The Sound Stars Make

Disclaimer: Don't own it. At all.

Joh: Yeah, I'm not sure about what I'm writing but you asked for ZexionxDemyx so…

Jessie: -Happy squealing-

Joh: So yeah…

DEDICATED TO THOUGHTLESS DREAMER CUZ I LOVES YOU AND YOU BETTERS WRITE ME THAT RISO ANGST -cracks whip-

Warnings: Possibly OOCness, yaoi, AU, one-shot, bad writing

0o0o00o0o0

The boy was there again.

He was sitting on the park bench with his back straight and his hands clasped together neatly on top of a spiral notebook placed in his lap. His dark silver hair fell across his pale face, obscuring one narrow eye from view as he stared directly ahead. His shirt was always buttoned all the way up, his pants always crisp and clean. And, as always, he had a thin pencil that had been sharpened to a stub sticking out of his pant's pocket seeming somehow out of place.

This boy's name was Zexion and other than his name not much was known about him except that he could always be found in the park, on the bench, regardless of the time of day or weather.

The boy had always been there, always. It was as if he and become a part of the bench itself, part of the background.

No one paid very much attention to him and he seemed to pay very little attention to anyone else in return. Sometimes he would be seen writing in his little notebook, but most of the time he simply stared straight ahead, looking through the crowds that would pass by him and his bench.

Zexion had a very strict schedule that he followed perfectly. He would sit out on the bench late into the early morning when he would then return home and sneak in to sleep, change clothes, and eat. He would then return to his bench before his family could wake up. And there he would remain for the rest of the day.

He didn't care if the people who saw him thought he was crazy; all that mattered to him was avoiding the violent family he had unfortunately been born into. Zexion didn't mind he was strange routine.

No one ever bothered him and he never had to bother anyone.

At least that was how it was until one windy day in the middle of November.

Like every other day, Zexion was sitting quietly on his bench, fingers curled around the edges of his notebook. Children wrapped in sweaters ran about on the playground behind him, screaming and laughing as they chased each other.

Zexion didn't even look up as a boy sat down next to him, sighing heavily as he dropped his book bag.

"Hey there."

Zexion blinked once before turning his head slightly to regard the stranger with a blank expression. The boy looked to be around his age, with dark blonde hair styled up in a strange hair-do. The boy grinned, tilting his head curiously and snapping the green rubber bands on his wrist as he waited for a response.

A few moments passed, the silence between them interrupted only by the playing children in the background.

"Don't talk much, huh?" The blonde boy nodded slowly, still smiling as he slouched down in his seat and hung his head back. "That's cool. I respect that, I do."

Zexion frowned slightly before turning away from him, shifting slightly in his seat. It was rare for someone to actually try and talk to him and he wasn't sure yet if he liked the gesture or not.

He nearly jumped when the blonde suddenly groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "I have so much homework!" he cried out, tossing his head miserably. "It sucks, you know? I'd rather spend my time making new songs than be bent over my history textbooks."

Zexion nodded slowly, wondering when this strange boy would leave him alone.

The boy sighed and scratched his neck distractedly. "Music is important." He stated suddenly, pausing and turning to look seriously at Zexion. "Too bad no one likes the rain anymore." His blue eyes flickered up to the cloudy sky as he spoke, lips quirking into a strange sad smile.

Zexion raised an eyebrow, wondering faintly to himself if this boy was crazy.

The blonde grabbed his bag and got to his feet slowly, exhaling so that his breath formed a misty cloud in the cold air. "Call my Demyx." And that was when he left, leaving Zexion with nothing but a crooked smile and a strange conversation to ponder over.

0o0

A few days slipped by until Demyx returned. He had a thick blue scarf wrapped around his neck, hands shoved deep into his sweatshirt pocket. "You really always are here, huh?" he noted, sitting down next to Zexion with a soft sigh.

Zexion glanced at him, his fingers twitching over his worn down pencil. He shrugged in response before sliding his gaze from Demyx to the two plastic bags he was carrying with him. The blonde most have noticed what he was looking at, for he smiled and picked the bags up, setting them down between them. "This is my dinner." He nodded happily, fishing a hand into one bag to pull out a tin of rice chips. "Do you want some?"

Zexion slowly shook his head no before hastily directing his attention away. His fingers tightened over his pencil as he listened to the quiet pop of the lid as Demyx opened the snack, setting the tin by his leg. "Well if you get hungry you can have some." Demyx chirped, popping a handful of them into his mouth and chewing loudly.

The two boys were silent for a long moment, both content to listen to the whistle of the wind and the creak of the swings from the playground. The park seemed completely different at night without the many children scampering across the woodchips. It was lonely, but peaceful at the same time.

"Have you ever wondered what kind of sound stars would make?" Demyx asked as he crunched on his dinner, head tilted all the way back so that his large blue eyes reflected the dark sky above.

Zexion frowned, eyes darting to the blonde. He wondered if this boy was always this weird or if he was just acting this way to annoy him. "Of course not." He scoffed.

Demyx snapped his head up, a look of shock spreading across his features. "You talked!" he exclaimed, mouth gaping in surprise, nearly choking as he swallowed.

The smaller boy scowled, crossing his arms over his chest in response.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Demyx grinned; reaching up to brush back a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. "I just…I didn't think you actually could talk. I thought you were mute or something." He laughed then, a soft rippling sound. "It's nice though."

Zexion raised an eyebrow.

"Your voice I mean." He clarified after a pause.

When Demyx turned his attention back to the stars, Zexion slowly reached out to snag a handful of chips, cheeks flushed bright red.

0o0

The boy came again the next night, bringing a long black case with him. He set it down at their feet and popped it open, revealing a sleek, blue instrument. Gingerly, Demyx lifted it out of the box and ran his fingers down the strings, a look of utter contentment settled across his face.

"This is Melody." Demyx whispered, glancing up at Zexion with widened eyes. "And she's a sitar not a guitar."

"Hm." Zexion tugged his jacket closer around himself and pursed his lips.

Demyx flashed a grin. "I wanted to be original." He paused for a moment, fingers lightly stroking the chords. "Want to hear me play?"

Zexion looked away then looked back at him before shrugging slightly, hands still clutched tightly around his notebook.

The blonde nodded eagerly before straightening and positioning the instrument carefully. His fingers twitched over the strings as the clear, echoing notes struck through the silent playground.

Zexion shivered and found his eyes glued to the young musician's face as he played. His eyes were narrowed as he concentrated on the song, a small smile pulling at his lips.

And then he began to sing.

Zexion wasn't even sure what Demyx was singing, but it was beautiful. He had a strange voice that weaved in along with the music, clear yet wavering. He wasn't singing words, simply sounds.

Zexion had never really been into music but he found himself slipping his eyes shut as he listened to Demyx's song, his fingers relaxing their hold on the book.

Suddenly, Demyx stopped playing, his fingers freezing in place as he stared down at his bright yellow sneakers. "You know, my friends told me that I'll have to get a real job soon. That's what sucks about growing up. You get all these annoying responsibilities." He laughed despite his grim tone and turned to look at Zexion thoughtfully. "What about you?"

Before Zexion could reply the blonde shook his head and set the sitar back down into the case. "You don't have to answer that. Geez, I don't even know your name! I've just been calling you Park Bench Dude in my head." He tapped his chin with his long fingers. "I've been coming up with all these reasons why you're always out here, but they're all pretty crazy."

Zexion glanced at him, expecting him to ask him the real reason why he was always sitting on this bench. But to his surprise Demyx just laughed again as he shut the lid of his case and got up.

"I've got to get home and make sure my brothers haven't set the house on fire." He picked up the case then looked around the empty park. "We used to come here a lot." He sighed before waving and exiting out of the park gate.

0o0

It was a week before Demyx showed up again, face beaming through the heavy rain. His blue T-shirt was soaked and clinging to his slender frame while his usual spiky hair was plastered to his face and neck.

Zexion had an umbrella with him today and leaned it back against his shoulder when he saw Demyx approach him.

The thoroughly wet teenager reached out to drum his fingers against the top of the black umbrella, blinking rapidly as water clung to his eyelashes. "Don't like getting wet?"

Zexion shook his head.

Demyx sighed but didn't let his smile slip. "No one ever does." He looked around the park, which was empty save for themselves and a man in a heavy coat walking his dog. "I love this sound." Demyx sang as he bent down and started untying his shoes. He glanced up to send a sly smile towards Zexion before pulling his sneakers off and flinging them at the feet of the bench.

With his pale bare feet he scampered across the muddy grass to the playground, launching himself onto one of the swings. He waved enthusiastically at Zexion to join him, but the pale-haired boy shook his head quickly and clutched his umbrella tighter.

Pouting, Demyx swung there for a few moments before getting up and skipping back over to Zexion. "Come on, you should feel this rain. It's amazing."

"I'd rather not get sick." Zexion muttered.

"If you do then it will so be worth it!" Demyx insisted, plopping down on the bench and pushing back his hair. "Besides, you're always outside on this bench, I'm surprised you haven't gotten a cold already."

Zexion spared him an annoyed glance. "You look like a girl with your hair like that."

Demyx blinked, reaching up to touch his hair curiously. "Hey, I think this is the first time you've said so much in one day." He said slowly, a crooked grin stretching his lips.

When Zexion looked pointedly away Demyx pursed his lips and tugged gently on his sleeve. "Just try it," he pleaded.

Eventually Demyx gave up asking and left, his dripping sneakers carried under one arm.

Once he was out of sight Zexion glanced up at the flowing sky and put down his umbrella, allowing a few droplets to roll down his cheeks before he propped the umbrella back up above his head.

0o0

Demyx didn't return for a whole month.

When he finally did it was late in the night and when everything smelled like winter.

Zexion looked up when Demyx collapsed on the bench beside him, burrowing his face in his hands. It took him a few minutes to realize that Demyx was crying. Actually crying.

Surprise and anxiety flushed through him as he stared at the trembling shoulders of the blonde. Over the past few days he had gotten the idea that Demyx was always happy, that there was nothing that could put the smiling musician in a bad mood. But now what?

Zexion was horrible with people! What was he supposed to do in this situation? Should he pat his shoulder? Should he say something encouraging?

Before he could decide, Demyx looked up at him, tears streaking his face. "It's hard to handle reality sometimes. I mean, that's why you're always out here, right?" He wiped his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry, that sounded rude."

Zexion shook his head.

"It's just…aw man, it's going to sound lame that I was crying about this…" Demyx hiccupped as he struggled to even out his voice. "My brothers, they're twins, they both got expelled from school for fighting. And I just dunno what to do. Our parents don't live with u-us and I'm just not good at pretending to be the adult in charge." He pressed a fist to his forehead, eyes narrowing.

Zexion opened his mouth to say something but realized that he had no words to say, so he closed his mouth again.

He wasn't sure how long they both sat there, staring at their feet with their thoughts somewhere far away. Finally Zexion spoke up, turning his head slightly to look at Demyx through his curtain of hair.

"I heard it's going to rain tomorrow."

Demyx glanced at him, smiling slightly as he wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I heard that too."

0o0

Zexion looked up when the bench creaked as someone sat down next to him. His notebook was spread open on his lap, hand hovering over the pages with his pencil clutched between his long fingers.

"I've always wondered what you write in there." Demyx commented, pulling his legs up and folding them. "A diary maybe?" he grinned.

"Just a notebook." Zexion shut the spiral and slipped the pencil back into his pocket.

Demyx nodded, drumming his fingers across his knees. He glanced around before reaching into his book bag to withdraw a plastic bag of gummy bears. "These are for you." He dropped them into Zexion's lap, beaming proudly.

"Candy?" Zexion arched an eyebrow, picking up the bag to study the brightly colored gummies. Upon closer inspection they appeared to be somewhat melted.

"Yeah. It's my way of saying thank you."

"Thank you? What for?"

Demyx shrugged and got up, stretching his arms over his head. "I gotta go. See you another time." He hesitated for a moment before bending down and brushing a quick kiss across Zexion's cheek. "Bye!" Demyx flushed and ran off, his bag swinging at his side.

0o0

Demyx came back a week later. With flowers.

As he sat down next to Zexion he couldn't help but stare at the delicate bouquet cradled in his arms. With Demyx's ripped jeans, faded T-shirt, duct taped sneakers, and rubber band bracelets the flowers seemed wildly out of place.

"Um…" Demyx shifted uneasily, the flowers rustling as he moved. "These are for you."

Zexion blinked slowly, eyes trailing from the flowers to Demyx's face. "What?"

"I kinda saw them on my way home and I thought… about you I guess. I know you're a guy and stuff but…" he trailed off, biting his lower lip as he thrust the bouquet towards him.

Zexion paused, then slowly reached out to take the flowers, feeling awkward and unsure about what he was supposed to say. He peered up at Demyx questioningly. "Why are they sticky?"

Demyx blinked then blushed, looking away. He rubbed his nose and cleared his throat before he answered. "I was eating some candy and it got on my hands…sorry…" he cast a sidelong glance at him. "You don't have to take them if you don't want to."

Zexion never particularly liked flowers since he had always thought they were a bit too delicate.

"They smell nice." Zexion stated, tucking the flowers under his arm.

Demyx smiled.

0o0

"I think I like you."

It was raining again.

It was late at night and the playground was deserted.

Demyx's words were barely audible over the heavy downpour and Zexion wondered if he had misheard him.

He sifted his umbrella and leaned forward slightly with a confused frown.

Demyx stood before him, hair once again plastered to his face and neck as he wiped water away from his eyes. "I like you." He repeated again, lips quivering.

The statement took a long minute for Zexion to fully comprehend. "You don't even know my name." was all he could say.

"I don't need to." Demyx replied without hesitation.

The drumming of the rain against his umbrella seemed to grow louder with each passing second until it was roaring in his ears. He shook his head, at a loss for words.

Demyx inhaled slowly, looking up at the black sky before looking back at him. "I'll see you later." He said after a moment, turning and shuffling his way back down the path. The back of his soaked through sweatshirt looked smaller than he remembered.

Zexion stared after him before setting aside his umbrella and calling to him, holding out his notebook.

The dripping blonde paused before he reached out with one arm to take the notebook, holding it gingerly in his hand as if it might break. "What…?"

"Take it."

Demyx hesitated. "Is this the key to the mysteries of the Park Bench Boy?" he asked teasingly, cocking his head to the side.

"Maybe." Zexion shrugged.

Demyx briefly grazed his fingers across the cover of the spiral before shaking his head and pushing it back into Zexion's grasp. "I don't have to know." He scratched his arm and looked around. "But if you ever really, reaally want me to, tell me yourself. I promise to listen." He reached for Zexion's pale hand and hooked their pinky fingers together.

"Pinky promise."

Zexion pulled away, flushed and scowling. "Only kids do pinky promises."

Demyx giggled (that was the only word Zexion could describe it as) and turned to leave but froze when Zexion took a small step forward and grabbed the young musician's arm.

And then Zexion did something completely out of character, way off of his normal routine.

He kissed him.

It was nothing like the kisses he had seen in books or movies. It was brief, innocent, a simple brush of their lips. In fact, Zexion wasn't even sure if it counted as a kiss. But whatever it was it sent shocks up his spine. For in that short moment the rain poured even harder, the trees whistled louder, and Zexion swore that for a second he knew exactly what kind of sound stars made.

When they pulled back Zexion stared down at Demyx's bare feet, pushing back his wet bangs that clung to his face. "Zexion."

"Bless you?" Demyx blinked, wiping the water from his eyes.

"That's my name. Zexion, it's Zexion."

Demyx blinked, then grinned. "Zexion." He said the name slowly. "It's nice, like your voice."

"Not really."

They fell silent, standing awkwardly close as the rain poured down on them. Finally Demyx spoke up, breaking the quiet. "Want to…" he trailed off, licking his lips nervously. "come over to my house? I wrote this new song yesterday and I could play it for you."

"Sure…"

Demyx held out his hand and with a faint smile Zexion took it.

And together they walked away from the park bench, down the small path, and out of the empty playground.

0o0o0o0o0

Joh: That kind of sucked… oh well… I'm not that good at writing Zemyx…or happy couples.

Jessie: Don't saaaay thaaaaaat