Hey I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a crazy schedule trying to study for exam sand get everything ready for uni. And I had writers block for a while. Hope you can forgive me Rated only for the language at the start. Otherwise it's pretty clean.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

CHAPTER TWO- The Man across the Hallway

"Come on, you stupid fucking door! Open!" Demyx yelled, kicking the piece of wood.

He'd been trying to open the door to his apartment for the past hour. He groaned in frustration, pulled his key out and tried again. It turned halfway in the lock and stopped. The blonde groaned and kicked the door again.

"Piece of shit apartment." he growled leaning against the wall.

He heard footsteps down the hallway and looked up to ask for help when he realised who it was. Axel. He turned back to the door and tried again.

Please open door, he pleaded silently as the key stuck in the lock again.

"Need some help?" the red head asked, stopping behind Demyx.

"No, I'm fine." the blonde replied, shaking the handle. The door still didn't open. Demyx groaned.

"Here." The red head said, taking the key from the blonde.

His skin was rough compared to the blondes, alluding to the physical work he did every day. Demyx felt his face flush with heat as Axel's hand lingered for a moment, before sitting the key in the lock at an angel. The movement cause him to press closer to Demyx, who flushed a darker red.

"There's a little trick with this door. The key can't go in straight." he explained.

Demyx groaned. Of course he'd get stuck with a key to an apartment that had to go in like him; not straight. Axel turned the handle and pushed the door open, pulling the key out as he did.

"Thanks." Demyx said, turning to take the key back.

Axel's face fell a little when he noticed who it was that he was helping. He recovered, noting the pink colour of the blonde's cheeks and smiled. He held his hand out.

"I'm Axel. A. X. E. L. Got it memorised?" he introduced himself. Demyx shook his hand.

"Demyx." he said, "Thanks again."

The blonde took his key back and walked inside his apartment. He closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't like to admit it, but the red head made him nervous. He walked into the makeshift kitchen in the apartment and dropped his keys into a bowl full of bits and pieces on the bench beside the refrigerator. He opened the fridge and reached for a bottle of water, and noticed his hand shaking. He'd been rattled by the encounter by reason's he couldn't explain to himself. There was one thing that always calmed him down. Playing his sitar. He got the instrument from his bedroom, folded himself into to single lounge chair and began to strum a slow tune. After a while, he felt his eyes begin to droop closed, and he slumped back into the lounge. The room went dark and Demyx found himself standing in a dark alley.

It was raining heavily, and the blonde squinted into the darkness, trying to work out where he was. He saw a movement up ahead. His higher reasoning told him to leave, but his curiosity won out and he took a few steps forward. He knew he shouldn't have walked in there. He knew he should have just walked past and continued on home, but he couldn't help himself. As he moved further into the alley, lightning flashed above and illuminated a scene in front of him. As soon as he saw the three people standing in a half circle above someone lying on the ground, he knew it was a dream. And he knew he had to get out of there. He couldn't relive that night. Not again. He tried to force his eyes open, but to no avail. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wake up.

The alley went dark, and then lightning flashed again. The three people were looking at him. Demyx's heart pumped harder and faster, drowning out all other sounds. He was frozen. Darkness, then brief light, and they were on him. A hand went around the blonde's throat and he gasped for breath. Something cold, thin, and slick with a substance he guess was blood was pushed under his chin. The lightning flashed, illuminating the sinister look on the captors face and the knife at his neck. Demyx felt the blade moving slowly against his skin. His breathing was coming out in short, heavy breaths. The alley went dark and he felt the grip on his neck and the blade leave. He sucked in a deep breath of chilly air.

And sat up. He was covered in a sheen of sweat and his breathing was heavy. His eyes were finally open, revealing the surroundings of his living room. The clock on the wall said it was midnight. The window overlooking the street was open and blowing in a chilly breeze. Demyx shot up off the lounge and slammed it shut. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling with the feeling of being watched, but the blonde passed them off as being reminiscent from his dream. But, just in case, he closed the curtains with shaky hands. He knew he wasn't going to get back to sleep until he calmed down, and there was only one thing that could do that.

Demyx sat back down on the lounge and picked up his sitar off the floor. He slid his left hand up the neck of the instrument to sit on a few chords and began to strum a new tune. It was gentle, and as he played an image of the red-head across the hall flashed in his mind. Demyx immediately stopped playing. What was with that? He started playing his new idea for a love song and Axel came into his head. The blonde shook his head to dispel the image. He didn't even have time to react to that when there was a knock at the door. He put his sitar down against the lounge and walked to answer the door. He thanked God for peep holes because he had that few seconds before opening the door to prepare for his visitor.

"Hey, I know it's late, but uh, do you have any sugar?"

Axel was standing in front of Demyx's apartment wearing only a pair of black pyjama pants, scratching the back of his spiky red head. Demyx had to drag his eyes away from the red heads chest and look up at his face. He didn't mind that view either.

"Yeah, sure. Come on in." He said, stepping back to give Axel room. He closed the door behind his guest and headed into the kitchen.

"How long have you been in this apartment?" Axel asked from the living room.

Great, he noticed the boxes, Demyx thought, conjuring up the image of all the stuff he hadn't been bothered to unpack.

"A couple of months." He called back, foraging through his cupboards for a container. He could hear Axel moving around in the other room. No doubt his police instincts were taking over and so he was investigating every surface.

Demyx walked out carrying the container full of sugar. Axel was examining his sitar.

"I had that custom made for my 21st." He said, standing behind Axel.

"It's nice." The red head commented, "I heard you playing earlier. You're good."

"Thanks, but the biggest crowd I've played in front of was my graduating class at my High School Graduation." Demyx said, "Here's the sugar."

He held the container out to Axel, trying not to stare too long at the bare chest, who took it with a thanks.

"Well, I should get going. You probably want to sleep." Axel said, heading towards the door.

"Yeah." Demyx lied. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep again after his dream.

"I'll see you around." Axel said, almost like a promise. Demyx almost shivered at the thought of seeing Axel again. Especially half naked.

The blonde smiled as the red head left. He locked his front door and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, noting that he always seemed to be on guard when axel was around. He put it down to the fact that the red head was an officer and Demyx's own history. Little did he know, there was a deeper reason.

The cafe was quiet as Demyx stood in front of the counter, his head resting on his palm and his elbow resting on the counter. After axel had left him last night, Demyx hadn't been able to sleep. He had tossed and turned for hours in his bed, thinking of the red head. He had though his dream would keep him up, but he had forgotten all about that once the image of the man who lived across the hall way was in his head. He'd even tried playing his sitar to put him to sleep, but ended up finishing a song. At least one good thing came out of that night. No, make that two. Seeing Axel half naked was definitely a good thing.

Demyx's eyes drooped to slits, his surroundings blurred, and his head exploded with pain. Demyx opened his eyes and sat up slowly, holding his head.

"Are you okay?" Jade asked, walking around the counter. Demyx looked up at his boss, realising he was on the floor.

"Yeah, I think I just banged my head on the counter." He replied, pulling himself up, with the help of the counter top.

"Ooh, that looks bad." Jade said, eyeing the bump forming on the blonde's forehead.

Demyx reached a hand up to touch his head, and winced when he found the lump.

"I'll get some ice." Jade offered, walking into the back room.

Demyx stood in front of the coffee maker to try and see the damage on his forehead. The small window of glass didn't give anything away, so Demyx just hoped Jade was over exaggerating when she said it looked bad. Jade came back out with some ice wrapped in a small towel. Demyx thanked her and held the cloth to his head, wincing at the temperature, and then sighing at how good it felt. After a few minutes he pulled it away and asked Jade how it looked.

"Worse. There's a bruise." She said sympathetic yet slightly amused.

"Great." Demyx murmured, putting the ice back on his head.

He made himself a cup of hot chocolate and sipped at it, waiting for customers to come in. Hot chocolate to Demyx was like coffee to the police force. He smiled, thinking of his red headed friend. The bell above the door tinkled, signalling that a customer had come it. Demyx put his cup down and straightened away from the counter. He shoved the make-shift ice pack away from view, hoping the lump on his forehead didn't show too much.

"What happened to your head?" Axel asked as he stood in front of Demyx. There goes that hope.

"I fell." Demyx answered simply.

He was about to ask what Axel wanted when the red heads hand snaked out and caught Demyx's chin. He tilted the blondes head slightly, trying to get a better look, which brought Demyx's lips closer to Axels. The blonde's heart pounded as he thought about Axel's lips on his own. He watched Axel, waiting to see what he did. Axel slanted his head slightly, and Demyx's heart kicked up a beat. His eyes focused on the red heads lips. The cafe faded around Demyx. There was no sound. Only Axel's lips moving closer.

"Couldn't get enough of my coffee, could you?"

As soon as it had started, it finished. Jade's voice was like a cold bucket of water on the situation. Axel released Demyx's chin and looked at his sister.

"Demyx made my coffee yesterday, not you." he said with a playful smile, "So..." He turned to Demyx.

"Uh... what can I do for you today, sir?" Demyx asked, hoping his voice didn't sound as husky to Axel as it did to him.

"Demyx, we're on a first name basis. Call me Axel."

Jade moved to the second register and served the person behind Axel. And that's when the blonde noticed that the red head had come with his partner. He blushed at the thought of what had almost happened in front of Axel's co-worker.

"Okay, what can I get you, Axel?" he asked.

"The usual." the red head replied.

Demyx nodded and turned to get Axel's coffee. Jade was flirting with the other officer.

"I told you I'd see you." Axel said softly when Demyx turned back around, loud enough so only the blonde could hear. He paid for the coffee and smiled. "Thanks. See you later."

He turned and followed his partner out.

"Hey Axel," He turned to face his sister, " Don't forget my party this weekend. Invite your partner." She said with a smile. Axel rolled his eyes and waved goodbye as he left the cafe.

"Have fun flirting?" Demyx asked Jade with a grin. He picked up his hot chocolate and continued drinking it.

"I could say the same thing about you and my brother." She replied with a smile.

Demyx almost spat his mouthful out. He managed to swallow before choking out "What are you talking about?" Jade just gave him a knowing smile and walked into the back room. Demyx groaned and tried to forget his boss's words. However, the more he tried more images of Axel and him together popped into his head. Including the almost kiss. What did it mean? Was Axel as interested in Demyx as he was in Axel? Or was it all the blondes imagination?

A/N sorry it took so long to get up. I've been busy. So what do you guys think? I want to get into Axel and Demyx's relationship kinda quickly so all the fun can start Tell me what you think of it

R & R please :D