Wave Two

The waves started to pick up around noon, incidentally at about the same time as Larxene returned from wherever she'd been, reeking of cheap beer and fanning herself with ones. She counted out half, which she gave to Zexion, and put the other half in the back pocket of her short shorts. Zexion gave her a calculating glance before he took the money inside, unlocking the safe box with the key on the necklace he wore and counting it into their savings. With what the blonde girl had made, they were above their usual amount for the week. Zexion wasn't sure if that really made him happy or not.

He locked the box and went back outside, stretching in the hot sunlight. Larxene had stripped down to her underwear, holding her old, not so bright yellow anymore surfboard as she gossiped with Xigbar. Zexion rolled his eyes and dragged his board to rest against the front porch, sitting down beside it. Xigbar said something, looking over at the slate-haired man, and Larxene laughed, waving her hand dismissively. Pivoting on her heel and letting Xigbar catch her board, she sashayed over to where Zexion sat and flopped down next to him. Zexion wrinkled his nose.

"You reek," he grumbled, and she just beamed.

"Ever the ray of sunshine, I see. The fuck's got you in a twist? Is it that bratty kid that showed up last night?" She replied, flicking some sand at him.

"I could care less about him. It's…" Zexion sighed. "Why go all the way to Traverse Town? It's kind of a sketchy ride there."

Larxene laughed, the sound harsh and cold.

"You make it sound like I strip on the damn tram, Zexy, jeez. I can hold my own and besides, you're not my mother. That bitch died years ago. So just chill. I bring home more cash, we get to eat a little nicer, maybe grab some new boards. It's no big fucking deal, so quit being such a chick about it," she said lightly. Zexion just shrugged.

"It's just that we couldn't help you out if you got involved in something stupid—"

The blonde fixed him with a cutting glare.

"What, like getting gang banged in an alleyway? Do you even see who you're fucking talking to?"

"Larxene, you don't get it, even if you can hold your own, you're still only one person! What if something happens and we really aren't there to help you?" Zexion spat, and the girl's face hardened. He didn't wait for a response from her however, and continued. "Yes, I'm sure we'll appreciate the extra money, but I don't think we'd appreciate losing you. But do whatever you like, Larx, because you will anyway. I'm catching this wave."

And with that, Zexion stood and grabbed his board, ignoring the situation. It wasn't any good to argue with the girl. Once she got it into her mind she was going to do something, she was going to do it and it was just something they'd all come to deal with. Besides, it did bring in more money, right?

As he paddled out to wait for the wave to swell, he heard someone come up alongside him, and looked over, thinking it to be Xigbar or Roxas. However, it was neither, and who it actually was soured his mood even more. Demyx kept pace with him, breathing slowly and glancing at him sideways every few seconds. Zexion let out a frustrated sound. Why couldn't people keep to their own space and to their regular routines and… the water began to pick up underneath him and Zexion prepared to stand. At least this never changed. It was the same each time. Swim, swell, sigh, and surf.

Demyx was following his every move, invading Zexion's mind with his silent persistence. It was making it extremely difficult to just blank out and forget; forget that people changed all the time, forget that things couldn't stay the same, forget that one day maybe everyone would just…

The wave rolled, picking them up high. Zexion let himself drop down, his board vibrating slightly underneath his feet, and struggled to allow the power and beauty that was the ocean to pass over him and take his fears away. He looked up from the water to see Demyx riding the same wave in front of him, his form elegant and as perfect as a professional's. Suddenly, it didn't seem like Zexion was surfing anymore, simply floating in some sort of fast motion dream, his mind going empty. Slow motion amidst the fast motion dream, Demyx turned his head slightly, looking back at the slate-haired man and smiling softly.

With a snap almost audible to his ears, everything returned to Zexion at once, and he lost his footing, tumbling and slipping into the bubbly water below.

He'd been seven the first time he'd wandered into the indoor pool area of the house alone. It was very late at night and everyone else was sleeping soundly. He wasn't allowed anywhere near the water and didn't know how to swim, but he was curious. He was always curious. Therefore, he didn't consider the dangers as he stepped closer to the edge of the softly lit blue water. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of chemicals and got on his hands and knees to dip small fingers into the cool substance.

It had been a particularly bad day that day. He'd been yelled at all day for everything, and there was a nice bruise or two forming on his upper arms where mother had hit him for being too loud. Father had ripped up one of his books for turning the page too annoyingly and he'd been sent to bed at one in the afternoon without lunch or dinner for being a burden on the household (his parent's words, not his).

Looking down at the rippling water around his hands, he marveled at the shadows the tiny waves made on his pale skin, and wondered suddenly what it would be like to just be surrounded by it all.

Being seven, he at least knew that you couldn't breathe under water, or you'd drown. He didn't want to drown, really. He just wanted to…suspend everything for a very long time.

He leaned forward a bit more and slipped, crashing into the harshly scented water. Bubbles flew all about him, streaming from his open lips, confusing him. He struggled, unable to swim. His small lungs screamed for air, his pajamas weighing him down, and then—

And then none of it mattered, because he was weightless. His vision got dizzy and he stopped struggling. Floating and drifting. It was beautiful. His lungs still hurt, but he didn't care. He didn't care because…

"Zexion!"

Because…

"Shit, dude, wake up!"

"He isn't breathing, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…"

"Then do something dammit! Someone fucking has to!"

"Eek! Um, erm, okay…"

It no longer mattered about why he didn't care about not breathing, because all of a sudden there was used air being forced into his lungs and it didn't feel good. Out of the woozy blackness that surrounded Zexion, he could feel something pressing against his lips…

And jerked back into consciousness, his legs coming up to his chest and kicking out instinctively, then rolling over onto his hands and knees and hacking up a fair amount of seawater. His throat was raw and his body was sore. He heard a pained groan and turned to see who it was he'd accidentally kicked.

Demyx was sprawled out on the sand, coughing slightly as he rubbed at his chest. Roxas was looking at him worriedly, and Larxene and Xigbar were laughing at him. Zexion spat onto the sand and pouted slightly.

Please don't let him have saved my life… He thought pleadingly.

"Wow, dude. I didn't think I'd ever see you wipe out that bad, but damn. You're lucky Dem was there to nab ya, huh?" Axel said, grinning like a cat. Zexion groaned in his own sort of proud pain, sitting back on his heels. This would be where his luck ran bad.

"Yes, lucky…" He mumbled grumpily, his head throbbing from his loss of consciousness. Raising his voice, he continued, "but if you think that's going to help your case, you thought wrong. You broke two of the conditions. You can't stay."

It got very quiet amongst the group, an almost disbelieving silence as his words were taken in. After much looking at each other and awkward shuffles, Roxas spoke up.

"Zex…he saved your life. Letting him stay would be the least you could do."

"I don't care. He doesn't fit in here anyway. He should just go back home to his fancy house with all his things and leave us alone. No one asked him to come here," Zexion replied, shooting a scathing look over at Demyx, who looked at the sand broken-heartedly.

"Zexion, what the hell? You never did that to any of us!" Kairi yelled, her hands on her hips. Demyx heaved a sigh and shook his head, standing up slowly.

"No, really, it's okay. He's right-I don't belong here," he said in defeat. "I just figured it was a lot better than moving to a landlocked place and catering to fat cats all day just so I can have material shit I don't need. If he doesn't want me to be here, that's okay, really. I won't regret saving his life, or his board, and I'll leave out of respect."

He turned and picked up his surfboard, walking away without a backward look. Zexion sighed happily and got up slowly, ignoring the angry looks from everyone around him.

"Zex…"

The slate-haired man turned to face Riku, who looked uncomfortable, and suddenly, Zexion dreaded what he was about to say.

"I get that you have all these weird family values and shit, but that little 'rich bitch' risked his life twice to save you and your surfboard. I don't really think your vote matters in this issue. He's staying," Riku said, and was accompanied by murmurs of agreement. Zexion huffed indignantly.

"Fine. Keep him out of my space then."

Turning his back on triumphant faces, he stalked back to the home to go pout in his room, trying very hard to become deaf to the shouts of "come back!" and "you can stay!"

He hated it when his luck ran bad.