Hola, amigos!

Let's get right on into chapter four!

I have to say though, from now on I'm going to be uploading a bit less frequently. I've had everything written down in my trusty, beat-to-hell notebook up to this point, but now I have to write everything as I go. You all know what that's like. Also, my internet has been temporarily revoked by those greedy, thieving whores at Quest, but it'll be back by the end of this month. Hopefully. They made me choose between having internet and having food and while the net is great and all, I love my ramen. You can't really blame me.

MOVING ON!!

A/N: Inspiration and musical motivation for chapter 4, brought to you by "Choice hops and bottled self-esteem."- Bayside

Disclaimer: I whole-heartedly wish that I owned Kingdom Hearts and was making money from this, but as my delinquent cable bill shows, I'm a broke ass with no rights to the games or the characters or any of the money the previously stated earns Disney and Square Enix. Damn them.

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"No point in dwelling"

It didn't take long for everyone in the Castle to learn of what happened to Zexion at the hands of a catatonic Saix. Luxord wouldn't stop fuming about how he was going to "wring his pompous neck" and Zexion refused to come out of his room, even at Vexen's coaxing. When Vexen left the boys room, his eyes were wide with shock and he held up three fingers, indicating the width of the bruises on Zexion's diminutive neck. Luxord's face flushed with rage and he spun around on the heel of his black boots, violently punching the wall behind him, sending spiderweb cracks sprawling from his throbbing fist, nearly shattering the whole tile. Xaldin, who'd been leaning against said wall leisurely, glanced to his right at the fist mere inches from his face without flinching in the slightest. He cast an exasperated look at Luxord and folded his arms across his huge chest.

"Self control..." he muttered, his voice soft. Larxene and Marluxia watched the drama from a ways down the hall, shaking their heads.

"What the hell happened to the kid?" Larxene asked of Xigbar, who'd come to stand by them.

"Saix had the mother of all wack attacks and started strangling him." he shrugged. The three watched as Luxord knelt in the hall, pressing his forehead against the cool wall, trembling, fighting rage and tears.

"Just what's gotten into him? If I remember correctly, he was the one that kicked Zexion down a flight of stairs a few weeks ago for something or another..." Marluxia remarked. Xigbar chuckled, despite the tension in the air around them.

"One, that was an accident. Zexion tripped." he began, watching Laxaeus try without success to comfort a quietly sobbing Luxord. "Two... he has a connection to the kid." he muttered.

"Connection?" questioned Larxene. Xigbar's good eye flickered to her stern but beautiful face for a moment, then back at the scene unfolding.

"The kid... Zexion...his other was Luxord's other's son." Xigbar said. Marluxia frowned.

"You mean they're related?" He asked.

"Yeah. I guess you could say that. But really they aren't anymore. They're Nobodies. It doesn't matter who we used to be. There's no point in dwelling." Xigbar said dismissively. Larxene put her hands on her delicate hips and glared up at Xigbar.

"In the time I've known him, I've never seen Luxord behave like that. Ever." Larxene glared harder, but Xigbar refused to look at her.

"What are you not telling us?" asked Marluxia.

"I'm telling you what I know." Xigbar said quickly. Larxene's pretty face curled into a scowl, her tiny hands into fists and she punched Xigbar's arm with decent force.

"Ow..." he muttered, grabbing his arm. "You have issues, lady." he said to Larxene.

"I hate it when people point out the obvious so why don't you pull your head out of The Superior's ass and tell us what you know before I set my aim lower, you overgrown ape!" she glared, motioning with a finger to Xigbar's groin. His eyes grew wide and he looked to Marluxia for support. Marluxia only looked back at him with eyes that said he was going to let Larxene do whatever she pleased.

"Alright, alright..." he breathed. "Xemnas has been keeping an eye on Luxord and Zexion for a while. He knew how they were connected right from the beginning and he wanted to see how they would interact with each other. Like they were both some sick experiment of his..." Xigbar mumbled, knowing the hell he'd catch for breathing a word of anything Xemnas did behind closed doors.

"And?" Marluxia urged.

"And he began noticing that even before they knew who the other was, they were acting like father and son. Luxord would sit with Zexion for hours and listen to him ramble, smiling like he was interested, like all good parents do. And Zexion would fall asleep in his lap in the common area while Luxord read late at night. Anyone who was in the room with them could practically feel the attachment." Xigbar told the two. Marluxia interrupted him.

"That's impossible. We can't have...attachments to each other. We don't feel. We're..." he searched for the word. "Nothing. How can nothing feel?" he asked Xigbar. The man to his left looked at him out of his good eye. That shining golden eye spoke of the most taboo of rumors they all knew deep in their non-existent hearts to be true.

"We can feel..." said Larxene, looking at the floor, her arms crossed. "Because that whole spiel about us not having hearts is bullshit." she said coldly. "Isn't it, Xigbar?" she spoke, looking right up at him.

"That depends on who you ask." he whispered. Marluxia's eyes widened and he let out a low whistle.

At that moment, a pillar of shadow erupted a few feet behind them and all three jumped at the sound. Out of the darkness stepped The Superior. Three sets of eyes full of malice fell upon him and he only smiled.

"Where is Saix?" he asked. Larxene and Marluxia continued to glare, but Xigbar spoke.

"No one's seen him since the incident, sir." Xigbar nearly stuttered. There was a nod from Xemnas and nothing more. Another column of darkness and he was gone.

"Prick." muttered Larxene.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

The cold wasn't letting up at all. And now the wind had started back up again. By now, Axel would have stormed back to the Castle demanding to know why he was sent to the middle of fucking nowhere on the coldest night he'd ever seen...were it not for Demyx curled up and asleep in his arms. He looked so peaceful... so unreal. The blue glow that surrounded them lit up the delicate features of his young face. His soft lips were smiling, even in his sleep, and his eyelids fluttered, the crescents of butterfly lace eyelashes brushing his cheeks softly. And he was so warm. Axel smiled, his lips slightly chapped.

The night was deepening as Axel watched Demyx sleep, smiling when he moved or murmured in his dreams. Axel knew they'd have to get back soon. And if anyone saw them like this...but...what was this? Axel was just a friend. Holding another friend because he was afraid. That's what friends do, right? Right? Axel shook his head, a few strands of fiery hair falling in his face. What the hell was he doing? Did he actually feel something for Demyx? Of course not. It's not possible. Nobodies don't feel. The Superior had said so. Axel's thoughts raced like lightening behind his sparkling emerald eyes. He'd gotten himself into some pretty iffy situations before, but this one definitely took the cake. He thought of how he'd rather be bludgeoned to death with a rusty pipe than look at Demyx's sweet face again. It was too deliciously painful. Every time he saw the delicately sloping eyes, button nose and sweet mouth, he felt as if he'd been stabbed in the chest with his own chakram. But at the same time, he felt a warmth spread from the spot, engulfing his mind and making a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. It felt much like the warmth that radiated from Demyx's body, seeping through the layers of clothing on both of them and dancing across Axel's skin. He shuddered. Demyx shifted in his arms, grabbing onto his cloak gently with tired fingers. He buried his face deeper in Axel's chest, breathing him in. Axel smiled and brushed the hair from Demyx's face. Demyx muttered something into Axel's robe and smiled warmly. Axel leaned in a bit closer to listen. And what he heard turned his blood to ice and his pupils to pinpricks.

"I love you, Axel..." Demyx muttered in his sleep, nuzzling Axel's chest softly. Axel's breath caught in his chest and he shook uncontrollably. This couldn't be happening...it shouldn't be happening. It can't... it can't. "Please say you love me, too." Demyx whispered gently. Axel gazed at Demyx, then out at the endless blue around him. He wanted to say yes, honestly, he did. But everything he'd been taught since he joined the Organization was telling him that it was impossible for Demyx to feel what he did, and for Axel to feel the same. But Axel knew it in his heart that he felt it. Every time he saw the sweet sitarist, every time he heard his voice or touched him, he knew... the Organization was wrong. From the moment Axel met Demyx in the hall that day, all nerves and wispy blond hair, from the moment he looked into the boy's eyes and saw an innocent, undeniable truth within them and from the moment he'd made the decision that there was definitely something about Demyx that made him feel alive...they'd been wrong. He sighed deeply and with a tear in his eye, pressed his face to Demyx's soft hair.

"I do..." he mumbled. At this, Demyx shifted in Axel's arms and opened his eyes. Axel sat up quickly and released him. Demyx stood, leaning back to pop several vertebrae into place. Axel stared at him, in shock.

"'I do' what?" Asked Demyx. Axel stared blankly.

"W-what?" he whispered.

"You said 'I do'. You do what?" Demyx asked with innocence in his icy blue eyes. Axel shook his head, fighting the urge to turn his head and heave the contents of his stomach into oblivion.

"N-nothing." he muttered, wiping the tear from his face. Axel stood, now feeling the cold in all it's vicious glory. He stared awkwardly at Demyx while he fixed his hair and robe. After a few moments of this, Axel opened his mouth to suggest returning to the Castle when a column of shadow appeared between the two of them. Out of it stumbled Saix, visibly shaken with his hair disheveled and fear in his eyes.

"You..." Demyx spat, narrowing his eyes. He was ready to beat him into a coma for sticking him out here on a night like this. Saix threw his hands up in surrender.

"Please! Please wait... please..." he stammered. "I need your help." he said, almost in tears. Axel stared in awe at the blue-haired man. "You...y-you...you have to help me." he trembled. Demyx glared at him and Axel continued to stare.

"Why the hell should we help you? You're an ass." Demyx snapped. Saix whirled around and grabbed Demyx's robe desperately.

"They're going to kill me!" he cried. Demyx's eyes widened and he looked to Axel.

"Help." he squeaked. Axel shook himself out of shock and grabbed Saix's shoulder, pulling him off of Demyx.

"What do you mean they're going to kill you?" he demanded. Saix looked to Axel with fear written across his face.

"Zexion..." he trembled. "I tried to kill Zexion." he began to cry.

"What?!" Axel and Demyx cried in unison. Saix fell to his knees and sobbed.

"He..he threatened to tell Xemnas." was all Saix managed.

"Tell Xemnas what? What could possibly warrant you trying to kill the kid?" Axel cried.

"He was going to tell him about Aerith! That little fucker was going to spill it completely and I'd never be able to see her again!" Saix sobbed miserably.

"Who's Aerith?" asked Demyx.

"The woman I love..." Saix mumbled into the ground. The word 'love' resonated in the back of Axel's head and he looked to Demyx who was speaking again to the lump of cloak and man on the ground.

"Where does she live?" he asked soothingly, despite all Saix had done.

"In Hollow Bastion." replied Saix. Demyx tilted his head. "So that's what Zexion was talking about..." he thought. Demyx looked up at Axel with remorse in his eyes.

"We've got to help him." he said. Axel was still trying to shake Demyx's earlier words from his head.

"What do you propose we do?" he asked feebly. A small smile spread across Demyx's face.

"Well...I've always wanted to see another world."

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Heh heh...watch out for that 'L' word...it's a doozy!

So here we stand with the sleep-talking Demyx, the shell-shocked Axel and an evil dictator that's taken a hell of a tumble from grace.

It gets SO much better from here!

Let's get some reviews goin', people!

I LIVE for your feedback.

Honest!