I haven't written anything for this for five months. Did anyone miss me:D
This chapter is unbeta'd because I sent the first half and never got anything back. -sniff- I wish I could go on vacation, too.
Wow, has it really been a whole year!? I should say something profound now. Like 'goddamn, how do I get ffnet to get rid of the chapter title at the top as a pre-setting?'….instead I'll leave you with a preview from Shiguna's review which may or may not refresh your memory from the five months absence.
"Will Roxas survive an entire day ALONE with Axel and his silly-billy ninnyhammer friend, Demyx?
Will Riku realize his deep desire for his worst enemy's twin brother?
Will Yuffie and Larxene cross paths and create a whole new spicy lesbian-pairing full of devious plans and sadistic natures!?"
-Shiguna, thank you darling.
Disclaimer: Over 180 reviews, 128 favs, 182 alerts, and 16,407 hits. But still no rights to Kingdom Hearts. (Btw. You guys either rock too much, or you need to find better crap than this to read. XD)
Claimer: I received a giant Hershey's Kiss and a lantern from Myde-and-Mar,achocolate parfait from Darkspider, a helluva lot of muffins from Ariaana, hearts and candy from peachtarts, Axel plushies from A Lonely Kitsune,…and a spatula which Hikari Aiyano threatened to beat me with if I didn't update. And various other threats from random people…thanks?
Surviving Detention vs. Escaping Counseling
xXxXx
"I hate you."
"We've established that..."
"I hate you more now."
"You told me that yesterday..."
"I hate you more than I did yesterd-"
"QUIET!" Demyx slid the headphone off his left ear, glaring at the two students sitting next to him. "I can't believe you guys got me into detention. Detention. With SAIX! Did you know before he was vice principal, that man used to be a prison guard!?"
Roxas' face grew deathly pale. No he did not know that. His dearly beloved brother Sora had conveniently forgotten to mention that all his teachers and administrators were maniacs. Insane blood-thirsty maniacs...
"None of us can escape now! And what's worse, I heard he tortured his prisoners with glow sticks!" At this point, Demyx had lowered his voice so none of the other occupants in the room could hear them.
"Demyx, it's really not that bad-" Started Axel, but was once again silenced by the blond's ramblings.
Axel was completely ignored as Demyx started to go on about the vice principal's unofficial obsession with the moon.
So he opted to tune out Demyx and pay attention to the suddenly very quiet blond that was now gripping the desk in front of him for dear life. Axel placed a hand on his shoulder and after a moment of relief had passed when Roxas didn't shout or hit him, Axel attempted to get him out of his catatonic state.
"...Roxas?"
"I hate you." Came the automatic response.
Axel shrugged. His shins were still intact so that meant he should keep talking.
"It's not that bad, honest." When Roxas remained quiet and merely stared ahead of him, an ounce of worry started to form in the redhead's conscience and Axel leaned closer.
"Demyx is just exaggerating. This is actually his first time in detention too."
Roxas turned around slowly to face him and spoke softly. "How many times have you been in detention before?"
With a hint of surprise, Axel noticed now that the blond had lowered his defenses, he was able to learn two very important things that would prove useful to his life if he remembered them.
First, a good way to get Roxas to talk to him was to get the kid absolutely terrified. - Axel made a mental note to figure out what else Roxas was scared of rather than Saix. Like spiders. Because spiders were icky.
The second thing he learned was that the blond was immensely attractive when he wasn't glaring at him. It gave Axel a clear view of those amazing blue eyes of his. And don't tell anyone, but when no one else was looking Axel liked to stare at Roxas and pretend that his eyes were the ocean.
A very deep and sensual ocean that Axel could get lost in. Except Axel hated water and he couldn't swim, so he liked to pretend that there was a boat there waiting for him as well. And if Roxas hadn't looked away or blinked at this point, he would also sometimes imagined that the room's florescent lights reflected in those eyes were happy seagulls that liked to play with Axel on his little boat. But these were special seagulls that were uncommonly nice, not the vicious ones that attacked you on the beach.
He knew this was probably really creepy and beyond stalker fandom, but he just couldn't look away.
Especially when they were widen in fear like that...Axel definitely needed to get this kid scared more often. And maybe take up sailing. All this imagining crap must have been unhealthy.
"Maybe twice a week." Axel gave another shrug as he replied. He was trying to keep his school record a bit more clean this year.
"And how many times has Sora been in detention?"
"Same thi-er...what now?"
The third thing Axel learned was that Roxas was a sneaky sneaky bastard. Axel gave a nervous smile as he subtly backed away from the blond. But it was too late. Roxas had already heard him and now his eyes were narrowed angrily. An angry Roxas was not a good thing.
At times like these, Axel still liked to stare into Roxas' eyes. Except now the ocean was a bit more undulating and the skies had turned gray and cloudy as a storm mirroring Roxas' temper formed. Axel imagined that his little boat had capsized in the waves pitifully. Maybe being a sailor wasn't that fun...he should be a poet instead or-
"STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT, YOU FREAK!"
Axel flinched. "Sorry."
xXxXx
"So this is detention?"
"This is counseling." Shot Riku back immediately. "We don't have detention here, it's called counseling. That's because here at Oblivion High we don't have delinquents. That's because Student Government Officials like me keep everything under control. And that's why I shouldn't be here!"
Sora resisted the urge to cower as the silver haired boy began his monologue.
"I keep this school safe! I'm the one that puts people in the office. I can't get sent to the office. Who does Diz think he is?!" Riku raked a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated noise.
"And you!" Sora's head jerked up so fast he was afraid he might have gotten whiplash. The senior was standing in front of him, one hand on his hip, the other pointing accusingly at him. "You're the reason I'm here!"
The other boy had said it with such venom that Sora could only manage a whisper. "I'm sorry..."
"Do you know how this is going to look on my record?!" Riku continued on, completely ignoring him.
It was a hypothetical questions but Sora shook his head anyway. Of course Riku hadn't seen the action since he wasn't expecting a response and had his back turned. Both hands gripped his silver hair tightly, letting out another angry sigh.
"Goddamn it! And I was trying to save you. I should be getting an award for this, not punishment..."
Riku started to trail off when he suddenly heard a sniff. His shoulders tightened as he tensely looked behind him, afraid of what he might find.
"Are you...are you crying?"
The younger boy looked completely vulnerable in the position he was forced into. His obnoxious yellow shoes were resting on the edge of his chair as he brought his legs up against his chest. His arms wrapped around them with his head buried on top of his knees.
"N-No..." If the cracking in his voice didn't give his lie away, it was the way his shoulders shook as he gave another sniffle.
"Fuck..." Riku slapped his forehead forcefully. He had tried to play hero and save the kid, and all he achieved was getting the both of them in trouble and making the boy cry. He didn't even know why the guy was crying?! So he decided to gently ask him, as to not startle him.
"Why the hell are you crying?!"
The brunet lifted his head and choked back, "I said I'm not crying!"
Riku should have pointed out the evidence all over his cheeks...But all Riku could think about was how much he looked like Roxas at that moment. It didn't take very much for this kid to start crying, but it didn't change the fact that they both looked the same when their defenses broke down.
He had the same exact pout, the same eyes - and yet he seemed so much more sincere.
Without thinking, Riku immediately sat back down next to him and pulled the boy into an embrace. He prepared himself for the punch that Sora was bound to hit, and maybe for the verbal assault for touching him - but nothing happened. Instead, Riku was surprised to find that the boy was actually leaning into his hold.
Fuck, he was going to have to comfort the kid wasn't he?
"Uh..." Riku was not prepared for this.
Ever since that one time in the park where he tried to comfort a little girl but ended up making her cry even more. Then when the mother came he somehow made her cry too...Riku learned that he had absolutely no people skills that day.
He awkwardly patted the other boy on the back. "What's...wrong?"
Riku mentally slapped himself when all he got was an unintelligent reply from his torso region. Most people would be ecstatic that he, the great almighty and fashionable Riku, was touching them. Nevertheless giving a damn about them. Which he didn't. Because that's just who he was...but that didn't stop people from pretending.
And he sincerely hoped that the boy wasn't getting any ideas. He was only trying to comfort him because he couldn't stand seeing people cry. It was just something he had grown to hate after witnessing his mother cry so many times from his childhood.
"Could you...please...stop crying?" He tried again.
Riku sighed as his hand began moving of its own accord and he found it buried in Sora's hair. It seemed to calm the boy down when he untangled the soft brown locks with his fingers. His mind subconsciously remembering it from somewhere.
After a moment of silence, while Riku realized that the action was starting to relax him as well, he heard another mumbled reply.
"What?" He asked.
Sora lifted his head, fervently brushing away the stray tears. From the moment that Riku had started yelling at him, he began wishing that Roxas was there to protect him. Until he remembered that his brother would probably be angry at him for everything he had done that morning.
Roxas reputation was going to be ruined if he stayed in that office. He couldn't let his brother get suspended for a fight that wasn't even his fault. Not after his brother had worked so hard to get into Oblivion High.
"I said I'm sorry..." Sora whispered.
"What the hell for?" At the blunt question, Sora looked up to find the senior staring at him curiously. Then he looked down again and noticed the wet stains on the other boy's shirt.
"Well, I kinda got your shirt wet...and I'm really sorry for crying on you! And I'm sorry for lying about not crying even though I kinda was - so I guess I'm sorry for being a bad liar. And I'm sorry for getting you in trouble and mad at me and-"
"Wait." Riku waved a hand dismissively in the air to get the other boy to stop.
Now that Sora wasn't longer tearing up anymore, Riku was able to think clearly again - and now he realized just how close they really were.
"Er…You said I was mad at you?"
When all he got was a blink in return, Riku decided that he would never attempt to comfort another person ever again. With a sigh he replied "I'm not mad at you - if that's what you thought."
"But you were yelling at me..."
"I yell a lot. At everyone, not just you."
"But you said it was my fault..."
"It's everyone's fault. Not just yours."
Another mental slap resounded in Riku's brain. That didn't come out right. He meant that it was Seifer's fault for picking another fight. Kairi's fault for not watching after the kid - because he figured that must have been their relationship after yesterday. And it was the administrators fault for...administrating...badly.
And he somehow had a hunch that it was Yuffie's fault as well. Goddamn, he hated ninjas.
And then. And then. And then...that had to happen.
What it was physically, was easy for Riku to describe. A simple downward quirk of the side of the lips. The jutting out of the lower facial muscle. And eyes that, Riku had to admit were quite remarkable to begin with, seemed to sparkle as they utterly demolished Riku's fleeting sanity…
"WHAT NOW?!"
Sora flinched and his lip began to quiver.
Riku let out an irritable groan, both hands tearing at his really pretty hair. "Okay fine. I was mad at you happy now?"
Sora blinked. "...You still sound mad."
"Okay fine. I'm still mad at you."
"..."
"But when I'm mad, I say weird things. So...don't pay attention to me or anything I say."
The senior collapsed unceremoniously into the seat next to Sora, completely exhausted from trying to comfort him. Why was it that no matter what he did, he always made people cry?!
"And...I'm sorry for yelling at you. That was uncalled for. I'm just really angry that I got sent to the office because I could lose my position in the Student Government, which is exactly what Diz wants because he's a bastard..."
Riku lowered his head, staring at the ground as he rubbed his temples in an attempt to forget the situation at hand. But it was really hard when someone kept trying to remind him.
"Why does Diz want that?" The reply was soft and timid.
Riku figured he must have really scared the kid if he was being this shy. The older boy could recall - with a mind-burning memory - yesterday's incident where the kid had been so spontaneous and reckless with his replies. It almost made Riku feel guilty.
"Because Diz thinks I'm in over my head with power. And it's not easy running the school..."
And he could have left it there, but something about being in a situation where he never would have dream of happening - at the last place and with the last person he could imagine - made it easier for him to spill his thoughts.
"But I don't really care about taking advantage of students and all that stuff. It's just - I need this position. It's the only reason people look up to me or respect me...or even talk to me. I need this power over people..."
Sora tilted his head. The other boy may have been his brother's worst enemy. He may have cornered him the other day and scared the hell out of him in counseling today.
But it didn't change the fact that he had saved Sora twice, for no reason at all.
And because it was in Sora's good nature – and because he liked to think he was really good at playing the hero in stories - he couldn't help but be concerned for others.
Because when he meets little children in the parks crying, his first instinct is to comfort them and buy them ice cream out of Roxas' allowance and helping them find their mommies.
It can now be assumed that Sora was the one with better people skills.
"What about your friends?" He asked. Because Sora innocently assumed that all people had friends - and he had never met Sephiroth before.
Riku looked up, not expecting a response. He determined the kid was freaking bipolar if he could bounce back that fast. Glad that he had made that discovery, he replied uncertainly.
"I don't...really have good friends - I guess is a way you can put it."
And then Riku did something he never would be able to explain. Here he was, with a complete stranger - maybe an imposter - but still clearly someone associated with his arch nemesis – because it sounded cooler to refer to him that way- and they were talking.
Like just talking, like friends. Even though he didn't have any.
And maybe that's why he found it so ironic that he started laughing.
Sora, despite the fact that he didn't see what was so funny, smiled happily as well. A laughing Riku was much better than a homicidal mad one.
When Riku turned back to apologize for the random burst of laughter he spied the friendly expression. That was when he became absolutely sure that this wasn't Roxas.
Not only did the kid never smile, but couldn't possible do so as brilliantly. He bet Sora's smiles could get little abandoned kids in playgrounds to stop crying…
And then he remembered that he was suppose to hate this kid...because he was associated with Roxas...he was probably related to Roxas...oh shit.
Sora, still thinking that they were on friendly terms now continued the conversation. "So why do you hate my brother so much?"
The information shouldn't have come as a surprise to Riku, but he shifted uncomfortably anyways. "Katsurada...is your brother?"
Shit, shit, shit. That was not good. He should have just kept yelling at the kid, crying or not. Why did they have to talk? Why did he have to laugh - why did he have to smile?
If Roxas found out that Riku was getting friendly with his brother, he would undoubtedly castrate him. With a rusty spoon. Or maybe a key. Roxas always had this weird thing for keys…
The other boy, unknowing of Riku's inner turmoil, smiled sheepishly and replied. "Actually he's my twin brother."
Something inside of Riku died violently.
xXxXx
"And I heard he eats students and spits their hearts out and he keeps them in a little jar in his desk and..."
Roxas had stopped yelling at Axel long ago. He was now sitting petrified to his seat and staring at an invisible dot in the wall. Oh how he wished he was invisible like that dot.
Then he wouldn't be in detention for the first time in his life and be forced to have his heart supposedly ripped out and eaten by the vice principle.
But most of all, invisibility would mean that Axel wouldn't be able to see him. And Roxas was absolutely sure that the pervert was still staring at him - he was just too scared to move and hit him.
"Demyx stop, you're going to give him a heart attack." Axel looked worriedly over at the blond, who was now no longer facing him so he couldn't stare into those mesmerizing eyes anymore.
"AT LEAST HE STILL HAS ONE!" Exclaimed the musician, point an accusing finger at Roxas's chest.
Axel ignored this and covered the younger boy's ears protectively. If Roxas was anymore unresponsive, Axel was afraid he might go backwards and start being nice to him and sprout compliments.
"I wonder what he'll do with mine..." Demyx seemed lost in a trance as he placed a hand over his heart longingly. "What if he tries to get a bunch of them and make a moon out of hearts..."
The redhead raised an eyebrow questioningly. His hands were starting to get tired but he had to protect Roxas' sanity. If not for their sake, than Sora's.
"You can't make a moon out of random organs Demyx."
"What if instead he got a heart-shaped moon and tried to fill it with hearts?!" At this point, the blond was clutching his shirt fearfully and the trio was starting to draw the attention of others.
"Demyx, that's absurd." Reasoned Axel, disliking the way that the group of stoners in the back of the room were staring at Demyx with a look of dawning realization. The last thing he needed was for this propaganda to get out.
Their vice principal was not some heartless freak that preyed on people's organs...Larxene maybe, but not Saix.
"What if he's late because he's doing that right now!?" A look of terror passed over the musician's face. "I bet he's hungry! I bet he's- ZEXION!"
The figure that appeared at the door only had a nanosecond to prepare himself before a blond boy lunged at him. It was obvious that the teen was familiar with Demyx because he managed to catch the boy in time, despite the amazing speed and velocity of the hug.
"Zexion! Zexion! You're come to save me haven't you?" Demyx then proceeded to give the other boy a bear-hug that would have killed the bear.
Axel's hands dropped onto Roxas' shoulders as he proceeded to give the blue haired boy an evil glare. He would have done something worst but he found that he was actually grateful that the musician was distracted.
At least Roxas' pretty little head wouldn't be filled with lies anymore...yes Roxas' head was pretty. Take it from someone that has been staring at it for the past 2 hours.
Zexion began to gently pry the junior off of him, until he noticed Axel in his peripheral vision.
No…Demyx's arms were just fine right where they were…wrapped around him…in front of Axel…of course. Ha, here comes the glare right now.
"Quick Zexion, if we leave now no one will notice! Oh wait, you still have to save my friends too!"
Demyx turned around and stared at Axel who was currently sending daggers of flame at Zexion while draping himself all over Roxas - a bit too comfortably he might add.
"Err nevermind Zex. Maybe we can just take Roxas instead. But if he slows us down we can leave him behind too."
This caught the older boy's attention. "Roxas?"
Zexion subtly slipped an arm around Demyx waist. It was a small accomplishment, but it was going to go down in his notebook of scheming as a complete success. Next to his poetry.
Yes he wrote poetry, but they were about subatomic particles, neurotransmitters, and DNA science and occasionally Demyx...Shut up. He had to keep the emo image going…
"Who's Roxas?" The senior chanced another glance at Axel, whose glare was surprisingly not as full of fiery-hateful-ness as they usually were. "And why is Axel lounging on Sora in that manner?"
Demyx smiled as he quickly realized that he finally knew something that Zexion didn't. Something that only happens once every four thousands years. He opened his mouth eagerly and obliviously to spill all the secrets of the switch.
"Ha ha, that's no-"
And just as quickly, Axel leap over three desks and a kid to get to Demyx and forcefully close his mouth. An audible click was heard as the blond's teeth knocked against each other, and Axel removed his hand from Demyx's jaw.
He hadn't meant to push him that hard and now it was Zexion's turn to shoot the redhead a glare filled with notebook-shaped daggers.
"Demyx is on crack." Was Axel's automatic response, it worked most of the time.
"Excuse me?!" Was Zexion's.
"Only on Wednesdays!" Shouted Demyx, but quickly shut himself up when both boys stared incredulously at him.
The blue haired boy tightened his grip around Demyx's waist. "How is this relevant to anything, Axel?"
He was mildly surprised to find that Axel didn't react to his possessive hold on Demyx at all. Zexion wasn't quite sure what to make of this, but he felt confident that if he made charts and graphs of this observation it would all make sense later.
"Don't listen to Demyx. He doesn't know what he's saying." Axel groped helpless at excuses. "He thinks Saix is a werewolf that collects moon-shaped hearts and he's been saying it enough times that other people are starting to believe him. Even Sora is starting to believe him. And Roxas isn't real. He's...uh…Demyx's imaginary friend...yeah, let's go with that."
An eyebrow was raised in Axel's direction. "That doesn't explain why Sora's hair is blond."
Demyx looked back and forth between the two boys giving the exchange. This battle of wits usually occurred every time they met - except Axel never really had much wit to begin with so it usually ended up with Zexion winning...and usually set on fire because that made Axel happy.
"We poured a bucket of bleach on him by accident." Replied Axel, not missing a beat.
"Why?"
"We thought he was you."
A single blue narrowed at him dangerously. It was a known fact that Axel hated Zexion's hair. Not only was it a color not yet classified by mankind, but it looked like it was cut by a blind barber...wielding a chainsaw instead of scissors.
Not breaking the glaring contest, Axel asked the obvious question that was probably on everyone's mind. "Zexion, what the hell are you doing in detention?"
Only to be answered by Demyx who replied with what he thought to be the obvious answer. "Duh, he's here to save me! Right?"
It was impossible for Zexion to say 'no' when the blond was tugging on his sleeve with such a hopeful smile. Oh, if only the detention room was sound-proof...and maybe empty. But the latter was optional.
"Demyx, I don't exactly have the authority to remove you from detention..." When Demyx's face fell he quickly elaborated.
Apparently someone had gone on a stabbing rampage and the Advance Physics' classroom across the hall now looked similar to Swiss cheese. Saix was busy reprimanding students and trying to figure out who the culprit was.
Since Zexion was in that class - and now that it seemed he no longer had a classroom to attend to - he offered to take Saix's place in watching over detention while the older man went about hitting suspicious students with glow sticks.
Ha, he knew all those years of scheming with the elders would eventually pay off...
Meanwhile, Roxas had been sitting patiently at his seat, waiting for the floor to swallow him up and take him away from this awful place. He hadn't noticed a group of students approach him suspiciously - because when you're all wearing a bunch of long black trench coats near summer, everything you do is considered suspicious.
A tall figure that looked like a man that had been held back many times presented himself in front of Roxas and...said things. Roxas didn't know what these things were because the man was obviously drunk and high and kept slurring his words. At least he thought they were words.
He also said "as if" many times amidst his rambles of "wuillyooohbuuuuaidruuuuuagesfrommehhhh."
And he had an eye patch. And grey hair. And obviously bad English. Roxas's fear induced mind started to ponder briefly on how many times the man must have been held back for. He hoped Axel would save him.
Wait, where did that come from? Oh, it's probably because Axel was saving him right now.
"XIGGY, NO! DON'T SELL HIM DRUGS!" The redhead launched himself on the being that he had dubbed as "Xiggy" and both came tumbling to the floor. A moment later Axel stood up and the other man was still on the ground, talking to the desk legs and negotiation drugs deals with them.
Another coat-clad being on Roxas' right was tackled by Axel as dozens of playing cards flew hazardly into the air. "NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY GO FISH WITH YOU LUXORD! YOU CHEAT LIKE A PANSY!"
As Axel stood up again - prepared to continue with his mission of protecting Roxas from the rest of the Organization gang that Roxas wasn't suppose to know his brother was involved in - he was promptly stabbed by a spear.
"Oww!" He turned around and glared at Xaldin. "I'll get you Xaldy, and your little dog too..."
The comment made the other man tremble in his dreadlocks. You see, Xaldin once had a puppy named Zippy that he secretly told everyone was a dragon. Xaldin had a fetish for dragons. He once took an online quiz that told him his power animal was a dragon. Online quizzes don't lie.
One day he decided to paint Zippy blue and attach batteries to it. This caused Zippy to short circuit when people tried to pet him. This made Xaldin very happy because he always wanted a shiny blue dragon that could electrocute people. Then Zippy ran away.
In reality, Axel had actually stolen Zippy and given him to Demyx to use as a portable battery charger for his amps. Axel decided that this was a very funny story and he was going to tell this to Roxas one day when he stopped hating him.
While Roxas was staring at the retreating backs of the members, Axel was thinking up ways to make his story more heroic in his capture of the evil shiny blue dragon. And Zexion was watching the scene unfold with much interest.
Axel had just left Demyx and Zexion alone together, something that had never happened before. It seems like something was distracting the redhead, and Zexion was going to take full advantage of it.
"Axel, it seems like Sora doesn't look very well." Zexion reluctantly let go of his hold on Demyx as he spoke - but sacrifices had to be made in the name of scheming - and walked over to the other two.
He attempted to press the back of his palm against the blond's forehead, in a gesture that would hint that perhaps the blond was sick and had to leave and therefore Axel would have to follow and then he would be able to be alone with Demyx again and then- well anyways, it failed.
Axel protective tugged Roxas closer to him. The day he let Zexion touch any of his possessions with his slimy emo-poetry writing hands was the day he gave up collecting lighters. Not that Roxas was his property or anything…just his responsibility…for the time being.
And Axel also knew Zexion wrote poetry about darkness and quadratic functions. He had stolen his notebook once and tried to set it on fire, until Demyx found out.
"Sora is fine."
"Then why isn't he responding to anything?"
"What are you talking about?"
Axel looked down at Roxas and noticed that he seemed oddly unresponsive when he poke him. The redhead waved a hand in front of the boy, "Helloooooo, Rox-er, Sora? You okay there?"
When it seemed like Roxas had indeed fallen into a vegetable-like state, Axel grew worried. Sora would kill him if his brother went home like that. Sora hated vegetables. And although the brunet might seem like a pacifist that wouldn't hurt a butterfly, having an entire collection of sharp keys thrown at you is can be quite painful.
"Axel, why don't you take Sora outside?" Zexion liked scheming. He was good at scheming. If his mom bought him cloaks instead of those stupid wooly sweaters for Christmas, he would call himself the Cloaked Schemer. It was a fancy name he thought of all by himself.
But all he had were those goddamn sweaters.
"I thought you said we couldn't leave detention?" Axel's eyebrows narrowed. He suspected that Zexion had started to scheme.
"I won't tell anyone. And I'm sure the school would understand if Sora's health was in danger. Why don't you take him to the nurse's office or outside for fresh air?" Scheming scheming scheming...Zexion was such a delightful schemer.
"Fine." Axel lifted the blond to his feet, and surprisingly Roxas could stand. Making sure he wouldn't fall on his own, Axel began directing him towards the door. After a thought, he quickly called out "You coming, Demyx?"
The musician ambled over to the group and shook his head. "Who's going to protect Zexion from being forced into playing Go Fish with Luxord if I leave?"
Axel stared a moment longer at Demyx as if he were about to say something, but then changed his mind, before shaking his head.
"Fine, I'll see you later." And he dragged Roxas out of the door.
xXxXx
Tidus stepped merrily into the counselor's office, and then promptly screamed.
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
He pointed accusingly at the two students sitting next to each other, who had been laughing before he came in. Laughing?! But they were rivals! Tidus stared frightfully between the two of them - did the world come to an end? - as they both jumped and noticed him.
Riku was the first to regain his composure, quickly thinking of a lie. "...We were having a funny face competition."
Sora nodded. "But we've stopped now...You won."
The blond boy leaned against the door frame heavily as he scrutinized the two. "Are you sure you two weren't...?" Tidus trailed off the sentence uncertainly.
Well, Riku did say it was a competition, right? And that's kinda like rivalry, right? Although it seemed like an awfully friendly competition to him...
"Whatever." Tidus waved a hand dismissively through the air. As if Roxas and Riku would ever be friendly to each other. Haha, what a funny thought.
Sora let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. On his right he heard Riku mirror his action. That was too close! And not just the intrusion, but he was so close to befriending Riku and figuring out why his brother was enemies with him!
Against Kairi's wishes, Sora had told Riku about the switch up.
"So where's Katsurada?"
"Uh, what are you talking about?! I'm right here?"
"I meant your brother..."
"Then why didn't you just call him Roxas?! And why do you keep calling us by our last name? We kinda have the same one ya know."
"Fine, you're Katsurada number two."
"WHAT?! Why am I two?!"
"Because you told me he was older."
The conversation had started off pretty rocky, and Riku glared at him every time Sora called him 'Riku' instead of 'Hamazaki.' He still didn't know why Riku did that. But he was starting to see why Riku didn't have many friends - his conversation skills sucked.
But Sora prided himself in being able to make Riku laugh at one point. Although it had nothing to do with him, since he was just relating the situation at hand. He never realized it before, but Roxas being forced to attend Destiny High and chaperones by gang memories was kinda funny.
And then Tidus came. Oh well, Sora would just have to pry into his brother's life later...
"Tidus." Said Riku, taking on authority liked tone. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in class?"
The other student smiled - now that the impeding doom of the world had passed - as he crossed the room to stand in front of the counselor's desk. "Actually it's break, and Counselor Jenova isn't here today. You guys are wasting your time waiting for her."
Sora's smile brightened as he jumped out of his seat. He wasn't going to get Roxas in trouble!
But Riku frowned, "You still didn't answer why you're here." He too stood up from his seat, but cross his arms against his chest as he stared at Tidus.
The senior opened one of the drawers in the wooden desk and took a slip of paper out. When Riku's eyes narrowed he showed the other student what was on it reluctantly. "Chill man, it's just a thing for prom."
Sora couldn't help his curiosity and inclined his head to see what it said. It was a document for taking outside students to Oblivion High's dance.
"I thought you were going with Selphie?" Said Sora, before he realized he blurted it out. A hand immediately came up to cover his mouth.
Tidus stared at him, then gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah well...I actually told my ex I would do to prom with her. I kinda promised Yuna, and it'd be mean if I didn't…take her."
After a pause he quickly added. "Plus she's like this famous local singer. I might be able to get into the dance for free if I get her to sing."
"Does Selphie know?" Asked Sora, feeling dejected even though it wasn't his place. The girl had seemed so excited the other day at lunch when she announced to Kairi that she had bought a new lemon-colored dress. Not that Sora paid attention or anything...
Tidus rubbed the back of his neck, looking at anywhere but Sora. "Uh...well." Suddenly, a thought occurred to the blond and he gave Sora a huge smile.
"Hey! She kinda likes you, ya know. Why don't you take her?"
Sora's eye grew wide. He didn't even know Selphie! And he doubted that Roxas even knew she existed...And besides, weren't they dating!? How could he just hand her over like that for an ex? And he was pretty sure Tidus' story about promising Yuna was a lie as well.
"Tidus, shouldn't you be getting back to class now?" Something about the edge in Riku's voice made him sound angry or– jealous? Yet a quick glance at him proved the senior to be wearing a neutral look.
"Oh, right. See ya Riku. Roxas." He nodded his head to each student as he left.
The two remaining students were left in silence as the door closed. Sora had meant to get a conversation going to remedy it. Probably something to do with prom, and if Riku was going and with who and why the hell did Roxas not mention it?
Until Riku completely ignored him and made for the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Sora clung to Riku's arm quite pitifully, stopping the senior who tried fervently to reach the doorknob as if his life depended on it.
But Sora held on, with no intention of letting go. If he had to go back and spend the rest of his day with Kairi and Yuffie and their mob of girls he would kill himself. There was only so much he could say about shoes…
"Back to class." Riku helplessly struggled in Sora's grip.
He had to get out of this room. Not only had he accidentally gotten too friendly with Roxas' twin brother, but Tidus had seen them talking civilly as well. If he didn't get out now, he might start something he shouldn't.
"Aren't we excused or something for going to the counselor's office?" Asked Sora, getting worried as the two inches between Riku's fingers and the doorknob were steadily getting smaller.
He tried thinking of more excuses. "Wouldn't the teachers be expecting that we don't show up for class?" And that got Riku to stop squirming.
"Are you suggesting…" He asked, his eyes narrowed and his practiced condescending tone - which he tried out in the mirror multiple times each day - surfacing. "…that we skip class?"
Sora smiled brightly. Perhaps Axel was a bad influence on him after all.
"Katsurda, that's completely against school rules. I can't allo-" Started Riku with a frown, but was interrupted – not only by the statement, but by the pout that accompanied it. Goddamn that pout.
"And kicking Seifer in the crotch like that wasn't…?"
"….."
"….."
And the next thing he knew, Riku was dragged away – kicking and screaming and protesting quite loudly – to his destiny. I mean doom. Yeah, doom.
xXxXx
A long long time ago, Zexion met Demyx for the first time.
After locking himself in his room to analyze his emotions and prepare a powerpoint of all things that were Demyx, he discovered that he might have a crush on the boy. He told his best friend Larxene this, to which she responded with a conclusive "Duh."
And despite Larxene's relation with Axel, the blonde girl agreed to help Zexion win over Demyx's heart. The training had been rigorous, and at many times he failed to see how Larxene's advice would help him in the first place.
"See, Demyx likes emo boys."
"What the fuck is emo?"
"…We'll get to that."
So began Zexion's quest to be emo. Despite the fact that no one knew what exactly it was. But it seemed to be working because he found many people in the hallways discussing it. Many argued that he was clearly emo and liked to brood on darkness and hearts all day and barely talked. Others claimed that this was ridiculous! That Zexion was a respected individual who was merely dark and mysterious and quite intelligent.
Zexion hated those people.
They just reminded him that he failed at being emo. HE WAS TRYING, WASN'T HE?!
"I don't really understand what I'm supposed to do. Am I supposed to have too much emotion? Or not enough emotion?"
"Neither. Emo doesn't stand for 'emotion.' Wikipedia said it stands for 'emotive.'"
"What the fuck is emotive?"
"I have no idea. But we'll get to that…."
Didn't anyone think to ask him if he wanted to be emo if the first place?! What if really did want to - but was just doing a bad job of it?
What if when Larxene told him he was suppose to cut himself, Zexion picked up a scalpel instead and asked her what purpose would dissecting his wrist serve? Or when he tried to write poetry no one told him he wasn't suppose to describe tears as fluids containing mucin, lactoferrin, lipocalin,sodium, lacritin, and immunoglobulins?
For anyone who hasn't tried - being emo was hard, dammit…
"Hey Zexion! What are we going to do for the rest of detention?"
Zexion looked up and smiled at Demyx as the boy interrupted his thoughts.
Dammit! Emo kids didn't smile! They brooded. But he couldn't find anything to brood about! Oh look, this desk they were sitting on was hard, and…wooden. It was clearly not comfortable and thus hindered his ability to be happy…yeah let's go with that.
But when the blond smiled back, Zexion immediately dismissed that thought to the back of his head. Emo kids could smile if it made Demyx smile too, he decided.
"I don't have anything planned. What would you like to do, Demyx?"
The musician placed his chin on his palm as he adapted a thinking pose that look strangely adorable on him. Whatever it was Demyx planned on doing, Zexion would go along with unhesitantion. Besides, it was probably something water-related.
"Let's talk about Axel!"
And suddenly Zexion understood the mean of emo as he found something to brood about.
But Demyx continued on without noticing the helpless look on the other's face. "Have you noticed he's been acting kinda strange lately, Zex?"
"No, I haven't." Replied Zexion with feign interest. "How so?"
"Well, ever since Sora switched places with his twin at Oblivion High so Roxas could take his final exams for him – Axel's been trying to be friends with him! And that's cool and all 'cept Roxas thinks he's weird and that I think that makes Axel sad."
Zexion stared, a bit loss for words at the massive amount of information.
"I wish Roxas would just be friends with Axel already! I mean he keeps staring at Roxas…and trying to talk to him…and he lets Roxas yell at him…and today he fought off Xigbar for him. I mean that's pretty intense and…"
And suddenly Zexion lost the concept of being emo again. How could someone possibly brood when they were so happy?!
"Wow, I sure hope Sora is okay at Oblivion. I haven't heard from him in a while….and hey Zexion, are you still listening? You haven't said anything yet and gosh – I'm thirsty!"
The blue haired boy raised a hand to get Demyx to pause, and immediately reached under the desk they sat upon for his bag. He pulled out two water bottles, both Deer Park brands - because Demyx liked woodland animals as much as he liked fishes.
And no it was not creepy that Zexion new which brand of water Demyx liked best…
"Yay! Water! You're awesome Zex." The teen nearly dropped the bottles as Demyx hugged him.
The blond pulled back much took quickly for Zexion's taste, but it didn't matter. Their little moment of "Zemyx-ness," as he had began to call their interactions in his notebook, was a complete success. This was going to go down next to his quantum physics.
"Anyways, do you think there's something wrong with Axel?"
Demyx chugged his entire water bottle, which might be disturbing to some since the action only took a second, but Zexion found it oddly cute…in a disturbing way.
He generously offered his own full bottle to the other boy, which Demyx took happily. And in the short time span it took for Demyx to finish it, Zexion came to an up-lifting discovery.
Perhaps Larxene had figure out that there was something going on between Axel and the new kid as well. Even if neither of them– or Demyx, but that was okay – had. And maybe that was the reason behind Larxene's spontaneous stabbing fest in the chemistry lab.
So he would be free to visit Demyx in detention and leave Axel and Roxas alone?
And despite the random delinquents still in the room – who were all paying attention to the Organization trio in the back as Xaldin was busy spearing cards and random people, Xigbar was busy dodging the spears while simultaneously accusing Luxord of cheating, and Luxord was busy…cheating – Zexion found the atmosphere to be cheery and Axel-free.
Not even his failed attempts of emo-ness could ruin the afternoon that he and Demyx had solely to themselves now. And with a smile he turned to the other boy. "Nope, nothing's wrong."
Demyx cocked his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ya sure?"
Zexion's smile grew wider as he nodded. "Positive, now let's stop talking about Axel."
xXxXx
Indigo: Sorry about the awful delay, my brother is back from college now and he spends much of his time on the computer. I had to sneak on at night to finish…20 pages – yay XD. And sorry if anyone was offended by me poking fun at Zexion, I just think the whole "HE'S EMO!" vs. "NO HE'S NOT! HE'S JUST MYSTERIOUS!" thing on ffnet is funny. XD
AHHH! I'm so excited for the next chapter. I plan on getting this fic half way done by the end of summer! Even if that means I have to update once every week now….wait. I didn't just say that. XD And challenges! I found that I write much better if there is a deadline to give me stress. So go check out Say Anything or Color Me Imaginary - I'll heart you foreveeeeer. And cnfzdpsychosis I shall do your challenge and if anyone has a challenge then tell meeeh, because I am so bad at finding them. D:
In other news, Hikari Aiyano wrote me a storyyy. Which is kinda cool since I've never had anything dedicated to me before. –hugs- (It's called Glass Hearts…) I shall write you something back.
And one of these days I will learn how to write a shorter author's note.
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