Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all its characters belong to Squeenix and Disney, not me.
Scars
By Alterz
When the Organization first acquired their ninth member, Saix didn't know what to think. Demyx seemed too young, too inexperienced to be any sort of asset.
Speaking with Axel, who had met their new cohort before him, Saix voiced his opinion. When asked for his own view, Axel said that the boy seemed 'nice'. It wasn't a compliment.
- - -
Saix first met him a few days after he joined. By chance they had been in the same hall at the same time. Instead of passing casually by, they both stopped and took in their first impressions of each other. A few seconds of contemplative silence later, Demyx reached out a hand and introduced himself with a smile. Saix had accepted the offered hand and introduced himself in turn, and then they had gone their separate ways. Axel had been right; he did seem 'nice'.
- - -
They only met sporadically; usually, one or the other would be busy, and they made no attempts to run across each other. Yet, Saix found that he took a liking—was that the right word?—to his young comrade. There was something about Demyx, careless and friendly, that was intriguing. At times, he almost seemed like a different person. More and more, Saix found himself choosing Demyx as his companion.
- - -
When any of them left the castle, they usually went alone. It couldn't be helped; the original six would group up with each other, if with anyone, and Axel seemed to be a lone wolf by nature. By the time Demyx joined, Saix was used to working by himself, and had no reason to do otherwise.
It gave them something to talk about, though. When they happened to meet, that is. Swapping stories afforded them some entertainment in the boring castle. More and more, Saix found himself searching out the younger Nobody for company, for amusement. It seemed that the same reasons drove Demyx to seek him out, as well.
- - -
A few times, when there was no work to be done, they had visited other worlds together. Saix had been to several of them before, but it was different to visit them with someone else. These trips were usually uneventful, and had been mostly forgotten.
On one trip, they had been attacked. A few Heartless—no cause for worry—had ambushed them. In an instant, they were gone, torn apart by a rush of water. In another instant, the serious expression on Demyx's face had been replaced by a smile, and they had moved on.
- - -
Demyx had a gift with the lesser Nobodies. For whatever reason, they seemed to obey him more quickly, more easily, than they did the other members. Every once in a while, Saix would find a Dancer, or a Dusk, or even one of his own Berserkers, who had been sent to give him a message from Demyx. He could never seem to get them to take a message back.
- - -
When he had finally become comfortable enough with his new surroundings, Demyx had begun to play music. The music was energetic, excited. 'Cacophonous' seemed a better word than 'melodious'. He was only melodious when he wanted to be. But he could be, and sometimes their meetings involved nothing more than he and Saix enjoying the music.
- - -
Somewhere along the way, sitting near each other had become sitting next to each other. Saix wasn't sure who had initiated it the first time, but sitting together came to involve having their arms around each other. It was comfortable just being together, and they could spend hours in something resembling a hug.
- - -
He thought it might have been Demyx who kissed him first, but it didn't matter, because he had responded in kind almost immediately. Rather quickly, this too became an automatic part of the occasions they spent together. At least, the ones they spent together outside of the castle. It didn't seem like they should risk one of the others finding them.
- - -
Compared to the sort of thing Saix remembered from his other life, the time he spent with Demyx was incredibly innocent. Neither of them felt the desire to take the relationship further. It was good enough just to be together.
- - -
It was accident which stopped them. Demyx had never seen Saix fight; he couldn't have known to be careful around him when he concentrated. Saix couldn't remember much about the incident. He had been focused on something—it no longer mattered what—and had not heard Demyx enter. The boy may have called out to him first; he hadn't heard him. Demyx had tapped him on the shoulder. Saix had lashed out with an ungloved hand; sharp nails had raked through his friend's—friend's?—face. It had taken weeks to heal completely.
There had been a lot between them. There was closeness, and tenderness, and something reminiscent of caring. There had not, however, been enough trust to salvage the relationship.
Writing this fic required me stabbing one of my OTP's in the back. Repeatedly. In retrospect, that may be part of the reason that I could not give this anything akin to a happy ending.
Alterz