Gunpowder
Roxas dropped another armful of scrap wood onto the growing pile and turned to Axel. "Why are we doing this again?"
Axel rolled his eyes. "It's Guy Fawkes Day? You know, 'Remember, remember, the fifth of November?'"
"You mean the thing from V for Vendetta?" Xion had dropped her load into the pile, as well, and now stood to one side, lips tilting up into a small smile, eyes flicking back and forth to watch the exchange.
"Well yeah, except it is a real holiday."
Roxas raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, in Britain."
"So?"
"So, Axel, maybe you didn't notice, but we don't live in Britain."
Axel crossed his arms. "And?"
"And, you're not British."
Axel place a conspiratorial arm around his friend. "Roxas."
"Axel."
"It's Bonfire Night. Bon. Fire. And fireworks. There has to be fireworks."
Xion giggled. "Of course!"
Roxas shrugged the redhead off and spared a glare for Xion before turning it to Axel. "In Britain. Also, in case you've forgotten," Roxas gestured to a paper bag that Axel had placed several feet away, "those are kind of illegal."
Axel chuckled ominously and flashed his teeth. "More than kind of, Rox."
"More than—" Roxas strode over and peered into the bag. "What the hell did you get? And where did you get it?"
"Only the good stuff," Axel grinned wider and slapped the blond on the shoulder, "but of course, if I told you where I bought them, I'd have to kill you. Now hurry up, I told everyone to be here at eight."
"Why do I always get stuck helping you with this kind of crap, anyway? Couldn't you have had some of the others pitch in? Maybe someone with longer legs."
Axel leveled a flat stare at Roxas. "Have you ever tried getting Demyx to do anything remotely resembling work?" Roxas at least had the grace to look chagrined at that, and Xion snorted. "Anyway, Xion's not complaining. And none of them are my best friends."
Roxas rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine."
A few more bundles of wood, and Axel stood back to admire the pile they'd created. It wasn't as big as Axel would like, they were too close to the city, but it would still make an impressive blaze. He nodded in satisfaction. "Now, to get this baby lit!"
If he was a little too eager in the glow of the fire he coaxed into life, neither Xion nor Roxas would admit it out loud. If anything, Axel's enthusiasm for fire caused fond smiles to tug at their lips, and the Guy Fawkes mask he donned in the warm light made it all feel official. Later, after the others had joined them, they all gazed up in awe at the spectacular explosions in the night sky, orchestrated with an exaggerated plastic grin and brilliant red hair.
And of course, they all laughed and whooped as they ran from the flashing red and blue lights. The others scattered in all directions, while Axel steered his short-legged friends into an abandoned building nearby to hide, and they waited in a dark room with hands clamped over their mouths until they were certain the coast was clear.