."

"Okay, get going. You're late as fuck."

Axel laughed, motioned to the bedroom door. "After you."

The two of them walked out of the room, Axel ran to the bathroom to brush his teeth while Eddie stepped into her Vans. Axel had the same pair, which he quickly slid on. He jingled his pocket loudly, pulled two pairs of keys out.

"These are yours." He held a set out to Eddie and dropped his own around his finger. "Mine. Cool. Good?"

"Good." Eddie took the keys and gave him a small thumbs up. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry about—" He motioned to his nose. "You scared the shit out of me."

            Eddie unconsciously reached up to touch it. Only a slight tenderness met her. "You sleep like a fucking log."

"It's been known."

"Sorry I scared you."

"You're good, Yamaguchi. Um—" Axel tilted his head back and forth a little. "See you soon?"

"See you soon."

Axel held his fist out and Eddie tapped hers against his.

He pointed a finger at her. "Eden?"

Eddie laughed. "Absolutely not."