OH MY GOD, I FINISHED IT!! Despite the fact that it's a mere three chapters, this thing took an awful long time.
I'd like to thank my beta LawlietxRinoa for editing (most of) this, and blondevil for giving me the idea when I didn't want to write an essay, and everyone who reviewed. Thanks.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
One day, just after the end of Zexion's sentence, Axel came to Insert Catchy Name Here (Andrew Ryan's). He approached the bar where Vexen was making Pink Squirrels for a bunch of barely legal college kids, intent on getting smashed and laid.
Axel leaned over the bar, ignoring a few of the college kids invitations, "Hey, I'm looking for a bartender," he began, none-too-intelligently.
Vexen smiled, "And you found one."
The redhead repressed a shudder, "A specific one. Grayish-purple hair, longish, most of it in his face. Pretty short, er," Axel struggled to remember more of what Zexion looked like; they had only met the once after all.
Vexen stopped leaning in, and smiling, "Oh, you mean Zexion? He's got the late shift today."
Axel looked put-out, "Do you know when I could find him, possibly?"
Vexen pouted slightly, "I don't see what everyone sees him, first that blond always asking after him, now you."
"Blond?" Axel queried, interest piqued.
"Average height, mohawk-ish hair, pretty hot. Nice ass."
Axel repressed another shudder at the thought of the creepy blond checking out his poor Demyx's ass. The news that Demyx frequently came around the bar was also disconcerting, it was, in fact, what he come here to discuss with the bartender, the other bartender.
"Anyway," said Vexen, wiping out a glass and placing it on the To Be Washed tray, "Zexion should be here in an hour so, if you feel like sticking around. I'm sure you could find some way to pass the time," the blond leered.
"Right," said Axel, pulling away from the bar, "I'll be back in a bit then."
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
True to his word, the redhead was back in an hour and ten minutes, and this time he found Zexion easily, as the man was standing bored at the bar, waiting for someone to order something. Sadly, business was slow and no one seemed ready for more just yet.
"Hey," Axel greeted.
Zexion looked surprised, then understanding. Vexen had warned him that an odd, but attractive, redhead had been looking for him, but Zexion had had no idea who that could be.
"Hey. You're Demyx's friend, right?" He did remember that.
"Yeah. The name's Axel, got it memorized? He's the reason I'm here actually. I'm worried about him."
"And why is that?" Zexion leaned into the corner of the bar and settled into "therapist" mode while simultaneously trying not to wince at what sure as hell sounded like a very annoying catchphrase.
"He's... happy."
"You're worried because he's happy?"
"With you. He's happy with you, and I'm worried you'll leave him and he'll be miserable again. When his wife left him, he-You're the longest relationship he's been in since her, if-"
Zexion ignored the fact that hearing the news that Demyx had had a wife was rather like having an anvil dropped on his head. "Explain to me how this is any of your business."
Axel grinned, "Just doing the protective best friend thing."
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
Some days, when Demyx showed up at Rapture they went home together. Some days, they simply arranged a place and time to meet for the following day, or the day after that, or the day after that… Yesterday had been one of the latter.
So now here Zexion was, standing nervously in front of Demyx's door. He was a few minutes early, he hoped that didn't matter. He knocked, the door opened almost immediately. Demyx stood there looking utterly frazzled and sort of pissed off.
"Er, sorry, I'm a bit early," Zexion explained quickly, hoping his non-punctuality wasn't the cause of Demyx's ire. There was a woman sitting at the kitchen table. Zexion wondered who she was.
A small child picked itself up off the floor and quickly attached itself to Zexion's leg. Zexion, for his part, gazed down at it with passive distaste and said, "Yes. You're adorable, please stop touching me." The child, about age three, Zexion approximated, beamed up at him at the compliment, happily ignoring the second clause.
Demyx bent and detached it's undoubtedly sticky hands from Zexion's jeans. "No grabbing strangers, we've talked about this."
Something in the way he spoke to it-was he the thing's father? Oh god. Did that mean that the woman was-Why was she staring at him like he was cockroach she needed to squish?
"This-this is him?" she seemed flabbergasted. She had a nice voice though; undoubtedly their child had a voice as lovely as its parents. Zexion's mind was floundering in a sea of "maybes."
"I mean, this is your-your," she glanced at the child, "B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D?"
Demyx opened his mouth, Zexion interrupted. Who the hell was she to refer to him as this and give him that cockroach look? "Y-E-S and we regularly engage in hot S-E-X."
Demyx smirked cruelly.
She looked like Zexion had slapped her across the face.
"Zexion, this is Clarissa; Clarissa, Zexion."
"Zexion?"
He was really sick of that, "Yes, my parents were sadistic. My sister's name is Literotica, my brother is Clitus."
Demyx, who knew full well that Zexion was an only child, snorted with laughter. Clarissa now looked like she'd been bitch-slapped.
"Clarissa was just leaving," Demyx explained with a pointed glance in her direction and a bite in his tone.
"No, I think I should stay and meet your new… friend."
"I dunno," Zexion said doubtfully, "I haven't gotten A-N-Y in a W-E-E-K," this, too, was a lie, "so I might not be able to resist the urge to J-U-M-P your…" Zexion glanced at Demyx.
"Ex-husband," he said with a sickening smirk.
"Ex-husband," repeated Zexion.
They smiled sweetly and exchanged lovesick looks.
Clarissa turned purple, "Would it kill you to be a little more responsible?" she snapped, standing up and heading to the door.
"Oh, we're very responsible. We always make sure to be safe," Demyx drawled, slamming the door behind her.
Zexion, leaning on the table, just looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "So."
Demyx said nothing, simply crossed over to Zexion and wrapped his arms loosely around his shoulder and rested his head against Zexion's neck, "That woman makes me so angry."
"I noticed. You weren't your usual jolly self."
"Jolly?"
"Jolly."
"You're so sweet!"
"Please die."
Demyx pulled his head up to smile at him, "Admit it, you'd miss me if I died."
Zexion refused to agree with this statement, however true it might be. He kissed him lightly instead.
Demyx groaned and dug his nails into Zexion's shoulder blades, "Can we please just go have really rough sex now?"
Zexion pretended to consider it for a second or two, "Alright."
Demyx's hands slid to cup Zexion's elbows; he nuzzled the hollow behind the blunet's ear and then kissed his neck, "Is it all right if I… take you this time?"
Zexion's initial response was to drawl, "Take me where?" He bit back the retort and thought about it.
It had been months since-Was he okay with letting-It was Demyx, it would okay. "Alright," he said again.
The grip on Zexion's elbows changed, became more possessive. The lip-on-lip contact changed, too; Demyx seemed to be just taking and taking without giving anything.
Zexion's stomach muscles clenched from anxiety, this was… different. Demyx's hands were on his hips, pushing them back so Zexion was seated, barely, on the table. He groaned as nails dragged down his back, and then a hand was at the zipper of his pants, dragging that down, too.
His pants were pooled messily on the ground, his shirt had been ripped open; buttons had gone flying, he remembered that, remembered the popping sound and the ping as they hit cabinets and floor.
A hand was on his chest, pushing his back against the cold wood surface of the table, and the other hand was between his legs-"Oh, shit," Zexion breathed.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
Zexion lay curled up on his side, back to Demyx. His breathing was even by now, but he was still feeling embarrassed for having to be carried into the bedroom. Damn Demyx.
"Zex?" There was a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Did I hurt you?"
"A little," Zexion responded quietly, wondering when was the last time someone had called him "Zex." Of course he hurt. His shoulder blades hurt from being pounded into the table, his hands hurt from gripping the edge until his knuckles were white, the base of his spine hurt from-
"I'm going to take a shower," he murmured, standing and walking to the bathroom without limping, however much that cost him. Once inside he turned on the water and leaned against the wall, waiting for the water to heat.
There was a quiet knock on the door, "Zexion?"
Zexion straightened up and opened the door, wishing he was a little less naked.
"I brought you a towel and some clean clothes, in case you want-"
"Thank you." He couldn't meet his eyes, why couldn't he meet his eyes?
He shut the door quietly, deposited the cloth pile on counter by the sink and stepped into the now steaming water.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
A washed and dressed Zexion found Demyx disinfecting the kitchen table, which, Zexion had to admit, made an awful lot of sense after-
Demyx glanced up at him but did not speak.
"We need to talk."
"I'm sorry. I was just so angry-"
"This isn't about that. This is about you having a kid."
Demyx scratched the back of his neck, "I meant to tell you. Sort of. This wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't supposed to get so-"
"Complicated."
"Yeah." Demyx took a seat at the table, "Do you want the whole story?"
Zexion sat down opposite him, wishing he had a drink just for something to do. "Yes. No. I don't know," Zexion wasn't used to not knowing things, it irked him.
"I met her in high school. She was-" Demyx sighed, "Anyway, we got married right after graduation. Everyone said we were crazy, and that it would never last, but we were convinced we'd be together forever. Alex was born in the summer between our second and first years of college.
"Around then I started to really wonder about things I'd only sort of wondered about, and well-Anyway, Clare left me and took Alex with her."
"Do you miss her?"
"I did in the beginning. I sort of, well, it was a good part of the reason I dropped out of college. She sort of, froze up though, she didn't used to be such a… a bitch. I suppose that's my fault."
"What kind of things were you wondering about?" asked Zexion, correctly figuring that was the heart of matter.
"Oh, you know, little things," Demyx hedged. "Like how I used to like watching Axel change in gym class, andthenwegotreallydrunkandhadsexonenight, but you don't need to hear about that."
Zexion felt like punching something, "I'd say that's a fair assessment."
"So, any embarrassing secrets you'd like to share?" Demyx asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"I once dated a guy with pink hair; he was five years older than I was."
Demyx bit at nail with lazy disinterest, "How old were you?"
"Fourteen."
Demyx's eyes bugged.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
Zexion awoke sprawled on top of Demyx and was rather surprised to find himself fully clothed. That was a first. He pushed himself up onto his forearms and blinked down at Demyx. Demyx blinked back.
"Morning," he said thickly.
"What time is it?" Zexion asked.
Demyx twisted to stare at the clock, "Almost ten. What time do you have to be at work?"
"Six," Zexion lowered himself and snuggled close.
"So, what do you wanna do today?"
"Will you hurt me if I say 'try to take over the world'?"
"No."
"Try to-"
"I just won't have sex with you for a week."
"A fate worse than death," Zexion said somberly.
"Alright, if you have no idea than you must choose between two of my favorite activities: sleeping and sex."
Zexion thought it over, "How about both?"
The blond frowned, "At the same time?"
"I was really thinking more alternating, but I'm always willing to experiment."
"Let's just go for alternation," Demyx replied, rolling them over and sliding beneath the covers.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
Neither of them noticed when, several hours later, the door opened. "Demyx, you better not still be asleep. What the f-"
It was Clarissa.
Demyx abruptly stopped treating Zexion's neck like a blowpop and looked up, startled, "I… I thought you coming at one-thirty."
"It is one-thirty.
"…oh."
"Whatever. I'm taking Alex and leaving." She slammed the bedroom door behind her.
Demyx settled down on top of Zexion with a noise of discomfort.
Zexion repressed a groan of frustration, "Go after her."
"What?" Demyx looked utterly shocked.
"Go after her," Zexion repeated. "You want to spend some time with your kid, it's reasonable. Go."
Demyx got up and hurriedly tugged on a pair of pants. He stopped at the door, "What are you gonna-"
"I will shower. After that, we shall see."
Demyx nodded, "You're the best."
Fifteen minutes later Zexion emerged from the bathroom dry and wrapped in a towel. Digging through Demyx's dresser drawers he could hear the merry jingle of a children's television program. Dressed in borrowed clothes, he came out to find Demyx and Clarissa sitting on the couch talking quietly. Alex lay on its belly on the floor, kicking its tiny feet in the air lazily.
They look… good… together, Zexion admitted to himself, stomach twisting.
He coughed. "I borrowed some clothes, sorry. I couldn't find mi-oh, there they are." They were right where he'd left them by the kitchen table. Hopefully Clarissa hadn't noticed. Judging by the look she was giving him, she had, and Alex had, too. It had probably asked why.
Demyx, for his part, grinned broadly upon seeing Zexion. He hopped neatly over the back of the couch, "No, no, it's fine, think nothing of it," he babble coming over and talking in a rush. "Just give us a sec, would you, Clare?" He pulled Zexion behind the plaster partition, out of sight. "Please, dear god, Zexion do not leave me alone with that woman." He fisted his hands in the blunet's shirt.
Zexion, who had been planning on making as quick a getaway as possibly after seeing them together on the couch, reconsidered.
"Please," Demyx nuzzled the side of Zexion's neck, "Please stay with me, Zexion."
And how could Zexion say no to that?
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
More days passed with a relative lull and the same basic routine.
"I feel like I should take you out on a date, or something." Zexion murmured as they stretched out side-by-side in the blonde's bed.
Demyx grinned and gave his head a little shake, "No need. I'm cheap, easy, and low maintenance. "
"You're not, but I feel like I should."
Demyx's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You're in love with me, aren't you?" he joked.
Zexion thought it over for a long moment with an exponentially increasing awkward factor.
"It's not impossible."
Demyx swore and sat up, face in his hands, back to Zexion.
Zexion wished he had something that could turn back time the littlest bit. But he didn't. So he started to look for his pants in the heap of clothes on the floor by the bed.
Demyx looked at him over one shoulder, "What are you doing?"
"Dressing." With the intention of leaving, unless you ask me to stay. Please ask me to stay.
Demyx sighed heavily, "That's probably for the best."
"Yeah," Zexion replied tonelessly.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
In the days that passed before Zexion saw Demyx again, Zexion did many things that were out of character for him.
He flirted with customers, all the customers. Anyone who looked at him twice got a smile and a salacious comment. A few he slept with, always at their place, and he was always gone by morning. More he hooked up with, quick and dirty, in the back alley behind the bar.
That thing with Demyx had been an anomaly and he would prove it. Zexion Karenin did not get attached, Demyx had simply been... convenient.
If any of the people who knew him -professors, coworkers, classmates- noticed anything odd in his attitude, more aggression and anger, they chose not comment.
Midway through the week, Axel came by again. This time, Zexion was working the first time the redhead entered the bar. He sat down on a stool near where the blunet was mixing drinks.
"Hey," he said shortly.
"Hello," Zexion replied flatly.
"What did you do to Demyx?" the redhead asked, immediately accusatory.
"I didn't do a thing to him," Zexion thunked a glass onto the counter.
"He's been moping for days, you must have done something."
"Well, I didn't. Okay?"
"You must have-"
"I didn't do a goddamn thing to him!"
It was the first time Zexion had lost his temper since he'd thrown things at Demyx. The first time publicly in years.
The bar went quiet.
Lexaeus loomed out of nowhere, "This guy bothering you?"
Zexion smiled maliciously, "Yes. Yes, he is."
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Axel left without complaint.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
"Zexion, if I may speak to you in my office?" Zexion jumped a little; Xemnas could walk quite silently when he wished.
Zexion shrugged, "Whatever."
Once in Xemnas' office Zexion slouched comfortably in what he privately thought of as the interrogation chair, "Well?"
Xemnas took a seat and steepled his finger, legs crossed, "I would like to congratulate you, Zexion."
"On?" Zexion was apathetic to worry about things like the proper fear of his "omniscient god-boss" or be bothered by the way said god-boss said his name.
"Why, your recent attitude to the customers. In fact, Zexion, I'd like to offer you a raise." Xemnas smiled his creepy smile.
"I'm getting paid to let people suck me off in an alley, awesome. Can I go now?"
Xemnas stood up and came to stand in front of his desk, "There is one more thing. I've been reassessing my opinion of the bartenders' looks."
Zexion was starting to feel a little creeped out; Xemnas' orange eyes could do that. "As you pointed out, Saïx is no bartender."
Zexion didn't feel like pointing out that he doubted Saïx could read well enough to understand a drink mixing manual. "Let me guess? Vexen." Well, Xemnas did have strange taste.
"No, Zexion, I think…"
Oh god, please don't say what I think you're about to say.
"… that it might well be you. You have such womanly features."
Zexion choked. He might be a tad delicate in the face (and body, if he was being honest), but womanly?
And then Xemnas' hand was in his hair.
"Whoa, whoa!" Zexion was shocked out of this lethargy, he shoved off hard with his feet and tipped the chair over, effectively removing himself from Xemnas' grasp.
"I did so want you on your back," Xemnas murmured.
Zexion whimpered and scrambled to his feet. Xemnas darted forward, pinning Zexion against the wall, the larger man's hands on either side of the smaller's head.
"Just where is Saïx exactly?"
"Out getting coffee, he should gone for at least another," Xemnas checked his watch, "half-hour."
Zexion opened his mouth to say something, something other than a ludicrous plea for Demyx to come barging in, guns blazing. Like that was gonna happen.
The door did open. Though it was Xigbar, not Demyx.
"Hey, boss-man, I was just wondering if I could- oh, never mind I'll come back later."
"Yes, that would be- oof!!" Zexion had resorted to ramming his knee up between his boss' legs. Girly, but effective. He ducked the blocking arm and ran through the back room to the bar, which he paced behind. Should he quit? Could he find another job? If he couldn't find another job, what would he do? Where would he stay? He couldn't believe Xemnas had just come on to him, Xemnas, of all people.
"Gotta say, Zexy-boy, I know you've been spreading 'em for anything with a co-actually, just spreading 'em for anything, but sleeping with the boss-man, that's pretty darn-"
"Shut up," Zexion hissed.
"Don't tell me what do, skank-boy. I liked you better celibate, first the little blond boy-"
"Shut up!"
"I mean, admittedly, he's got a great ass, but-"
"I said shut up!" Zexion's fist hurt and Xigbar was back against the bar, face red. He cracked his neck, looking furious.
"You know, even celibate, I didn't like you that much," Xigbar said before punching him back. It probably would have gone farther than that had Lexaeus not intervened, holding both enraged fighters away from each other.
Zexion shrugged off Lexaeus' huge, restraining hand, "You know what, I just can't take this place anymore, I quit." He turned, raised the partition and left the bar. It had been as easy as that. All along, it had been as easy as that.
Vexen caught up to him on the sidewalk as he walked to the subway station. It was raining.
"Hey!"
Zexion turned. "What's up?"
"You-you're really quitting?"
"Xemnas hit on me."
"Ew."
"Pretty much."
"If that blond comes by-"
"He won't."
"What happened? You guys get into a fight?"
"No. Listen, I'll call you when I get my shit straightened out, okay?" Vexen was his friend, sort of, he deserved that much.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
Zexion was doomed to embarrassing jobs with a varying degree of sexuality in their nature.
He was now Zexion Karenin, nude model.
It had taken a week or so, but then he'd seen a flyer in a shop window advertising that the local art school had needed a new model for their late classes, the old one had a broken leg. And at fifteen dollars an hour, six hours a day, five days a week, Zexion really couldn't complain.
Between that and the graveyard shift at a classier bar of a non-sexual nature he should be okay. Oh, how they'd laughed at his résumé, Insert Catchy Name Here (Make Up Your Own, Damn It), really? Seriously?
Yes, he'd worked there. Yes, the rumors were true, it was a sex bar.
Zexion was currently standing in the center of a small stage in the center of a circle of drawing horses with eager young art students straddling them. His eyes were shut, he always shut his eyes. He couldn't not look around and eye contact was awkward for everyone involved. He kept his eyes shut even when the door opened, breaking the precious silence.
He did open his eyes at the art teacher's protest that someone, Zexion guessed the door-opener, really shouldn't be here.
He thought he was hallucinating.
Demyx ignored the angry stares tossed his way. He walked straight up to the stage,
stepped onto it, marched up to Zexion and kissed him. It was a rather desperate sort of kiss, forceful, but not like that time on the kitchen table. Demyx's hands were on the small of the model's back, pulling him up and over until he pressed close to Demyx's body. And before Zexion could think his arms were around the blond and his tongue in his mouth and god this felt so good. He'd missed this. He'd missed Demyx.
"Can you leave now?"
"I think so, let me just talk to Leon."
He dropped down off the stage and walked up to the teacher, "Can I leave early today? It's only an hour and Cloud can cover for me," he glanced to where the blond was reading in the corner.
Leon's gaze followed his; it was well known the man fancied the cute blond model.
Leon sighed and ran a hand through his chestnut hair, "Alright. Just don't make a habit of it."
Zexion grinned and went to get his clothes.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
"So, where do you want to go? The city is ours!" Demyx spread his arms wide to indicate the city around them.
Zexion, exhilarated and light-hearted, was finding it hard to think about anything other than how very good Demyx looked in those jeans. "Wherever you want." Especially my bedroom. Mostly my bedroom.
"Whenever, wherever, we're meant to be together! I'll be there and you'll be near, and that's the deal, my dear!" Demyx sang out, earning some odd looks from passers-by.
Zexion just stared at him.
"We could get some ridiculously expensive dinner, or catch a movie, or, I dunno, anything, except, of course, going back to either of our places and screwing like rabbits. That we can't do."
"And why is that?"
"This whole thing was caused by you wanting wanting to take me on an actual date, so now, we are going to go on an actual date."
Zexion sighed and fluffed his hair, "Whatever. Let's go find a move theater."
Demyx grinned, "Good boy." He took his hand and skipped off. Not literally.
"Sooo, you're a nude model now?"
"It certainly seems like it, I also got another bartending job. Seemed like a waste to not use all that training."
"Where?"
"Electric Six." Zexion tried to scuff his feet with shame.
"The gay bar?" (1)
"The one and only."
"You're doomed to embarrassing jobs, aren't you?"
"I've often thought so."
"Which do you prefer, the sex bar or the gay bar?"
"Gay bar," said Zexion after a moment's thought. "The drunks who hit on my tend to be more attractive."
"I hope you're not taking any of them home."
"Why would I?"
"Damn straight."
"When we could go to their place?"
Demyx glared.
Zexion held his hands up in the air as an expression of innocence, "Joking."
"Better be."
"Please, you're much more attractive than any, well, most of them, and I actually like you. That's an impressive feat."
"I'm flattered, wanna catch a movie?"
"Alright."
They went to the cinema, the movie they chose, the only one playing, turned out to be rather sucktacular. It was boring and pretentious and the actors were unattractive and bad at their jobs, their characters unappealing.
Halfway through, their eyes met. As one, Zexion and Demyx gathered their trash and left the theater.
And then they were kissing against the apartment door as the lock is fumbled at. Only this time it was Zexion against the door and Zexion's lock being fumbled. And moments later, when the door had finally been opened and they'd stumbled to the bedroom, it was Zexion who landed on his back on the neatly made bed.
Demyx cupped his partner's face lightly, "I want you, Zexion."
"Then take me," he said without hesitation.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
"Did you mean it when you said you loved me?"
Zexion hesitated, "I didn't say I loved you. I said it wasn't impossible for me to do so."
"Well?" Demyx demanded with an imperious eyebrow, "Do you?"
Zexion spoke so slowly, choosing his words carefully, "Sometimes I think I do. Sometimes I think I just wish I did."
Demyx frowned and opened his mouth.
"Most of the time I figure the difference doesn't really matter."
"Well," said Demyx rolling over on top of him, "you can take your time figuring it out. You've got plenty of it, time that is."
Zexion ran his fingers lazily through Demyx's hair, "You'll be sticking around for a while then?"
Demyx tilted his head and stared at the ceiling, thinking. "Yeah, I think I will," he said with a smile.
Chapter Three: "Let your body decide."
(1) Electric Six is the band that does the song "Gay Bar," hence, I thought it was appropriate. As you've probably noticed, I suck at titling things.
Well, it's over. A quick playlist, because I always end up making and sharing them, Celebrate You-Veruca Salt, , Rough Sex-Lords of Acid, Such Great Heighs-The Postal Service, and then the story and chapter title songs. Speaking of, the title of this chapter comes from Dhoom Dhoom by Tata Young.