-Dodges rocks thrown by angry readers- I know I should be working on Violet Eyes, I'm sorry! I've got a bad case of Writers Block Syndrome, and once I recover I swear I'll update. Please don't be mad, kaythanks. :D

This idea struck me so hard I think I almost fell over. I had to write it. I forgot how much I loved Kingdom Hearts 2. I need to play it again.

Oh, and don't review with things like "OMG EWW" or "that's gross", because you read the pairing on the summary, and if you don't like boyxboy pairings, you shouldn't have opened it.

Disclaimer: Characters, places, etc. belong to people who are not me. I only own the order of these words.


In one of the many cold, dark hallways of the Castle That Never Was, Organization Number IX sat, curled up in a ball, alone.

The darkness had never seemed so intimidating.

It had never bothered him much that he was a Nobody. He never really thought about it. But, as of late, he had come to a realization.

Being a Nobody was being nothing. Nobody's were worthless, never meant for anything in life. They were heartless, soulless, empty vessels whose existence was pointless.

The blond had been told that Nobodies couldn't feel. But this pain inside his empty body, tugging at his nothing-heart seemed very, very real.

He took in a shaky breath. When he died, no one would care. He was not loved, and would not be missed. The darkness would fully engulf him. It's cold, shadowed arms would pull him into the eternal pit of emptiness and there he would just.. fade. There would be no after life for a Nobody with no heart. No funeral with sobbing friends, talking about how much they would miss him. No flowers, or music, or eulogies. It would simply be "THE END" in big, bold print.

It took a lot to bring down the aqua-eyed water user, who was always full of smiles and laughter, but this.. It brought him down harder than a fallen tree.

He had no clue as to why it hadn't bothered him until now, but it didn't matter. Now, it was all he could think about.

He rocked gently back and forth, crying his false tears. His sitar formed in his hands. He plucked the strings to create a sad melody, it's deep notes breaking the eerie silence surrounding him. He wasn't worried about disturbing anyone. The rooms in this hall would be empty this time of night. Everyone would be on the far other side of the castle. And who cares if they heard anyway? They were just as fake as he was; it's not like they could actually get angry. Still, alone was best.

But the fiery red-head, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Number VIII, wandered the dark corridors of the Castle That Never Was. He wasn't sure what had brought him to stalk the shadowy depths and endless halls late that night. His sleep had been troubled. For an hour he had tossed and turned in his bed, but sleep would just not come. It was extremely odd that he, of all people, would ever have trouble getting to sleep. Even Xigbar would testify that he was "one lazy son of a bitch."

So he settled on walking the fake halls, passing the windows that looked upon the false world below. Except for one thing. The only very real thing in this entire forsaken world. The Kingdom Hearts. It let off a soft golden glow upon the world, yet was unable to penetrate the endless darkness within.

He stopped and pressed his forehead against the cold, stone wall. It felt solid against his skin, even though he knew it was entirely fake. All of it was fake. None of it meant anything.

A soft, almost inaudible melody brought Axel out of his thoughts. It wrapped around him like silk, gently massaging his eardrums.

It was like depression, played out like a ballad, with emptiness winding itself in the chorus. The musician was playing the song of an emotion that no one should ever feel, even though they couldn't feel at all.

He turned toward another dark hall, straining to hear the strangely beautiful song. There was only one person he knew who could play like that. Creeping silently through the midnight darkness, careful not to be seen or heard, he made his way closer to the melody.

Sure enough, the Melodious Nocturne sat in the shadows of a corner, his face twisted in a horribly depressing way as false tears fell from his misty aqua eyes. It almost pained Axel to see the water user that way. The one who always knew how to make anyone feel better. The innocent, cute little Number IX, who was always smiling and having a good time...

He mentally slapped himself. Cute, but not like that, he told himself hurriedly.

He turned his attentions back to the sobbing sitar player. What had made him like this? If Marluxia was rude to Demy again, boy would he have to bust some heads...

"Demyx..?" He said quietly. The Medolious Nocturne nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked about the shadows, slightly blinded by the warm tears fogging his vision. Axel stepped out of the shade. Demyx scowled, but it was weak, his glare softened by the river streaming down his cheeks.

"Go away Axel." The blond's voice was cracked, yet intimidating. Axel sat on his haunches next to the smaller male. "No. What's up?"

Demyx pulled his cloak up and hid his face in it. "Nothing. You wouldn't care. Go away."

Axel frowned as Demyx went back to playing the haunting melody. "I'll be the judge of that. Demy, talk to me."

The song cut short as aqua met green.

"You really want to listen?" His voice was small, as if he wasn't sure of himself. As if no one had ever really wanted to talk to him about his feelings, no matter how fake they were.

"Yes."

The instrument melted in it's players hands and pooled into a puddle beneath him. He sat unmoving for a minute, as if gathering his thoughts, then slowly began to speak. "Axel, what happens when I die?"

Axel was quiet for a moment, large, blue eyes fixated on him. "We fade, Dem. I don't know what else happens."

His gaze turned from Axel to the cold marble floor, and he continued. " If I break, no one would care to repair me." He whispered slowly, "I'm just another heartless, desperate for something to make me feel whole."

A pang went through Axel, exactly where his heart would be. Demyx's words saddened him, for such a normally care-free person shouldn't feel this way. "Now wait--"

"I'm not done. It's not fair. What did I ever do to become this? This pointless existance isn't worth it. It's punishment for something I don't even remember doing. And this horrible place! It's so dark here, Axel. I hate it. All it is is a reminder that we are worthless. That I am worthless. What are Nobodies good for, anyway?"

"Demyx!" Axel grabbed his arm, causing him to gasp. He stared at the tearful Demyx, his expression that of anger and.. concern? "Stop thinking like that, you hear me? You are not worthless!"

Demyx shirked back against Axel's piercing eyes. "What is the purpose of going on if there is no point, Axel? What is the point when nobody cares whether you live or you die? I'm just a worthless, meaningless Nobody!" He shouted in the red-head's face.

Axel roughly lifted Demyx's chin and forced him to look at him. "Stop it. Stop thinking that nobody cares, because I do!" The words slipped. He hadn't meant to say them. He hadn't meant to say anything. Axel let his hand drop from their place on Demyx's arm and turned away from him.

Those beautiful aqua eyes were wide with shock. "Axel, you... What.. I..Uhm.."

There were no words for it.

And then his lips were pressed to Axel's.

Cold was replaced with warmth, and a tingling feeling spiraled through Axel. He wrapped his arms around Demyx and pulled him close. That was the exact moment both Nobodies realized that they could, in fact, feel. And the things they felt were amazingly intense. The sensation of lips against lips, skin against skin, flooded them like a tidal wave, making fire race through their veins. Perhaps it was that the two Nobodies made each other whole, each sharing with the other themself, and in doing so, creating something stronger than darkness.

"Demyx..." Axel whispered as they pulled apart, pressing his forehead against Demyx's. "Do you see now? We have to fight this together. Nobodies may be nothing, but together, we are definitely something. And no matter how much we feel empty, together, we can be whole."

Demyx stared up into the brilliance of Axel's eyes. The eyes that seemed to keep the dark at bay with their reassuring glow. It was hard to find words to speak, but bubbling up inside him was something.

A simple, "Thank you."

Returned with a, "Any time, love."

Would be enough for now.


Review please, kaythanks. :D