Genre: General/humour
Paring/s: -
Line: 'You just kissed me'
Water and fire never mix.
If you pour water onto fire, the fire goes out. If you light a match over a puddle of water, the fire becomes steam.
As a kid I always used to drive my mother mental. I was one of those kids that pulled off butterfly wings, and replaced them with leaves. Or set fire to a cat's tail just to see its eyes widen and run off with a screech.
Opposites attract. As they say. I'd sit on my bed, and glue the negative sides of magnets together, just to prove they could go together. Once I used a too powerful magnet, and it broke away from the glue and gave me a black eye for a month.
And I've always been told that water and fire don't go together.
I've always had a strange fascination for fire. I'd sit and watch the fire grate till the coals burnt to glowing embers. I'd sit there until I scorched my nose, or absentmindedly put my hand into the flames.
When my hands were covered in burn scars and toughened to sand paper quality, I'd decided I wasn't going to let water ride over fire. I knew enough that bush fires couldn't be put out by water alone, it was to strong for that. I also knew that if you put a flame-thrower to water, it lights up for a few moments.
I knew that because I'd done it. When my mother found out I had a flame-thrower in my closet, that was the tip of the iceberg. I wasn't entirely upset when she died the next day. Mostly because I died along with her. Irony of it all was that we died in a house fire. That I started.
One of the many things I hate about the Organisation, is the curse they give you as a welcome wagon(1). Number two got shot. Number three got torn apart in a hurricane. Number Four got frozen in an unfortunate freezer accident.
I died by burning alive. So I got fire powers.
The castle was buzzing. Zexion was beside me, working on the latest report. The field mission we'd been on a few days ago was pretty strange. I remembered it had a lot of deer's, and I'd had the funny urge to butt my head against walls once I got back to the castle.(2) I've always wondered on how Zexion can see with that curtain of hair shrouding his eye. Every time I ask, he acts like he doesn't know what I'm talking about.
I gave his side a dig, and asked about why everyone's so worked up. He glanced a me through his hair. "Number Two found one wondering around in the Darkness. He's coming today."
I perked up slightly. Somebody lower than me who I could kick around. "Have you seen him?" I asked eagerly.
"I have his folder," a Dusk appeared, carrying a large white folder. Zexion snatched it off its head. I waved it off. The last time I read one of those, I nearly had a coma. Zexion made a; suit yourself gesture then gave the folder back to the huffing Dusk.
After a close interrogation, I'd found out that 'Number Nine' was coming in a few hours, and Number One was meeting him. After that he'd be with the Number One and Two for a while, then he'd be let out to get used to us.
It was hard to tell the time in The World that Never Was, so I was perched on one of the couches over looking the main doors way before Number Nine arrived, cheek on the window glass.
Zexion was up against me, his joints in all sorts of painfully places. Like my liver for one. Every time I tried to shift, he'd jab harder. He was probably trying to get back at me for something, but I couldn't think what.
The book he had his nose in had blank pages. It was probably an illusion that only he could read. I was trying to work out if it was really boring, or really dirty.
Finally, a flicker of movement caught my eye in the street. A Darkness portal was just dissolving, and I recognised the lethal figure of Number Two, a second, shorter, hooded figure next to him. Xemnas had his hood down, and he met the two with an acknowledging gesture.
"Hey, Zexy, what's his scent?" I asked, pulling him around by his hood. The book disappeared once his concentration was broken. He ducked under my arm, and peered out the window. His hair brushed my chin as he lent close to the glass, starting to fog it up.
Zexion was silent for a long time.
"Zexion?" I was very tempted to smack the back of his head, just to see his forehead crack against the glass.
"Sea breeze, sand, salt…. He smells like the ocean."
I'd learnt that his name was, Demyx. I also hadn't seen him in the two days he'd been here. Which was pretty amazing seeing as his room was in the same corridor as mine.
Sometimes, when the Castle was asleep, I'd hear strange music floating from his room. I'd sit bolt upright, and if I had one, heart beating a mile a minute. The music was low and haunting, and it's chased around my head, letting me get no sleep for the night.
I'd had it on the third night. I ripped back the covers, and got out of bed. The player had stopped hours ago, but the music was still bugging me. I groggily left my room, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Along the corridors, I made my way to the kitchen. Something to eat would surly help. It's amazing how many of the Organisation members literally live off the kitchen. The most common person for night-time, was Sai'x. He'd normally be sitting at the bench, eating milk and cookies. Wordlessly, he'd pass over the plate, and hand me the half-empty carton of milk. I wouldn't care if the carton had been passed his lips; it's not like I was going to catch anything off him. The first time I'd done that, he'd given me the oddest look. "You just kissed me." It took me till the next morning to work out what he was getting at.
Occasionally I'd find Xemnas making some hot chocolate for himself, or Xigbar munching on cereal, swearing that it helps him get to sleep.
I'd come across Zexion, passed out on the tabletop, surrounded by mountains of equations, and graphs, a dozen or so cups of coffee by his elbows. Once I'd been kind enough to put a blanket over him, and another time I actually carried him to him room. Normally he'd jump awake if I opened the refrigerator door, or got out plates and cups.
This time I found no one. Kind of glad, I started to boil some water, and rummaged around looking for the coco. Nights like these called for chocolate. Finally I found the packet, hidden behind some over rip bananas, and was about to grab a cup when a voice came from behind me.
"Axel?"
I probably would have dropped the cup and hit my head on the cupboard ceiling.
The voice was timid and hesitant. No way was it one of my superiors. Maybe Zexion would have used that tone in this situation, but he always called me Number Eight.
I turned around, holding a mug with cows all over it. I'd love to know where Xemnas got all this stuff.
Ever since Zexion told me what his scent was, I've been trying to picture him. Well, it wasn't this. He was wearing the trademark pyjamas of the Organisation, a simple turquoise one with a hood. I dunno who designed our pyjamas, but I want to shot them. Our pyjamas seem to try and match our 'theme'. Mine are red, Xemnas's are silver, Xigbar's are purple etc. I think Xigbar got a raw end of the deal, but I pity the person who gets pink. If I was to pull up my hood, you'd see it comes with cat ears as well. I'd protest if they came with cattail as well.
Demyx couldn't have been much younger than I was. My best bet was that he was at least seventeen when he died. Demyx was the kind of person I used to pick on when I was a Somebody. Just the way he looked and acted screamed at me to punch him in the face.
I was surprised he knew my name. But I guess the others had warned him. Flaming red hair. He's a crazy one. Don't get in his way. My superiors liked to focus on my bad points.
"What?" I tried not to sound rude, as I turned back to my boiling water.
I'd already guessed what was wrong. "I'm lost," ding ding. "You're in the same corridor as me…" he trailed off. Well I got the main idea of what he was aiming at.
"You'll have to put up with my midnight snack," I informed him, getting out a carton of milk. I jiggled it around. Judging by the hollowness, Sai'x had been at it. And judging by the bite marks around the edge, he hadn't used a glass either. "Then I can take you to your room. Want a mug?" I offered. Demyx gave me a blank stare. I waved a mug in his face.
"Uh, sure," he mumbled, pulling up a chair.
"And I hope you don't mind Sai'x germs as well," I added, sure that there would be enough milk for two. I was greeted by more silence. "Number Seven. He's got blue hair and a X like cut over the bridge of his nose." He made a noise that he knew what I was talking about, but didn't like it. "Don't worry, I've shared with him before."
Demyx gave me this odd look.
I sighed and turned back to the water that was ready. On impulse, I decided to play a party trick I've done many times. "Hey, Demyx. How long do you think you can put your hand on the jug for?"
"It would burn my hand," he said nervously.
"Well if you can last longer than me, I'll give you something special," I think he obeyed me more out of that I was his Superior than anything else. I smirked slightly when he came up along side me. "Give me your hand." The trick went that I'd put my hand on the jug first. It didn't hurt because I was fire. Normally the second person would jump at the change to best me. Unfortunately mullet-boy wouldn't play by my old rules. He seemed far to timid for that.
"W-what?" He said, blushing. Was I making him that jumpy? Snatching up his hand, I stretched it out.
"One, two, three," and put it flat on the steaming hot metal. There was an almighty hiss from the contact, and Demyx started to squirm in immediate discomfort. Stubbornly, I held it firmly in place. He started to writhe a little more, starting to whimper with the pain. Deciding I'd tortured him enough, I let go. Demyx yanked his hand away from the metal, and took a few steps away from me. "Your such a baby," I said, and casually put my hand on the jug. It was pleasantly warm; I probably could have made it hotter. Demyx was staring at me like I had two heads. After ten seconds of my leaning on the jug, he spoke up.
"It doesn't hurt you?"
I showed him my other hand, and made a flicker of fire dance on it. His eyes shone with the flame. "Nope. It's like a luke warm bath," I took my hand off, and inspected it. There were a few scorch marks, but it looked pretty okayish. I swiped my tongue across the marks to help the burning sensation.
I filled the mugs with the water, and put in the coco and milk swirling them together with a spoon. I thrust the second cup into his chest. "Cheers," and walked to the table. Demyx sat opposite me, flexing his burnt hand. I didn't bother asking him how it was. That emotion was false anyway.
He was staring into his cup, eyes transfixed on the water. I was going to ask if he was looking for tealeaves, by a slight movement stopped me. I swear my eyes were playing up, but the water inside the cup was starting to move.
"Uh, Demyx?" I asked. He looked up, the water sloshing back down. "What are you doing?"
In answer, he called up a large bulky object. It was deep blue, fat at one end, and got skinny at the top. It must have been some sort of instrument, because he started to pick at the strings. At once, water from nowhere started to swirl up and around him, taking shape sometimes, or just staying as water. The notes he played where the same as before. Beautiful and haunting.
I'd started to close my eyes. The music stopped abruptly. I banged my head on the table. "That happens a lot," he said, mouth curving into a smile. I wondered if he was talking about him cutting off so abruptly, or people smacking their foreheads. I grunted, not wanting to resurface with my face so red. He probably did that on purpose.
"Is that a guitar or something?" I asked, deciding it was safe to come back up. If he had water powers, it was obvious to why the jug had steamed so violently when he'd touched it.
"It's a sitar," for a moment I thought I'd miss heard him, and he's said guitar twice. "I used to have one back when I was alive," he said, looking gloomy.
"Is that why your music's like that?" I asked. He choked on his drink.
"What?"
"Your music's sad," I knitted my fingers together, resting my chin on the. "You're obviously missing your home," his eyes dropped to the floor, his finger idly playing with the wet rings the mug had made. "It happens. It didn't with me at first, because I'd lost everything, so I had nothing to go back to. But it just hits you one day. I'm nothing. I shouldn't exist. Nobody cares about me."
"But that's not true, is it? We must feel something, or we'd go around as empty shells."
"I'm good at acting," I sniffed, draining the last of my drink. Demyx decided to stay quiet, having said enough. "Time for bed," I said, getting up, and taking the mugs. Demyx obediently followed. I dropped off the mugs for the Dusk's to clean, then played follow the leader for a while.
"Well, I'll never get to sleep after all that," I happily informed Demyx, as I stopped to say goodnight at my door. He hovered for a second.
"I could play for you."
"Excuse me?"
"My sitar, to help you sleep."
"Just no sad stuff," I let him in, shutting the door once his heel was over the threshold. It felt incredibly strange from somebody younger than me, to be sitting on the edge of my bed, literally singing me to sleep.
The sitar appeared once more, and Demyx started to play. The tune was different this time. It was still haunting, but it flowed a lot more easily, and it washed over me like a tidal wave. Enclosed in the warmth of the sheets, I started to drift off, listing to the notes ringing around my head.
The next morning, I woke up with a snoozing Demyx beside me.
END
Hell, I didn't even get my point across xD I changed my mind halfway through the bloody fiction, so the start and middle don't work at all
Anyways.
This is a random little arc I started one day, and it's started to just flow from that day. I'm having a smallish problem with the lastest, because it's so big, but I'll get there... It's always through Axel's eyes, and for the first few parts it's mainly about his and Dem's relationship... it's very touch and go and Axel gets rather nasty with him towards the end. And nuuu, this ain't slash. But by all means flip it up any way and you'll find heaps on implied stuff xD
This… isn't the first arc. There's one before that explains a lot of holes. If anyone wants to see it, just tell me, or I won't bother because I still need to alter it. A lot --;
And between these, are random little fillers I might just shove up because I wrote them back in the day.
1. That's not true…. to become a nobody, you loose your heart to darkness bla bla. In later chapters it'll make more sense
2. Guesses? It's pretty obvious
-Ixi