Show Me How to Live

by Lavender341

.AU. Axel and Demyx share a dingy apartment which is often home to Axel's many strippers. But, soon, it becomes home to one of Demyx's best friend...and lover? Only time will tell.. .many pairings...main one not yet revealed!.

1. It Begins

«♥» Show Me How to Live
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«♥» By: Lavender341
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«♥» Chapter 1: It Begins
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«♥» Read and Reviewed by ONiONLADi777 (thanks Nikki!)
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«♥» Disclaimer: I own nothing but this plot. Unfortunately.
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Demyx walked into the dingy kitchen, slamming a few dollars on the bar as hard as he could.

"That's it, Axel! I'm done!"

A very wet (and very naked) Axel appeared around the corner of the hallway. He still had soap in his wildfire hair, which was currently pressed to the sides of his head.

"Done with what, Demyx?"

"Done with everything! School, work, homework, this!" He gestured around wildly. "I honestly don't see how you live in this—this place!"

Taking a look around the shabby apartment the 2 teenagers called home, Demyx realized how dirty and old everything really was. The couch looked like something that was trash even in the 60s—a horrible color of burnt sienna, with deep gashes down the sides and some of the cushions. The floor was covered in god knows what, and who knows how long the last time they vacuumed. Did they even own a vacuum? The kitchen counters needed a good bleaching, and there was 3 week old food still sitting in a TV dinner container. Half of the light bulbs were burned out, engulfing the apartment in darkness most of the time. The blinds were bent and broken, if some windows even had them at all. There was only 1 bedroom, and 1 bed, which they had to share. Dirty clothes were strewn about, but even they weren't sure what was dirty and what was clean. And the bathroom—Demyx didn't even want to think about that one.

Axel shrugged. "It's not that bad, Demyx, chill. You should be grateful there's a roof over your head."

"Yes, because I put it there! I work nearly 30 hours a week at that bar, just trying to scrape up tips. God knows the paycheck isn't even enough for our rent. If you could just get off your lazy skinny white ass and work one day in your goddamn life, then we wouldn't be in this situation!"

Demyx stormed off in a rage into their only bedroom, slamming the door for extra emphasis behind him.

Axel, however, just shrugged again and returned to his shower.

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A few hours later, Axel strolled out of the bathroom, his hair completely gelled up again, only to find Demyx sitting at the kitchen table with books and papers sprawled out all over the place.

"You have homework again, Dem?"

"Yes, Axel. This is what it looks like when the school declares you 'smart' and 'gifted'. They decide to swamp you with useless crap, thus making it that much harder to actually live." At that point, Demyx threw his pencil onto the table. "How do they expect me to know all of this?! It's just exam after exam after exam these days! They should teach me something I need to know. Like how to get good tips at a bar. Or how to make your lazy roommate work and hold his share of the rent and bills." Demyx glared at Axel as he made his last comment.

"Demyx, you really need to relax. This stuff has made you…weird. I mean, just a week ago you were all 'Dude, let's go to the beach and play the sitar and just chill.' Now you're all 'OH MY GOD WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!' Seriously, chill out. I mean, you don't have to do this, right?"

"Well, of course I do, Axel! I have to graduate. I have to get a job, a real house, food, and everything! God knows how long it's been since we've eaten. I've been living off water and Capri Sun this past week. I don't even want to know what you've eaten…"

Axel sighed. Demyx always seemed to freak out around exam time. Or any time he was swamped, for that matter. "Demyx, just relax. Grades mean nothing in the real world. I mean, do you get As, Bs, or Fs at work? No. You get money. You can graduate without taking AP Ancient Math or whatever."

"First of all, Axel, there's no such thing as 'AP Ancient Math'. And all of that is easy for you to say. I can't remember the last time I saw you pick up a book, much less a textbook. Unlike you, I have expectations for myself. I want to live."

At this, Axel laughed. "Demyx, you think that is living?! Well let me tell you, you're dead wrong. You really want to live? Then come with me."

"Don't act as if you know how to really live. You probably just stare at yourself in a mirror, telling yourself how hot you look. And don't you deny it, either, I unfortunately have to hear you in the bathroom day after day." Demyx stopped and scribbled some complicated equation down a piece of paper, mumbling to himself all the while.

"Well at least I don't talk to myself, I talk about myself. Now, are you going to come with me or not?" Axel grabbed his long black hooded trench coat off the floor.

"Axel, I have a lot of work to do…" Demyx looked around at the table sadly.

"Oh, come on, Demyx. I can tell you really need to come with me tonight."

"Well…okay, one night won't hurt. I mean, what can really happen in one night?"

Axel laughed again. "Oh Demyx, you will eat those words tonight."

The fiery redhead threw Demyx's matching trench coat at him, and proceeded out the door. Demyx sighed and followed behind him. It was too late to back out now.

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«♥» A/N: This is kind of an experimental piece. I found it in my documents from a couple of months ago. I do have some things in mind for continuing it, so if you guys like it, I'll post more! Let me know what you think!