Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Out of My Element ❯ For Impression's Sake ( Chapter 14 )

(AN: I'm a terrible person.)

 

Chapter 14: For Impression's Sake

 

“Mmhm!” Reno confirmed, mouth full of a rather large bite of baked potato. There was a pause as he tipped his head down and swallowed the lump and wiped his lips with the back of his hand, “Rufus said they only jus' finished up the framework, yo. `Got lotsa other stuff ta do so they jus' workin' part time, not ta mention Rufus got some other stuff he's workin' on. Won't tell what it is yet, but he's gone off a lot. Kinda strange, `think he's got a s'rprise or somethin' for the kid, yo.” Reno stuffed another bite into his mouth, “Little bro, this `s delicious!” He complimented enthusiastically.

“I should hope so.” Axel responded quietly before continuing with the conversation, “I guess that means that Demyx will be staying by a little longer than expected, right?” He inquired hopefully.

Reno shrugged exaggeratedly, “Never can tell, bro. Jus' have ta wait an' see, sometimes the workers jus start out a little slow.”

“Oh,” Axel glanced back at the front door. It was late and Reno was nearly finished gorging himself on the mini-feast Axel had prepared for dinner. He'd decided a rather old-style American dish of baked potatoes, corn, and steak would lighten his mood, but to his dismay it had done nothing to cure his loneliness; usually, sitting down with his older brother out back in the sun shucking corn lulled him into a peaceful daze.

The doorknob twitched and Axel sat up attentively. But, as the door opened however, he slumped back down. Luxord, all smiles, glanced back out the door at a darker figure behind him, “Thanks for walking me to the door.” His voice was low and uncertain, but brimming with excitement.

“It was my duty as a gentleman.” Voiced the figure stepping a bit closer, the light from the house lighting up his features. For a moment Axel was confused, their teacher looked infinitely younger than he did when instructing class. Out of the stuffy suits required at the school, his dress and demeanor seemed to radiate youth. His hair, which was normally tied back, now flowed silkily down over his shoulders, a few stray locks dipping down to cradle his face.

“I'm a man too.” Luxord responded playfully, taking a step forward out the door to meet their professor halfway.

“I know you are, but,” The dark haired elder stepped close, drawing something from his hip as he tipped his head to one side; the stray lock slipped from his cheek, “I'm the one with the gun.” To emphasize the point he rested the barrel against Luxord's jaw.

Letting out a quiet cry Luxord jumped back, batting the thing away, “Watch where you're pointing that thing!” He voiced though his smile never faltered.

“Aw, I would never hurt you. See, safety's on; she couldn't fire if she wanted to.” With an innocent smile, he slipped the gun back into concealment, “I suppose I should be on my way home then. You're home safe and sound and I have a class to teach tomorrow.”

With a small frown Luxord gave a nod and leaned against the doorframe, “Be careful on your way back.”

“Don't worry; I've been taking care of myself for years. I'm a big boy.” The elder looked over his shoulder at the dimming world for a moment before looking back to Luxord, thinking of something. Then he seemed to resolve the thought, for he quickly leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Luxord's cheek, “I'll see you soon.”

Disinterested, Axel looked down sulkily at the partially emptied plate before him. He vaguely heard the `Good night' from Luxord or the `Sweet dreams, dear Luxord' in response. Actually, only when the plate suddenly disappeared from his sight did he notice much of anything at all. Head snapping up, he glared at Luxord, who held the plate just out of his reach, “Hey!” Axel objected swiping at the plate.

“Soooo- The verdict is in and I did not sleep with him.” Luxord boasted triumphantly, his chest swelling with pride as he took a seat beside Reno, “And he's agreed to give a relationship with me a chance. It's terribly wonderful, my day couldn't have gone any better!” Setting the plate down he passed a smile to Reno, “Good evening.” He greeted, Reno made some sort of attempt to reply but his mouth was too full of food.

Throwing an arm out, Axel made a grab for the plate but the object was quickly moved to a safer elevation, “Luxord.” Axel growled, watching helplessly as the blond began to devour his dinner.

“By god! Axel! This steak is to die for!” He exclaimed.

“Good, then you won't regret eating it when I strangle you.” Axel made to pounce over the table but a soft click stopped him in mid spring. His eyes were on the door in an instant, spirits lit with excitement.

“See you guys tomorrow!” Demyx called, giving a wave before closing the door behind him. Turning, he tiredly removed the guitar strap from his shoulders and set it down beside the door. Then he kicked off his shoes and looked up to meet Axel's gaze. In the pale light, Axel would have sworn over his parents' graves Demyx never looked so beautiful. His skin was flushed, glistening with sweat; damp hair clung lightly to his forehead. And those eyes… The protective mask over them was broken down, revealing a sea of raw emotion, but above all other feeling shimmered affection and delight. A smile touched his lips, “Hey Axel.”

Axel stood dumbly for a long moment, watching in silence as Demyx approached the kitchen, “Um… Hey.” He finally responded, quickly stepping away from his seat offering it up to Demyx who took it graciously, “I kept- Um,” Eyes darting back, Axel quickly followed the visual trail to retrieve Demyx's dinner. Whatever he was saying, he forgot about it and quietly handed over the plate of warm food, “Here.” It had been stored under some foil to keep it heated.

“Thanks, sorry I'm all sweaty. We were practicing pretty hard today, after all we only have a week to rehearse now so we're giving it all we've got.” Demyx explained, his voice quiet and rough from having sung a good portion of the day, “Did you already eat?”

Axel had to think for a moment. Well, he'd started eating and a glance to Luxord told him that was all he was going to get. He hadn't prepared enough for four people because he'd originally planned on Luxord not having any. It was supposed to be some type of revenge for skipping out at work, but the plan had failed miserably, “Yeah.”

With a guilty look, Demyx tipped his head down, “Oh.”

“But, um…” Axel backed himself up against the warm stove. Hand brought across his own chest, he rubbed his arm a little in anxiety. He imagined he must have looked like a forlorn child awaiting some sort of recognition from the other children. At the thought he was glad he now stood behind Demyx, “So…” Shrugging his own hand away he placed both palm on the edge of the oven, trying too look as normal as he could manage at this point.

Opposite the table, Luxord came to the rescue. He must have noticed the difficulty Axel was having, “So you need to be ready in a week, what for?” He inquired, Axel could have sworn he'd told Luxord but, then again, even if he had Luxord wasn't one to remember frivolous things that didn't involve him.

“Well, really within the week. Friday is the Spring Festival and I'm going to play as part of the musical performance. My class is also performing a dance. Axel said he was going to come by to watch. You should come too; it'll be fun.” Axel could practically hear the grin spreading across Demyx's face from his voice, “Especially if you bring a special someone.”

“Would it now? Well then, I just must make an appearance.” Voiced Luxord flamboyantly before smirking deviously, “So, have you already asked your special someone to attend?” Luxord's eyes flickered up to Axel but returned to Demyx.

Axel could see the teenager tense up, “Uh-I…” Demyx glanced back at him, but the look was quickly terminated when Demyx realized that Axel was staring back at him, “I don't really have someone special- Not really anyway… I, um. Well I guess I've asked someone I like, but we're not, you know, `together'.”

“Aw, why not?” Luxord tilted his head to the side.

“There are… Issues.” Demyx shook his head, “It's really dumb.”

“Oh. So you've only asked me and Axel.” Stated Luxord casually. Axel caught on in a flash to what Luxord was doing. Despite how evil it seemed to play mind games with Demyx, Axel was eager to see the turn out.

“Yeah, just you two.” Axel beamed, Demyx had just said it himself. He liked Axel, and more than just a friend. It may have taken a cheap trick from Luxord to confirm it 100% but now Axel didn't have to worry about Demyx rejecting any advancement he made; though that was a low likelihood. So more accurately, Axel could wait with confidence for Demyx to make a move on him.

Reno raised a brow quizzically, “And that girl you like too.” He voiced with uncertainty. Axel felt his heart skip a beat, well it was good that he knew and all, but he still didn't want Reno knowing about this little affair.

“O-oh! Right, and her.” Demyx quickly tried to cover up. However, Reno didn't look so convinced. Looking over his shoulder again nervously, Demyx seemed to be checking if Axel doubted him as well. It would have been better if Demyx had said he'd lied and hadn't asked her because he was too shy, but he didn't seem to be that clever.

“Of course her too, Reno. What he meant was that, as friends, he's only asked us two.” Axel provided, watching out of the corner of his eye to see Demyx visibly relax again. Then Axel closed his eyes and shook his head, “No need to be so suspicious… Unless,” Axel smiled as he looked to his brother, “you're just upset he didn't ask you and Rude to come as well.”

His brother pouted, “That ain't very nice, Ax, accusin' me o' bein' angry at `im for not invitin' me and bein' all suspicious. I was jus' makin' sure I got the story right, yo. `Course I'm not sayin' that it wouldn' o' been nice of `im to invite us too.”

“Oh, I-I'm sorry. I just assumed you two would be working, you're always gone so much.” Came Demyx's hasty apology and excuse. Their secret love was safe for now.

Giving Demyx a pat on the shoulder, Axel interrupted the conversation, “You boys play nice with each other and enjoy your dinner. I'll be in the living room.” Then he left them to continue talking away from Axel's ears.

Snuggled down on the couch, Axel smiled to himself and it wasn't too long before Demyx wandered in. Reno and Luxord seemed to have volunteered for dish duty, “Um… Hey…” He voiced in greeting as he sat down shyly beside Axel, “Um… So-“ He let out a little squeak when Axel put an arm around him and pulled him close. It was their normal TV watching position, but now Demyx seemed a little more anxious about it.

Axel, as normal as could be, glanced down at him in question but no more before looking back at the TV. Of course, he wasn't watching whatever was on; he was far too busy memorizing the scent wafting off Demyx's clothes. It was purely his scent now, no cologne or lingering scent of food masked or mingled with it. Axel was quite enjoying it.

A few minutes passed before Demyx pushed away a little, “I… Should change my clothes.” Axel frowned but removed his arm to allow Demyx to slip away. He knew his gift still waited to be opened and he wanted to see Demyx's reaction to it.

Sneaking up after him, Axel poked his head in just as Demyx picked up the wrapped CD. He glanced back and Axel stepped into full view. There was a long silence as Demyx inspected it carefully. Then he broke the silence by tenderly tearing away the paper.

His lips moved as he silently read the album title and he tenderly ran his thumb over the case, “Does this mean… you like me too?” Demyx asked hesitantly, looking up at Axel from the corner of his eye.

Axel glanced down the hall; Reno was still downstairs in the kitchen. Once he'd confirmed the coast was clear, he turned his head back to the musician and gave a subtle nod. With that queue, Demyx silently paced the length of his room to stand before him. He looked up at him, smiling a little, before he stood up on his toes, wrapped his arms around Axel's neck, and pulled him in for a hug, “Thanks Axel. I love it.”

“You're welcome.” Murmured Axel, timidly snaking his own arms around Demyx. Already a little nervous about the ordeal, he nearly leapt out of his skin when Luxord smacked him upside the head.

“Move along, kiddies!” He commanded, but his mere presence had been enough to make the two leap away from each other. Axel turned to glare at him, but the look was lost when he noticed that Reno just reached the top of the stairs. With a grin, Luxord headed towards the bathroom, “Thank me later.”

Right, better to be caught by someone on neutral grounds. Axel gave Demyx one last small smile before quickly retreating to his room.

“He sure is taking his time.” Muttered Axel closing his eyes as he rested his chin on his arms; a heavy sigh escaped his lips, “Sure, he pretty much flat out told me he's interested in me. But, he hasn't made a move on me since. How long am I supposed to wait?”

“You're just impatient,” Responded Luxord monotonously from above him. Axel's skin prickled. Impatient? Who was he to call him impatient? He was the one who'd gotten drunk and jumped head first into a new relationship. Conceded English bastard. With a serious frown, Axel turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the blonde, “Don't pout at me like that.” Grumbled the elder.

“I can pout all I want, got it memorized?” Axel grumped before shrugging his shoulder to rub his cheek; a trickle of sweat had tickled the flesh there. God, Luxord was heavy and this room was hot. The heat trapped beneath him, between his stomach and bed, wasn't helping much either. With another sigh Axel drew his arms up and out of the way, and then rested his head on his pillow and stared at the curtains shading his window, “What time is it Luxord? I can't see the clock pinned to the bed like this.”

A bare hand was placed on his back while Luxord readjusted himself, placing a knee at each side of Axel's hips. Leaning forward, Luxord looked at the clock, “Just a little past one thirty in the morning.” He replied curtly, “Why? You need a break?”

Did he ever. He needed to get up and stretch his legs or something; he was getting cramps. Lifting his head, Axel ran his hand through his bangs; the rest of his hair was caught back in a pony tail, “Do you?”

“Well it has been a few hours and I am doing most of the work…” Luxord sat back on his heels; Axel only knew because the weight on the bed shifted and the heat radiating off of his friend left, “Yeah, I could use a little break.” Thank god. With that Luxord got off the bed a stretched, “Besides, kneeling over your naked body like that was getting me pretty damn horny.”

“Sick fuck.” Growled Axel throwing a pillow at the man before getting to his knees. The sudden absence of the sheets against his skin brought a rush of cold and a distinct vulnerable feeling.

“It's not my fault you have such a nice ass… And may I remind you that you're the one who asked for my help?”

“I know. Just take a trip to the bathroom; I don't want you to suddenly jump me and ruin my `make up'.” Said Axel as he got off the bed. His legs throbbed with pain, having been motionless for so long. Raising his hands above his head, he arched his back and wretched out a few kinks in his spine. If he was careful he could move around pretty freely.

“Sure thing, sweetcakes.” Luxord's voice was suspiciously close.

“AIYEE!!!”

Axel yelped, instantly jumping forward. With a laugh Luxord ran out the door, cowering all the way, “You better run.” Snarled Axel, but not moving to run after him. With a growl, he rubbed his butt. That was low, sneaking up behind him and grabbing his ass like that.

Shaking his head, Axel sat down on the bed, stretching his legs out in front of himself. They'd started at about eleven and progress was slow. What they were doing was henna tattooing*. When Axel had known for sure that Demyx liked him, he'd decided that for the festival, which was today, Friday, he would have his body decorated with the temporary tattoos. Demyx had shown an interest in his tattoos before, so he hoped to snag the teenager's attention once anew with a new array of designs. He'd started it Wednesday night. After Demyx had gone to bed, Axel had crept out and found a local artist to sketch the design on his body, then paid a little extra for her to henna his arms and legs. All that remained for him to do was his torso and face. He'd done his front side Thursday while Demyx was at school, skipping both his class and work for the day. Now tonight, Luxord was helping Axel apply the tattoos to his back, unfortunately this would include his upper thighs and butt.

Even though the pattern was still sketched on in blue pencil, Luxord was terrible with his hands and that's why this process was taking so long. He'd only done the main designs on his back and had the lower regions and edges to do. And, of course, for his entire back to be done, he had to be completely nude. Yeah, it had been fairly awkward to ask and to get undressed for him, but if it was for Demyx Axel would do just about anything to lure him in.

The full mirror at the far side of his room caught his attention and Axel stood up again. Before the reflection, Axel admired the designs covering nearly all his body now. They varied in complexity and in color, but its theme was simple; his body was a portrait of everything he felt inside.

Over his heart lay a sun fashioned from some alien symbols and designs of swirls and jagged edges, burning brightly over the images below; at its center was an exact duplicate of the chakram on his stomach outlined by a brushwood heart that fed the flames. Under the sun a fiery dragon, omnipotent and hallow, coiled around Axel's gut, protecting the weapon in its clutches. Blazing vines erupted from its lips, and holy symbols burned at its feet. Soon, its tail would wind up and around Axel's neck.

All up and down Axel's arms and legs were shattered patterns and ivy-like flecks of trailing flames. The way they lined his bones gave them something of a deadly and sharp look to them. Sometimes the pattern was broken to slip in a wicked and unnatural pattern that resembled something out of a science fiction movie, perhaps the symbol of some alien race. Other times a pair of birds or a flower would make its way into the design. These all led up to a particularly intricate design at the top and bottom of Axel's hands and feet, though what exactly they were no one could say.

The unfinished pattern on his back would have a phoenix as its focal point, an upturned bleeding heart, its blood sharp like arrows, on the neck stretching down to chest of the bird. The wings would spread over his shoulders and its feet lost in an explosion at the base of his spine, resembling a burst of flames in the form of a flower. Vines and lingering spurts of flowery blazes would trail over his back down onto the upper thighs.

Axel was particularly fond of a single intricacy on his right lower hip, low enough that no one would ever see it unless he was stripped down. It was unlike all the other designs, for its frame swirled and curved like the waves of the ocean, and in its core he'd stained Demyx's name in old-style cursive. Axel had done this himself, as something of an after thought, but he was sure glad it was there now.

As he ran a hand over it, Axel caught a glimpse of Luxord closing the door behind him as he walked in. Axel shied away from the mirror, “Ready to finish up now?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Luxord replied before Axel lay back down on the bed, flat on his stomach. He heard Luxord take a breath before getting on the bed with him. There was a moment of awkward silence, the same as when they'd started in the first place. Then Luxord decided to strike up a conversation, “So Xigbar should be coming by at around six.”

“Is that so? Are you going to rectify your celibacy from last weekend?” Axel grinned a little. When Luxord had informed Axel that he had indeed not had sex with the professor he'd seemed pretty proud of himself, but as the week drew on he seemed more and more disappointed at not getting into the older man's pants.

“No.” Replied Luxord huffily, “I politely requested he accompany me to the street festival, a date. He accepted so he's going to come over and ride with us.”

“With us?”

“Well, because of his eye his license has been revoked and I'm not very good at staying sober on dates so… We're going to hitch a ride with you.”

“Lucky me.” Axel paused before his mind caught up with him, “Since when are you two on first name basis, anyway?”

“Well, I guess since yesterday. I stayed behind after class to talk with him and he told me to stop calling him `professor' and instead call him Xigbar outside the classroom.” Luxord sighed dreamily, “Finally, a date with our professor. I could cry I'm so happy.”

“Drama queen.” Axel laced his fingers together and settled his chin down, “At least one of us is getting somewhere… Do you think Demyx has been avoiding me?”

“Avoiding you?”

“Every day this week he's stayed out really late. I take him to school in the morning and don't see him until dinner, which has been late if you haven't noticed,” Luxord hummed, confirming he'd taken note of the alteration in the dinner schedule, “Then after he eats, he shuts himself up in his room. We don't even sit and watch TV together anymore.”

“Aw, feeling a little left out, baby doll?”

“A little.” More like a lot, Axel hated to admit but since this sudden prolonged separation Axel had stowed away articles of Demyx's clothes every day, particularly those from Sunday. Every chance he got, which was often enough, he'd sit with a jacket, shirt, or even Demyx's sheets in his arms, knees up to his chest. The feel of the cloth was just comforting enough to get by, “I don't know what I've done wrong… I'm nice to him, I'm a great cook, I'm on my way to getting my Bachelor's… Luxord, you find me attractive, right?” Shifting to look over his shoulder Axel inquired further, “There's nothing especially wrong with me, right?”

“Other than your obsessive behavior and social retardation?” Axel cast him a warning look and Luxord shifted his answer, “Not that I've noticed. Physically, you're pretty stunning.” Luxord let out a contemplative hum, “Maybe he's a sub**.”

“And what if he is?”

“Of all the people- I think you should know, Axel.” Luxord gave him an angry gab to his side making Axel grunt a little with pain, “You subs are so damn annoying sometimes. Grow some balls every once and a while, why don't you?”

“Hey!” Axel objected, “I can't help that I'm not good at expressing myself. I'm just not the type to go after someone.” But Luxord was right, he was so passive it was crippling sometimes. If Demyx wouldn't take his bait, then nothing would ever come to pass between them, because Axel could never fully take the initiative.

“Then I guess we'll just have to wait and see.”

Raising his chin, Axel ran a hand down his jaw and throat. The stains turned out nicely, the designs were crisp, clean, and moderately dark. Most of the day, since he'd skipped out on work today as well, he'd just been sleeping because he'd dyed his face that morning and couldn't very well do anything that might jeopardize his tattoos. They were scarce and relatively simple; he'd found that too much was never good and just seemed too busy. The exception of the rule was his eyes, which were laced with intricate French style vines and flowering. It gave them a flare, like the eyes of a feral tiger. After so many years of practice, it seemed he'd perfected the amount and complexity that should be used.

Luxord leaned over his shoulder and smiled, “Mmm, cypressy goodness.” He commented on Axel's smell. Having used cypress oil and some lemon juice in the dye, of course he'd have some lingering scent. At least it was a pleasant smell.

“Shut up.” Axel batted him away, “Shouldn't you be getting ready for your boyfriend?”

“I would but you're hogging the bathroom. I swear, sometimes you spend more time in here than a pubescent girl.” Voiced Luxord, lowering his voice in mock shame, “Now move it, your hair doesn't get any tamer than that, and there's nothing you can do about your tattoos now. Out.” Grabbing Axel by the bare shoulders, Luxord ushered him out the door before slamming it shut at his back.

“Pushy.” Muttered Axel unhappily as he headed downstairs for something to eat, with the tattoos complete he could finally get something in his system. He'd already gotten dressed for the occasion and was ready to go as soon as the sun started to set, which was when the festival would light up and begin. This meant he could do whatever he pleased for the time being.

What he'd decided on to wear to the festival was this: a vest, long pants, and boots; it was the least amount of clothing he could get away with and he didn't want to cover up the work of art his body had become. The vest was black leather and adorned with only a silvery replica of the overturned bleeding heart on his back. There was a zipper up the front with double fastenings, thus giving him a chance to leave the vest mostly open while still having it secured at the base of his sternum. The pants were black as well, matching the vest in color and simplicity. They rode low on his hips, despite the presence of a belt, and quite splendidly showed off the happy trail at the base of his stomach. For his boots he'd chosen his Harley Davidsons with the tongue that zipped up at both sides.

Axel liked the fact the clothes were fairly simple. He had enough complexity on his body to make up for it and the clothes had been worn enough that they were extremely soft and comfortable.

Just as Axel grabbed a bottle of icy water from the fringe the doorbell rang, which was unusual. No one really ever rang the doorbell at his house; they normally just waltzed right on in and usually with some rather loud and ambiguous remark. Axel kind of wished that the latter was happening; at least he could've quenched his thirst. But that was not the case so, with something of a grumble, he set the bottle down on the table unhappily and went to the door.

Upon opening the door, Axel jumped a little in surprise. Their professor, looking as young as he did Sunday, stood before the door wearing a dark purple skin tight t-shirt with the words `One SHOT Will Cure What Ails You'; the word `shot' was bolded and cracked with a bullet hole at its core. Over that, he had an open leather jacket, black and only notable for the strange gun-like designs on each breast. His jeans were just as unremarkable, but the strange fact that his belt held several rounds of ammunition had caught Axel attention. There was also a crease down near his leather boots that was questionable as well, but all of this was not why Axel had been startled upon opening the door.

It was the fact that their professor was removing a pair of sunglasses, which had been covering his eyes (though it was nearly dark already). This wouldn't have been a problem, but the lack of an eye patch caught Axel completely off guard and he found himself gaping at strange sight before him. The right eye that was usually covered was unseeing, scarred, and a milky blue and white. From the looks of it, the eye hadn't always been blind; a heavy blemish came down from just under the brow near the bridge of his nose to the uppermost edge of the orbital socket. Despite the damage, it followed the left eye accurately and stared blankly at Axel, like something in a movie.

Thinking back, Axel might have seen an eye like that from Watership Down. Maybe that one huge grey rabbit, the rabid one whose name had slipped his mind, had been blinded. It had probably come about in the same way their professor's had too, oddly enough-

Apparently, Axel had been staring too long because Xigbar grinned, quirked a brow, and spoke, “Well, as long as we're both here staring at each other… You missed my class the other day, but with the obvious growth of your tattoos I'm assuming you skipped for that.”

It really didn't look real. Didn't they have something for that kind of thing? Like glass eyes? Some sort of surgery? Then again, they had ways to reduce the appearance of normal scars and he hadn't used those at all. Maybe he had something against doctors-

“This really is extraordinarily entertaining, but I am here to see Luxord. And assuming from the car parked out front here, he's inside.”

“Oh,” Axel blinked a few times and glanced at Luxord's car in the driveway; a yellow 1970 Boss 302 Ford Mustang. Luxord said he'd won it- er according to Luxord, her in a bet and she'd been given the name Lady, Lady Luck to be precise. With how much debt the man accumulated, Axel was surprised it hadn't wound up at an impound lot, “Um yeah… He's… Still getting ready, come in.” Stepping back Axel gave their teacher room to enter before closing the door, “Have a seat while you wait.”

A momentary pause in conversation allowed Axel to snatch his bottle of water from the neighboring room, but it did continue and he had to return quickly.

“So you two live together?” Their professor's tone was suggestive, “He'd told me before and I think I saw you when I stopped by Sunday, but I honestly expected that he'd have a place of his own.”

“Oh, that… Well he did,” Axel began as he took a seat on the chair adjacent to the sofa, which Xigbar had chosen to settle down on, “at least up until last week. I couldn't very well let him roam the streets so he's staying here.” Waving a hand out, he gestured to the couch, “He sleeps down here and leaves when I do, so it's not too much of a problem.” Axel downed a few gulps of water to wet his parched mouth. That eye was really starting to creep him out… watching him, cold, emotionless, dead…

Xigbar raised a brow in inquiry, “Evicted?”

“He has a bit of a gambling problem.” Inside Axel scolded himself; he probably shouldn't have said that. Too late now. “I guess about a week ago today he lost all his money playing poker or something and couldn't pay the rent.”

“I hope that he'll still be able to attend class.” The statement sounded more like a question so Axel obliged him.

“Don't worry about that. Luxord has a full ride scholarship, including books and supplies, and it's nearly impossible for him to use that on booze or chips.” Not wanting to spill anymore deplorable information, Axel put the bottle lip to his mouth to drink again. Despite the fact it was fun to gossip and set people against one another, he really didn't plan on harming Luxord's chances at hooking up with Xigbar.

The professor hummed in acknowledgement before switching gears and heading off on a new subject, “So… You're looking rather dressed up today.” Axel bowed his head shamefully. He really should have expected to catch the attention of those other than his intended target, but it caught him off guard anyhow and made him a little uncomfortable.

“Yeah,” was all he could really get out. Admittedly it probably was more of a squeak than the actual word. At least he'd responded with that rather than choking on the water he'd been drinking.

“Hoping to catch someone's eye, maybe?”

“Trying.” Replied Axel shortly before looking to the top of the stairs. What the hell was Luxord doing up there? He needed to hurry up and get down there, Axel didn't like being alone with their teacher. The man probably had a gun.

Xigbar looked over his shoulder; eyes directed to the point Axel had been staring at. However, when he looked there, Luxord actually appeared in the hallway. A smile lit up on Xigbar's face as he reached up and brushed his hair from his face; it was back in a ponytail but a few locks had strayed from their place.

“Do you make it habit to keep your guests waiting?” Came Xigbar's charming inquisition.

Embarrassed, Luxord averted his eyes momentarily before subconsciously running a hand over his short hair, perhaps in a nervous gesture, “Ah, no.” He looked to Axel as he quickly made his way downstairs, “You should've called me down, I'd have come.” Liar, he would've been just as long. He may have tried to come quickly, but he'd have messed up his clothes and had to remain an extra minute to compensate for the mistake. On the subject of clothing, he'd dressed moderately for the occasion. He probably hadn't been sure what Xigbar would have wanted of him so he'd taken the safe side today. Over a white long-sleeved shirt, rolled up to his elbows, he wore a sepia brown shirt with an old style looking ad on the front. It had one of those strangely perfect guys from the white picket fence era of the U.S. during the world war and the words around the image said `Also Available in Sober'. His pants were semi-faded jeans accompanied by a brown leather belt. For him, it was one of his less provocative get-ups but still portrayed a distinct Luxord taste for morbid drunkard and gambler humor. Aside from this style of clothes, he also tended to wear a lot of blue, red, and white to display his English heritage, though many mistook these clothes as being American because the nation had taken on the colors after their British ties.

Before Xigbar got another word in, Axel quickly piped up, “Hey, Luxord. You don't think I'm too… Well, flamboyant do you?” Boy did that sound gay. Flamboyant? He could've just asked if he looked over dressed for the occasion, but no. He had to say flamboyant, ostentatious was less queer sounding word. Yes, he understood he was swung for the other team but, damn, sometimes it really sounded stupid coming from his mouth.

Pausing just before the couch Luxord tipped his head, “In general or in light of the situation? Because in general, I'd have to say yes. However, if we're keeping in mind that Demyx seems to be sort of into the `tough-guy' scene, then I'd have to say you look wonderful, love.”

“It's really not too much?” He could change his clothes or something if he needed to. Man, was trying to impress someone hard, “My hair's all right and everything.”

Luxord rolled his eyes, “You look fine. So,” Eyes turning to Xigbar he smiled, “Looks like we're all set, why don't we head on out?” Axel gave a nod, though only Xigbar could've seen it, and stood up, “We'll take my car; she's already out.” Axel couldn't care less; it just meant he'd only have to drive it back home instead of both to and from.

Axel was left out for most of the conversation after leaving the house. He'd taken the back seat to let the two talk freely to one another. Even if he had been included, his mind would have been elsewhere. No matter how much reassurance he got, he'd still be nervous about Demyx seeing him like this. It was like a first date and Axel so wanted everything to go right for once.

Upon arrival, Axel hauled himself from the back seat of the car and took in a deep breath of the cool night air. Closing his eyes, he breathed it in again. The air was heavy with the smell of buttered popcorn, cooking hotdogs and hamburgers, and a variety of sweets, only of few like cotton candy could be distinguished from the others. Under the scent of food was the musty odor of damp streets, perfume, and cologne. Combined, it reminded Axel something of a carnival or fair.

The sounds were just as washed together as the smells. People laughing and talking above all else. They had to be loud to be heard over the music pounding over intercoms and the pops and whistles of game stands.

When he opened his eyes, he was glad he'd closed them to process all his other senses first. Despite the fact it wasn't completely dark yet, lanterns, signs, streets lights, and an array of other illuminating objects were turned on brightly for display. Neon greens, yellows, and red streaked across his vision as if in rapid motion, though it was only an illusion his mind was playing on him.

A warm hand came down on his shoulder and Axel jumped a little bit, his head whirling around to catch Luxord in his sight, “Whoa, you all right there, Axel? You looked like you just took a shot of cocaine or something, your eyes went all wide and your face lit up with what I suspect was temporary delirium.”

“Ah, yeah. I'm fine, just fine.” Axel told him, feeling his pulse picking up pace. It had been quite a while since he'd been out around people. The last time he'd experienced anything similar to this was when Luxord took him down town and gave him a tour of the latest greatest gay bars and casinos. And despite the fact, he wasn't much of a people person, the sights and sounds had adrenaline pumping some form of heightened excitement to his brain… Or maybe he was just really excited to see Demyx again. Though, finding him would be a task of its own.

“Okay then, we'll see you later.” From the way he wrapped his arm around Xigbar's and dashed away, it seemed he couldn't wait to start out on tonight's adventure. It would be his first date with Xigbar, lucky dog; he still had to find his `date', who technically wasn't his date just yet.

Leaving the safety of the parking lot, he ventured into the throngs and mass chaos. His eyes leapt from vendor to vendor, catching sight of the variety there. Shooting games, tests of strength or intelligence, fortune tellers, hotdogs stands, cotton candy spinners, the little cubicles seemed endless. Axel wasn't even sure where the school was located from here, all that could be seen was a maze of brightly colored booths crowded with parents and teenagers alike. Even a few children would dart from under his feet from time to time. Faces seemed to be blurs, never registering fully in his obviously over stimulated mind. At least until among the faceless crowd, a body swayed out of the chaotic rhythm and to the overlying beat of the music coming from above.

Quick on his toes and dancing through unseen gaps between bodies, Demyx sung to his heart's content. His eyes were closed and his hips were swaying, completely enraptured by the song, which had gone largely unnoticed by Axel until now. He held a sack in each hand, which were carefully maneuvered to prevent jostling though it seemed impossible to do with one's eyes shut.

All dressed up in mild punk adornment, he wore white tank top, cut denim jacket, and some blue cargos. He had a single chain-link necklace around his neck, weighted down by a seashell pendant. His wrists, though covered, one by a white wristband and the other by a white bandage, had a few strange bracelets laced around them. Over his hands were a battered pair of silvery blue gloves, a few fingertips were missing to expose pink fingertips.

Axel was instantly on the trail, picking his way through the crowd in pursuit of the angelic dancer. As he followed, the masses slowly began to move more and more to the beat Demyx danced to, until finally Axel found himself standing among a large group of dancers. All out in the open, the vendors behind them and a stage in front, they seemed to care less about the festival and more about the music.

Axel looked about wildly, trying to catch a glimpse of his fleeting nymph, but he seemed to have been swallowed up among the crowd. Luckily the music shifted to a slower melody for a moment and allowed him to escape to the outskirts of the mosh pit before the chorus broke out a new wave of wild dancing.

 

`Maybe you were right, but baby I was lonely.

I don't want to fight; I'm tired of being sorry. (sorry, sorry)

I'm standing in the street, crying out for you,

And no one sees me but the silver moon. (silver moon, silver moon)'

 

“Axel!” A voice called, piercing through the sound to capture his attention. Looking about, he tried to figure where the sound had come from. Only after a few turns did he manage to spot a little white speck among the raging color and darkness. Namine, pale and ethereal as ever, waved to him atop an upraised pole base. Among the organized madness, she seemed to him a beacon of hope and he rushed for her to escape the chaos.

A fleeting glance away, however, and she was gone. It didn't stop him though and as he reached the lamp post, a wave of her dress drew him further away from the loud music and into the back alleys of the vendors.

Soon he found himself just behind the make shift stage, just between it and the back of booth. There he found what he'd been looking for.

“Oh man, I'm sorry. I told ya I was the wrong guy for this sort of thing.” Demyx apologized as he looked down into the bag he'd been carrying earlier. In front of him Tidus rolled his eyes before snatching it away from him.

“Yeah, I know. I'm never sending you without a list again.” He stated, though he laughed heartily about whatever mistake Demyx had made, “I'm going to finish tuning, so just chill all right? Don't strain yourself, we're on soon enough.” Then he disappeared around corner.

Namine placed a hand to her lips as she giggled, “You're such a goof sometimes.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. His actions were cut short as a girl dressed in tight black clothes suddenly leapt out of the darkness and caught him around the neck. Letting out a cry of surprise, Demyx nearly fell back from the sudden addition of weight but he over compensated and ended up hunched over in an exaggerated position, a hand on the ground to keep himself from falling forward. Looking over his shoulder, he furrowed his brow in mild agitation, “Yuffie! You scared the shit out of me!”

“I surprised ya, didn't I?!” She inquired proudly as she carefully slid off his back and allowed him to stand up straight again. Now Axel could get a good look at what she was wearing. From the soft sheen of the material, they were leather but moderately worn. The top had short sleeves and cut off at the bottom of her ribcage. Her skit was a little above the knee and cut on the left side to allow for a good range of leg movement. There were a few belts slung around her waist, but they were loose and dipped down to her thighs. The boots she were had half inch heels and covered about half her thighs; they buckled up the sides. All and all, it was quite the revealing outfit and was sort of like a female version of Axel's current wardrobe, “Of course I did! I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie! Master of stealth and- Oh!” Her head tipped back as the music shifted to a new song, “I love this song! Hey, Demyx want to dance?” She didn't let him answer and instead grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into the open.

Axel felt his skin prickle and his muscles stiffen. Who was she?! Namine was already his fake girlfriend but, instead of dancing with her, he was dancing with this new mystery girl. Odds were she was just a friend. However, the closeness of the dancing was spiking Axel's jealousy. Friend or not, Axel didn't want anyone doing anything so close to Demyx.

A visible scowl appeared on his face when his eyes caught they were touching one another. Then, quite quickly, it was lost as two girls brushed by him; though he went largely unnoticed by them.

“Demyx!” Called the leading girl, Axel already liked her better than that Yuffie character. This girl had light brown hair that frayed outward and only just reached her shoulders and her fair complexion added beautifully to her allure. She wore a long dress, pale blue with light pastel pinks, purples, and blues. It fit snuggly around the bust before hanging loosely around her hips and legs, looking much like a flower. Over it, she wore an equally silky shall which she had wrapped around her arms and caught around her fingers. Axel hadn't heard her coming because her soft slipper-like shoes treaded gently on the ground.

Demyx drew back away from Yuffie to look towards the girls, “Yuna, hey- Ah!” Demyx's face was overtaken with an expression of disbelief, jaw dropped and eyes wide. For a moment he was struck silent with surprise before a bright smile lit up on his face like Axel had never seen before, “Kairi?!” Shaking with bottled excitement he burst from his stillness and rushed to greet the second girl. His arms had her captured in a second but released in the blink of an eye to take hold of both her hands and twirl them both about. The girl laughed in amusement and Demyx laughed just as much out of joy.

Tipping his head to one side, Axel took a good look at this other new girl. Her hair was red mahogany, eyes sky blue. A loose pink skirt whirled about her knees, flowing freely as they danced about, secured at her waist by a pale blue belt. Her top was plain white but mostly covered by a short sleeved jacket. It too was white, but with pink trim and decorated with a large heart on the back. Silver chains jingled around her neck and wrists, each adorned with lucky charms and lockets. She seemed pleasant enough, but it was disheartening to Axel to see Demyx so glad to see someone that was not himself.

At last, Demyx brought them both to a stop and pulled them apart at arms length so he could look her up and down, “I can't believe it, you're here. How'd you know to come?” He asked her excitedly.

She tipped her head down a little, smiling fondly, “Tidus called my mom. We wouldn't miss your big day for the world… Besides,” She shook her head, “You know Riku, he was itching for something new.”

“Riku's here too?!”

“Uh huh!” She gave a quick nod, “Sora too. We hadn't seen you since the-“ Her smile instantly faded into a frown. She seemed to back down from her earlier sentence and began again, “We were really worried. We all wanted to come see how you were doing.”

Letting her hands slipped from his, Demyx nodded knowingly, but his spirits hadn't seemed to be damaged by the mention of his mother and he continued with excitement, “Where are they?” He asked looking around. Axel nearly slammed himself up against the stage to avoid being caught.

“Oh! Sora caught sight of a cotton candy machine and just had to go try some for himself. I had Riku follow him to make sure he didn't get into any trouble.” She told him, happiness returning to her voice, “Oh, sorry. I think she had something to ask you.” Axel glanced back to them to see Demyx turning to the girl he'd addressed as Yuna.

“Oh, it's nothing. I just wanted to know if you'd seen Tidus.” She seemed quite soft spoken, quite polite.

“Yeah, just go around back. He should be with Zell and Gau setting up. They shouldn't be hard to find.” He directed before the girl gave a quick `thank you' and was off to find Tidus.

“I guess I kind of interrupted something.” Kairi gestured toward Yuffie, who had her hands on her hips and was waiting impatiently.

“Oh, right! Um, Kairi this is Yuffie. I met her a week ago during lunch, and she hasn't let me be since. We don't have any classes together but she skips often enough to have a grade in my history and science class. And Yuffie this is Kairi. She lived just down the street from me when I lived at the coast. She's one of my best friends so be nice to her, kay?”

“Only `cause you asked.” Yuffie confirmed before shaking Kairi's hand, “Nice ta meet ya.”

“You too.” Kairi smiled.

“Oh!” Demyx rushed to the side and pulled Namine to the others, “And this is Namine. She's my lifeline; I'd be lost without her.” He added affectionately.

“Thanks for taking such good care of him, there's a lot of us who wish we could've been here to help him.” Then the introductions were over and actual conversation commenced. Axel was finding it really hard to find a place to step in, but apparently Namine was already working on that. It was subtle, but every now and then, she'd just glance his direction, making sure only to do so when Demyx was distracted. However, Axel understood what she was doing. She was hoping to draw Yuffie or Kairi's attention to him and it worked like a charm.

Kairi was the first to spot him, now that he'd parted with the stage and stood just within a ring of orange and yellow light trickling in from behind him. For a moment she didn't say anything and just stared and rather than looking away Axel stared right back. Then, she turned back to the chatting group and quietly put a word in, so as he wouldn't hear. Of course, what she said was obvious because Demyx and Yuffie both turned to look his way.

His little angel looked absolutely star struck. He looked even more stunned than when he'd seen Kairi, which pleased Axel to no end. His lips mouthed his name but the word never seemed to escape his mouth. Axel took this as his queue to approach.

Giving a short glance over his shoulder, he hooked his thumbs on the rim of his pants and came forward. His head was tipped down a little and to the side, but his eyes were straight forward; shimmering emeralds among a swirling French vines. Only when he'd come to a stop did Demyx manage to utter his name and it made Axel smile. He loved the way his name sounded on the boy's tongue.

Letting out a heavy breath, so hot against the cool air that it came out in a faded cloud, Axel spoke, “Hey.” His eyes traveled over them, “Quite the ladies man, huh?” Demyx hadn't broken out of his silent spell so he only nodded dumbly, “Are you going to introduce me to your friends?” A long moment of silence and Axel decided to just do it himself, “I'm Axel, A-X-E-L got it memorized?”

“Um, Kairi.” She offered her name after some reluctant hesitation.

“Yuffie,” Cut in the black-haired girl, stepping in front of them all, “And I've got a black-belt in karate, so don't even think about trying anything funny.”

“Oh?” She wanted to play the `I'm better than you' game in terms of fighting skills did she? Axel surely wasn't going to take that from a girl who looked like she wasn't even 5 ft tall. Shrimp, he'd show her, “Coincidently, so do I and I'm also well versed in the art of Tai Quan Dou, Dai Jitsu, and Judo.” Beat that, shorty. He wasn't even lying; Rude and Reno together had nearly every major martial art form down to a science. They hadn't skipped out on teaching their young dependant either. As a result, Axel knew quite a few styles of fighting from traditional to street and from hand combat to shoot outs. Though, it was Luxord who had actually gotten him into a Karate class for a formal education on the fighting technique. He'd won the classes in a bet.

“I could take you any day of the week.” She huffed. Not likely.

Axel bit back a rather bitter comeback, realizing he was still suffering from his earlier bout of jealousy which had consequently increased the testosterone levels in his blood. Having actually paid attention in school occasionally allowed him to cut back on his moronic hormone led responses. After all, if these were Demyx's friend's it was best they got along, “I guess we'll never get to find out, seeing as how even mutual competencies are against that law.” Axel wished he could have said the nasty things that were going through his head because that line right there… That sounded so like something a geeky coward would say. God, he'd even used the correct legal term. That girl needed to just go; he wasn't going to be able to impress anyone at this rate with her around.

“Oh yeah?! Just yo-“

“Everywhere?” The utterance came from the still fairly stunned Demyx. There had probably been more to the question but the single word was all he could get out. As a result Axel had to cast him a look of inquiry for him to explain, “Those...” Demyx gestured to his own body, but it was clear he was referring to the tattoos, “Are they everywhere on your body?” Yuffie gave him a strange look, but both Kairi and Namine seemed to be just as curious as Demyx so their own looks were directed at Axel.

A sly grin spread across his face, suddenly forgetting his previous annoyance with Yuffie, Axel raised a hand from his waist. Attentively, he slowly drew the zipper of his vest down until it was completely undone. Once it was, he took hold of the jacket front in each hand and in one swift motion pulled it down past his shoulders to rest at wrists and was slung around his upper thighs. He kept the cloth twined around his hands to keep it from slipped all the way off.

For such a small group of people, their reactions ranged greatly. Namine bowed her head shyly, averting her gaze as a soft pink hue touched her cheeks. Kairi stood caught off guard and couldn't decide whether to look or not so she kept looking at him and then away again. Yuffie was a lot more scornful, she'd turned, folded her arms, and rolled her eyes as if saying `Whoop de do, jackass'. However, Axel was more interested in Demyx's reaction, which was simply to go slack jawed and scour Axel's body with his eyes as if devouring a feast with his eyes. Of course, with how little Axel had covered to begin with their reactions were really unfounded.

Axel turned in place, allowing them to see the freshly revealed bird upon his back.

“When did you-?” Asked Demyx in wonder stepping closer when Axel paused to let him take a closer look at his back.

“Well, obviously when you weren't around… Though sometimes when you were sleeping.” He smiled before deciding to give an actual answer; “They were done from Wednesday to today,” Axel paused a moment, closing his eyes as Demyx ran his fingers over his shoulder blades. He allowed himself to enjoy the simple touch before he looked over his shoulder and questioned, “Do you like them?”

“Like them?” Demyx stepped back withdrawing his hand, “I love them, but… Didn't it hurt.”

Smiling truly Axel pulled the vest back up and over his shoulders again, turning as he did so, “No, they didn't hurt at all, but thank you for the concern.” It was sweet, “They're only temporary.”

“But,” Demyx seemed to be confused. And in his confusion was unable to find words for what he wanted to ask so, in order to get the message across, he pressed his hand solidly against Axel's chest, running it down to his stomach. Axel almost didn't catch the moan that tried to escape his lips; even if it was an innocent gesture it felt heavenly to him. The touch seemed to jog Demyx's memory, “They don't smear.”

“I never said they weren't skin deep.” Axel shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from doing anything he'd regret letting them do, “I dyed my skin, so it'll last from a few days to a couple of weeks. So enjoy them while they last.”

“I'll try.” Demyx murmured staring at the still bare flesh of Axel's chest. It took him a moment, but he snapped out of it and turned to Yuffie and Kairi, “Oh, um, this is Axel. He's uh… Well, it's complicated. See, my uncle doesn't have room for me at his place right now. So instead, I'm living with one of his employees, his name's Reno, and I won't be there for more than a few months. So, um, Axel is Reno's younger brother, so I guess we're like roommates and,” Demyx was havering now. It was something a lot of people did when they were nervous, and from how much he kept looking back at Axel, it was obvious that he wasn't sure what he was talking about.

Axel placed a hand on his shoulder to stop the flow of rambling, “We're close.” He voiced carefully. If Demyx had just given him some time of day the last week, this wouldn't have been such a difficult thing to explain. They both knew that `just friends' wasn't it anymore but an official label hadn't been decided upon just yet. Axel didn't even know just who knew about the whole gay thing among the group either.

“Yeah.” Came Demyx meek agreement.

“Oh!” Kairi's face became animated, recognition flashing across her face closely followed by a smile. Well, that was two people who knew, including Namine, “Well, finally! You're old enough, Demyx! We were beginning to think you were defective.” She gave him a playful shove.

“I'm not defective!” Retaliated the musician.

“Kairi, you're not making fun of Demyx again already, are you?” Axel quickly turned to the new voice, which belonged to a striking young man. He had eyes like Caribbean Sea when one looks out just beyond the sandy shallows where the sun hits the water just right to turn it a dazzling sea of liquid turquoise and aquamarine. They weren't just the color too; they were powerful like the crashing waves and just vast and farseeing. His hair, a silvery blue crown upon his head, framed his face and flowed effortlessly at his shoulders. The black of his high-collared t-shirt contrasted beautifully with it. Over the shirt was a soft white vest, which cut off at his midsection to allow the white to freely contrast with its polar opposite. His jeans, unlike many Axel had already seen today, were crisp and clean. They still contained the deep blue as if barely worn, but with how yielding they were the former observation proved false. At his feet, to wrap it all up nicely, he wore a pair of white Sketchers, though the borders were a metallic blue color.

“It's too fun not to.” And this voice belonged to a second male newcomer. Though less impressive compared to his companion, he stood out more in affect. His deep sapphire blue eyes showed unhindered his glee at having a large wad of cotton candy on a cone, and perhaps his thrill at seeing his old friend again. The expression was further enhanced by the large and rather ridiculous grin on his face. His hair was chocolate brown, and stuck up every which way as if he'd not tried to comb out the `bed head' look.

This boy was wearing a pair of blue and yellow multi-sectional shorts, the hemming was black. These pants were held together, or in place rather, by an assortment of straps which looped up around his waistband. His shirt was black but mostly covered by a short-sleeved hoodie. The bulk of the jacket was a light blue, but its various odds and ends were a mixture of yellow, black, and silver, thought the silver was only due to buckles and zippers rather than actual color. His shoes were colored in the same manner. They must have been bought all at once as an outfit. Nothing matched that well otherwise.

“Riku! Sora!” Demyx called out enthusiastically, ducking past Axel to greet the pair. The blonde practically threw himself on them, flinging his arms around their necks and pulled them both close for a close group hug. The silver haired boy smiled in amusement pulling his head back a bit, while the brunette playfully knocked his head against Demyx's.

If Demyx touching girls got on Axel's nerves, touching other boys was in a league all its own. Especially since one of the two boys in this case Axel even had to admit was breath taking. And they weren't just briefly touching, like when Yuffie and Demyx were dancing, Demyx was clinging onto them and for an extended period of time.

Why did Demyx have to be so goddamn popular?

“Glad to see you too, Demyx.” Said the most refined of the group, bringing a hand up to pat Demyx on the head.

Suddenly, Demyx pushed away from them, keeping them at arms length. His body was rigid and the entire situation appeared very awkward. The two who'd been pushed away cast each other perplexed looks before Demyx uttered out, “Sorry!” And quickly stepped away. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looked back sheepishly at Axel.

Well now it was Axel's turn to feel a little uncomfortable. Technically, they hadn't discussed any terms relationship wise and so there weren't any particular rules, but Demyx had done that with the assumption Axel wouldn't like him hugging the two. He'd been correct, but now he felt guilty about ruining their happy little reunion.

“Go ahead.” Axel grumbled quietly. As soon as it had been said, Demyx had once again captured the pair in his arms and finished the greeting. Axel had looked away for the most part, to avoid his jealousy from boiling over.

“Hey, I want you guys to meet some new friends of mine.” Demyx voiced excitably, pulling the two both by their wrists. The brunette didn't let that stop him from eating his cotton candy though. Coming up alongside the group, Kairi shifted to join the two boys and Yuffie and Namine stepped out to form something of a line so the others could see them, “This is Yuffie, Namine, and Axel-“ His introduction was cut off by the bubbly brunette.

“Hey, I'm Sora!” He butted in, thrusting a hand forward. Yuffie volunteered to shake it and as she did she smiled.

“Strong grip, you struggle often?” She asked.

“Struggle?”

“Oh, yeah, it's this mock fighting thing they do here in the city.” Demyx explained quickly, “I guess it never caught on around the coast, even if we play fought all the time.”

“Oh.” Sora hummed in acknowledgement, taking another bite of his cotton candy.

“I'm Riku.” Stated the taller of the two, he looked a bit older than the others. Actually, looking at all of them together, Riku and Demyx looked like the oldest among the group. Namine and Yuffie tied for youngest, though being so sweet natured Namine would have been his bet.

Riku stepped forward to shake each of their hands, though when he came to Axel he paused a moment to take in the designs stained on his skin. Axel had a feeling that Riku was the protector of the group. He seemed quite serious and wary, especially of Axel. With how Axel was dressed right now, that wasn't entirely unfair.

“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world right now. You have no idea!” Demyx told them, looking around at the people he'd surrounded himself with. At least one of them was feeling good about this because Axel certainly was not. There were too many people to keep track of. It was mentally draining to be around so many people at once, he'd never learned to deal with it before. From the looks of it, neither had Namine. She was looking rather shy and lost, not that Axel could do anything about it.

“Oh! Crap! Look at the time Demyx, you should be warming up!” Yuffie exclaimed looking at her wrist, “We'd better get out there or we won't be able to find any free space!” She said, talking of course to the three beach goers, “Come on, I'll help you get a good spot.” She added before taking off around the large structure.

“All right, do your best Demyx. We're counting on you to put us on the map.” Kairi bade farewell.

“Good luck!” Sora was off with her, Riku remained a second longer.

“Don't worry about impressing us or anything, just have fun. Sometimes people forget that doing something that makes themselves happy is more important than what other people think about them for doing it.” Riku glanced suspiciously back at Axel before giving Demyx a pat on the shoulder, “Anyway, we're all very proud of you back at the coast. Oh... And I'm sorry about what happened to your mom.” Riku brought a hand up and placed it behind Demyx's head, “Come here.” Demyx let himself be pulled into a hug; Riku rested his head against Demyx's for a moment, “Next time you decide to run away, come home.” Then he ruffled Demyx's hair and shoved him away, “Now get out of here before I lecture you too long.”

Demyx smiled and nodded before turning to leave. He paused a moment before looking over his shoulder, “Hey, Riku! Thanks for coming.”

Riku just gave a wave of his hand as he turned and walked away.

Axel stood for a moment, both because he was lost in thought and because he was still upset about the whole thing. But he only stood by idly until Demyx was out of sight. Then he turned to Namine, she'd gone over to a stray chair and was drawing something in her sketchbook.

“Why'd you help me?” He asked, slowly approaching her, eyes set on the combination of coloration on the page. She was drawing someone sitting at the edge of the shore, watching as the sun set beyond the water.

Picking up a light shade of reddish orange she smiled, “Because I can see it in your eyes.” She said, not even glancing up to look him in the face.

“See what in my eyes?” Axel murmured, shifting to stand beside her to look at the picture right side up.

“That you love him.” When she looked up at him, Axel recoiled a bit. The brightness in her face had caught him off guard as much as her comment, “See?” Her fingers danced over the pages already drawn before turning them to a specified page.

It seemed to be such a simple composition. A circle, large and dead center in the page, was colored with a variety of greens, blacks, yellows, reds and blues. As a whole it looked to just be a green iris, looping around an abyss of black pupil. But as Axel stared at it more closely, the lines making up the different shades of green or colored reflection began to take shape into those of men and scenery.

Carefully, Axel reached down to trace the image with his fingers, but Namine raised the pad and pressed it against his palm. Sure of her meaning, he took hold of it and pulled it close. The faint figures were mesmerizing, each shade or color representing a different person. Red for himself, red and yellow for Reno, black and yellow for Rude, yellow for Roxas, blue and yellow for Luxord, and finally blue for Demyx.

Axel turned the image at an angle, a particularly dark section catching his eye. Dark figures with only a glimmer of color line a solid black mass. A tiny flicker of himself beside the colors of his brother and Rude who stood beside Reno. Axel knew the meaning of this picture very well, “That's my mother's funeral… How did you-?” Axel looked up and about, Namine had gone from her seat and was now nearly out of sight around the corner Axel had come from, “Wait! Your notebook!” He called raising it high for her to see.

“Keep it!” Namine called with a smile, placing the last of her colored pencils into the pocket of her dress, “It was for you anyway!” Then she was gone.

“For me?” Axel looked down at the notebook again, staring at the picture. He thought to look through the rest, but voice blared over head, alerting the nearby that the first musical performance was going to be starting. So, instead, Axel closed the book and headed back out the way he'd come to watch from the sidelines.

As the stage was set up, Axel looked over the crowd. He could readily pick out the group that had gathered to meet up with Demyx before hand; they were near the front center and were large enough to stand out among the throngs of other people. Namine wasn't among them, but Yuna had joined up with them to replace her. From the looks of it, she must've gone off to find a quieter place to spend her time. A little further back, Axel spotted Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette who may have just come for the music, instead of especially for Demyx. And off to the side, Luxord and his date also awaited for the performance to commence. Axel didn't recognize anyone else, except for a few old teachers.

Suddenly the beat of the drum sounded and the stage lit up completely with blue, green, and yellow lights, churning together as if dancing on water. Demyx was lit up in the spotlight, creating a golden halo affect around his body. His ocean blue eyes were bright with excitement, but the smile in his eyes wasn't met with one on his face. Axel could see it in him, that even if this was the greatest feeling in his life that this was a time to be serious. That fact alone made Axel think that this wasn't just a childish dream; it was something Demyx had put a lot of thought into and he might actually make it in the world as the next greatest singer.

Zell's guitar pitched in, and Demyx's voice broke through to end the brief intro. And Axel was awestruck at the difference between how he sung onstage and off it. The spontaneous singing away from the microphone were a fraction of the talent he presented when all eyes shown on him.

 

“I'm falling apart,

And I hope you got the news

`Cause you're the only cure.

I need an extra dose tonight.

We're oceans apart.”

 

Every note was sung to a T, the timing perfect.

 

“I'm thinking of you and I know

The space is hard for you.

You said it's getting hard to breathe

And there's nothing I can do!

So let's just break away, break away,

From all of this.

You say you need to stay, need to stay,

I need you here with me tonight.”

 

Every wave of his hand, every gesture flowed with emotion.

 

“`Cause time stands still when you're around.

You can make the stars call out your name.

You can make the ocean waves calm.

`Cause time stands still when you're around.

And every thought of you

Gives me hope to see this through another day.”

 

The way he emphasized and enunciated each word brought a whole new meaning to the word spoken.

 

“I'm lying awake tonight.

These days go by so slow.

Your picture's staring down at me,

It's singing me to sleep.

You are the sweetest thing, sweetest thing,

I've ever seen.

You make all the gray fade away!

You bring color to my life!”

 

The way he looked out into the crowd, his gaze laying on Axel fondly when it came, made Axel's heart race.

 

“`Cause time stands still when you're around.

You can make the stars call out your name.

You can make the ocean waves calm.

`Cause time stands still when you're around.

And every thought of you

Gives me hope to see this through another day.”

 

Up there, beyond his reach, Demyx seemed a God among men.

 

“You're so beautiful.

And I'm coming clean,

This is more than I can take.

It's when I sleep,

I dream of you.

So don't let go,

`Cause I'm holding onto every thought of you.”

 

Axel couldn't help but be entranced.

 

“`Cause time stands still when you're around.

You can make the stars call out your name.

You can make the ocean waves calm.

`Cause time stands still when you're around.

And every thought of you

Gives me hope to see this through another day.”

 

The crowd cheered, Axel didn't pay any attention to that. He was trying to settle the shudders running through his body. It was a little frightening how within three minutes, Axel saw everything he knew about Demyx in a different light. Up until now, Demyx's dream to play music for a living had seemed unrealistic. Axel had seen it as more of a phase, something a lot of teenage boys seemed to want to do but were rarely ever successful at. But Demyx was different.

In a daze, Axel made his way to the uninhabited space to the side of the stage and took the seat Namine had been sitting in before. For a moment, he just sat, eyes closed, and cleared his head. Then, gaining his bearings, he looked at the sketchbook in his hands. Maybe he was looking for answers, or maybe he was just curious, but he lifted it up and rested it in the palm of one hand as he opened it to the first page.

Emotive and rough styles seemed to be her trademark, as both the pictures had been an array of well placed scribbles as they were this time. In this picture, Axel was sitting on the couch of his front room, his leg out in front of him, the other tucked beneath him. His head rested on his fist and in his other a book lay open in his palm, much like how he was holding the sketchbook now. His face was shaded, not incredibly detailed but the look of concentration was evident. Axel recalled that the first day they'd met, he'd read Fear Nothing. His actions may have been its basis.

The next image was again in the front room but from a different perspective. The first had been looking down at him from the far corner of the room. This one was from where the TV would sit. Axel wasn't alone here; Demyx was curled up on his lap. His face was lax and peaceful in sleep. Axel's own expression was much less strained then the one before, and he seemed more at peace. He vaguely wondered if Demyx told Namine about the times they sat silently, just enjoying one another's company.

Edges running together in a water pool just beyond the focus of the image, the third drawing had Axel kissing the top of Demyx's head. The waterboy, smiling so much his eyes were crescent moon, was ducking his head down playfully against his shoulder. He, himself, had a soft smile on his lips which pressed against the blonde's hair. His eyes were closed in tranquility. This picture made Axel smile.

Another turn of the page and Demyx was sitting in a classroom. Face turned away from the viewer to gaze out a large window where, just before the ocean, two dark figures stood, hand in hand, looking out over waves. The other students in the class were diligently working while the musician day-dreamed.

`You Make the Sound of Pulling Heaven Down' was the caption just below the next sketch. It was all in blue and white, flowing together like water. The streaks left untouched gave the impression of reflections of light. It was Demyx, made all out of water, dancing atop the crest of a wave just about to crash against the pale shore. A six stringed guitar was being strummed in his hands. The sun behind him shined through the arch of the wave, showering light into the otherwise vast blue depths of the waters.

“Hey, how'd you boys like to make a little money? It's real easy.” Axel looked up, not sure why the deep voice had caught his attention.

“N-no thanks. We're not interested.” That was why. Axel stood up, flipping the art book closed, as he went off to find out where Demyx was talking with the suspicious character. It took him less than ten seconds, they'd been just around to the very back. The man had approached them just as they were leaving so no one else was around. Demyx, standing with Zell, Gau, and Tidus behind him, was face to face with a shady looking character dressed in black. There was a hood covering his head so they couldn't see his face.

“Come on, don't be so shy. I work for the music business; I think you kids have some real talent. I want to make you a deal.” He persisted.

Demyx shook his head, not stepping down from his position, “Just leave us alone. We don't want any deals, we're doing just fine as it is.”

“Now stop being so stubborn-“

“Hey, he said he didn't want to so back off.” Axel barked, coming up from behind the man and thrusting him back and away from Demyx.

“Shove off,” The man smacked Axel's hand away as he turned angrily. He was shorter than Axel but built a lot sturdier. Axel wasn't sure if it was muscle or just fat because of the coat but that didn't scare him any, “this ain't any of your business. I was just offering the kid a deal.”

Axel drew his brows together and scowled at the man, “And he said he didn't want in.” He growled, “So you better just be on your way.”

“What the hell's your fuckin' problem? You his goddamn pimp or something?” At this the man laughed gruffly. This guy was really getting under Axel's skin. And just when he was starting to feel better too.

“You're going to regret making such derogatory statements in front of my face, punk.” Axel seethed turning away from the man a little; he shoved the sketchbook into Demyx's grip. Then, hands at his hips, he undid his belt buckle, swiftly pulling it from his waist. Once free, he slowly began to wrap it around his hand, “I suggest you go before I do something you're going to regret.” He clenched his hand into a fist, flattening the tight leather against his skin with his free hand.

“Tough talk coming from a twig,” A hand came down on Axel's shoulder, “I'll break you in half.” What a stupid prick.

Turning on a dime, Axel landed his fist square on the man's cheek. The force picked up from the turn added some needed momentum and gave the punch enough kick to knock the guy right off his feet. Luckily, Axel grabbed his arm before he fully hit the ground and turned him onto his stomach to gain the advantage. Before his foe could bring both hands around, he jerked them both around his back and pinned them there with knee. Placing a hand on the man's back for support, Axel drew back the hood and took a handful of the guys hair in his belted fist.

“Ah! Shit, you're breakin' my arm! Lemme go!” Axel pulled his head back a little further and leaned down to look him in the face.

“What's that, you piece of shit? It hurts? Look at my face.” The man did, “Does it look like the face of someone who gives a fuck about how you feel right now?”

“M-man, this is assault! The cops are gonna have your ass-“ Axel gave his hair a sharp jerk.

“Listen to me and listen close. I'm only going to warn you once. I see your sorry ass within fifty feet of these boys again and aggravated assault is going to be the least of your worries. Got it memorized?”

“G-got it! Just lemme go, man!” Axel shoved his head down into the cement for good measure before getting back onto his feet. The man coughed and curled up in pain for a moment before scrambling to his feet, “You're fucked up, man! You a demented little fuck!” He called as he ran away in fear.

Axel let his belt slip loose, “Goddamn street trash.” He growled as he slowly began to string his belt back around his waist. As he did so, he glanced over at Demyx and his bandmates. They were silent in shock for a moment before Zell grinned.

“That was fucking awesome.” He voiced.

“Yeah,” Demyx dipped his head down shyly, “That was really cool, Axel.”

With a smile, Axel quirked a brow, “Really?”

“Totally.” Demyx confirmed with a nod of his head, handing the book back over into Axel's custody again.

“Thanks man. That guy could've nabbed us if you hadn't been around.” Tidus said gratefully, “Who knows what he would've done to us. Oh, hey Yuna, guys! You'll never guess what just happened!” Axel looked back, Demyx's friends had found them once again and Tidus rushed to tell them the tale.

Shaking his head, Axel gave a happy sigh. Finished buckling his belt he turned fully to Demyx, “Don't bother thanking me with words.” He started before Demyx could open his mouth again, “I don't need thanks for doing something I'd do a thousand times again if it meant keeping you safe.” Looking over his shoulder at the group he thought a moment, before looking back to Demyx, “However, I won't object if you want to thank me some other way.” He suggested.

Blushing, Demyx quickly pushed past him. Someone in their midst wasn't aware that Demyx was gay; he couldn't risk something in front of them right now. Axel hoped that at least a little later, his patience would pay off.

Axel followed him slowly; walking up to the group who'd just finished listening to the story Tidus had to tell. Riku smiled at him gratefully, taking the initiative to thank him personally for the others, “It seems Demyx has been placed in very capable hands. You have our gratitude for taking such good care of him.” Riku offered his hand and Axel took it. When he did, his hand was jerked forward and Axel was pulled down close. Close to his ear now, Riku whispered, “I'm watching you and I won't be very forgiving if you cause him any pain.” Giving Axel a quick pat on the back, he released him, “Well, Demyx. Wish we could stay to watch your dance, but we've got to head back to the coast. Our parents think we're still out at the island. They're going to get worried if we don't come back tonight.”

“You have to go already?” Demyx wilted a little, “Well, I guess I can't make you stay, but be careful all right. It's dark out so go slow and switch if you get too tired.”

“Don't worry Demyx. We'll be fine; I promise nothing will happen to any of us. If you'll answer the phone, I'll call when we get back.” Riku offered, “But you'll have to swear you're going to answer this time.”

“Sorry… I'll answer from now on. Cross my heart hope to die.” Confirmed Demyx.

Letting out a short laugh, Riku shook his head, “Don't hope to die. Just make sure you pick up. You don't have to call us or anything, we'll do that. Anyway, see you later Demyx. And don't be a stranger, come by and visit us every once and while. Everyone misses you a lot.”

Demyx kicked at the ground, “All right. I'll talk to you soon.”

Kairi and Sora said their own goodbyes before Riku led them away, talking about who would drive first. Though, before they were out of earshot, it was made clear Sora wouldn't be allowed to be at the wheel at all. Apparently he was a terrible driver.

“Guess, we're gonna have to say goodbye too.” Zell said, “Gau needs to be home in a little bit and I'm his ride home.” He informed Demyx, “Good luck with the dance though. I'm sure you're going to kick some major theatrical ass.”

“All right, I'll see you later then.” Demyx bade farewell. Leaving only Tidus, Yuna, and Yuffie; Namine hadn't returned with them, “Why don't you guys go enjoy the festivities, I think I'm going to, um, relax here for a bit. I'm kind of tired.”

“All right, Yuna and I will see you at the dance performance then. Rest up.” Tidus gave a wave before taking Yuna's hand and leading her away.

“Well, if you think it's all right.” Yuffie gave Axel a wary look, “I'll be over by the Struggle ring if you need me.” Then she was gone too and they were alone.

Demyx sat in the stray chair and instantly began to explain, “Sora, Riku, and Kairi are my friends from the coast. They've known me since they were born. We know everything about each other… But when mom fell into the coma… Well I just couldn't think to confide in them. I haven't seen or talked to them since until today. They… They're really understanding. I'm glad we got together, even if it was for a little while.”

“Riku seems pretty protective of you.” Axel commented collapsing onto the ground beside the chair.

“He's that way to all of us. It doesn't even matter that I'm older than him. It's just the way he is. I guess I'm a little immature though, so it all works out. He keeps us out of trouble.”

“Who were the two girls? Yuna and Yuffie?”

“Yuna's Tidus's new girlfriend. He actually moved here a month or so before the incident with my mom. So he's already pretty much stable now. Of course, he's been keeping in touch with our friends a lot more than I have.” Demyx let out a quiet sigh, “And Yuffie is just a friend. Not like Namine though. I guess she's just around when I need someone there. She's a bit of delinquent, but that's what makes her so reliable… Why? Are you jealous?”

“No.” Axel denied flat out, though it was obviously a lie.

Demyx chuckled, “If you say so,” Reaching out, he grabbed Axel's head and pulled it over to rest against his side, “Sorry I haven't been around much this week. I had so much practicing to do that we didn't have a lot of time to talk. So I guess now would be a good time to start… Um, I guess I… Are you my boyfriend?”

“Only if you want me.” Axel mumbled.

“Cool…” Demyx fell silent for a moment, thinking about something Axel couldn't guess. Then a grin spread angelically across the singer's face, “So, want to go on date?”

Placing his arm around Demyx's waist, Axel tipped his head back. “When?”

“Right now.” Finally. It seemed like it had been the wait of a lifetime for this.

“Sure.”

 

 

I could just end this here but I think you'd all be unhappy and upset because they haven't even kissed yet. Nothing has been resolved. So it will go on.

I hope the insane length of this chapter makes up for my serious lack of updates. (It's 25 pages long in Word including the song lyrics by Novice. 24 pages if you don't count the song)

Anyway, I didn't get the stuff I wanted to get done in this chapter… Again. So it will be featured in the next chapter, I swear upon someone's dead body it will be done.

 

BTW, I'm thinking Axel/Reno's car is a red Ferrari 430, and their motorcycle is a black Harley (Street Stalker, Softtail Duece, or Fat Boy). Any suggestions? Or do we really not care?

 

FOOTNOTES

* Henna is a natural herbal dye. It is made from dried leaves and mixed with oils and water. Depending on the area of the harvest and what oils are used, henna paste (which is green) will leave a dark red to pale orange color when left on the skin. Henna is applied to the skin, left to solidify to a soft spongy texture, and then it is wrapped. The wrap is used to keep henna in place in order to leave a darker stain.

The dye works by penetrating and dying the skin cells, therefore longer lasting and darker stains are found in regions were skin is the thickest. It is completely natural and harmless (unless you are allergic to the oils or henna) and will fade as the skin cells flake off and are replaced with other un-dyed cells. Because it is a dye of the skin, showering and bathing will not remove the designs.

** Sub is short for submissive. In gay couples the sub is often the receiver or on bottom, but more accurately pertains to the passive partner of the two. Its opposite is a dominant, dom for short. In Japanese terms the sub is the uke and the dom is the seme.