A.N: So... I'm uploading yet another new story... Damn, I really need to finish my other ones... -_-'
Anyway, here you go! The first chapter of Soundless Hearts!
"This," means speaking.
'This, ' means Zexion's communication.
This means a memory/ thought.
(This) means whoever's point of view the story has been switched to.
Thismeans Zexion's thoughts within his memories.
It's confusing, but I hope you guys get the gist of it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts! I wish I did, but I don't! There, I said it!
Chapter One
(Zexion)
I glanced at my watch. 8pm, it read. I was supposed to be meeting Axel and Roxas right now like I usually did.
My slate coloured hair fell over the right-hand side of my face again and, like normal, I gave up trying to tuck it behind my ear. It would only stay there a few minutes before flopping back into my face again, anyway.
A few more minutes of waiting and both Axel and Roxas appeared, hand in hand as always.
"You okay, Zexion? You look a bit off-colour." Roxas noted.
I waved my hands in a complex pattern, one that only my two best friends would understand, to say: 'I'm fine. I just don't feel too well.'
It was true. I had been feeling slightly ill for a few days now, but it was only just becoming noticeable.
'Come on, let's just go.' I signaled to my friends and we headed off.
Where were we going? That, I actually didn't know myself. For once. Roxas and Axel always told me where we were going if the three of us were headed somewhere, but they insisted on keeping this a secret from me for some reason.
Once we had walked for about an hour, I decided that I'd had enough secrecy and halted dead still in my tracks.
"What is it, Zexion?" Axel asked, concerned.
'I want to know where the hell we're going!' I motioned, passersby looking at me as if I was crazy thanks to my method of communication.
"I can't tell you; neither can Roxas." Axel stated bluntly.
'Then I'm not going!' I signed, causing Roxas to let out a small gasp. I could see the tears welling up in his eyes and... oh, God. He was crying. One thing I signed set him off. One thing! Sometimes, I think Roxas is seriously too sensitive for his own good.
"Zexion, just please come with us. For Roxas." Axel persisted.
'Fine, I give up!" I rolled my eyes in defeat and followed them as they began to walk once more.
After a little while, Roxas perked up and was as hyper as ever. He kept babbling non-stop about nonsense that made no sense in the real world. Axel and I simply had a habit of nodding our heads at specific points in his monologues.
One long journey of Roxas going on and on about a new up-and-coming video game later, both Axel and Roxas came to a halt. I had to skid slightly to stop myself from crashing into the two of them.
"We're here!" Roxas exclaimed delightedly.
'No shit, Sherlock,' I joked. 'So, where exactly is "here?"'
"The one place you'd never think we'd ever take you to; a library! Rumour states this place is haunted!" Roxas cheered, still over-excited from his speech on the way here.
I loved libraries, well books in general, and I'd always been interested in ghosts; those were the two things that both Axel and Roxas had completely different views on, compared to me.
'Why?' I asked.
"Because you're our best friend!" Axel beamed. "We've been dragging you around on our dates for ages, so why not bring you somewhere you'd want to go for once?"
'Thanks, guys!' I grinned, jumping up and down a little in excitement.
Walking in, I had no idea why Axel and Roxas had said that this place was haunted. All the lights were on, illuminating the building, and it had a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Scary? As if!
Until, of course, the lights went out... so I couldn't see Axel or Roxas... and I couldn't sign to them. I. Was. Doomed.
"Um, guys?" Roxas asked, his shaking voice barely audible. "Is that meant to happen?"
"Roxas, you'll be fine. Just try and make your way back to the door. You too, Zexion, if you're still here." Axel said.
After a while of communication, Axel and Roxas came up with a way for me to communicate with them so that all three of us would get back to the door safely. Never again would I underestimate the usefulness of clapping.
"Still there, guys?" Axel asked.
"Yeah!" Roxas replied.
I clapped twice to signal 'yes' and the room fell silent, apart from our footfalls.
"Hey, I'm at the door!" Roxas exclaimed. "Well, I think I am..."
I heard the sound of a handle turning and a small beam of light flooded into the room, as if it was trying to escape the room it came from.
Following the light, I reached where Roxas was; and, eventually, we were joined by Axel.
"Well, that totally didn't make me wanna crap myself!" Axel sighed sarcastically, thankful that he was able to see Roxas and I once more.
The door led down a corridor to a small room, more like a miniature walk-in closet that only just squeezed in three twenty-two year-olds, that was jam-packed with electrical torches.
"Let's grab one each and we'll find a way outta this place, okay?" Axel said, reaching for three torches. "If only these were the old-fashioned fire torches."
"Only the pyro..." Roxas rolled his eyes.
"Hey! I'm not a pyro! Am I, Zexion?"
'Whoa! Don't drag me into this. I'm not being the reason behind you two splitting up.' I signed.
We walked in absolute silence all the way back.
See, Roxas and Axel had quite a complicated relationship. One wrong word or a teasing joke gone too far and they wouldn't talk to easier for a while, or at least until I forced them to. Eventually, they'd start talking animatedly at each other for ages.
I wished I could be in a relationship with someone like that... someone who'd take me back even after ages of us not talking to each other. It's probably what I envied most about my two best friends.
Once we got out of the library, Axel and Roxas were deep in conversation. They would occasionally ask for my opinion on something, but I'd only just get my point in before they began talking again.
To be honest, when they were like that, I felt quite left out. I guess I was always just a third wheel to them, anyway. They'd always ignore me after a while.
All of a sudden, I started to feel light headed. Before I knew it, I was being subjected to unconsciousness.
"Zexion!" I heard Roxas cry out as my body hit the floor.
Where am I? This place... It looks familiar...
I'm in an apartment of sorts, it seems. And, wait. Is that me over in the corner? I used to write?
This must be a memory, there's no other explanation.
Wait, who's that guy walking in through the door?
"Hey, Zexy. I'm home." He says as he walks in.
"Hey, Demyx. How was your day?" Memory-me asks the stranger.
"Boring as usual. You know how jobs are." The guy, Demyx, chuckles slightly.
"Always the slacker, Dem."
"Yeah, but you're still my bestie, aren't ya? You don't seem to care."
"Of course I don't. Best friends usually pay no mind to weird habits."
"Weird habits? How is being bored at work a weird habit?" Demyx asked, looking at memory-me as if I was mad.
"Because," I stated simply. "Work's not boring."
"For you, maybe not. You love your job!"
Memory-me looked over to the far-right wall and I did the same. Journalism awards? I used to be a journalist? Wow.
"Yeah, I know. But, seriously, what's wrong with accounting? It seems fun enough."
"It's boring! I only got the job because all I was good at at school was math and music!" Demyx complained.
"Why not pursue a musical career, then?" Memory-me asked. "You're good enough."
"It ain't that easy, Zex. I've tried to get myself known, but it's harder than you'd think." Demyx sighed.
"Or just harder than you can be bothered to put up with."
This conversation seemed to continue for a while until I looked at the clock. It seemed to now be 8pm.
Memory-me and Demyx were sitting together on the small sofa that furnished the living room, watching a documentary on penguins on the old-fashioned television.
"Hey, Zexion," Demyx began. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, ask away."
"See, there's this friend of mine. I really like him, but I think he wants us to just be friends. How can I clarify that answer?"
"Well, the best thing to do would be to just follow your heart. Maybe he likes you back." Memory-me stated simply, oblivious to the longing look in Demyx's eyes.
I couldn't help but smile a little as I saw Demyx lean in for a kiss. If I was actually there in person, which I technically was, I'd have egged myself on to kiss back.
Memory-me pushed Demyx away. "What are you doing?"
"Following my heart, just like you said to." Demyx smirked, capturing my memory-self's lips with his own.
It was nice to know I used to be happy like this, but what happened to this guy? Axel and Roxas had never told me about him...
I wonder. Did things go wrong after that one, harmless kiss?
A.N: So, reviews? They'd be nice. :3