A/N: This has taken so long to get out and I'm really sorry! I had it all written and pretty and then the stupid techies took my laptop to update it. Not only does the filter on my computer stay on, now, but the word documents I had up weren't saved. They just shut down my computer, no recovery, nothing. I had this entire story written and for got to click that little square button after four pages. I had six pages written, now (March 11th), I have two. Suffice to say, I'm pissed and frustrated. The next might not take as long….

Now, about the filter: I can't go on Fanfiction, Yahoo, Gaia, LiveJournal, Aarin Fantasy, Manga Fox, or any of the sites that I live on. Luckily, I know how to get around the filter, but don't tell anybody~ ^^ I hate my school, though…

-_____________________-***

Anyway, I finally have a plot for this story. It's been almost six months and I know where I want to go with it. I'm excited~

Story Title: Set in Stone

Chapter: Say Anything

Words: 3534

(Chapter) Pairings: Zemyx, AkuRoku

Warnings: Language, BL, Blood

Disclaimer: Do not own.

Song(s) to Listen to: The Unwinding Cable Car – Anberlin;; Coma White – Marilyn Manson

Chapter 3 –

"Rox, it was a dream. You even talked to her. And, how many days ago was that?" Axel says, throwing his arm haphazardly across his blonde boyfriend's shoulders. They walk down a starlit boulevard, running into each other, occasionally, talking about nothing and thinking about everything.

"I know, Axel. It doesn't change the fact that I'm royally creeped out. I mean, how would you feel if you had a nightmare about your best friend dying?" Roxas returns, glaring slightly up at Axel.

"Chill, chill. I'm just sayin'!" He defends himself, laughing lightly. Roxas smirks, half-heartedly and ducks out from under Axel's arm. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his khaki cargos and turns to face the redhead.

"Wha'd'you think it means, though?" He asks, seriously, cocking his head to the side. Axel continues to walk forward, slipping his arms around Roxas's waist and finally stopping. The blonde hooks his arms casually around Axel's neck. A few cars pass and the two just look at each other.

"I think…" Axel starts, kissing Roxas lightly on the lips. "It means that you're… a paranoid schizophrenic." he finishes, smiling. Roxas frowns and slaps Axel on the side of the head, though not moving away from him.

"I'm serious, Axel," he deadpans, narrowing his eyes at the redhead.

"I know, but you need to calm down. It was a dream, it's not real, Nami's fine," he persuades, cocking a cherry red eyebrow. Roxas shakes his head.

"Have you ever had a dream like that, Ax? It's scary."

"I haven't Roxas, and I don't doubt that it was scary, but you need to let it go," Axel replies, rubbing the blonde's back soothingly.

"It was all too real, Axel. I can't shake the feeling that something like that's gonna happen, in real life," Roxas returns, leaning in and resting his head on his boyfriend's chest.

"Nothing will, Roxas. What can I do to convince you?" Axel sighs, kissing the top of Roxas's head. The blonde doesn't reply. Axel's next exhale comes out as an exasperated sigh. He moves one of his hands to Roxas's chin and tilts his head up. Bright green eyes bore into blue and Axel kisses him softly on the lips.

For a second, all of Roxas's woes are forgotten and he sighs. Axel has always had that effect on him. The redhead pulls away and looks down at the blonde.

"Now, love, what're you worried about?" He asks softly. Roxas blushes lightly.

"I… Don't remember…" He replies. Axel smiles and kisses him again, this time a bit more forceful.

"And, are you going to remember and start worrying, again?" He continues, eyebrows quirked, after he pulls away.

"N-no," the blonde breathes. Axel holds back a chuckle.

'He's such a manipulating bastard!' Roxas screams in his head, but he knows his words are false. He loves Axel with all his heart, and then some; he'd never think of truly insulting his redhead.

As if nothing had happened, Axel grabs Roxas's hand and pulls him along, again.

"I want ice cream," he announces randomly. The blonde rolls his eyes.

"We have ice cream at home," Roxas says dully.

"But I don't wanna wait until we get home!" Axel whines, tugging on his boyfriend's hand like a little kid.

"Oh, shut up, you big baby," Roxas returns. Axel adapts a mock-hurt look.

"And I thought you loved me!" He says dramatically, ripping his hand away from Roxas's and turning his back. Roxas knows it's all just a ploy to get what he wants, but he falls for it every time; there's just no way he can see his redhead so dejected.

Roxas slips his arms around Axel's waist and rests his head on the other's back.

"I do love you, Axel," he sighs.

"Then, why'd you call me a baby?"

'Because you are one.' Is Roxas's immediate sarcastic response.

"I don't know, Ax. I'm sorry," he returns, cursing himself for following Axel's plan.

"Can we go get ice cream to prove it?" Roxas internally groans.

"Of course," he says, though his head is screaming 'NO!'.

They walk down that starlit boulevard again, running into each other, occasionally, talking about nothing and thinking about everything. Like how Roxas is completely and totally wrapped around Axel's bony finger.

The redhead throws his arm haphazardly across his boyfriend's shoulder and holds him close as they walk into a nearby convenience store to buy some sea salt ice cream pops. (And some soda, and a few bags of chips, and a new pair of sunglasses, even though the sun rarely shines here at Hollow Bastian.)

[.o.O.o.]

Even with the power off, the alarm clock goes off in the morning with an annoying, blaring, beep. Zexion somehow manages to get his arm from under Demyx's head to hit the snooze button without waking the blonde up. Zexion looks at the blinking red letters and wonders why he wakes up so God-damned early every day. It's five o'clock and his first class isn't until nine.

The only thing he ever does in the morning is drink coffee and watch infomercials. With an internal groan, Zexion shuts off the alarm and snuggles back into Demyx's arms. Unbeknownst to the bookworm, the blonde smiles widely and 'unconsciously' wraps his arms tighter around his little lover.

[.o.O.o.]

Around midnight, Axel and Roxas make it back to their apartment. Both are a little too far gone with exhaustion to make it to their bedroom and end up collapsing on the couch in a heap of limbs that would've been rather suggestive had they not been fully clothed.

By seven twenty that morning, Zexion finds them in that same position as he leaves his room to make some coffee, his hair sticking up and defying gravity, some strands soaking wet, others just damp. Demyx had woken him at six thirty and persuaded him to take a shower with the blonde, which turned into a heated make out session and an almost-sex scene. They had to cut it short, though, because Demyx's first class was at eight and seven twenty was cutting it close for a shower – especially when he still had to do his hair. (As it turns out - though they don't know it, yet – this morning routine will be repeated over and over and over again…)

So, Zexion walks past them, as if they aren't even there (because sometimes it's best to just ignore people) and he continues on to the kitchen to make himself a nice hot pot of coffee. Unfortunately for him, the power is still out. With a frustrated sigh, Zexion walks back out to the living room and tosses himself into an armchair. He starts to drift off when he feels a pair of lips brush across his forehead. He barely registers what's happening before he hears the door click shut and lock with finality.

'I love you, Dem," he calls in his head, hoping by some magic, Demyx will hear him. With a sigh, he stands and nudges Axel's shoulder to wake him up. He dares not to touch Axel's blonde, knowing that such a taboo would get him eaten by said redhead.

"Hey, Ax, you might want to wake up…" He mumbles, though his friend is still unresponsive. Sighing, Zexion leans down and switches to Plan Z. "Axel, Roxas left you for the ice cream vendor!" Zexion says into his ear. Not even a split second after the words leave his lips, Axel rockets up and wraps his arms tightly around Roxas, the blonde in question letting out a small scream and smacking Axel on the head.

"MINE!" Axel yells, clutching Roxas to his chest and practically smothering him.

"Axel! LET. ME. GO!" The blonde exclaims, trying in vain to wiggle out of his arms. Axel just wraps his arms tighter around him and rambles something about 'that no-good-dirty-rotten-Roxas-stealing-son-of-a-bitch'.

"Sorry, Roxas, he wouldn't wake up," Zexion says, sheepishly, slowly backing out of the living room and to his own room to get ready.

[.o.O.o.]

Two weeks later, with The Blaqk Year blasting in his ears, Zexion makes his way slowly to the usual café after his last class of the day. The music plays through his ears, but, still, the only person on his mind is Demyx. He is so hopelessly in love, it hurts. Zexion lets out a loud gasp as somebody covers his eyes. He freezes and rips his headphones from his ears. He calms down enough to breathe and realizes that he recognizes the scent of the person behind him.

"Marly, you have until the count of three to get the fuck away from me," he mutters, darkly. "One… Two… Th…" The hands pull away from his eyes and he hears a nervous chuckle from behind him. The slate-haired teenager turns around and glares at his pink-haired friend.

"What's crackalackin', Zexy?" Marluxia asks, smiling. Without a second thought, Zexion stands up on his tiptoes and whacks Marluxia over the head, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"Don't you fucking scare me like that, you douche bag," he says icily, turning on his heel and walking again.

"Sorry, Zex. Where're ya headed?"

"The café to meet Demyx," he replies, curtly. A sigh escapes Marluxia's lips.

"Why so serious, Sexy Zexy?" At this, the chibi-librarian whirls around, stopping, and glares daggers at his pink-haired friend.

"First of all, Marluxia: my name is Zex-i-on. Secondly, stop quoting The Dark Knight – especially The Joker. You may find yourself in some unwanted company," he hisses, turning around again and walking away. Marluxia looks around cautiously to see two rather rabid fangirl-looking students glaring at him. He turned around, his eyes wide, and made his way back to his own campus.

[.o.O.o.]

"Ple-" A rather flustered girl starts before she is cut off by a small teenager sliding into the booth next to the blonde she is confessing to. Her eyes widen marginally as said small teenager presses a quick kiss to the blonde's cheek and takes the second coffee sitting on the table.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" The blonde asks with a soft smile.

"I- Oh, um… N-nothing," she stutters, turning on her heel and walking away. Zexion looks at his boyfriend with his eyebrows raised.

"Who was that?" He asks, his voice flat.

"Just some girl. It doesn't matter – I have you, anyway," Demyx returns, slipping an arm around Zexion's waist and pulling him close. Zexion smiles and blushes a lovely shade of red, curling his hands around his Styrofoam cup and leaning against Demyx.

"How were your classes?" Zexion asks after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Pretty decent, I guess. I'm so glad you suggested that I drop Politics; Theory is soooo much fun!" Zexion smirks triumphantly.

"Told you so," he says, mock-cockily, turning his head and leaning up to kiss Demyx lightly on the lips.

"Ha. Ha. How was your day?" The blonde retaliates, a smirk present on his lips.

"It was a day," Zexion replies, lifting his cup to his lips and taking a long drink of black coffee.

"Can I make it an amazing day?" Demyx offers, the smirk growing.

"How are you going to do that?" The slate-haired teenager asks, looking up at Demyx with his eyebrows raised.

"We can go back to the apartment and… finish what we were doing this morning…" He leans down and finishes his suggestion with a husky mumble in Zexion's ear. The shorter of the two shivers unconsciously, quite delighted by the idea.

"I don't have work tonight…" Zexion says, smiling. "I'd say that's a smashing idea, Watson," he remarks, sticking his tongue out at Demyx before taking another drink of his coffee. "We need to go shopping, though; I'm out of coffee," he adds, after he swallows.

"And I need cookies," Demyx replies with a laugh. "We'll go after this."

"You do not need cookies, Dem," Zexion says, looking up at Demyx with an incredulous look plastered on his face. The blond frowns.

"I do so," he argues back, childishly. Zexion can't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Oh! So, how 'bout I already have an epic project in my Calculus class."

"Already? But, it's still so early in the semester…"

"I know, right? And this kid in my class was all, like: 'Dude, nu-uh! It's too early, y'know?'. And the professor – Oh, Gods, Zex, you shoulda seen his face! – was all indignant and he goes 'you'll do this project if you're told to'. I had to force myself not to laugh."

"At least, you have some semi-interesti-"

"EVERYBODY ON THE FLOOR!" A sudden voice screams, the glass door of the café shattering as it slips off its hinges and slams into the wall beside it. Zexion gasps, his eyes growing wider, and wider, and he shoves himself away from Demyx and pushes his boyfriend under the table. "NOBODY MOVE!" The voice continues, and Zexion hears a gun cocking and he freezes, his eyes wandering upwards to see a pistol aimed right at his face.

Already, outside, there are police cars, their sirens wailing, and their lights flashing wildly. This man… Zexion swear he has seen him before. That hair – the unmistakable soft color of it… Those eyes – a shade of gray not unlike his own.

"Long time, no see, Zexion," the gunman says, a grin growing across his face. Then, it clicks. Zexion knows where he has seen this man, before.

"I-ienzo…" He stutters, his eyes still wide.

"Tell me, Zexy: What have you been up to, since I left?" Zexion remains speechless, his hands visibly shaking on the table. He hopes that Ienzo hasn't seen Demyx. "Miss me that much?" Ienzo asks, a sadistic grin on his lips. The pistol inches closer to Zexion's head and he squeezes his eyes shut. He can smell the metal of the gun, of the bullets… He can almost sense the bullets buzzing in excitement to hit whatever their chosen target may be. "I'm not going to shoot you, Zexion. But, them… Oh, them, I'm not so sure…" He pulls the gun from Zexion's line of view and waves it in the direction of the rest of the people in the café. Zexion flinches. "Still a bit twitchy, are we?" Zexion still doesn't speak.

"Why won't you say something? Say something, damn it!" The gun is now pointed at the head of the girl behind the counter – whom Zexion now recognizes as the girl from the library. Even if he didn't like her, her life wasn't something to throw away. "I'll make you say something!" Ienzo barks, and Zexion sees his finger tighten on the trigger. Yuffie's eyes widen and Zexion can see her shaking. Still, his vocal chords won't work. Ienzo growls and stalks over to the counter, grabbing the girl by her black ponytail and yanking her head back. Yuffie lets out a small scream as the gun is pressed against her jaw. "Say something, Zexion!"

"STOP IT!" Zexion is finally able to say something, well, scream something. "Let her go!" He says, slipping out of the booth and standing. His comparison to Ienzo is pitiful. The other man stands a good six inches above him, almost as severe as Demyx's comparison in height. Ienzo looks like he has muscles and can at least stand a fight. Zexion, however, was thin and scrawny and he really didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell against anybody.

"Well, now, the mouse finally speaks…"

"What do you have against me? What did I do that you have to take it out on them? You're the one that made me who I am! You're the one that left me! Don't take anything out on them!" Zexion rants, frantically. Ienzo growls. He lets go of Yuffie and she drops to the ground next to another employee who wraps her arms around the girl and tries to comfort her. Ienzo then proceeds to stalk over to Zexion and tower over him.

"Zexy, Zexy, Zexy… You never understood, did you?" Zexion starts to shake even more violently as the pistol traces along his bare arm. Outside, the police swarm around the entrance, all armed with their own guns.

"PUT DOWN THE GUN!" One of them yells, pointing it directly at Ienzo.

"Make me!" The gunman replies, snarling, a sadistic grin making its way across his face, once more. In a flash, he wraps his arm around Zexion's neck and holds the barrel to the slate-haired teen's cheek. Zexion grimaces at how much the cold metal hurts.

"DROP THE GUN!" The policeman yells, again. Ienzo tsks and does as they police say. They move to come into the building, but Ienzo pulls out a knife, now. He holds it to the side of Zexion's neck and the captive leans away from the blade, a look of pure terror on his face.

"LET HIM GO!" A new voice yells and Zexion has to resist crying out loud. Demyx appears, as if out of nowhere. Zexion struggles against Ienzo, only to have the knife pressed further against his neck. By now, half of the police are in the café and there are now news crews outside.

"And who's this, Zexy?" Ienzo muses, leaning down and running his tongue over Zexion's ear. This time, Zexion does cry out, still trying to get away from Ienzo. He feels like the broken little boy he had been, before. Right now, he isn't in college, and he doesn't have a boyfriend, and his father isn't in jail. Right now, he is ten years old, again, and he is playing games in his backyard with Ienzo and Luxord, completely carefree, but the bruises on his body are visible because he's only wearing shorts and a tank top.

"You know who he is. Speak!" Ienzo commands, the knife sliding rather close to his jugular vein. Zexion tries to keep his erratic breaths shallow.

"D-demyx…" He rasps, his body shaking too much to produce a steady sound.

"Ah… Who is he to you?" Ienzo asks, contemplatively tapping the knife against Zexion's throat. The slate-haired teen debates about what to say. "Tell me, trash!"

"…"

"Tell me, or he's gonna die," Ienzo hisses, switching the knife to the hand that belongs to the arm wrapped around Zexion's neck, still. He leans down to pick up the gun, Zexion forced to go with him for fear of being choked. The gunman aims the pistol in Demyx's direction. The blonde's expression doesn't change; he looks positively pissed, and the gun isn't making him change one bit. Still, Demyx doesn't move and Zexion tries to gather enough air to speak, again.

"H-he's my boy…friend…" Zexion whispers. That's all he can do, anymore. Ienzo digs the blade into Zexion's throat in a quiet rage. The slate-haired teenager lets out a cry laced with pain and terror. He feels the blood trickling down his neck and can't stop the tears from clouding his eyes.

"Moved on that quickly, did you?" Ienzo growled into Zexion's ear. "Maybe I can fix that…" He mutters, cocking the gun. The policemen's grips on their guns tighten. Ignoring the blade on his neck, Zexion turns quickly and throws himself at Ienzo's arm. Ienzo yelps in surprise and the gun flies out of his grip. Not seconds later, Ienzo tackles the small freshman and throws him to the ground. The gunman practically sits on top of his captive and holds the knife to his already bleeding neck. Pain tears through Zexion's body, painful heat radiating from his neck.

"Get away from him!" Demyx yells. He is tempted to do something, anything, but the police tell him not to. They say that they're getting a negotiator on the scene. Demyx clenches his fists to keep from lashing out as Zexion lets out another soft scream. The other people in the café watch in horror at the entire scene playing out before them. Luckily, there weren't too many people in the restaurant at this point in the day.

What Ienzo does next scares Zexion even more and makes him sick to his stomach. The assaulter brings the knife to his lips and licks the blood off. Demyx grimaces and looks away, but only for a second. His eyes remain trained on Zexion, prepared to jump in if something bad starts to happen.

[.o.O.o.]

With nothing better to do, Axel decides to watch a bit of news – catch up on the real world (not that he wants to). Roxas joins him some time later, though both lost track of minutes a long time ago. Time isn't important when you have all of it to spare.

The blonde plops onto the couch with Axel and stretches across the redhead's lap, looking at the television with no interest whatsoever. However, said interest is piqued when a story comes on about a stand off at a local campus. Roxas sits straight up as it turns out to be their campus. The camera somehow manages to zoom in with a warning of 'some viewers may find the following images disturbing'.

It's Zexion on the screen, blood dripping down his neck and such horror written on his face that it makes Roxas feel like puking. The blonde doesn't realize how badly he is shaking until Axel wraps his arms around him.

"Rox… How exactly did Naminé die in your dream…?" He asks, his voice shaking with different emotions.

"… A school shooting…"

A/N – Horrid place to cut off, I know… Anyway, I really don't see Ienzo as the adorable fun-loving chibi that everybody else does. It seems that in all of the fanfics I read that have him as a character, Ienzo is an adorable little hyper-active kid. I rather see him as a sadistic sadomasochistic bastard.

Until next time! ^_~