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A story by Besieged Infection
Standard disclaimer applies.
Happy reading!
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Chapter Two: January 2010
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The Exception Laws II
Hybrids and Humans are not to share the same changing and/or living facilities at any point and time unless such living conditions are temporary, sans families containing a mix of Hybrids and Humans. These families must have recognition from the state, however, that they have legal marriage/adoption papers available upon warrant. If this is not so the Hybrids in the vicinity will be removed upon sight.
...
January first.
Dodging past the fichus he swore was evil, Demyx groaned. The clock in the hallway chimed one AM, stopping him in his tracks. He had missed midnight, his chance to make a new years wish. It was his year to ferry buckets of water back and forth between the front yard and the garden this year, as the spicket in the garden didn't work and Larxene's sparklers had this unusual attribute of 'spontaneous combustion', so that's what he had been doing all night. From the back yard through the sliding kitchen door, around the dining room table and through the living room to go out the front door, only to repeat the same obstacle course backwards with a full bucket of water. The largest obstacle of all, however, appeared to be the fichus in the foyer, which he would have to avoid through a great deal of skill despite how it was still small. He could just go around the house, but everything was on one floor, like a traditional Japanese house.
With a sigh, Demyx, with a bucket full of water, went into the living room for a bout of well-deserved rest. Just as he set the bucket down by the fichus, however, five hollow knocks rang in his ears. He twisted around sharply. Was it the neighbor complaining about Larxene's sparklers? The cherry bombs? No one else in their right mind would willingly come over to their house with fireworks were in use. No one but...
A chill ran up Demyx's spine, leaving him praying for mercy. It wasn't him, was it? Of course, knowing his luck, it probably was. Three more dull knocks sounded at the front door, along with a "Hello?" Another chill shook Demyx's spine. It was him. He made for the door, only for his foot to be caught in the bucket handle. Down he went, flailing, onto the fichus, which fell over with a dull smack. Dirt, water and Demyx spilled everywhere, leaving the foyer carpet soaked with mud. Demyx looked down at the mess, cursing his luck. He was probably going to be grounded for this.
With a sigh, he stood up and opened the door. There he was greeted with a sight that did not please him.
A man smirked as the door opened. "I'm not causing any trouble, am I?"
"No more than usual." Demyx growled, eye twitching in annoyance. "What do you want Marluxia?" He asked, flipping the switch for the porch light, illuminating Marluxia's features.
'Marluxia' was a twenty year old man around five' eleven" with dull brown eyes and shockingly pink hair, though this was only at first glance. Upon close inspection his eyes were a sharp brown ringed with green, his hair leaflets of skin spiking out a foot in length or more each, both marking him as a hybrid. The height had thrown Demyx off for a while until he had discovered that the man wasn't just a mix of hybrids but a mix of specie. Being a quarter human can do wonders for your height, as Marluxia had said. The pink-'haired' man smirked, scratching idly behind one ear.
"Is Larxene home?" He asked, looking into the living room.
Demyx internally growled. Something about this guy always seemed to piss him off. "Isn't she always?"
Marluxia laughed. "Whatever. Where is she?"
"What do I get out of telling you?" Was the cutting reply.
"Still don't like me?" Marluxia chuckled. "Okay. What do you need help with?"
Demyx grabbed the bucket from the floor before righting the fichus plant. "Help me clean this up." Leaving Marluxia in the foyer, the boy walked to the towel-closet, taking on two of his mother's brown towels- they wouldn't show a mud stain. He idly noted that Larxene would have to do a load of towels, soon. Her lime-green pile was made up of two towels, now, while everyone else had about six or seven. Moving away from the closet, Demyx knew that his mother would notice the missing towels. He then returned the brown towels to the closet and brought out the cleaning towels, white towels with a story for every stain, and made his way into the living room.
Demyx threw a towel directly in Marluxia's face, now knowing if he was angry or jealous that the man caught it without looking up. They mopped up the mess in silence, Demyx launching glares at the older man every so often. They then bent over the carpet, on hands and knees, soaking up the mess of soil and water in stained white towels. Eventually, though, the silence was broken.
"Why do you hate me so much?" Marluxia asked, pressing his towel into a particularly bad stain. Demyx looked up from his own, staring pointedly at Marluxia as if asking 'what?' They stood up, finishing the last of the stains. "Why do you have me so much?" Marluxia repeated.
Demyx held the bucket out to Marluxia. "Fill this with the hose in the front yard and bring it to the back. You'll find Larxene there."
Marluxia took the bucket with a glare. "Tell me."
Demyx sniffed. "I don't trust you." He deadpanned. "You have something up your sleeve and I don't want any part of it."
Marluxia chuckled. "Something up my sleeve, huh?" He brushed a hand through his 'hair'. "I guess you could say that."
"And you're trying to bring Larxene with you." Marluxia looked up at this. "I'm telling you right now. Leave. Her. Out of it."
The man smirked. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"
"Her older brother."
"Only by human standards, Demyx." Marluxia frowned. "And in case you didn't notice, Hybrids don't function according to human standards."
When Marluxia left, Demyx idly thought back to the people in his class- how they acted, how they lived- and knew that Marluxia was right. Hybrids didn't function according to human standards. He knew that- it was important, but not important enough. It wasn't important enough to make up for the fact that what he didn't know was crucial- that something big was in the making. Bigger than him; bigger than Larxene; bigger than whatever it was going on between him and Zexion. Marluxia knew, though, and he was going to do everything he could within his power to make that thing in the making a reality, even if it would turn his world, everyone's world, up-side down.
Nothing would stop him.
...
Despite the fact that Demyx was due for something good to happen in his life the boy found himself, none-the-less, staring in the mirror the morning of January second, a Saturday, cursing the skin on his neck. Not only had the wound inflicted by the Nekojin taken a good two weeks to heal, but it had also decided to leave a very nasty scar in its wake. Said scar was currently mocking Demyx in all its shiny pink glory.
"Nice scar- looks pretty new." His little sister announced, walking into the bathroom with a smirk. At twelve years old she came up to his chest, though he couldn't tell if that was short or tall for her age. He did know, however, that she was a sadist who enjoyed making people squirm. Flouncing up to the sink she took hold of a bottle of hair gel, using it to fashion her bangs into two antennae. "And all this time I thought you were a eunuch."
"Shut it, Larxene." Demyx scolded, reaching for his toothbrush.
Larxene stuck her tongue out at him, revealing a thin forked appendage that was not meant to be in a human mouth. Truth be told, Larxene was adopted. When it was revealed that she was a Hybrid his parents had announced that they didn't care and made sure she felt accepted. They were friends, but just barely. "How's your little kitty lover?" She inquired, reaching for her own toothbrush.
The older boy spat, turning to his sister. "He is not my lover."
"Right, so he's just your kitty. I get it."
"He is not my kitty, either."
"Scent says otherwise- you reek of male Nekojin."
"If you'd listen you'd know that Zexion was in heat and-"
"It was Zexion?" Larxene cut him off, looking at him with incredulousness. "Zexion as in my best friend since Elementary school Zexion? He went through his heat? How has he been? You didn't insult him, did you?"
"Wait- what?" Demyx asked from his place against the wall. During the interrogation the girl had nearly pinned him against the door, all but cornering him. "First thing's first. You know Zexion?"
"Zexion Kisaragi, right? A Nekojin with grey ears and a skinny-ass tail?" She asked, almost unsure of herself.
"Yeah- that's the one."
"He and I had an art class together back in Elementary school. You think I got my finger paintings to look so gruesome on my own?"
There was a small silence before Demyx spoke. "You knew him in Kindergarten?"
"He was in second grade at the time, so we didn't really talk all the much. Of course, everyone else avoided me since... you know. Snakes aren't exactly widely liked."
"That and you're a sadist."
"You know it, you fear it." True. Definitely true.
"What do you mean by 'insult' him?"
She laughed. "You're a moron, you know?"
"Yes, I know this. Now what did you mean by 'insult' him?"
"You really know nothing about Hybrids, don't you?" This earned a nod from the boy. "You need some pride, you know that?" She sighed. "Like pushing him away without an explanation or something. Among Hybrids it's really serious to push someone away during their Heat without an explanation. In our eyes it's just... wrong, you know?" Demyx squeaked, drawing her eyes to him. "You pushed him away, didn't you?" He nodded. "You did explain why you pushed him away, right?" This was met with silence. "Demyx, you idiot!" She yelled, grabbing a hand towel and proceeding to beat him with it.
"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know, okay?" Demyx said, covering his face with his right hand as his left searched blindly for the doorframe.
"He's going to think he's hideous- or worse! Why didn't you explain?"
"What do you mean he'll think he's hideous?"
"That's what we all think when we're rejected!"
This brought a halt to any and all violence taking place in the small bathroom. "Seriously?"
"Out, kids! I need to shit." Their father said, dragging the two from the room and closing the door.
Larxene laughed. "That man needs some tact."
"So true." Demyx said, looking to the girl. Their eyes locked and the two smiled, high-fiving each other before proceeding to the basement to turn off the electricity in the bathroom.
...
"Hey, Larxene?" Demyx asked, edging his sister's bedroom door open.
"What is it, human?" The girl asked, not looking up from the magazine she was perusing.
Seeing the page she was on, Demyx laughed. "National Geographic again? Another snake special?"
"Cobras of East Asia. What do you want?"
"You knew Zexion in Elementary school, right?" He asked, sitting at the edge of the girl's bed.
She laughed, teeth peeling back to reveal pointed fore-teeth nearly two inches long. "Knew him? Looked up to him, more like."
"What do you mean?"
The girl turned to him. "Does Zexion seem young to you?"
"You kidding? I find it hard to believe he's sixteen- he acts like he's fifty."
The girl smirked. "He's fifteen."
"What?" This threw Demyx for a loop.
"He skipped sixth grade, the lucky bastard. He has his birthday next April- which, if I'm not mistaken, is when the school year begins." Larxene turned back to her magazine, reading over a line about how poison can be spat from one of the snakes into an enemy's eyes. "Surprised?" She asked, secretly envying the poisonous creature.
The older boy stared at her, thinking things over. "You sure about all this?"
"Not really- his birthday might actually be in May." She mused, not turning from her magazine. "I'm pretty sure it's April eighteenth, though."
"You really knew him, didn't you?"
There was a small silence before he was answered. "'The Exception Laws XII. Hybrids and humans are not to attend the same primary, elementary, or junior high schools.' You know this, so it shouldn't be that hard to believe that we knew each other." She laughed. "He taught me how to draw gore like a master, which leads to today." She said, looking up at the drawings that adorned the walls. Each and every one of the pictures involved either a spleen or a large amount of intestines in some way... which really freaked Demyx out. "He really liked the old gore movies, even as a kid. Who do you think taught me about the miracle that is R rated movies? Barney?"
Demyx laughed. "I remember when you took a steak knife to the Barney mom gave you, then complained that the intestines were missing. The intestines, Larxene. Seriously... you always were a little eccentric."
She smiled. "All thanks to Zexion! Although..." She paused, looking up from her magazine. "When he was in fourth grade he got tired of gore and stuff- moved onto books and stopped talking to people."
This drew a smile from the older boy. "Now that sounds like the Zexion I know."
She smiled. "Now get out- I'm gonna call Marluxia." Demyx scowled. "Yeah, yeah. I know you don't like him."
"It's not that I don't like him. He's just a little too... eccentric, to stomach right away."
His sister smirked, looking back to her magazine. "I hope you know that mark on your neck won't be hidden by a measly scarf to Hybrids. Mom and Dad may be fooled, but it's just plain obvious to us. Best to just display it for the world to see- you can't wear that thing forever."
"Is this a trap?"
Larxene laughed. "The sooner you display the mark proudly the sooner everyone will know you have the hots for Zexion."
Demyx scoffed. "I do not have the hots for Zexion. I don't even swing that way." He said, standing and exiting the room. A few seconds passed before he stuck his head through the doorway. "You might want to get some sleep before Dad starts to snore." He paused. "And I do not have the hots for Zexion." And with that he left.
Larxene chuckled. "Not yet, my dear brother. Not yet..."
...
January eleventh, the first day back at school after winter break, dawned as cold and rainy as it could; complete with thunder, lightning, and the occasional power-outage. None-the-less, school was not cancelled as their power supply was underground- or so they proudly announced over the intercom five minutes into the school day. No one really believed them, but who really cares? It just meant that physical education would be served inside instead of out, in which everyone was grateful.
Demyx was rather jumpy that day, equally from the facts that one, today was the day he would apologize to Zexion and two, he was scared to death of thunder. It wasn't the lightning that scared him, oh no. It was the thunder in its ability to scare the shit out of him. He could deal with the flashes of light crashing down to earth frying everything in their wake with the heat of the surface of the sun, oh yes. Just keep away from hills and make sure you have rubber insoles and you are good. Peals of thunder that echoed around the room, however, were not his forte. Yes- unlike most, Demyx was scared of the sound. The thunder. Don't ask why- he just was. Were he at home he would have simply placed some headphones on and burst the music up to full blast. However, that was not an option at school. Thus he was jumpy. All day.
Suffering through the first few hours of history, English, and science were not the worst of it, either. Just as he filed into the locker room to dress down the peals of thunder doubled their effort. With all his jumping he could hardly managed to get out the door before the class bell rang and they took roll. Through all the sudden bursts of crap there was a ray of hope- they were pairing up for stretches today. Weaving around the bodies milling around the room, Demyx eventually made his way to Zexion. The boy was standing alone in his spot, Naminé already have run off to find Kairi. Arriving before the Nekojin he started to ask to be his partner, only to have the boy walk directly past him to high-five Sora.
"Partners?" Zexion asked the boy, ears twitching slightly.
Sora looked over Zexion's shoulder. "It looks like Demyx wants to be your partner for today." He said, words heavily laced with innuendo.
"Not possible." Malice dripped from the words.
A peal of thunder cracked outside, making Demyx jump a little, but he persevered, none-the-less. "Listen- I need to talk to you." He managed, tugging idly on his tee-shirt.
Sora smiled, "Told ya." He said, turning away to run directly into Demyx's usual partner, Riku.
"Careful there- wouldn't want to knock you over." The boy said, holding the boy's shoulder as to stop him from falling.
Sora looked up at the boy, eyes wide, blush in place. "T-thanks." He whispered, looking away. Riku was more than an entire foot taller than his four feet eleven inches, standing a towering six feet tall.
"Hey Riku- could you be Sora's partner today?" Demyx asked. "And don't be mean- he doesn't deserve it."
Riku sighed. "I really don't get you sometimes." He said before leading the smaller boy away.
"That wasn't a good idea." Zexion announced, turning a glare on Demyx. "What if he hurts him?"
"That 'if' isn't going to happen. I help Riku out in swim club- he wouldn't ruin a chance to perfect his form on-" A peal of thunder echoed through the room, cutting Demyx's sentence short as he winced. When it passed he continued. "He's not that kind of guy."
A whistle blew and they were called to begin stretching. "Position one!" The teacher called, pimples standing out more than usual in the florescent lighting.
Under his breath, Zexion whispered, "Yes, professor herpes face."
Demyx chuckled. "You liked that?" Zexion didn't respond, opting instead to get into position. He lay on his back, his hair sliding away from its usual place to reveal his right eye, stretching his leg directly vertical. Recognizing his cue, Demyx took hold of the leg, using his weight to press the leg down. And down. And down. "Flexible, aren't you?" He asked as the leg stopped one inch before Zexion's stomach.
"I'm a Nekojin," was the explanation he received.
"Yeah but... wow." He was getting off track. "Anyways, I wanted to apologize for... you know. Knocking you out and stuff. Is your head okay? That ladder looked pretty solid."
"You knocked me out?"
"It was an accident- happened right after you bit me and I pushed you off... I think. I don't really remember it very well."
"Nekojin pheromones are known to be potent."
"Am I the only one who didn't know that?"
"You along with every other human out there." The line held malice, and for who was obvious. They switched legs at the teacher's command, Zexion's left leg lifted to just an inch above his stomach. "I'm not feeling the stretch- could you push it down farther?"
Demyx looked at their position. "Umm... I'll have to, uh..."
"I don't mind." Zexion admitted.
Demyx paused. "Okay." Leaning his weight further on the boy's leg, it came in contact with the smaller boy's stomach at last. The blonde's weight was firm against it, demanding he lay half against the leg, body flush against the other's. "Is that right?"
"Yeah- thanks." He responded, giving Demyx a small smile of thanks.
The blonde hesitated before speaking. "Someone told me I should give you a reason why I pushed you away."
"You don't have to."
"Well I don't want to insult you!"
Zexion laughed; a rather hollow sound, to tell the truth. "You know about that?"
"Took a while, but... yeah." Demyx answered. "And I guess my answer is that I'm not into guys."
"That's not an answer."
Demyx looked up to Zexion in shock, faces almost colliding from their position. "What?"
Zexion sighed. "Gender is an excuse- it doesn't have anything to do with mating."
"But... don't you guys mate for life? If I had given in we would have been bound until... you know."
Zexion scoffed. "We don't mate for life until age twenty or so, numbskull. Until then, the Heats are just to prepare us for what's to come... or something like that."
"Change places!" The teacher called, prompting everyone to switch.
Demyx lay across the gym floor, propping his leg up in the air, where the Nekojin pressed down until it couldn't go any further. The boy smirked, whispering to the other, "Not very flexible, are we?"
"Shut it." Demyx whispered back, a blush adorning his face.
...
"You two were pretty comfortable in gym." Kairi smirked, Naminé sitting on the desk she had taken as usual. The music room was not as intimidating as before, as they had not scared the human boy away this time around. A gentle ballad floated through their ears as they chatted, the dim lighting making it impossible to see each other's faces clearly. "So he isn't in to guys, huh? Really stupid excuse."
Zexion winced. "How-"
"Naminé may not have enhanced hearing, but I sure do." The girl mused, examining her fingernails. There was a flash of lightning outside, slightly illuminating the room. "That's some insult- almost worse than turning you down. Jeez."
"It isn't as if I mind or anything." Zexion interrupted her tirade. "He thought Hybrids mated for life straight off- and if we did I really wouldn't blame him, to tell the truth. For pushing me away, I mean." He sighed. "You can't really expect more from a human, though."
Kairi laughed, reaching back to gently hold Naminé's hand. "Yeah- they're so into loving only certain people it's funny. You can't fall in love with family, the same gender, or people older than you." She smirked, standing to place a gentle kiss on Naminé's cheek before sitting on the desk with her. "Being a hybrid is so much easier than being a human, right Naminé?"
The blonde girl smiled, leaving a kiss of her own on her sister's cheek. "You can love anyone you want without worrying about others thinking ill of you."
"Except those damn humans." Zexion mused, looking to the piano where the human boy still played. "They just use it as an excuse to hate up more."
"Well, it's a good thing they don't matter, do they?" Kairi mused. "Some are okay, though. Like Demyx."
The Nekojin smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Yeah; once they cross a few lines and break a couple rules."
The redhead threw him a look. "What does that mean?"
He shook his head. "I don't really know."
"Class starts soon, guys. Let's get out of here." Naminé warned, hopping down from the desk. Kairi and Zexion followed. Halfway to the door, though Zexion turned. The boy on the piano was still playing- a new song that he recognized.
With a quick lope, Zexion made his way to the piano, watching how the keys gave under the boy's careful fingers. "I know this song." He mused, a small smile playing across his lips.
The boy grunted. "Yeah- me too," he said, startling a laugh from Zexion before he looked to the clock. "Well, I have to jet. See you around." He said, tugging a messanger bag onto his shoulder. "You should make up with Demyx, you know."
"How do you know about that?"
The boy turned, smirk spreading across thin lips. "Who doesn't?" he asked before turning to leave.
"Who are you?" Zexion asked.
The boy turned, and a flash of lightning illuminated their features. Blonde hair spiked in every direction, blue eyes that seemed to fit nicely among pale skin and clothes that a human usually avoided. Black and white- all of it. A checkerboard of colors was he. Thin and tall, nearly five foot eight, the boy had a thin line of muscle trailing through arms and legs trained for something other than music.
"I'm Roxas."
And then he left.
...
End notes: Yeah. This story is going to be complicated. You can just feel it can't you? Yeah. I just screwed myself over. I am very aware of this fact. That first part with Marluxia and Demyx? Yeah. Didn't mean to actually put that there. I'm screwed, yet saved. I still had six more chapters to plan out and ran into a corner of three other scenes so this who thing really helped. Moving on, PREVIEW TIME!
February forth marked the start of the apocalypse.
And no- horses weren't cutting off their jockey's heads.
With love,
Updated December 7th, 2009