A/N: Wow, it's here. I can't believe it's actually here. The last and final chapter for Hybrid Theory. All I can say is, I hope this ending can live up to the expectations its raked up. I tried my very best to do this properly. I even had scratched out four other ways I was going to let the chapter happen before I settled onto this. So I hope it all goes smoothly and that I'm still able to capture the right feel for this fic, especially after having worked on it for so long now.

It really shouldn't have taken me this long to update. I'm really sorry, haha. College is a lot harder this semester, haaah. But you know what, it kinda works out! This could've actually been out a day or two before, but I decided to be a cheesy arse and wait until the 12th that way Hybrid Theory can end the same day it began four years ago! Whoooooo! Four years and it's finally done!

(Also, Happy Mother's Day to all!)

And so, for the last time, please enjoy -bows-

Hybrid Theory

Was it supposed to fit like this? Zexion was beginning to feel more like he was in some big black trash bag than some gown. He checked himself in the mirror, thinking he hadn't looked more ridiculous since Halloween - a graduation uniform was as much a costume as any, he figured. For a moment that seemed to stretch for silent hours, he examined and re-examined his reflection, trying to find out if the face staring back at him was familiar or not.

By this time, months had passed since the accident a few days before his birthday. He had eventually gone back to school and more-or-less easily made up the work and lessons he had missed, managing to keep his grades smoothed down. The schoolwork had been better to deal with than his body, anyway. His shoulder had taken awhile to completely heal, and it hadn't been easy to get around with his mending hip. Being able to stand and walk around for longer periods was a blessing, especially when he got tired of being stared at and asked over and over again what happened by strangers. Times like that, he was grateful when Demyx or Axle or Quistis happened to be nearby and they'd drive off the overly curious teenagers.

He blew at the bangs from his face before swiping them back to look at the scar covered by his now regrown hair. Scars were all that were left of the accident now, just new scars on his body. They were the kind of things everyone could notice and ask about. Letting his bangs fall back into place, Zexion let out a breath and took the cap that was sitting on the sink counter. At the same time, he heard several other boys suddenly enter the bathroom, all of them laughing and cheeks a dark pink with their caps falling askew over their heads.

Zexion recognized all three of them, and his eyes zeroed into one in particular when he asked dryly, "Where you running down the hallways? You do realize there's another graduation going on, don't you?"

The one boy Zexion was looking at laughed, leaning in heavily to one of his friends. "Hey, Zexy, it was Tidus' fault," Demyx said breathlessly, pointing to the blond in question. "He was teasing Yuna's friends again and Rikku started chasing him! Wakka and I just followed!"

"Me? Yeah right, I have more class than some people," Tidus protested, shoving Demyx away with a hard laugh.

As if right on cue, there was a loud banging on the other side of the bathroom door. "Ohhh! You think just because you can hide in your bathroom, you can stay there forever?" came a childish voice that Zexion knew to belong to Rikku. In the background were some giggles. "You'll have to come out some time, I can wait!"

"Go away, pervert, we're indecent!" Wakka exclaimed, opening the door quick enough to say it before slamming it back closed, earning an appalled squeal from Rikku.

Zexion rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his cap, trying to brush back his bangs once more. Still looking in the mirror, he felt around with his other hand over the sink countertop but not brushing against what he had left there minutes earlier. Frowning, he leaned to feel over more when his fingers hit something warm. He turned, nearly getting stabbed in the eye with the barrette Demyx held in his hand.

"Looking for this, Mr. Salutatorian?" the blond asked cheerfully, replacing Zexion's hand over his bangs and pinning the barrette in place. Zexion had no time to protest before Demyx was sliding the cap over his head as well, smile as large and infectious as ever. "I still think you totally deserved the spot of valedictorian. You like the smartest person I know."

"It's not like I particularly care either way," replied Zexion with a small shrug. His father was happy with his graduation status anyway, and that's all that really mattered to him at the moment. At least his father wasn't disappointed by it, a fact Demyx had responded incredulously with when he told him. Well, anyway, being salutatorian was all well and good until the principal mentioned making one of the opening speeches...

"Look at you, all dappered up," said Demyx, interrupting his thoughts as he poked the slate-haired teen at the tip of the nose.

Huffing softly, Zexion shoved his hand aside. "You say that, but you're wearing jeans to this event," he pointed out dryly, eyes locking on the scuffed bottoms of Demyx's pants peeking out under the gown. He could've sworn last night on the phone he told Demyx to specifically not do this. "Idiot, what if they don't let you walk because of this?"

"Aw, Zexy, don't be that way," groaned the blond. "That's their fault for being so anal about it; I've had to wear a uniform for over ten years, and now they're telling me to have one for my moment of triumph, too? Buzz kill."

Incredulously, Zexion exclaimed, "You're kidding around, right? Demyx, you cannot wear those pants!"

Considering, Demyx said after awhile with a grin, "So what I'm getting out of this is that you want me out of these pants, right?" He leaned towards Zexion, cupping his chin.

Before he could even begin to get worked up - and maybe on account of this being Demyx's usual antics - Zexion quickly raised his hand up to cover the blond's mouth then pushing him away. "Calm yourself with those innuendos," he stated with a roll of his eyes, glancing away just as the first signs of blushing stained his cheeks. He busied himself with adjusting his cap some more as Tidus laughed, apparently having witnessed the scene.

When another round of insults came from Rikku to occupy both Wakka and Tidus, Demyx perched himself on the sink's counter. "Well anyway, my mom is bringing up some slacks for me, if you must know," he pointed out dramatically. Checking his cellphone, he said, "She should be here any minute now. Want to come wait with me out back?"

Satisfied when his cap stayed in place, Zexion glanced up and nodded. "However...," he began, glancing over to where Tidus and the others were laughing and shouting, "something will have to be done about that."

"On it!" lilted Demyx, leaping off the counter. Shoving Tidus and Wakka aside, he said, "Okay, truce, guys! I'm gonna open this door real slow like, alright? We'll even give up Tidus as sacrifice, if you want."

Tidus gazed at his friend in shock, sputtering. "Wh-what? You can't just-!"

"Deal!" came Rikku's eager reply. In the next second, Demyx swung the door open and flung Tidus into her waiting arms, gesturing for Zexion to come along. And really, being in a bathroom with crazy girls just right there, Zexion had little reason to want to argue, and promptly followed Demyx down the mostly empty hallway, ignoring Tidus curses and Wakka's laughing in the background.

If this is what they were like with school being over, Zexion really worried what would happen when their diplomas were given out and what they'd make their first act of freedom be. As they began to make their way to the back entrance of the large center, Demyx reached out and softly took Zexion's hand. The slate-haired teen nearly jumped out of his skin - it really did annoy him that Demyx could do this so casually and without a thought. Sometimes he wondered if Demyx even knew how much he had to prepare himself when merely sitting close to him.

"Isn't holding hands a bit...much?" he asked sheepishly, even as his fingers clutched around Demyx's.

The blond laughed and just squeezed Zexion's hand. "I see nothing wrong with it~"

Zexion made a humming sound, blushing softly. (He did have to admit though, he drew the line when Demyx began swinging their arms back and forth and that ended in Zexion stalking ahead with a red face and ignoring Demyx's half-hearted apologies of, "It was a joke!") Eventually they made it outside into the early June sun and were promptly greeted by a humid breeze. While the blond skipped ahead towards the parking lot, Zexion followed into the sunshine a bit more reluctantly, shielding his eyes. When he got to the sidewalk, Demyx stopped and Zexion watched him make a phone call. By the time the slate-haired teen caught up, Demyx had hung up and gave Zexion a smile.

"She said she'll be here in a sec, so it's just me and you until then," he said, tapping Zexion's nose. "What ever shall we do? Oh! How about giving me that kiss you denied me before?"

"First it was holding hands and now you want to kiss me?" scoffed Zexion lightly. Even so, he got to his tip-toes, pressing his hand over Demyx's chest as he reached up for their kiss. It made Zexion lose his breath as it always did, and he inhaled sharply at the feeling of his lips being gently parted for a small swipe of tongue before the two slowly parted. Cheeks flushed, Zexion murmured, "I don't understand why you like escalating these things."

Demyx raised his brows, used to the slate-haired teen's type of teasing by now. "I think after going out for seven months, I'm entitled these little shows of affection, you know. You should know by now how much of a physical being I can be," he said with something of a mischievous chuckle. His arms were now around Zexion, and when they got there, he had no idea - by now, he didn't particularly...cough...mind.

"...I think your face accidentally landing on my groin proves that enough," Zexion recalled in a low, embarrassed voice. The devious grin he got made him realize he had been heard, and was in for something he certainly wouldn't like. He jumped when Demyx leaned in and whispered in his ear. Zexion's cheeks positively burned as he sputtered, "Th-that was one time, you stupid, stupid water-clogged idiot!"

"I think it went better than our first kiss, if your reaction was anything to go by," concluded Demyx happily, standing straight again and rocking back and forth on his feet.

Argh, his face really hurt. He was having difficulty deciding if he wanted to bury himself or Demyx in a hole. Either way, it seemed like the blond was perfectly satisfied, so Zexion busily fussed over his hair and gown as they continued waiting. He certainly did hope Mrs. Watera would hurry in arriving. If he remembered Demyx's words right, his father had taken the day off from the hospital and was already somewhere inside the auditorium. Demyx and the others had taken Tidus' car to get there, and had of course offered to take Zexion - though if it wasn't for his uncle, he was quite sure he would've been kidnapped on the spot regardless of his answer.

"So is your sis going to be able to make it to make it?" Demyx asked conversationally.

Blush fading some, Zexion frowned a bit and thought. As of now, his sister was still in a juvenile institution with Seifer and Rai, and they would be until the end of August. Even with the long months that she was away, there was always at least one time every week in which the phone would ring in the Anderson house. The first few times had brought undeniable awkwardness and thick silences, points in which Zexion would answer the phone and he and his sister would exchange simple greetings before hanging up after extended pauses. After the first month, the conversations got longer, and a bit friendlier, and there were times when Fuu went over her allotted time and she'd have to abruptly leave. Sometimes Zexion wouldn't be home, and he'd arrive through the front door to see his father there, trying expression on his face as he made small talk with his daughter.

Even that got better after a few more weeks.

Zexion managed not to dampen his mood at the sadness of his sister's absence, instead only twisting his lips in a half-smile. "No, she won't," he answered simply, stepping down to sit on the sidewalk's ledge.

Demyx made a humming sound and joined him. "What about your dad?" he asked, a bit more quietly this time. "You two are on speaking terms, right?"

"We are," Zexion replied. It was a bit of surprise to hear it, but it was true. "He might be a bit late, but my uncle says he'll certainly be by before the ceremony starts. It honestly doesn't matter so much anymore though." Zexion shrugged. His father had certainly done enough in just agreeing to what Zexion proposed that one night... The evening of his birthday had indeed brought many surprises, but what beat even the birthday party was the conversation he had with his father. If anything, the only one that seemed to keep asking about the subject was the blond sitting next to Zexion.

"You could just do it for your first year, you know. Just to try it out," Demyx said lightly, casting Zexion an attentive look.

Expecting this, the slate-haired teen chuckled. "I know you're apprehensive for me, but I've made my decision," he insisted. "True, I might start off at a slight disadvantage, but I'll have many more options open to me now by being an undeclared major. And when I stop to honestly think about it, there's really many things I'd like to try out. And with my fast-learning skills, I could fit in in any sort of subject area that I finally decide to major in." He gave Demyx something of a smirk. "I'm confident in my abilities."

"Not knowing what to study, though...," began the blond uncertainly. "Maybe you should at least go to community college for that like me."

Zexion raised an amused brow. "I'd rather make use of the full ride I got from Never Was University. I did work my hardest just to get into it. Anyway, jumping right into something as serious as college in this way - it sounds like something you would do," he pointed out. "So I don't understand why you of all people are trying to stop me on this."

"That's the thing, Zexy," Demyx began to confess. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a breath. "It is something I'd do, but... Maybe I'm paranoid that you'll regret it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll support you if that's really what you want..."

"Then do so," requested Zexion. Could he really blame Demyx for acting like this though? Even if he did expect the blond out of everyone else to take this more nonchalantly, maybe he had underestimated Demyx a bit. It did show how much the blond cared for him, and it was a bit unsettling how calm Zexion himself was with declaring this decision. He supposed a past form of himself would be as equally unsure.

I'm not uncertain about these things anymore, though. Nervous, yes. Scared, of course. But not uncertain. And that's all the difference there needs to be for me not to stand still or do something against my will.

"It'd also be nice to be closer to you," mumbled Demyx in embarrassment, looking straight down at his shoes.

Zexion blinked in surprise, even though that had been something he thought about. "We'll only be three hours away. I think it'll be fine, and we'll still be close," he said to reassure the blond. He knew it was something the both of them were upset about, but Zexion pointed out more than once the distance could've been a lot worse. They might not see each other everyday, but at the very least it could be possible to see each other on weekends. It was a subject they vowed to talk about more seriously once their first semesters started. Even if it was one of the downsides to the approach of their lives as college students, Zexion tried to let his calm certainty pass to Demyx when he could.

Zexion offered him a smile, shifting a bit closer to him. "I've been considering Philosophy, like you said. Or maybe Psychology sounds nice, too," he admitted, thinking of Ashe. The visits with his new therapist had been frequent and gradually getting less as the months passed. She wasn't at all like his last therapist, or maybe Zexion wasn't at all like himself from the past. Either way, talking with Ashe had become easier with time, and the visits had become less heavy as time went by. She made him feel light, even when she insisted she wasn't the cause of it.

Well, right now, he was still weighing the options in his mind when it came to what exactly he'd do in Never Was University. The mere freedom to have such options left Zexion feeling invincible somehow. He could do what he wanted and learn what he wished. He was still freshly out of high school, and as cliche as it sounded, he felt like the world was his.

The excitement must've shown on his face, because Demyx was laughing now. "You're blinding me with your optimism there, Mr. Sunshine," he teased, batting at Zexion's tassel. "Looks like I was a good influence on you after all!"

"No, you're still the worst influence that's ever been tossed to me," deadpanned Zexion, face impassive in a second. "That's why I'm not taking any chances and going to my university's orientation right after graduation." Not that he ever really had any kind of usual summer plans in the first place. If there was summer homework to do, he did it all usually within the first week or two. After that it was kind of bore, as much as he would hate to admit it. The Anderson residence might have gotten lighter, but he couldn't picture something like a family vacation happening anytime soon.

Demyx pouted. "Really? Well, I'm gonna be here bored out of my mind without you to mess with," he complained. He leaned back, supporting himself with his elbows - and of course not caring if he got his sleeves dirty.

Zexion rolled his eyes at the blond's drama. "Nice to be informed I'm here for that purpose." Figuring enough had been asked about him, Zexion tilted his head and said, "I'll only be gone for a week. And as I knew it, you're going to be occupied with that band you've joined. Those fellows from the party introduced you to someone, didn't they?"

"Oh, yeah," laughed Demyx happily. "I think they were called Organization XIII? It'll make for interesting times, that's for sure. Although I wonder if I'll be able to do the whole summer job deal if I'm a permanent member."

Oh yes, the slate-haired teen did recall something about part-time lifeguard at the community pool. Zexion didn't really see it as much of a job, but he knew it would be what made Demyx happy. Although it'd be a bit of a lie if he didn't admit he still wished Demyx would do something just along the lines of music. Even if he was just the guitarist, Zexion really did think he'd never tire of the blond's singing. Even these past few months, whenever he could, he'd quietly ask Demyx to sing something for him. It made Zexion smile to hear it.

Within the next few minutes, Demyx's mother had come by with Demyx's change in clothes, and she was none too roundabout in showing her displeasure towards him, even when in the next second she turned to give Zexion a sweet smile and tight hug. She and her husband had certainly...gotten more friendly once Demyx told them that he was in a relationship with the slate-haired teen. Ecstatic, even. Zexion should've known better than to think Demyx's parents would question a homosexual relationship - coincidentally, his own father hadn't seemed to give much protest either.

"He'd probably think you getting with a girl and getting her knocked up would be worst interference ever for your studies," Fuu had teased once.

Well, whatever the reason, Zexion surely appreciated the lack of disapproval, and was maybe even a bit happy about the casual acceptance.

"Are you nervous? Don't be, everything will go just fine!" reassured Iri in an excited twitter, smiling hugely as she walked the two teenagers back inside. She was positively glowing with happiness it seemed. "It's always the proudest moment for a parent to see their child graduate."

"What she means is, they shout 'finally!' when we finally leave the house," corrected Demyx dryly.

"We also throw parties without you," piped his mother in agreement, making Zexion chuckle a bit.

They left her at the auditorium after she hugged each of them (Demyx earning a smack on the back of his head when he began fake sobbing) and wishing Zexion good luck. An announcement had been made minutes before for class to start heading to the stage's backroom, an hour before the actual graduation would start.

After Demyx changed and they made it to where the others were gathering, Tidus came out of the crowd of teenagers and tossed his cap right at Demyx's face. "You bastard!" he shouted. "I was devoured back there! Barely escaped with an inch of my life!"

"Ooh, didja get pictures?" the blond asked the approaching Wakka.

A tap on his shoulder momentarily distracted Zexion from the impending argument, and he found Yuna, Lexaeus, and Rhyme standing next to him. "You pinned back your bangs," Yuna noted with her usual sweet smile. She reached out and adjusted the barrette a bit before nodding in approval. "You look quite handsome indeed, Mr. Salutatorian. Practice your speech, I'm sure? Are you nervous?"

To that, Zexion could only incline his head slightly. It wasn't something he particularly practiced a lot, and neither did he really discuss it. He made enough speeches before that this didn't really seem any different...

Even if his nerves just increased ten-fold at Yuna bringing it up. The brunette seemed to sense it and leaned in to kiss his cheek lightly. "You'll do perfectly, don't you worry," she reassured. "At least you'll get it over with in the beginning."

"Better not let Tidus catch you doing that," advised Rhyme with a giggle. "He'll just start a love-hate relationship with Zexion as well."

Aah, the slate-haired teen really didn't want to think about that either. "You both look lovely," complimented Zexion formally, making the two girls giggle all over again.

Yuna smoothed her gown over herself, stepping a bit awkwardly in her heels. "I think I'll be happy to have these shoes off, though. I haven't worn these since prom."

"Yes, but you danced pretty well in them back then!" Rhyme exclaimed.

"You didn't think it awkward?" asked Yuna uncertainly.

"Better than if you had handed heels over to these two," teased Rhyme, looking over at Lexaeus and Zexion, who looked horrified at being brought into the conversation this way.

And of course at that moment, Demyx had come into the conversation, hugging Zexion from behind. "Who, these two wallflowers? They don't need heels to look petrified on a dance floor," he said. "You guys were hopeless back there."

Blushing, Zexion lightly elbowed the blond off him. "You said you wouldn't bring it up again, you idiot," he grumbled. Prom was, indeed, a vague memory that he never knew if he wanted to recall. Something about the senior prank being a spiked bowl of punch and Zexion having one too many cups might have had something to do with the whole embarrassing affair.

"Can you believe we're done with high school?" mused Rhyme. Holding Lexaeus' hand, she was staring off out the window next to them, something like a content expression on her face, even when her eyes seemed just a little bit sad. All at once, everyone within their little circle mirrored her expression. Even Zexion found himself looking out to the sky, becoming thoughtful.

Standing in the middle of this auditorium in his graduation gown, building full of excited teenagers that only days before had been hurling paper balls and blasting their cellphones, Zexion didn't feel any sort of sadness. To be honest, he was rather relieved to finally have high school behind him. In an odd sort of way, it felt like any other day – was this the normal thing to feel?

The sun was the same, radiating through the window at them and making him sweat a little under his clothes. It was a relatively normal experience, yet at the same time not so. In a weird way, it was like everything was moving too fast, as his friends began to get animated again. Mutely watching Demyx and the others start a new conversation and laughing away, Rhyme making Lexaeus blush and Yuna giggle at something she said, Zexion wondered if this was what nostalgia felt like. Wasn't it only a few months before that he had been sitting in a hospital room? It seemed like a lifetime ago. His injuries had long-since healed, and the scars left on him would mark interesting stories to tell his children one day. In a funny way, he wanted to smile about it all.

"Yo, so party back at my place afterward, remember?" Demyx reminded the others once they were called to their seats. "Someone text Quistis and the others later, alright? I want Zexy and Yu-yu to see them before they take off."

No one other than Rhyme and himself were in the beginning of the alphabet, and so the two made their way together to their respective rows, where the short blond girl took her seat right behind Zexion. He'd sit there until he and the valedictorian were called up to be on stage for the real thing, and he'd be there until he was called up to make the opening speech for the students. He had to admit, having someone he knew near him did calm his mounting nerves a little. Rhyme seemed to know this and gave him a warm smile and wave when he turned around.

"You know," began the slate-haired teen quietly, "I never thanked you."

Rhyme blinked in surprise. "For what?"

"I never knew about the relationship between you and Lexaeus. And even though he considered me a friend, I...never gave him a reason to think I returned the sentiment. Even so, somehow...it makes me...happy to know that whole time, he wasn't alone," Zexion explained. He was doing as best as he could, considering the fact these were never words he thought ever to say. "I am...very glad to know that you were there as well." Rhyme was a good girl, sweet and smart, and exactly the type of person - friend or girlfriend - Zexion thought Lexaeus deserved.

Rhyme giggled softly. "Lexaeus said almost the same thing to Demyx," she said, glancing over to the other section of the auditorium, where both the auburn-haired teen and blond sat near one another.

Zexion widened his eyes, but didn't have time to think over the matter further when they were told to shush down, as the ceremony would be gone over once more before finally commencing. It was a tedious process, and more than once, Zexion caught himself in the middle of drifting thoughts.

He thought about what Rhyme said about Lexaeus, and wondered if the strange warmth in his chest was what friendship was.

He thought about Yuna and Quistis and Roxanne and the others, suddenly realizing that in a short matter of months, he had met these people, and had fun with them, and gotten close to them as he never had with others before.

He thought about his family, and how even though part of it wasn't there, he was no less happy to know that he was still being supported.

He also thought about Never Was, about his new plan, and that maybe he'd experiment with English as well since to this day he wrote in the notebook he got for this birthday, and Demyx would grin every time he did and beg to hear what Zexion wrote.

Ah. And yes, he did think about Demyx Watera, too. Thought about how much of an idiot he was to arrive in jeans, to always make sexual innuendos, to hold his hand in public. Thought about how they both made mistakes, but how it was always made better when Zexion could get calm in an instant when he smelled that familiar scent of citrus and chlorine. Thought about how glad he was to decide to go to Miss Lockhart to tell her he'd start tutoring the blond again, even when he wasn't required to anymore in the next semester.

And - recalling months of smiles, kisses, and simply being together - he thought about how much he loved him.

Yes, Zexion could openly admit that to himself now. There were the times when he'd chuckle fondly in his mind, wondering how in the world he could end up having such affections for someone who was just about his total opposite. They bumped heads a bit too frequently, but Zexion thought he could tell the difference between any old bickering and what he and Demyx did. As a matter of fact, a lot of the one-dimensional things he thought he knew ended up having so many sides to them, and he realized that the more he spent time with the chipper blond.

He glanced over at the other section of students, were Demyx was seated with the other half of the alphabet. Almost instantly, Demyx was looking back at him, and grinned widely, waving energetically. Resisting the urge to throw something him, Zexion stifled a smile and instead gave the blond a stern look. Demyx only mouthed something that looked suspiciously like "I looooooooooove you!" before Zexion rolled his eyes and promptly mouthed back for him to "Pay attention, you idiot."

After the procedure had been gone over for the tiring fifth time, the principal finally seemed satisfied and ushered them out to the stage for the real thing. The noise rose up again immediately, but Zexion was barely giving it any mind. Four years was a long time to get used to tuning his classmates out.

On the other side, there came a greater blast of noise from the mix of talking, cheering, and the background track of "Pomp and Circumstance" playing. It was more overwhelming than Zexion thought it would be, and it reminded him of last Halloween, of the unfamiliar noise and bright lights, surrounded by a crowd of people he didn't know. This time, though, everything was okay, even if he was the one on stage now instead of a certain blond. He was grateful when the noise died down and the principal came up to begin her own speech. He and the valedictorian exchanged nervous glances as they sat before their class and their families. Somewhere out there were his uncle and father, and he'd be getting a kind of support he never thought he had before. He smiled a bit thinking of it.

There was the usual general statements of welcome, praise, and encouragement. There were bursts of applause and as the minutes passed, Zexion felt his palms start getting sweaty. Even though this was probably one of the biggest moments of his life so far, he couldn't help but start feeling so silly and exposed. When he had told Demyx this a few nights before, the blond had ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead.

"Don't worry, Zexy. If you get that nervous, just look for me, alright? You can pretend you're just saying your speech in front of me. It'll be okay."

It'll be okay. Zexion let out a breath. He couldn't remember a time when so many eyes would be on him. He had that old fear from Halloween, that everyone would be able to see into him.

But it would be okay. Demyx said it would.

Zexion chose to believe him. His eyes were the only ones he'd allow himself to care about.

His thoughts became a weird mix to soothe his mounting nerves. There was something he learned back in his biology class that when two different species came together to reproduce, the hybrid offspring that came from it had the potential to be even greater than both species.

But that was a fact.

Facts were all well and good. For the longest time, they brought the greatest comfort to his life, because they never changed. Facts couldn't betray you, not in the same way changing things like humans and emotions could. There were a lot of things he would never be able to forget. The pain of his mother leaving, for one, and the truth that right now, she was not out there in that crowd, and knew nothing of his accomplishments, or what he and Fuu had gone through after she left. The cold air that entered their home after she was gone was another thing.

He certainly wouldn't be able to forget how close to being completely broken they had been, for his father to yell at Fuu, for her to come home in blood and bruises, and for Zexion to barely care - even when the memories terrified him like a nightmare now.

...Even so, Zexion had a greater comfort now, and it wasn't something so straightforward as a fact. No... This that Zexion really had, however, was a theory.

In less time than he would've liked, he was being introduced on stage, and there was another deafening burst of clapping. Was he standing? Oh, he was on the podium now, his note cards before him, mic inches from his mouth. Frantically, before the crowd could calm down, he searched out in the crowd for that familiar face, for that soothing smile. But before him was a sea of strangers and black caps.

And then finally. There, illuminated up like the spotlight was Demyx, who he realized with embarrassment was actually standing up and cheering like a complete idiot. Zexion looked at him incredulously, but his nerves were waning, and he even chuckled fondly.

The noise finally came to a lull and Zexion's mind drifted back. He thought over his theory, applying it to himself, and the boy he loved. At the beginning of this year, Zexion thought he and Demyx were too entirely different to have any sort of relationship together. But Demyx had proved him wrong, time and again, became his student, his friend, his boyfriend - but really, if he tried not to let his pride get in the way, Demyx had also been the one to teach him.

So maybe two different people could actually be together, and maybe what came from that closeness could result in something better than when the two were apart. Even when Zexion thought he couldn't love, he fell for Demyx. Even though Demyx hadn't thought there was anything extraordinary about him, Zexion continued to think that there was something more to him.

He didn't know too much about the future, but right then, he thought that being together with Demyx would make him happy, and that, right now, things were indeed slowly getting better. Sooner or later, this pain would be a scar in his heart, leaving their marks as surely as the ones on his skin.

Of course, this wasn't a concrete thing. And as he opened his mouth to speak, looking at a whole crowd but speaking to only one person (and he realized right then how Demyx had felt that night), he knew what he had wasn't fact, but a theory. But it was one he believed in wholeheartedly.

A hybrid theory.

Ending A/N: Blessed God, it is done. It is complete! -falls over-

Wow, I really...am blanking on what to say here. There's still a lot of little things I wanted to include, but if I did that, I'd probably have another chapter completely on my hands -laughs- I hoped I tied up the loose ends nicely enough. I'm really nervous and excited for how this came out. The finality of it is barely reaching me, and that I'll never update this fic again -widens eyes- I know there were certain things some people wanted, like more explicit Zemyx scenes, but I'm hoping you know enough about the fic to know why how that wouldn't work out this round (at least I gave you a shoutout to their...activities with that one innuendo). There are also requests for a continuation, to which I must sadly say Hybrid Theory is at an end and won't continue anymore.

So this fic has come to an end. Four years of work went into it. It's transformed A LOT from the original plans I had when I first made it, but I hope that you enjoyed it all the way, and maybe sensed the growing maturity of it. That's my fervent hope for this story, anyway -smiles a bit-

If you've stuck with me this long, I thank you so much for being here! After I finish multi-chap fics, I like to give a few particular shoutouts. For Hybrid Theory, I give thanks to:

jcdabpaomb (for being the first reviewer)

xStillxInxLovex, mudkipluvr4ever and OurLordDisco (for being around as long as you have and always giving support)

cutekawaiikoneko (for knowing this fic since it was practically conceived and never failing to still be here for this Zemyx baby)

shadowdolls (for being an enthusiastic fan and friend)

CeinSemek (for staying up until 1am reading this? Thanks for the dedication kjgbjk -insert heart-)

and luckless-is-me (for always giving just the best reviews, and understanding the story as well as you do. All my biggest thanks to you, dear)

Quite honestly, I seriously love every single one of you who read and supported the story, whether or not you left reviews, came in the middle, or what have you. The mere fact I had as many wonderful people with such kind comments about this story was enough to make me infinitely happy. And yes, I mean you too. Yes, you! Thank you so much! You've helped make this story all it could be! -hugs you-

Well, my friends - am I worthy of a review?