Alright, so let's throw the ten reviews idea out the window XP
Disclaimer: I do not anything belonging to square enix! I am a mere nobody trying to get a job as a manga editor!
"Hello, is Dr. Fineman available?" Kairi asked as she batted her eyes at the young hospital employee. The man was caught in Kairi's manipulative grasp as he picked up the phone and called Dr. Fineman's office. He hung up the phone saying he would be down in a minute and asked if they needed any drinks or food. Kairi waved her hand and denied the kind gesture as she went back to the seats in the waiting room and sat next to Demyx.
"What'd they say?" Axel asked.
"He'll be down in a bit. Apparently his meeting with Dr. Noviello was longer than he expected."
Axel nodded and went back to apologizing to Roxas about his behavior in the car. Roxas accepted and the two made up with a kiss. Demyx watched and sighed; no one would ever love his horrible body. That's why he always kept up this perfect façade. If anyone ever knew his true self, they would surely ignore him. When Demyx goes back to school, Zexion will ignore him, just like he always has. That bit of kindness he showed was just a fluke. But, why had he kept the water bottle? Demyx looked down into his hands to see that he was indeed still holding the empty drink. Axel looked over and noticed the boy looking at it.
"Hey. Why are you holding that thing? You haven't let go of it since you came to the house," Axel asked as he started to reach for it. "Do you need me to throw it out for you?"
Demyx quickly flinched away and grasped the water bottle close to his chest and shook his head back and forth. Realizing what he had done only after he had done it; Demyx looked back at Axel's confused face and sighed.
"I- I don't want to throw it away," Demyx said as he once again looked at the little water droplets left inside the clear container.
"Why?" Axel asked, knowing he would get an answer.
Demyx would never lie to Axel and Axel would never lie to Demyx. That was their pact ever since they first met, years ago. If Demyx wanted to know something, he would ask Axel and Axel would answer with nothing but the truth. It was the same the other way around. When Axel found out he had feelings for Roxas, Demyx was the only one who knew. Anything that happened to Demyx, Axel would know. That's how it was between the true friends.
"I got it from s-someone," Demyx stuttered. He felt his cheeks heat up. Why was he holding onto the bottle so dearly? No one besides Axel had ever shown this kindness.
"Who?" Axel inquired. Why was Demyx hesitating in telling him? Why was he blushing?
"Z-Zexion Noviello," Demyx said in an almost whisper.
"Zexion!" Axel practically yelled, startling other patients around them who quickly shushed the red haired loud mouth who quickly apologized and lowered his voice. "Zexion?"
"What about my son?" a man said. Demyx and Axel both jumped at the appearance of a large man with the same color hair as Zexion's standing in front of them.
"N-nothing," Axel lied as he put a hand behind his head in embarrassment.
"Well, obviously it's something if you said his name," the man said as his eyes narrowed on the two boys.
"He gave me his water bottle 'cause I wasn't feeling good," Demyx said as he adopted Axel's gesture and shined his faux smile.
"Stop lying. Why were you talking about Zexion?" the man said stiffly as he crossed his arms and stood his ground. Axel and Demyx shared a bewildered look as Demyx went to speak first.
"We aren't lying! It's true! I wasn't feeling good and then Zexion just gave me his water and told me not to get dehydrated!" Demyx argued. He watched as the man's eyes grew big.
"That's… impossible. So he does have emotions," the man hummed, mostly to himself, before looking up at the group of four. "Can I help you in anyway?"
Axel finally took the time to speak up, "Uh, yeah, I'm here to see my father, Dr. Fineman. You must obviously be Dr. Noviello. It's nice to meet you." Axel got up and shook the man's hand.
"Oh, you're Reno's son? I should've known when I saw your red hair. Come," the man said as he turned on his heels and walked towards the elevator.
Axel helped Demyx stand and followed Dr. Noviello. The two knew the drill. Since Demyx obviously doesn't have any sort of insurance, they had to do things behind the scenes. Axel's dad would set up an exam room just for them and keep it a secret. They didn't do it often for various reasons that Axel's dad could go to jail for. They only did it when things got bad. Like now.
"His office is right over there," Dr. Noviello said as he pointed in the direction of the room and started to walk in the opposite direction. Axel thanked him and watched as Demyx leaned against the wall to take a breath without causing any suspicion. Demyx suddenly turned and asked the man to wait. The man stopped and waited for the question.
"How did you know I wasn't lying about Zexion?" Demyx asked. Yes, he hadn't told the whole truth about the situation, but when the man questioned his own son, Demyx became curious. The man chuckled a bit before he answered.
"I was surprised to hear you use such a big word like dehydrated. I knew then that you must have had a run in with my son."
The man then continued to walk away, leaving a stunned Demyx. Demyx squeaked when he felt an arm slowly snake around his waist and grab him. Demyx heard Axel's hearty laugh and accepted the support from his friend. The foursome got to the room and Kairi knocked on the door that said 'Dr. Reno Fineman PHD'. The room opened and revealed a very tall man with long, bright red hair and emerald green eyes—pretty much and identical, older version of Axel. He wore a lab coat and his hair was tied back in a professional manner. Kairi ran and hugged the man. Reno moved himself and his daughter over so the two were out of Axel and Demyx's way. After Roxas had made his way inside, he closed the door behind them.
"Lock the door," Reno's voice rang throughout the silent room. Roxas did as he was told and then leaned against the wall next to Kairi. Inside the office, there was a chair behind a desk and single chair in front. The desk was littered with paper and among the rubbage was the form of what looked to be a laptop. The phone was off the hook and on its side—an occasional beep coming from its core. Reno had pulled the chair out and sat Demyx on it. The other chair was used to put a bag full of medical tools on. Reno dug through the bag and brought out a stethoscope. He motioned for Axel to join the other two. Axel nodded and walked over to Roxas and laid his arm around the shorter teen and pulling him closer.
The two watched as Reno listened to Demyx's heartbeat and counted the time. When he was satisfied with that, he then proceeded to find the area of the break. He moved the two chairs around and had Demyx lay his feet on the other chair, so he was now lying perfectly horizontal. Reno took off Demyx's jacket and began to search the boy. His hands probed and prodded around the boy's chest till Demyx winced at a certain spot. Reno turned and wrote it down a clipboard next to his leg. This continued till Reno was done checking. He stood up and told Demyx to sit up. Demyx did as he was told as Reno dug through his bag and pulled out gauze and medical tape and began to bandage the boy's body.
"You have two fractured ribs. You also have some internal bleeding but it has already begun to clot. Your wounds are not as bad as I thought they would be, but it's still a good thing that Axel brought you." Reno finished bandaging the boy and helped him put his jacket back on. "You're bandages need to be changed at least once a day. Axel can help you dress it at school. Speaking of school, you should probably get some more of Kairi's makeup for your face, too. Now, I have an urgent operation waiting for me. Axel, you know the way to the exit. Oh, and Demyx?" Reno gently pulled the dirty blond boy into a hug. "You really should tell someone about this," Reno whispered in his ear before letting him go and helping him get steady in Axel's arms. "Good luck, boys!"
Then group watched as Reno opened the door and passed a wave to everyone before disappearing around the corner. The silence in the group was disrupted by Demyx's slight cough.
"Thanks, Ax," Demyx said.
"No problem, Dem. Now, let's get you home. And by home, I mean my house."
The group slowly headed to the car. Kairi and Roxas helped get Demyx in the car and put his seatbelt on. The ride home was equally silent till they were all inside the house and sitting in the living room.
"So, what now?" Roxas asked. "Why was Demyx so beaten up?"
Demyx froze up before answering with a faux smile unknown to everyone but Axel. "Um, well, my dad… he gets mad sometimes. And I'm really clumsy so I fell down the stairs."
Axel sighed at the inevitable lie that came from Demyx's lips. The beating had been happening since Demyx lost his mother a couple years ago. Ever since the first bruise, Demyx has had to lie his way through these years. He soon became a habitual liar and it takes a lot for him to take out the truth and set it on the table for everyone to see.
"Dem, you don't have to tell him if you don't want to…" Axel began, earning himself a displeased look from his boyfriend.
"Axel, I'm your freaking boyfriend, for Christ's sake! I don't want any secrets! I'm sorry if I'm sounding demanding Demyx, but I am just so confused right now. Why is this one huge secret and I'm not allowed to know?" Roxas yelled.
Demyx and Axel shared a look and Roxas watched, his eyes widening a bit, as Demyx's light smile turned into his real frown and he nodded his head in a silent agreement with the red head. Kairi stood from where she sat next to Roxas and headed upstairs to her room. Axel turned to his boyfriend and took a deep breath.
"Rox, Demyx's dad abuses him. Hits, kicks, punches, knives, anything you could think of, he has taken to Demyx. You see, when Demyx was ten years old, his mother died. Ever since then, his dad has been taking his anger out on his son." Axel took another breath and looked into Roxas' eyes, a total seriousness on his face that made Roxas wonder what he is going to say next. "The Demyx you know is not the real Demyx."
"W-what?" Roxas cracked a smile, mistaking it for a joke. "How could Demyx not be Demyx? He's hyper, bouncy, always… smiling…" Roxas soon realized what he meant and his smile fell to a concerned frown. He turned to the dirty blond and asked, "Is this true?"
"I-I have to lie. I can't let people know the truth! They will think of me as gross and disgusting! Did you see the scars that littered my body? Do you know the pain I have gone through!" Demyx attempted to stand, but was too weak and merely sat on the couch, his eyes burning with a flame of intense hatred for himself.
"Demyx, you're not gross or disgusting. Just because your dad does that to you doesn't mean you are messed up. Demyx, why don't you tell anyone?"
When Roxas asked the question, Demyx blew. He stood up, not caring how much anger he was in, he wanted them all to know. He wanted the questions to stop, the lying to end, the hiding to cease. He wished someone in the world would care about him and see him for who he really was.
"Do you want to know why I don't tell anyone? I don't tell anyone because then I would have to live with someone else! Most likely, my uncles who live 27 hours away!" Demyx yelled. Axel was already at his side and attempting to push him down while Roxas stared at the flaming blue eyes. He had never heard nor seen him get so angry before.
Roxas began to feel himself get angry. How could Demyx be so selfish? Just because he would have to move away, doesn't mean that the world is going to end. Yeah, he would have to go to a new school, but he could make new friends and not be beaten every night by his dad.
"Why!" Roxas yelled back. Axel's emerald eyes sent a glare toward the speaker before turning back to the angry Demyx.
"Why! Because then I won't have Axel! I can't imagine my life without him! If he were to suddenly leave my side, I-I don't know what I would do Roxas! I love him just as much as you do, but you got to him first," Demyx whispered the last line and everyone watched the dirty blond fall to his knees as soft sobs racked his body.
Axel stared at Demyx, his face was void of all emotion. The new information still ringing in his ears and his boyfriend's wide eyed stare burning on the back of his neck. Axel silently excused himself and took Roxas by the hand. The two stopped at the foot of the stairs and saw that Kairi had tears of her own falling down her face. Kairi had known Demyx just as long as Axel had. Axel nodded toward the crying blond and Kairi ran to the fallen boy while Axel and Roxas went outside to talk.
"Shh," Kairi hushed Demyx as she held him in her arms. For one thing, she knew that the boy never cried and what he just said must have taken a lot out of him. Second, she knew that after the beating he had today, he was going to be exhausted. When Demyx's sobs began to recede, she looked down into his face and saw that his eyes were beginning to close.
"Come on. Let's get you upstairs and into bed."
Kairi helped the injured boy up and let him lean on her shoulder. While the blue eyed boy drifted on and off during their walk, Kairi saw Axel and Roxas outside, kissing.[1] She smiled and was glad nothing happened to their relationship with this, but when she looked down at Demyx's battered form, she felt herself frown and tears well up in her eyes.
By the time she laid him down on the bed, he was practically out. Kairi went to walk out of the room when a hand lightly grasped her shirt. She looked back and saw Demyx's eyes were filled with worry and regret.
"I-Is Roxas, okay? How about Axel? Are they still…" Demyx left the last line to be filled. He deeply regretted his outburst and could not believe that he had told his deepest secret. And in front of the one he had loved, no less!
"No, they are just fine. I saw them making up outside on our way up here. Demyx, how come you never told him that you liked him?" Kairi asked as she set her hand on the boy's head and began to pet his hair.
"I was worried that it would ruin our relationship. But, I don't know what came over me to say that out loud. And in front of his own boyfriend, no less. See, I told you. I'm dirty and disgusting. I'm no better than my own father."
The slap rang out across the room and the silence that followed afterward was even louder. Kairi's face was stern and her eyes looked onto Demyx's. Anger and pity reigned over her orbs and a tear slowly trickled down Demyx's blue eye before it was swiftly wiped off by the girl.
"Demyx. You are nothing like your father. Your father is a heartless bastard who could care less about anyone around him. As for you, even though you put up a great façade, at least half of the fake you, is real. You're caring, kind, thoughtful, wondrous, and not to mention, gay!"
Demyx let out a real smile for the first time in a while. His lips moved had on their own and his tears now cascaded down his face. Kairi hugged the boy till his now happy tears receded and he wiped the remains away. For once, someone other than Axel had told him how much was true. Maybe, he should reveal his true self to everyone else? Demyx immediately froze up in Kairi's arms. She backed up a bit and looked into his face.
"Demyx? Are you okay?" her voice laced with concern.
"No. I can't tell everyone. They will all hate me. Just like father always says. I'm worthless; no one could ever love me. Kairi, your eyes are filled with pity," Demyx's cold gaze shot straight into Kairi's own confused face. "Get out. GET OUT!" Demyx screeched as he gripped at his ears and tried to stop the voices.
Worthless piece of shit.
You're nothing but a waste of space.
Pathetic piece of trash.
His father's words played over and over in his minds. Demyx curled into a ball and leaned against the bed's frame. He shut his eyes tight and attempted to will away the tempters. They played over and over, how could Kairi have said something like that? Pity was the one of the reasons why Demyx didn't tell anyone his secrets.
"Demy? Demy, look at me. It's Aerith, Axel's mother. I want you to will them away. They don't control you. They are just a figment of your imagination. No one here is going to pity you, no one is going to hurt you, and no one is going to do anything. I promise."
At the last line, Demyx opened his eyes and stared into Aerith's own. Her age showed slightly as she smiled her pearly white teeth and the wrinkles became evident. Her hands grasped his own and his tears immediately subsided.
"Are you okay now, Demy?" Aerith asked with a smile. Demyx put on his faux one and nodded his head.
"Yup, all better."
"Don't pull that fake smile stuff with me, young man. I need a real smile, or else I'm not leaving," Aerith frowned and easily saw through Demyx's act. After all, she had known Demyx as long as Axel had. She had even created the nickname, Demy, the Axel used ever so often. She leaned back and crossed her arms. Her eyes were blazing with a motherly power and Demyx felt himself begin to shake. There was no way that he could hide from such an intimidating woman.
"Y-yes ma'am," he said as he lifted the corner of his lips and smiled at his second mother. He leaned in to hug her, but found that he was restrained by his injuries. He hissed in pain and glared at his ribs, hoping he could barbeque them.
"Oh, dear. Looks like you're going to need a good night's rest in order to get those bones back to perfect health," Aerith leaned down and kissed the boy's head as she helped him get under the covers. Every bone in Demyx's body seemed to ache in pain but he could endure it, he had been through a lot worse.
"Thanks, Aerith."
"No problem. By the way, Axel says that he will talk to you in the morning," Aerith said. Demyx gave her a confused look as she continued, "I'm not letting him in the room till I deem you well enough to see him. He's standing outside of the door, just to let you know. Roxas also went home, and he said to tell you that he is sorry for what he said and…" Aerith drifted off in thought.
"And to get better!" Axel voice yelled from the other side of the door.
Demyx opened his mouth to argue but was promptly shut up when a hand covered his mouth. Aerith shook her head and kissed his once morning.
"In the morning. Now go to sleep or I will have to get the chloroform out."
Demyx shook his head as another real smile came out. They just kept coming today didn't they? As he heard the door close, his mind reeled with everything that had happened today. Finally, the face of a blue eyed, slate haired boy came into his mind.
Zexion Noviello.
Demyx drifted off to sleep as dreams about the kind boy who showed him slight pity with a slight sense of uncaring.
[1] What do you think happened to make the couple get back together? My beta DreamingDaxern says "They had an argument and Axel forced the kiss and Roxy decided not to leave :)" What do you think happened?
Sorry this chappy was so short! I just wanted to finish this before the school year was over cause I usually type out my stories on the computors in the library during study hall! Thank you to all those who have read this so far!
Review for fun!