Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

Warning: Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

Author's Note: All right folks, the poll is now up. So… Please go and cast your vote. Contrary to what I said last chapter, this is NOT the last chapter. It got too long while I was writing it so… You know… I had to split it up into two parts.

Summary: Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.
D. All of the above.
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

Guilty Conscience
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

Lesson 9: Refuting Change

They were back where Guilty Conscience had originally begun.

"You know… Perpetrators always return to the scene of the crime," Roxas joked lightly. He and Axel had been camping out in the pool house for the last three days. Exams were officially over, the holiday season had begun, and all Roxas wanted to do was go back to his apartment and commence celebrating with Sora. There were very few things Roxas and Sora did together, but celebrating the Christmas holiday was one of those things that had become tradition. They baked cookies, they decorated, they got a small pine tree and covered it with lights and ornaments, they watched Christmas specials they had seen hundreds of times, and then on Christmas morning they would exchange gifts.

The holiday season was their time together and Axel was really cutting into it. Most upsetting to Roxas, however, was that Sora didn't even seem to really mind that his brother had been absent from their apartment.

"We have to figure out what to do," Axel said as he paced back and forth in front of a white board. He had a marker in his hand and his brow was furrowed, weighed down by thought and worry.

Roxas, who was sitting in a fold out chair, sighed and allowed his head to loll back. He crossed his arms over his chest and, for the fifth or sixth time, said, "Just tell him the truth."

Axel shook his head. "No… No. We just… we just need to figure out a way to…" He paused and glanced at the white board. The redhead opened up the marker and started to write, but then stopped.

Roxas arched a brow. "Another win for dyslexia."

Axel glared. "Shut up."

"This is stupid." He stood up from the chair and grabbed his coat off the arm of the couch. "I don't care about this anymore. I've been trapped here with you for days waiting for some solution to just… fall from the sky. But that isn't going to happen." Roxas zipped his jacket up and sighed.

Axel tried his best to look as if he weren't in severe emotional pain.

"Why is this your problem?" the blond asked. "Why do you think it's your job to make sure everyone ends up happy? Life doesn't work like that," he asserted. "There are only a few things that can happen here and all of them are going to result in conflict. That's just the way it is." Roxas could accept it so he wasn't exactly sure why Axel was having such difficulty.

This was, after all, the person who instigated multiple fights between people just for fun. This was someone who had spent much of his time harassing Zexion and doing reckless, stupid things to watch his father's face turn red.

Axel made a face. "You don't understand."

Roxas gave him a look that said something like, "I agree," or maybe, "No shit."

"I made things this way," Axel brooded.

The blond looked highly exasperated by that statement. "What? You didn't make your dad a backstabbing asshole. You didn't make Riku a selfish fuck. And you didn't make Demyx do anything. You didn't hold a gun to his head and force him."

The redhead shook his head. "But you don't know what it's like to strive for parental acceptance. Riku and I just… We know how Demyx feels."

Roxas would have been much more hurt by this statement if his parents had been around for more than his and Sora's birth. "Maybe not, but… I know that you can work your ass off to make things different and sometimes things are still just the same."

Axel arched a single brow and gave Roxas a look, prompting him for some kind of explanation.

"Well… It's like your dad doesn't want Riku around because he's gay or… think he's gay or whatever, but what about you? I mean, what's going to happen between us? I bet your dad id s expecting you to get married at some point. And I bet he's expecting it to be a woman. And I don't mind that that's the way he feels, but… We been doing a lot of work and we'll keep doing the same amount of work to keep our relationship a secret, Ax. And even though we're trying to make it work, things will still be the sa –"

"That's it!" he interrupted.

Roxas looked confused. "What?"

"That's it! I know what to do! I know how to solve this whole problem!" The sudden excitement and joy that was plastered on Axel's features caused worry in the blonde's chest. They had been trying to find a decent solution for weeks and it just seemed very strange that, so suddenly, Axel had figured out just what to do.

"If I tell my dad we're together, he won't want me as the heir! Then he'll have to hand over everything to Riku because he has no proof Riku is gay and then, since I'll already be out of the Will, I'll give Demyx what I promised!" Axel was smiling much too wide.

Roxas was dumbfounded. "You're… You're going to sacrifice yourself? For a bunch of people who don't really care about what happens to you?"

Axel nodded. "Yep!"

The blond stared at him as if he had just lost his mind.

"Roxy, think about it!" He grabbed his boyfriend's shoulders and shook him. "We'll finally be able to be together. And all this… this pressure will be gone."

Roxas kept staring.

"And!" Axel grabbed the other's wrists and threw his hands in the air. "And then one day we can get married! Think of the tax benefits!"

He pulled his arms away and shook his head. "Axel, your dad will probably kick you out onto the street."

"Maybe!"

Roxas was staring, his mouth agape. He didn't know what to say. While he found the other's sacrifice to be… Stupid, he also found it to be endearing and exceptionally altruistic. He liked the idea of finally being able to openly date Axel and he liked the idea that his boyfriend would no longer be stuck to a set future. This freed up the both of them to explore different career paths and while Roxas thought it would be nice, for once, to have money and not worry about anything, he figured it was a lot nicer knowing Axel wouldn't be marrying some bimbo who would shoot out some snot-faced children who would then be the next heirs.

Roxas didn't want to be a mistress (or, more accurately, a manstress).

"You should think about this more," he said carefully. "You'll… you'll be throwing a lot away. What if he stops paying for you to go to school?"

Axel shrugged. "Maybe I'll become a bank robber. Or a CIA man."

"Those… Those aren't real career paths," Roxas pointed out.

Axel waved him away dismissively. "I could be the next Steve on Blue's Clues. Or I could be on that show, Doodlebops!"

There was a moment of silence and then Roxas hesitantly asked, "Aren't those children's shows?"

The redhead shrugged. "Sometimes I watch Nick Jr. Is that such a crime?"

It should be, the blond thought.

Axel lied down on the couch and stretched out his arms and legs. "Look, don't worry about that right now. We just solved the most pressing problem. We'll worry about all that other stuff later."

Roxas wanted to know when later would be. He was glad to see Axel finally happy and not so troubled, but he got the feeling that his boyfriend was trying to, in some way, punish himself for messing with Zexion. He had a rather bad feeling in his stomach that Axel only found this solution amenable because he was in some sort of crisis. Axel seemed to believe that, if things progressed without his confession, everyone's lives would be shit and it would be his fault.

The pros of Axel's solution greatly outweighed the cons, but Roxas was troubled because he believed part of the redhead's decision stemmed from the fact that there was guilt where their relationship was concerned.

Somewhere along the line it seemed Axel had decided that maybe their relationship wasn't optimal, and the only way to make it better was to push everything out into the open. But Roxas wasn't sure he agreed because he knew enough to know that Axel could sacrifice a lot and Roxas could never say, with no uncertainty, that they would be together until the end of time.

Roxas definitely wanted it to be that way, but he couldn't predict the future. And the mass of guilt that could potentially plague their already fragile relationship made the blond want to shout at Axel to rethink what he was planning to do.

"Axel –"

"Do you know what your poor brother is going through?"

The redhead sat up and looked over the top of the couch. Sora stood at the doorway of the pool house, all bundled up in his winter gear. The snow was falling in thick, heavy flakes and the brunet's cheeks were red from being outside.

"No?" Axel said questioningly. He looked at Roxas for some kind of answer, but the blond shrugged.

Annoyed, the brunet pulled his gloves off. He tried to remove his scarf, but became briefly tangled it. He flailed as he tried to pull it off and, after a few moments of struggling, he finally yanked it off and threw it to the floor. Luckily, his hat was much easier to angrily take off.

"Your dad is going to totally fuck him!"

Axel smirked. "I guess he doesn't have a problem with the gays after all."

"I…" Sora looked enraged, but then confused. "What?"

The redhead got off the couch and gave Roxas a look. "Hm…" He slung an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and raised a brow. "How does Sora know about Ri's predicament?"

The blond shrugged. He certainly hadn't said anything. That whole mess was between Riku, Axel, and their father.

"Riku told me!" Sora stated, quite exasperated because he hated the cold weather and he had been dying to talk to Axel, but exams had kept him much too busy. All his annoyance and rage at Axel's father and Riku's mother had built up and Sora was heated.

Which used to be a rarity for the brunet, but ever since he had become entangled in Riku's family affairs, he found himself living with a shorter and shorter fuse.

"Riku knows?" Axel looked surprised. "Does he know I know?"

Sora's eyes narrowed. "I… I don't think so."

Roxas made a face.

The brunet hesitated, but then began to speak. "Your dad hates Riku."

Axel smirked. "Well… What the fuck else is new?"

Sora glared. "And Riku's mother told him so." He paused and then gave the redhead a disgusted look. "If you know all this, why aren't you doing anything about it?"

He reached up and ran a hand through his mess of red hair. "It's… complicated," he said decidedly. "There's a lot more going on than you know about. A lot of things that you would never be able to comprehend." Axel felt that telling Sora why his father actually disliked Riku was a bad idea. He certainly didn't need Sora pulling out the 'hero' card and going and confronting the man himself. This was between Axel, Riku, and their father, and it really wasn't Sora's place to butt in.

Advice and third-party observations were one thing, but insisting that this or that needed to be done just grated on Axel's nerves. There were multiple solutions to every problem and Axel didn't like to sit on one single solution if it didn't feel right.

"Start talking," the brunet insisted. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look less cold and more upset. "You know what Riku is going to do to Demyx because of all these shenanigans?"

Axel pretended to think very hard about this. "Hmm… We live together. We talk about nearly everything. We're pretty much best friends. We go to the same college… Hmm… I think it's safe to say I haven't got a clue," he mused sardonically.

Roxas elbowed him in the side. "Look, Sora, we know what's going on. We've known for a while. Axel's father talked to him about Riku and when Axel tried to tell Riku, Riku told him that they shouldn't give Demyx what's due to him."

Sora gave both of them a disparaging look. "How could you know and not do anything?"

Roxas shook his head. "We been trying to think of a solution!"

He scoffed. "A solution that works for you and Axel?"

Roxas looked offended, but nowhere near as offended as Axel.

"Pardon you, little girl, but I've been trying to think of a solution that will benefit everyone except me," the redhead said quite coldly. "Now why don't you shut your trap and go run off and play Mistress with Riku some more?"

"I'm trying to save Riku!"

Axel sneered. "My God. You are way off."

Sora balled his hands into fists and decided that he really did not like Axel. "You're the one who knew about Riku's problem and, instead of helping him, you've been letting him suffer through it all by himself!"

Roxas stepped in. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Axel pointed at the blond. "Agreement!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "If the two of you are really so all-knowing, why don't you enlighten poor, ignorant me?"

Roxas and Axel exchanged a look. Involving Sora fully in a problem that was already in the process of being solved seemed like a waste of time and energy. It was also very clear that Sora was on some kind of warpath and that he clearly blamed Axel, at least partially, for Riku's predicament.

"It's…" the redhead began. "It's… comp… licated."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Exams are over. Christmas is a few days away. I think I've got a little time. I'll try and noodle out why it's so complicated while you give me all the little details."

The door to the pool house opened and Riku walked in. He was wearing pants and a sweater and appeared unbothered by the cold. "Hey, Axel…" His words trailed off and he looked from his brother to Roxas and then to Sora. "What's going on?"

"Axel knew about your problem!" Sora yelled while pointing accusingly at the redhead.

Axel's mouth was agape. "What's wrong with you?" he yelled. "For Christ's sake, are we in fourth grade?" The word 'tattletale' danced dangerously on the tip of his tongue, but he felt the discussion (if it could be called that) would be boiled down to nothing but name calling if he decided to use the word.

Even if it was quite appropriate.

Riku, initially, looked shocked, but his features quickly faded into a strange blend of neutrality and what could be construed as hurt. "What the hell, Axel? If you knew, why didn't you tell me? Even my mom told me and she's a…" He had trouble insulting the woman who gave him life.

"Gold digging slut?" Roxas mumbled helpfully.

Riku shot him a look. "So… What? Were you gonna help your dad kick me to the curb?"

Axel shook his head. "No…" He made some motions with his hands and tried to make up a string of words to form a sentence. "It's… You know… It's…" Nervously, Axel began to laugh. "You know… in a couple months, we'll probably look back on this and… Just…" He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Be living on the streets…" he mumbled.

Roxas looked away from the other and tried not to feel embarrassed for him.

Riku looked incised. "I can't believe you."

Axel tried to think of anything to say. "Look, man, I wanted to tell you. I just…"

Hesitantly, Roxas took over. "He… He was mad about the Demyx thing. He was going to tell you, but then you said that, and things just got… out of hand."

"Shut it, Blondie," Riku snapped.

Roxas waited for Sora or Axel to jump to his defense, but neither of them did. His eyes narrowed and then he gave Axel a rather painful elbow to the side.

Wincing, the redhead said something like, "Don't… insult him."

Roxas' shoulders sagged and he opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. That was probably the best he was ever going to get so he let it go. He had to learn to accept Axel. This was the person he had fallen in love with. And he was beginning to figure that Axel really wasn't as bad as the blond sometimes painted him to be.

"You should have told him," Sora chided.

Axel lolled his head back and sighed. "I was going to!"

"Liar," Riku stated accusingly.

The redhead clenched his jaw and he, quite suddenly, became very defensive. "You shouldn't have said you wanted to rip off Demyx!"

After all this time, Axel was the only one who had come up with a solution that suited everyone except himself. He was fine with this solution, but it enraged him to know that Riku and Sora, who really didn't know much at all, were ready to bite his throat out over an error in communication.

Riku raised his brows. "I'm the one hanging by a thread here! If we give Demyx what we promised, I'll get blamed and be written off the Will! As of right now, I still have a shot!"

Axel's eyes narrowed and he wanted to say something like, 'You never had a shot because my dad thinks you're gay,' but he didn't. Instead, he attacked Sora. "If he had never thought of Guilty Conscience in the first place, we wouldn't even be here right now!"

Roxas said something like, "That's a leap…"

Sora looked startled. "What? Your dad hating Riku has nothing to do with that!"

"It has something to do with that! I would have helped Riku if he didn't want to fuck Demyx over!" Axel yelled. This wasn't exactly true. Axel did want to help Riku regardless, but he didn't like being attacked and he hated feeling so guilty. He hated feeling like such a monster. Sora and Riku had no idea what lengths Axel was willing to go to in order to make sure things worked out all right. They weren't listening and he was beginning to feel like a cat that had been backed into a corner.

His claws were out. And he loved Riku too much to begin blaming him for their troubles.

The brunet looked very upset and he looked to Riku unsurely. Was it really his fault, to some extent? He certainly didn't blame himself totally, but Axel seemed to have a point. If Sora had never gotten involved, Guilty Conscience, most likely, wouldn't have come to fruition. And if it hadn't, Axel and Riku would be having a very different conversation about their father.

Riku saw the look on Sora's face – that calculating, 'I think I did something wrong and I'm sorry' look – and he lashed out at Axel. "If you and your father weren't such massive dicks, I wouldn't be trying to do anything to Demyx!"

"You're selfish!" the redhead yelled. "You're selfish and therefore worthless!"

"I'm selfish?" Riku shouted back. "I'm selfish and worthless? You're the sorry sack of shit who knew my demise was coming and instead of helping, you just sat on your ass waiting for everything to fall apart!"

Axel tangled his hands in his hair and felt like he was going to explode. "You aren't listening! I been in this pool house for days trying to think of a solution that will work for you and Demyx!"

Riku crossed his arms and stared at Axel with a firm, disbelieving look. "Sure. And Roxas isn't here for sex or anything. He's here is help you figure out a solution."

Roxas looked offended and somewhat disgusted. He really didn't like to think about Riku imagining him and Axel doing the Bing-Bing.

The redhead was practically foaming at the mouth. "He was helping me! We were trying to find an amenable solution!"

"Trying to goad Zexion into a fight doesn't count as a solution," Sora pointed out despite his feelings of guilt. "That's just… purposefully trying to ruin Demyx's hard work so you don't have to pay him. That isn't any better than ripping him off."

Axel had had it and all his composure was suddenly gone. "Shut up!" he yelled. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! I can't take it anymore! Shut your whiny, tattling mouth before I stick my foot so far up your ass, you'll have to brush the shoe grim and shit from your teeth!"

Roxas and Sora both looked shocked.

"This is none of your business! You're just brewing up trouble! And, you know what? If you hadn't helped us brainstorm a plan, we would've gotten bored and decided Zexion wasn't worth the trouble! But you couldn't just sit there and be useless like Roxas always does!"

The blond opened his mouth to defend himself, but then shrugged and decided that that was true. He was kinda useless when it came to scheming up plots. He supposed he just wasn't creative. Probably because of his general apathy in regard to strangers and people he didn't know very well. Only three people could make him angry or happy or sad for extended periods of time and they were all standing in the pool house.

Sora's brows came together. "Are you really blaming me for all your problems?" he asked defensively. He was really beginning to feel that a portion of the large issue at hand really was his fault. That maybe things would be different if he had been different.

Axel looked very angry. "No. I'm blaming you for our problem with Demyx. And I'm blaming you for this fight that's taking place right now. I had everything worked out. Everything was going to be okay, but then you came in here and opened your mouth and unleashed this hell."

Riku glared. "He was trying to help!"

Axel raised a brow. "Help who? Certainly not you. Do you think that screaming and yelling and claiming that I'm selfish makes me want to do anything for anyone?"

Riku bit the inside of his cheek and glanced at Sora.

"If any of you had listened to me in the first place, none of this would have happened."

Axel looked at Roxas and then shoved him down onto the couch. "Shut up."

"Honesty's the best policy!" he said as scrambled up from the couch. "I said you should tell Riku! And Demyx!"

Axel shot the other a deadly look. Roxas was trespassing on some very dangerous ground.

Sora's eyes narrowed and a calculating look crossed his features. "Why doesn't someone just tell Demyx and Zexion the truth?"

A look was exchanged around the room and then Axel arched a single brow. "We may have an issue with paying Demyx, but we certainly aren't going to let Zexion kill him just to get him off our plate."

Sora shook his head. "Who's to say Zexion hasn't changed? If we all just sat him down and explained what was going on, then maybe... Maybe he'd understand. We'll just apologize and then promise to never bother him again. And then we'll give Demyx what we can. I've got, you know, like… a couple hundred dollars and I bet between the four of us, we can give him something substantial."

Roxas, Riku, and Axel were all giving Sora looks. Looks that clearly questioned whether or not he was living in a fantasy world where everything was rainbows and kittens. Realty, Sora didn't seem to realize, was nothing but a world of problems lying in wait.

"I already have a plan," Axel concluded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's going to be fine. Everyone just needs to trust me."

Riku crossed his arms and gave his brother a quizzical glance, but said nothing.

"If it doesn't involve telling the truth then it isn't a good plan," Sora chastised.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Why don't you go outside and make a snow angel, Mother Teresa? I don't need any more of your bird-brain ideas."

The brunet glared. "I'm just trying to help."

"You've helped enough," Axel grunted, still sour from their argument before. "If you want to assuage your guilt so badly, why don't you skip on down to a local church and spend a little time in a confessional?"

Sora had a mixed expression of hurt and anger. He grabbed his mittens, hat, and scarf off the floor and began to put them on. "Fine. I'll just do what I think is right since that's apparently the plan you've adopted."

Riku was briefly torn between choosing a side and then he realized that, despite his anger at Axel, they were still brothers. "Sora, don't." He grabbed the brunet's arm. "Trust Axel. I…" He paused for a brief moment. "I know he wouldn't intentionally do anything to hurt me."

"Right. At least not anything that could cause permanent damage," Axel agreed. His shoulders relaxed somewhat and he was glad to see that Riku knew him not as a villain.

Sora looked at both of them. "Right," he said unsurely. "But I think Zexion deserves to know."

Roxas gave Axel a glare. "You made a mess by making him feel all guilty."

The brunet pulled his arm from Riku's grasp. "Axel isn't wrong to make me feel guilty." He went for the door, but Riku quickly grabbed him and wrestled him to the floor.

"Just trust him," Riku insisted as he sat on top of the other.

Sora struggled under the older boy. "He didn't tell you about your dad! How do you know he's going to do the right thing now?" Especially when the right thing to do was to tell the truth. No one should be left in the dark any longer.

Riku shook his head. "Because sometimes you have to let someone else take the reins and just hope and pray that they do what's best."

"What's best is subjective!" Sora wiggled out from under Riku and quickly scrambled up from the floor. He managed to get a step outside the door before Axel, Roxas, and Riku had grabbed him.

And, from there, the only solution was to tie Sora to the little fold out chair.

••••••••••••••

Morning was no different from the night before. Things were tense, silent, and Zexion was allowing himself to be consumed by what he believed was, most likely, the truth. Like any good scientist or researcher, he would collect his data and base a conclusion on what he discovered. But in order to do any of that, he needed Demyx to go away. Otherwise, his pool of culprits would end up contaminated.

"There is no need to play this game anymore, Conscience," Zexion said coldly as he pulled a long sleeve shirt over his head.

Demyx, who looked awful from having gotten no sleep, weakly shrugged. "It isn't a game."

"I'm going out. Stay here. Or leave. Just don't follow me."

Demyx blinked his heavy eyelids and let his shoulders sag. "You shouldn't go out. It's snowing too much. And your side is injured."

"It's bruised," Zexion snapped. He made brief eye contact with Demyx and felt a nasty, heavy surge of guilt fill his stomach to capacity. "I told you not to look at me like that."

The blond couldn't help it. Hesitantly, he walked over to the shorter boy and wrapped his arms around his waist delicately. "Don't go," Demyx said softly. Zexion was stoutly refusing to hug him back so the blond just held him tighter, being mindful of his injury.

"Conscience, it would be in your best interest to release me at once." His voice was low and dangerous and Demyx was beginning to feel that all his hard work wasn't paying off. He was beginning to realize that Zexion didn't love him, that what they had was just based on a lie, and, now that things were falling apart, Zexion was back to the way he had always been.

"Don't go out there. Just stay here with me…" Demyx said softly. "It's cold and dangerous and –"

Zexion roughly shoved the other away from him and gave him a very hard, very calculated look. "I suggest you keep your distance, Conscience, or I will be forced to have you removed from the premises. I have tolerated you for quite a while – much longer than I have ever tolerated anyone else – so I think you should be happy you got what you did from me."

"Zexion, I wasn't seeking to get anything from you, I –"

"Enough," he said with finality. His voice and features were neutral, but the way his hands trembled was giving away the fear and anxiety he felt. "Everything, I believe, has been a mistake." He walked past Demyx and into the living room. He opened up the small closet that sat in between the hallway and living area and pulled out his winter coat, mittens, and scarf.

"Can we meet later?" Demyx asked softly.

Zexion made the mistake of making eye contact with the blond. "Yes." But he regretted the word as soon as it left his mouth.

"Where?" the blond asked, trying to keep his excitement to a minimum.

"Do you know where the college students ice skate in the winter?"

Demyx thought for a moment and then he nodded. "In the wooded area near the library?"

Zexion nodded as he dressed himself in his winter garb. "You can meet me there in two hours. But I think it is best that I warn you… I will be highly upset by the time these two hours pass. I may very well be belligerent, unabashed, and exceptionally uncontrolled. I will be abrupt, cruel, and the adjective 'malicious' may be a word that you will use to describe me after our altercation that is sure to happen." He knelt down and began to pull on his winter boots, quickly tying them up and then giving Demyx a look. "Armed with the knowledge that I am going to crush and conquer every nuance of your personality and possibly damage your soul and spirit irrevocably, will you meet me at the ice rink?"

"Yes," Demyx said without any hesitation.

Zexion stared at him for a long time before shaking his head and mumbling, "You are remarkably daft."

••••••••••••••

He had some time to think. The busses, which were his preferred method of transportation, were not running due to the snow. The streets were also free from cars and most shops had closed. While Zexion would deem it safe to walk around, he would not disagree if someone were to call this a 'snow storm.'

His hands were in the pockets of his coat ad he was bundled up well. However, he was still quite cold and his thoughts kept lingering on Demyx and how warm his body was. His mind was moseying slowly through all his memories and thoughts and expectations he had of Demyx. He was busy trying to etch into his head every dip, line, and curve of the other's features. The way his facial hair grew in blond so it looked non-existent. Or the way his posture was straight despite the rest of him being a slovenly mess. The way he spoke English so improperly. The way he reminded Zexion so strongly of the sun because he was always smiling about something and he was always so warm.

He liked the way Demyx smelled. And he liked the way the blond just rolled out of bed and looked nice without trying. Zexion really liked the way Demyx didn't have expectations for him other than that he try to be a kinder person. And he liked that Demyx got to know him and still believed he could be anything, that he could do anything. He liked that Demyx loved him because Zexion had never been sure with Vexen. And he liked that Demyx, despite their relationship being based on a total lie and joke, was honest.

Zexion sighed and his breath came out in a white, wintery puff. He liked the curve of Demyx's back. He liked that he was tall and thin and muscular. He liked to think that, if the opportunity arose, Demyx would throw himself in front of a bus for Zexion. And he liked knowing that Demyx complemented him in that they were completely opposite.

Zexion also liked that way Demyx had taught him that there are all kinds of varieties of smart and that being book smart was just one variety. And it kind of made him smile to know that if he asked Demyx to spell 'varieties,' he probably wouldn't be able to. But he wouldn't take offense or be upset at his lack of knowledge because Demyx was happy to just be.

And Zexion supposed that that was what he liked best. Demyx was happy to just be. He loved himself to the fullest extent and he loved himself in a way that was kind, caring, and everything Zexion had ever needed. Demyx didn't love himself in the way Vexen loved himself. Demyx's love was open and he was quite willing to share.

Zexion stopped and looked up at the falling snow for a brief moment. He pulled his scarf up over his lips and nose and continued walking. Though he wanted to be plotting some way to get back at Demyx to make him feel just as bad as he did, he was finding it difficult to come up with anything. Demyx was so tragically harmless that it was nearly painful to Zexion.

It was pretty clear that Demyx would never intentionally hurt someone. And it was clear that Demyx, though he didn't always have the best judgment, did really, and truly, care for Zexion.

Demyx loved Zexion in a way that was new and different and somehow palpable. Demyx loved Zexion in the way his mother had loved him before his father died. Demyx loved Zexion in a way that didn't ask for anything in return. His love was kind and it didn't demand. It had patience and it was gentle. Demyx loved in the way grandmothers loved small children, and that kind of tender, gentle love was something that Zexion sorely needed.

He needed a gentle hand to guide him. He needed that tenderness to reassure him. He needed that undemanding love because sometimes Zexion wasn't sure if loving someone was a possibility for him. And he needed time to think and adjust, and Demyx, he knew, would give him till the end of time to decide.

Demyx didn't need to hear Zexion loved him back. He was too intuitive for words. And Zexion liked not having to spell out his feelings in order for Demyx to understand. The silence between them was comfortable because he knew that, despite his lack of adequate words, Demyx just knew and he accepted it.

Anxiety rose in his chest when he reached Axel's house. He had come around the back side because he knew, from eavesdropping on Roxas a while ago, that this was where Axel and the blond generally hung out. While Zexion knew it was improper to enter through the back instead of the front, he had no patience to deal with Axel's parents who, undoubtedly, knew all about him.

Hesitantly, he knocked on the pool house door. A mixture of fear, regret, and anxiousness made him feel briefly nauseated. He believed it was safe to say that he and Axel were rivals or enemies or maybe just two people stuck in a very weird spot and this made him nervous. He knocked again when no one answered and then he knocked a third time.

Knocking a fourth time seemed excessive so Zexion placed his ear against the very cold door and tried to listen to the noise inside. It was quite possible Axel had seen him and had decided not to answer. And Zexion, who was on a quest for answers, decided to open the pool house door and just proceed with what needed to be done.

"Axel?" he called when he walked inside. Feeling for the light switch, he flipped it on and looked around the room. Curiosity crossed his features when he saw Sora, Roxas' brother, struggling to free himself from a chair that he had been hastily tied to.

Quickly, Zexion walked over to him and removed the bandana that had been placed between Sora's teeth like a horse bit. "Are you okay?" he asked with a tone of inquisitiveness.

Sora wet his lips and blurted. "Axel's behind the whole thing with Demyx!"

Zexion raised his brows because the news really wasn't all that shocking. "Yes. I figured that he was the culprit." He began to untie Sora.

"You… You did?" the brunet asked with a frown. "Then how come you haven't murdered Demyx yet? Or tried to blow up Axel's house?"

Zexion undid the ropes and watched as Sora began to rub at his wrists. "Because…" He began, but then he stopped because he didn't want to confide his feelings to a total stranger. "Why were you tied up?"

Sora made a face. "I wanted to tell you the truth."

Zexion took a seat on the arm of the couch across from Sora. He removed his scarf and mittens and enjoyed the warmth of the pool house. "Why the sudden change in heart?"

There was a pause between them and then Sora kind of awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well… Because…" He rubbed nervously at the back of his head. "I… sort of… told them what they should do. I thought up the plan. And it was my idea for them to use Demyx."

"Use him?" Zexion asked curiously.

"Well…" Sora hesitated. "Not use him, but… But get him to go along with the scheme. Look, Zexion, we weren't trying to hurt you. We were just trying to mess with you. And we're all really sorry."

He snorted. "Sorry. Right. Okay. Is that why your friends tied you to a chair? Because they're all so sorry for playing with my life?"

Sora flinched. "It's complicated," he said quickly. "Axel's dad is… He's just a bad guy and Riku is just stuck in this terrible situation between his parents and Axel, and then there's this whole thing with you and the plan and the guilt and Demyx's payment and –"

"Payment?" Zexion raised his eyebrows. "What payment?"

The brunet looked at him. "Payment? I said arraignment."

Zexion's gray eyes narrowed. "He was being paid to follow me around?"

Sora shook his head. "Not at all! He was being… um… compensated for his time."

Zexion stood. "Excuse me…" He pulled his mittens and scarf on and began to leave the pool house, but Sora stood up and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Wait! Zexion, listen, Axel and Riku aren't going to be able to give Demyx what they promised so –"

"So what?" He snapped. "He was only following me for money. He was only doing all that for money."

"No," Sora said unsurely. "He…" But he didn't know what to say because he didn't know the ins and outs of their relationship and he didn't know Demyx very well at all. "Be mad at us, Zexion. Don't be mad at Demyx! He was just a pawn!"

Zexion snatched his wrist away from Sora and looked at him coldly. "I hate to break it to you, but Demyx is much too smart to be nothing but a pawn."

He exited the pool house, slamming the door behind him and finding that the cold did nothing to quell the burning anger he felt. While there were some things he could accept, like Demyx going along with the joke and then his sincerity forcing him to be a really good conscience and actually help, he couldn't accept that Demyx was accepting payment.

And it angered Zexion to know that, during the course of their time together, Demyx was just running a figurative meter.

No wonder the blond wanted to spend so much time with him. How much of Demyx's feelings were love for Zexion and how much were love for money? Was Demyx going to try and draw the joke past six months so he could collect a bigger sum? Or was he just happy to be pocketing some money regardless? Was making Zexion believe he was so loved real? Or was it just a way to prolong the whole mess?

Incensed, Zexion stormed down Axel's driveway. He had an hour until he was supposed to meet Demyx at the skating rink. He had an hour to plot the other's ultimate demise.

As for Sora… He was shocked at how badly he had just handled the whole situation. And the only thing to do, he realized, was to go tell the others about the confrontation that had occurred. He had a sinking feeling Demyx was in danger and Sora was certain no one needed more guilt weighing their consciences down.

••••••••••••••

Riku was pacing and it was making Roxas mightily anxious. They were sitting in Axel's father's study and the redhead, who sat on his father's desk, was looking at his fingernails. He was calm. His features were neutral. He appeared to be totally content with what was going to happen next and it did nothing but fuel the anxiety Roxas felt.

"What's the plan?" Riku asked for the fifth or sixth time.

Axel raised a brow. "You'll know soon."

Roxas began to nervously look through all the volumes of books in the study in an attempt to quell his nerves. He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth in front of the bookshelves.

"Why won't you tell me?" Riku pressed.

"Because," the redhead said as he slipped off his father's desk. "If I do, you'll, undoubtedly, do something pigheaded to mess everything up. Just trust me, Ri."

He seemed very unsure and he looked to Roxas for some kind of answer. They briefly made eye contact, but there was nothing readable on the blonde's face. He just appeared to be suffering some severe stress over something, but Riku didn't know what. However, he was certain the stress was over Axel's plan.

"Ri…"

He looked away from Roxas and up at the redhead.

"I want you to know that I understand why you wanted to do that to Demyx," Axel said gently. "And I know what it's like to strive for parental acceptance that's nearly unobtainable. I know you're not a bad guy and I know that if there wasn't this huge mess with our parents, you wouldn't be so willing to sacrifice Demyx."

Riku stared at him unsurely.

"I know your mom would sooner put your out on the street than defend you against my dad and I know that she'd do pretty much anything for money. And I know that if you had nothing, you'd probably never hear from her again. And I get it." Axel shrugged and leaned against the desk. "I know what it's like to feel marginalized by the people you love." He glanced briefly over at Roxas, who appeared not to be paying attention, and gave a little smile to his brother.

Riku seemed to relax a good bit and nodded. He understood what Axel was saying and he appreciated the honesty. Though it was painfully obvious that Axel and Roxas were more than just friends, Riku was very grateful that the redhead had decided to confirm what had always been speculation.

It meant that Axel trustedhim enough to tell him, in a sideways manner, about Roxas.

"Thanks," Riku mumbled. It wasn't like him to give his thanks often, but when he did he really meant it. "I don't… I never wanted to do that to Demyx. I just… I don't know. I just realized that we were putting a lot on the line. I realized that I was putting a lot on the line." He paused and then hesitantly asked, "And… your dad's attitude… It's different toward me."

Axel nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Yea…" He agreed. "I know."

The redhead didn't really feel it necessarily to burden Riku with the knowledge his father had bestowed upon him. It was, at this moment in time, erroneous information, and all that mattered was that Axel did what he needed to do in order for his brother to financially, and emotionally, survive.

••••••••••••••

Zexion was so worked up that he had taken the liberty of removing his scarf, his mittens, and his winter coat. He still felt warm and he was sure that if anyone – God help them if they did – touched him, they would find his skin hot, maybe even feverish. He was angry. He wasn't upset. He was angry.

Zexion didn't get angry. He became befuddled and annoyed by the inadequacies of others and lashed out at them based on how annoyed they were making him. He resorted to petty name calling and childish insults. But he didn't go home later and plot anyone's death or even really think about what had transpired. He went home and went about his normal, daily life.

Except now was different because now Zexion was angry. Zexion was angry in the same way he had been at his father when he slowly withered away. He felt as if something had been taken from him. He felt like someone had been playing a huge joke on him (and, in this case, they had). And he felt that he was stupid for not realizing things were a certain way sooner.

Demyx, and his father, had made him feel stupid, and this was one of the very few things that made Zexion downright furious. It was the one thing that made him foam at the mouth like a rabid dog. Anger affected him in the way alcohol affected an angry drunk. It made him hot and irritable. It made him want to hit and punch and scream. It made him want to instigate fights and lash out at innocent bystanders.

And it made him really sad. Because it hurt him deeply to know that two people he loved so dearly would cause him this amount of pain. His father, slowly withering away until completely consumed and then Demyx…

Zexion's head swam for a moment and he stumbled slightly. He caught his balance against a nearby tree and briefly wondered if all the heat he was radiating, if the urge to vomit, was less from his intense antagonism and maybe more from something else.

Maybe a side effect from standing out in the cold for nearly a half hour with nothing but his shirt and his pants to keep him warm.

"Zexion?" Demyx quickly walked over to the other and touched his shoulder. "Are you okay? You're pale…"

He pulled himself away from the blond and gave him a look that caused the hairs on the back of Demyx's neck to rise.

Zexion, consumed by a mixture of incredibly negative feelings, couldn't even string a sentence together. Looking at the blonde's face just made his stomach want to burst. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to lie down in the snow and quell the extreme heat he felt. Zexion swore he was sweating despite the snow and his lack of clothing.

"Zexion, I…" Demyx didn't know what to say. "You need to go home. There's something wrong with you."

"With me?" he finally exploded. "Something wrong with me?"

Demyx jumped. He had never heard the other yell like that. His voice echoed throughout the wooded area and the blonde's eyes became exceptionally wide.

"There's something wrong with you!" he continued. "Who the fuck takes money to follow someone around and… And make their life completely miserable? You made me question every single nuance of my being! You made me… You made me rehash things that I had put away! I accepted myself before you bumbled your way into my life! You…" Zexion felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he paused. "My God…" He breathed. "I can't… I can't even begin to describe how angry I am. I can't even look at you."

"I didn't…" His voice was filled with panic and he tried to think of the right thing to say, but nothing was coming to him. For once, Demyx was absolutely speechless and his mind, usually quite quick in pressure situations such as this, was utterly blank.

"You didn't what?" Zexion roared. "What are you going to say? That… that you didn't follow me for money?"

"Initially I was, but I –"

Zexion's jaw was clenched. "Get away from me," he snapped. "I… I'm going to strike you if you don't get away from me."

Demyx hesitated, but then stood firm. "There's something wrong with you, Zexion. I'm not going to leave you here." He reached out and, quite stupidly, grabbed the other's arm.

The touch did nothing but fuel Zexion's rage and he gave the blonde a very forceful shove. Demyx stumbled back and tripped over a small snow bank, falling down it and landing on the ice with a resounding 'thud.'

••••••••••••••

All the doors were locked and Sora assumed this was on purpose. He had tried a few windows, but nothing worked and the brunet was beginning to panic. He really did think there was potential for Zexion to kill Demyx. And, if he didn't kill him, Demyx was surely going to wind up injured or in jail for stalking.

"Shit!" Sora swore when he tried to open another window and found it locked. He began to pace and tried to think of something, but nothing came to mind. He had left his cell phone at his apartment and, briefly, he wished he and Roxas shared some sort of telepathic power.

"Hey!" Sora began to yell from outside. "Hey! You guys!"

In the study, Roxas looked over at Axel and Riku and then he looked toward the window. "Did you guys hear something?"

Axel and Riku glanced at each other and then shrugged.

"Maybe a bird," Axel offered.

Roxas listened for another moment before shrugging and going back to pacing the length of the bookshelves, pretending every now and then to be interested in one of the titles.

••••••••••••••

Zexion came down the snow bank and stumbled momentarily on the ice. Demyx had gotten up, but it was quite clear from the blood that he had suffered a head injury. There was blood streaming down the blonde's neck and Zexion, who would have been worried, knew enough to know that head wounds, even minor ones, bled relentlessly.

Without say anything, he began to walk away from Demyx and across the ice. He didn't know where he was going. He had come down the bank to check on the other, but he regretted his decision and now he was trying to get away. He was confused. He was angry and he was confused.

"Zexion!" Demyx called, following after the other, but at a slower, much more careful pace. He was afraid of falling again and Demyx, who was barely graceful when walking, was outstandingly graceless on ice.

"Go away!" Zexion yelled.

The blond made an aggravated noise in his throat. "Zexion, stop!" He didn't know what the other was doing, but he knew the ice on the other end of the pond was weak. He had seen the 'no skating on the south end of the pond' sign when entering the wooded area. And he was guessing, by Zexion's hurried gait to the other end, the bookworm had failed to see the posted warning.

"Zexion!" Demyx yelled.

The slate haired boy turned and stumbled. "I haven't changed!" he yelled. "I had potential! You made me believe I had potential! And you just… It was all just a joke!"

Demyx flinched. "You have changed!"

Zexion felt heat flood his face. "You were just following me for money! You were doing it all for money!" He felt increasingly unwell. "I thought I could be different, but I see now that you don't give a fuck about the way I am! You just wanted to collect your payment!"

"That's not true!" he yelled. "If you would just shut up and quite acting like such a baby and let me explain –"

"Explain what?" Zexion roared. "You're sick! You agree to follow around a stranger and… and make him completely question himself, the world, and everyone he knows just for some money? You made me think that I… I was fucked up! That I had been doing things all wrong! You made me think you were some benevolent thing that had meandered into my life to help me! Not… Not fuck me over!"

Demyx blushed. "It isn't like that!" he insisted, though he knew it was useless. "Zexion, you're going to freeze!"

Annoyed by the blonde's change of subject, he began to run (or, rather, awkwardly stagger) down the ice. Demyx was behind him, trying his best to stay on his feet. He kept yelling that the ice was thin and that Zexion was going to fall. He kept yelling that he should stop moving. Demyx was yelling and yelling and yelling, but it was all for naught because Zexion didn't want to listen.

He didn't think he needed to. Demyx had proven he wasn't trustworthy.

"You're selfish!" Zexion yelled. "You're selfish and cruel!"

Demyx had had it. "I'm not!" he shouted. "And if you would just stop running for a second and gave me a chance to explain myself, you'd know I'm not as bad as you're making me out to be!"

Zexion, infuriated that Demyx didn't seem to understand that he was, indeed, a very lousy individual, attempted to round on the other. But he slipped and fell, his bruised, injured side colliding with the cold, thin layer of land and he let out a small cry of pain.

Then the ice cracked.

Demyx stopped in his tracks and stared. "Zexion, don't move!"

Shaking, confused, angry, and so wildly hurt, he attempted to get up. He pressed his weight to one of the cracks in the ice and when he stood, a low moan came from under his feet. The pressure and weight on the ice was too much and Zexion looked at Demyx with a peaceful look of sudden realization.

"I'm going to drown."

The ice broke from underneath him and he fell into the unforgiving cold.

••••••••••••••

Axel tensed considerably when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught his attention. He looked anxiously from Riku to Roxas and then at the door of the study. His father was sure to walk in at any moment. He always went straight to his study when he came back from his daily outings. It was a place no one was allowed to be in, but Axel knew it was the only way to privately talk to his father without Riku's mother butting in.

The sound of glass breaking was another unwelcome noise and all three boys exchanged a look.

Roxas' eyes widened. "It's Sora."

"Oh my God. Or it's Zexion," Axel said with dread in his voice.

"Stay here," Riku commanded. "I'll go see what's going on." He quickly sprinted from the room and down the steps. The sound had come from the living room and Riku was relieved when he saw Sora, not Zexion, climbing through the shattered window.

"What are you doing?" Riku asked, frustration clear in his tone. He grabbed Sora's arm and pulled him through. "Why did you break the window?"

Sora brushed the glass from his coat. "No one was answering the door."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "There's a spare key under the front mat."

Silence passed between them and then the brunet awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well… I guess I now know for next time."

Riku rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to talk to you. Axel's father just got home and –"

"Zexion came into the pool house and untied me and I told him everything, but not… really everything because he didn't give me a chance and now I think he's going to go kill Demyx!" Sora said quickly.

Riku stared, dumbfounded and annoyed. "…What?"

"I said –"

"I heard what you said!" He grabbed Sora's hand and began to pull him through the living room and then up the steps. The front door opened and slammed and he could hear the voices of Axel's father and his mother. He also heard them pause when they saw the busted window and the snow falling into the living room.

Riku and Sora ran into the study. Quickly, he closed the door and locked it.

"No time to talk to our parents! Mister Honesty here told Zexion what was going on and now Zexion is going to go kill Demyx!"

Axel looked shocked. "Did he… Did he say that?"

There was pause and then Sora mumbled, "Well, no, but I assume…"

"Goddamnit!" Roxas swore. "What is wrong with you, Sora?" He was less angry and much more exasperated.

"I was trying to help!"

"Stop helping!" Roxas and Axel shouted in mistaken unison.

"Noted. But I can't take it back now!"

Riku ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Where do you think they are?"

"Well, let's see…" Axel checked the invisible watch he was wearing. "By now, Demyx is probably flailing his waving hand at Jesus."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "We have to find them!"

"Good plan," Axel mumbled sarcastically.

The blond elbowed him in the side and opened his mouth to devise a plan, but there was a knock on the study door.

"Axel? Riku?" their father said from the other side as he jiggled the handle for a second time. "What's going on?"

"Oh my God. We're going to go to jail. We're accessories to Zexion's crime," Sora pointed out in a whisper.

"We aren't going to jail!" Roxas snapped. "Let's… Um…" Without much thought, he walked over to the study door and took a breath before unlocking and opening it. Axel's father looked at Roxas questioningly and then at the rest of them.

"What's…?" He crossed his arms and stared suspiciously.

"Uh… We were playing pretend. Come on, guys. Let's… go play Murder Mystery somewhere else."

Axel gave Roxas a look, but then followed with Riku in tow. Both mumbled, 'Hi Dad,' as they walked past and once they were out of the study, all four began to run.

"What's going on?" he called after them. He hesitated, but then decided against going into his study. Something was afoot and he didn't like the title of the game they were supposedly playing.

They were too old to be playing pretend. And he was hoping to God a dead body wouldn't be turning up within the next 48 hours.

A/N: Well… I hate leaving stories at cliff-hangers because, usually, it takes me a while to update. HOWEVER, this chapter was becoming too long. It's about 10,000 words without the notes/review section. That being said, the next chapter, which will be the FINAL chapter, will be MUCH shorter. Maybe only 5-6k words because there isn't much left to wrap up.

So… Will Zexion drown? Will Demyx's head injury make him forget math? Will Axel, Sora, Riku, and Roxas save both of them in time? Will Axel's dad ever figure out what's going on? Will Demyx be compensated for his troubles? And what will happen to Kairi?

I'll try and wrap all that up in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, reviewing, alerting, favoriting, and all that other cool stuff you guys do. Please remember to take a gander at the poll as it dictates what the next Demyx/Zexion story will be.

Also, big old honking thanks to Aindel S. Druida for editing. I'm going to plug her in every chapter because, you know, she spends a LOT of time doing editing work for me. And she does it for free. So… That makes her a pretty fantastic individual in my book. Give her profile a gander, take a look at her stories, maybe toss her a PM if it tickles your fancy.

The next chapter, since cliff-hangers are balls, will be out ASAP.
Also, I didn't reread any of the 'review' section so... I'm sure the errors in there are both hilarious and plentiful.

Thanks for reviewing:

Nacht Schleier: Nah. That was never going to work. Demyx did too good a job with Zexion.

WindRush: Yes. And that's kind of happening in this chapter and the last. Zexion does want to care about Demyx, but he's also pretty upset about being Demyx being paid to lie to him. I think, in the last chapter, I'm going to wrap up Sora's and Riku's relationship in the next chapter. It just occurred to me that I need to make that happen and not just slide it back in there like it's fact.

PrinceLogan: Glad you enjoyed it!

Thewriteroflostcauses: Your words are very kind and I appreciate them. Lucky for you, this chapter wasn't the last. It just got too long and I didn't want to make it feel rushed. Besides, any chapter above 10k words is just…. It's just getting way too long.
I try and make all the relationships feel very real. And I've never been in a relationship that rainbows and puppies all the time. There are always weird, icky patches that are awkward and strange, but then they dissolve into something better. Granted, this story is much more dramatic than any relationship I've ever been in. But this is fiction so I think that's probably okay.
Hahahhaha. Thank you. I think maybe I'd like to actually publish one day and if I ever do, I'll let you know. I don't plan on quitting writing anytime soon. I've always got ideas going and, frankly, I like it too much. If I do ever stop writing, I can pretty much guarantee all my stories will be finished. So… at least there will be a LOT of material to read.

Syranjil Sarephen: Russian is an awesome language. It's incredibly economical in that you only need a few words to say a whole lot. And no worries. I know you aren't being homophobic. But, to be honest, I just base most of the relationships I write about on relationships I've had or know other people have had. And I just base how the characters act off the reactions I've seen or my own reactions. When I write these characters, I try and think of someone I know who is similar to that character. And then I combine the personalities and just roll with what I get. The characters tend to write themselves and I really like that.
Yes. Please send me your e-mail so we can discuss the project me. I am still very excited that you want to translate the story.
Yes – please let me know where you are publishing it as I would love to place it on my profile for other people to see. I'm not sure how many people speak Italian on ffnet, but I think having the story in both English and Italian can be a good tool for people to practice with. Translating is the best way to learn a language. I think you will learn a LOT when you translate this story. You speak English very well already.
I saw you left two reviews and I'm going to clear up a miscommunication. Sakurasapprentice7 wasn't talking about you, but a very weird reviewer who e-mailed me about one of my stories and insulted my being Russian. I already explained to Sakura the error so there are no worries. I understand the confusion especially when English is your second language. I just wanted to let you know that she wasn't talking about you.

Sakurasapprentice7: Hahahaha yea. I didn't even answer that person's last e-mail. I just wrote it off as crazy shenanigans. But, yea… I tried to make Riku's situation a little more understandable. It doesn't excuse how he acted, but I wanted readers to not… you know, hate him. Because a lot of people disliked him in AF.
Lucky for you, Sakura, there is SL plus I am going to post a new Ri/So story very soon. Probably once I post the final chapter of GC that story will be up. Also, if you haven't already, please go to my profile and vote on the poll. It's for the new Dem/Zex story so… Your opinion matters.
I did enjoy Disney World. It was awesome. And thank God for it because, you know, I was having some terrible writer's block and that sort of unplugged it.

Anime Hottie Lovah: Yes. But his situation is going to improve.

Of cabbages and kings: Hehehe. Yea, I try and break up any drama or sad parts by putting in little bits of humor here and there. No one likes to read a wrist-cutting fest so… I try and add in the humor to make everything a little more bearable.
Yes. I second that. In fact, let's all go over there for a drink. I think it would be a really good time and I think it might be a good way to end the story. As like, you know, an addendum to tack on.
Oh God. Yea. I definitely meant 'hadn't.' But, luckily, I think you were the only person who caught that. I didn't catch and neither did my beta (which is shocking). But yes, I most certainly meant hadn't. That's super important because it is character development.
You know… I haven't played anything post KH2. I played, briefly Days, but got fed up with it because I have no patience for games played on the DS and PSP. I would like to play BBS and I hope they do a re-release for it on PS2 or something.

PumpkinLenses: Nah. I'm the kind of person that really likes the happy ending. It just feels like I'm taking a LOT of the reader's time if I make them read in excess of 150k words that has a sad, terrible ending. I've read really long books that have unhappy endings and they just kind of piss me off. Oh – on the upside of this ending, I am going to post more stories. There will be another Dem/Zex story. The 3 possible choices are sitting on the poll on my profile. So take a gander and vote if you like.

TenTen99: Yep. Zexion's always had a thing for Demyx.

LumosFlies: Hahahah. Thanks. Reviews like these always make me feel really good about myself and my writing. These kinds of reviews always make me want to keep writing more.

xFallenSpirit18x: That used to be the code for my iPhone, but now I don't even bother. I barely use the thing so I don't have to ever really worry about it getting lost.
Yea, the notebook thing is just pure coincidence. Someone else pointed it a few chapters ago and I was like, "Oh yea, look at that." I guess I have a thing for stealing notebooks. Probably because nobody is really ballsy enough to steal a laptop or a cellphone. Those would be really noticeable items if they disappeared. Also, I feel like the notebook has more privacy than a phone or PC but mostly because screen sizes are getting larger and larger each day. Notebooks stay, generally, one size.
That's very good. I think if you aren't feeling what at least one of the characters feels, something is amiss. You should always, to some degree, have emotional investment in the story. It means the author has a done good job making you attached to the characters.
That's nice of you to say. And I'm glad your writing has improved! I picked up my writing style from reading a bunch of different authors and blending their styles into something I liked and something that worked for me. It's a useful technique.

Sana-chan9: Hahahaha, thanks! I really hate the whole, "One second he's bad, but the next second he isn't." And I also hate it when the character changes, but then NEVER goes back to how he used to be. It's just unrealistic. People change, sure, but they also falter and make mistakes. And, as you can see from this chapter, Zexion is busy causing a huge scene and kind of reverting back to his old ways. Shit happens.
I kind of like jerk Zexion because I think he feels marginalized by society because he is really, really smart. And I think he hates feeling so marginalized and I think he doesn't want to admit that he's lonely or that maybe he needs something other than books so he just… Lashes out at people to hide how he really feels. As for Demyx, I don't think he'll ever be book smart, but I HATE it when people write him as if he has no common sense. Demyx is kind of a coward and probably shit at math, but I guarantee you he's the kind of kid who could solve a Rubix cube within a few seconds flat.
I… don't understand the ridiculous flirt thing with Axel. I have NEVER been like, "Oh, Axel equals flirtatious." I think he's really flirtatious with Roxas and has potential to be flirtatious with other people, but… I don't see him just hitting on everyone. I see him trying to get a lot of ass, but not necessarily flirting.
Ugh. The side of my lip does that. I woke up one morning and it was just all split and painful. Lips weren't chapped or anything. Super retarded.

SkoRn3d: Good. I like it when readers feel so strongly about a story. And, you know, I was really shaky about this idea because I was worried Zexion would come off as… I dunno. I guess OOC. And I know a LOT of people are like, "I read the summary and thought this was NEVER going to work and it totally does." I just… never really thought it through, I guess. I just see Zexion and go, "Well, he's smart, but he's also VERY curious and insecure. So… Sure. Why not let an attractive man stay in your house while also acting as your guiding light?"
Well, everything's out in the open now. Sorry about leaving it at the cliff-hanger like that, but hopefully the next chapter will be out VERY soon. It's a dick move to leave things as a cliff hanger and then a long time to update.

Chaoschaser01: Glad you like it. Hope this chapter was just as pleasing to you.

ConvertedToZemyx30: Maaaaaybe. The next chapter is really gonna reveal everything / wrap the story up. You'll just have to wait for the next update!

CoconutMigration: I laughed my ass off when I saw this review. Then I checked when I last updated this story and was like, "Oh shit… It's been a while." If it weren't for this review, I probably would've taken another two weeks to update.

KamiKase: Glad you like it. And yes. That was defintiely foreshadowing happening in the beginning. Points to you for paying attention. Whether or Zexion will drown... Eh. We'll see what happens.