And So…

Hm. Just a little play on Axel's infamous saying. Warnings for some OOC-ness here.

Disclaimer: As if I own Kingdom Hearts!

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Never let some one else use your personal catchphrase. Ever. It's like, an unofficial rule for every person who's got their own saying and are damn proud of it. Because, really, it's not so much 'yours' if someone else has used it before. Axel should have known this, really, but things tend to slip your mind when you're struggling to stay awake during a long conversation with a certain musician.

He had a cup of coffee in his hands, steaming hot and full of caffeine goodness that he badly needed because sometimes, Demyx doesn't quite get that other people don't share the same interests as he does.

Ok, make that never.

Sometime during the conversation, Axel failed to stifle a yawn, and Demyx falls into silence. They sit that way for a while, comfortably, and Axel could feel his eyelids begin to droop. It's kinda stupid really, because coffee's supposed to keep him awake but the warm, fuzzy feeling he gets from drinking it just makes him want to lay down on a nice soft bed with a fluffy pillow and just fall asleep.

But, gah, Demyx just had to ruin it.

"…hey Axel?"

The silence was broken, and Axel finds himself (unwillingly, mind you) snapping his head up, suddenly fully awake again (for a few minutes, anyway), and glaring at Demyx for interrupting his daydreams of his bed.

"What?" He almost growled.

The blond-going-brunet (1) (because he could have sworn it was blonder when Number IX first joined) fidgeted in his seat somewhat nervously, his gloved fingers playing with the strands of hair that weren't swept back into a mullet-styled hairdo. There's a thoughtful look in his sea-green eyes, and Axel had to wonder if the caffeine was making him think that way.

"I…I kind of envy you, you know? I mean," he continues hastily, seeing the raised eyebrow and the sceptical 'are you going crazy?' look on the redhead's face. "You're always so confident in yourself, and you're never 'fraid to speak up and everyone else actually respects you, somewhat." Demyx looked down at his hands in his lap, apparently wondering how to continue.

"And…and you're a good fighter, and I just suck and everyone knows it, I swear the Superior loves sending me to missions to eradicate Heartless and turn people into Nobodies and all that, even though he knows I hate doing that and--"

Axel holds up a hand for him to stop, and the musician immediately falls silent. For a minute, the redhead thinks about what Demyx said, wondering how he should respond to that. He decides to go with the first question in his mind.

"What the devil on this non-existent earth (and Demyx rolled his eyes at that) that we walk on brought this up?"

Demyx paused, resting his arms on the table thoughtfully. "Um…well, guess it's…my way…of saying that I…respect the person that you are?"

Axel glanced at him in disbelief, and then snorted. "Right, you really expect me to believe that."

The musician's face broke out into a sheepish grin, his hand rubbing the back of his neck like someone who had just been caught doing something wrong.

"Alright, I admit, I was sucking up to you…sorta."

"Because…"

"You'd think it really stupid though…"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Demyx, I think half the things that come out of your mouth are stupid, and the other half I can't understand enough to judge."

Sea-green eyes glared at him, but he ignored them. "So just tell me what the hell you want before I toast you alive because I need my sleep now."

"…"

"Well?"

Demyx mumbled something that he couldn't quite catch, and he frowned, leaning closer. "Come again?"

Number IX took a deep breath, and then spoke as quietly, but still audibly, as he could. "I think your catchphrase is cool."

Unsurprisingly, that was followed by a very blank stare.

Fidgeting around once again, Demyx began to edge away slowly, his eyes darting around as if regretting even bringing up the topic in the first place. However, a black-gloved hand caught his arm, stopping him from moving any more.

"My what?"

"Erm, well, y'know…"

"No, not really. Care to elaborate?"

"Well, when you make that pose and go all 'Got it memorized?' it just looks so awesome and it's just totally wicked!" Demyx burst out, an ecstatic grin lighting up on his face.

Axel just stared at him. The grin faded, and the young musician suddenly looked very scared.

"…ok, a few things. Firstly, when did you start picking up that slang and where from? Secondly, I don't actually care, but don't ever do it again." Demyx nodded frantically. "And lastly…" he paused.

"…do you really think it looks cool when I do that?" He asked, frowning at Demyx in an expectant sorta way. The said musician blinked in surprise, before slowly bobbing his head in a 'yes'.

Axel leant back and let go of Demyx's arm, satisfied. "Ok, now that we've accomplished the fact that I look 'totally wicked' when using that, can I go to bed yet?"

Demyx seemed to snap out of his frightened/confused state, leaping forward and preventing Axel from leaving just yet.

"Wait, wait!"

"What now? I'm tired Demyx."

"I was just wondering…could I use your catchphrase? Once, just once? Please?" Axel blinked, looking at Demyx's wide, pleading eyes and thinking it over. Finally, he decided to go with his initial response.

"Sure, whatever, kid." He replied, yawning loudly and pushing Demyx away. "Anything to get rid of you…"

Demyx seemed to explode with happiness then, giving Axel a huge hug before bouncing off to his own room. Axel stared after him for a moment, briefly wondering what effect this would have during the future, then shrugged and decided that he didn't really care.

At this point, sleep overrode his other priorities.

--

Years and months after this incident, Castle Oblivion became a name that was spoken with dread and deep and utter reverence for its fallen members, Roxas had left seeking answers, the Keybearer was making his way closer and closer to the World that Never Was and Axel was a fugitive, running from the Organization that was once his family.

Axel sighed, glancing at the Castle Gates while waiting for Xemnas to finish his ranting and disappear, so that he could talk to Sora.

"Damn, he got Demyx…he was a good friend."

Finally, the leader of Organization XIII disappeared, leaving Sora slumped on the ground.

"Way to fall right into their trap."

Sora, Donald and Goofy look up, seeing a red-haired man that wasn't there a minute ago. Instantly, they're on the offensive.

Axel shook his head exasperatedly, pushing off the wall to walk towards them. "C'mon, it's a set-up by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless---that's his big master plan."

Donald lowered his staff slightly, eyeing the Nobody suspiciously. "Xemnas?"

"The guy you just saw. He's their leader. Got it memorized?" Axel tapped the side of his head to prove his point.

Sora cocked his head in confusion, crossing his arms in a thinking position. Donald and Goofy looked at him, wondering if there was something wrong. Axel blinked.

"Hang on, what did you just say?" Sora asked, Keyblade dismissed from his hand. Axel frowned in confusion, but repeated it anyway.

"That's…that's what the other guy said. Y'know, that water guy with the really awkward weapon! Remember, guys?" Sora looked around at Donald and Goofy, who slowly nodded in agreement. Axel scratched his mane of hair, wondering what was going on.

Sora crossed his arms again, thinking. "Gee…you know it's a really sad sorta Organization when they have two Nobodies that share the same catchphrase…especially when one of them," he nodded his head at the bewildered Axel. "Has to copy the other."

Axel blinked slowly in realization, before the familiar feeling of intense irritation and rage build up in him. His chakrams flamed to life in his hands, spinning furiously, and flames leapt up around him as he snarled at nobody in particular.

"THAT CONNIVING, BACK-STABBING SONNOVA--!"

Screw Xemnas. Screw trying to help Sora. He had a Faded Nobody to kill.

---

And so, the whole story of Kingdom Hearts II was screwed up, Sora never hesitated to kill the Heartless, Maleficent never needed to aid Sora and ended up enacting her vengeance on him, and Sora never got past Betwixt and Between, leaving a few of the Organization alive and wondering when on earth he was going to show up.

What a lovely concept. Got it memorized?

(1) - it's happened to so many of my friends that it's not funny any more. Haha.

Comments and Criticism please :)