The cafeteria of Hart High was filled with scowling students, most prominent of them all probably Axel. The students here turned out to be more intelligent than he hoped, and the hormone-driven boys were currently crowding around his lifemate, who was scowling even worse than he was, if that was even possible. Among the sulkers were also jealous girls, who were mostly to blame for the crazy boys since they were the ones mentioning how impudent Larxene was being with Axel at the dance, which made them put 2 and 2 together to get a hot chick.
"Wow, you never struck me as the possessive type," Demyx commented dryly and he walked up to his friend. "Try not to kill them, okay?" Demyx chuckled, however Axel seemed to take him seriously.
"No promises," Axel's eyes glowed as he glared the the guys, who were too busy trying to convince Larxene that they were all that and a bag of chips to notice. "Damn it, they had their chances. If they wanted her that bad, they should have gone for it then, not after I claimed her."
"So you two are going out now?" Demyx blinked in surprise, "That was fast."
"No," Axel growled, though the growl itself wasn't really directed towards Demyx, "but it's pretty obvious she's mine."
"How so?" Demyx watched, slightly interested in how the guys tried to get Larxene's attention... one of them ate a banana whole.
"Larxene and I left the dance early to do erotic acts you can only imagine," Axel replied simply, baring his fangs.
"You did!?" Demyx turned towards Axel, "I somehow thought you two would have interesting ideas, but this is-"
"No we didn't," Axel cut Demyx off, "but that's what they all think." Axel clenched his fists and glared holes into the boys' heads. "I'm very tempted to rip their heads off right now," he growled, his fangs so prominent that Demyx wondered if he'd have to cover Axel's mouth his hands.
"You won't need to do that," Mary commented dryly as she walked up to the duo, which reminded Axel to hide his fangs... by shutting his mouth since they refused to slip back into their designated spots. "Larxene's gonna blow any minute."
"What makes you think that?" Demyx asked Mary, his eyes an excited cerulean.
"1: I'm her best friend, she's pretty predictable to me." Mary stood next to Axel, leaving him sandwiched between two people prepared to hold him back if necessary. "2: This isn't the first time this happened."
"You don't say?" Axel turned to Mary in interest, maybe the guys here weren't as retarded as he thought. Not that the thought encouraged him.
"Back in Middle School, we were all... 'developing.'" Mary decided that she needed to be a little more discreet with her vocabulary since she was talking to men, "Larxene was pretty well ahead of us... even now she's more developed than a lot of girls here." Axel nodded, with Larxene's broad frame she looked perfectly proportionate, but she was more curvy than you'd think at first glance. "anyways, the boys were attracted to her like flies." Mary nodded at the memory.
"What happened?" Axel asked, curious about the younger Larxene.
Mary gave a small smile, "Well..."
"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES!" Axel watched in amazement as Larxene kicked a guy right where it hurts most, wincing slightly at the memory of when he experienced that kick.
"It was something along those lines," Mary laughed a little as Larxene punched another guy in the face.
Axel threw a punch in the air out of pure bliss, "Go Larxene!" Axel cheered, watching another one bite the dust.
"Should we stop her?" Demyx asked, ignoring Axel's protests at the suggestion.
Mary thought for a second, then shook her head, "This is the only way they'll learn... which is funny since it's the same group of boys as last time." Axel cheered again and continued to egg Larxene on.
"And stay down!" Larxene finalized, stomping off. Axel grinned, but that grin slid from his face when his well-tuned ears heard the "Damn, such a sexy powerhouse!" and other lines from the defeated suitors. Demyx, who also heard them, shot Axel a warning glance which was ignored.
"Larxene!" Larxene turned her head to the source of the noise, and walked over to Axel.
"What do you want Axel?" Larxene sighed and wiped some sweat off her brow, "I'm just going to warn you now, I'm not up for a-" before Larxene could finish her sentence, Axel grabbed her shoulders and forced his mouth onto her neck, his fangs tingling with delight. Everyone stared at the two, Mary's eyes wide, Demyx's full of nerves, and girls and boys alike had eyes of jealousy.
Axel brought his head up and shot a death glare at the guys, "She's mine, back off." Axel snarled at the men, thankful that there was no chance of blood-stained teeth.
Larxene looked up at Axel and narrowed her eyes. "Can we talk?" Larxene pulled Axel over to the door, and everyone continued to stare, unsure of what else could be done.
"Wow," Mary brought her hand up to her face, hiding a light blush. "He's... bold."
"I'll say," Demyx replied, thankful that she didn't see Axel's fangs.
"What is wrong with you?" Larxene hissed at the vampire, "do you want to leave forever?"
"I'd take you with me," Axel told Larxene defensively.
"You are completely missing the point!" Larxene sighed and rubbed her temples, "Listen, I am not your possession. You don't have any right to treat me like I'm your's just because I'm your blood source!"
"Why is that your favorite argument!?" Axel snarled, his temper still hot from either, "I'm pretty sure we went over this last night: I value you as much more than a blood source!" Axel punched a wall in anger, why couldn't she just thank him for keeping them off her back forever?
Larxene put her hands on her hips and glared at Axel, "Okay, well a friend wouldn't be some damn paranoid. If I decided to date any one of those guys, it'd be my business and not your's!" Larxene's eyes were burning with fury, "Just leave me alone Axel," Larxene ordered and stomped off.
Axel just stared at Larxene for a moment before banging his head on the wall, "What the hell is wrong with me?"
.:Class:.
Mary looked around the classroom as she entered, noticing 3 things immediately. First off: the girls were all glaring at Larxene. Second: Larxene was glowering with hatred. And third: Axel was nowhere to be seen. "Larxene?"Mary leaned on Larxene's desk and looked into her green eyes with her big brown ones, "What's wrong?"
Larxene looked up at Mary, her shoulders tensed, "Axel is an asshole." Larxene sighed and rested her head on her desk, as if she just wanted God to strike her than and there.
Mary rose an eyebrow, "How is he an asshole? I don't know if you noticed, but he likes you."
"Like hell," Larxene snorted. "He doesn't think of me as a woman, he's just an asshole."
"Larxene..." Mary sighed, "You haven't given a single solid argument for your case." Mary sat down in the seat in front of Larxene backwards so that she faced her friend, "Are you sure you weren't just taking out your anger on him?"
"Positive," Larxene grumbled. There were solid arguments... very solid ones in fact. 1: Axel was a vampire, and if it wasn't for her blood they wouldn't be friends, regardless of whatever Axel said. 2: Larxene was doing just fine getting the guys away from her on her own, she didn't need Axel risking his ass to save her. 3: There was no romance in his actions, he was just possessive, he didn't actually feel jealous.
"You know, Axel was really angry at those guys," Mary drew a picture as she spoke, and no scientist could ever recognize it as anything. "He seemed to be really troubled by it... and Demyx said that Axel was risking a lot... whatever that's supposed to mean." Mary shrugged and added ribbons to her drawing... or eyes... or wings... or were those hands?
"That's why he's an asshole," Larxene sighed and looked up at her friend. "He isn't my boyfriend, so what right does he have to try and chase all the other guys off?"
Mary sighed, "He wants to be Larxene. And you want him to be too."
Larxene turned a bright red and hid her face behind her hands, "There were too many "too"'s in that sentence, Missie."
"Larxene, Larxene, Larxene..." Mary sighed again and looked at her friend, "You and I both know that you like Axel, so don't pretend you don't."
Larxene crossed her arms indignantly, "Whose pretending?"
Mary laughed softly and smiled, "Larxene, how many guys have you liked? I'll answer that question: none." Larxene nodded and Mary continued, "You've had a few male friends, if they can be called that. Did you feel for them what you feel for Axel?" Mary rose a knowing eyebrow and Larxene turned red.
"I don't feel anything for Axel!" Larxene looked away from Mary, and in the process shot death glares at many of their female classmates.
Mary grabbed Larxene's ear and forced her to look at her friend, "Larxene, we've been friends since we were... what was it? 3? I know you like him." Mary sighed, "If anything else, at least make up. You're at least willing to admit that you're friends, right?"
"There's nothing else to admit" Larxene pouted, "but I'll talk to him, okay?"
.:Axel:.
Axel sat out in the tree in the courtyard, his head leaning against his knees with his eyes closed as he thought deeply. He was so still that the birds didn't even acknowledge his presence as they went about their daily duties for the preparation for the mating season. Axel opened his eyes quickly and sniffed loudly, startling the bird perched atop his head. He took a moment to watch the jay fly off before he glanced down, "Damn it Demyx. What have I told you about sneaking up on me?"
Demyx looked up at Axel seriously, "I didn't. My presence wasn't hidden at all and I made no effort to be quiet either. You just didn't hear me." Axel sighed and leaned back against the tree's trunk, his eyes closing again. "What are you doing up there anyways?"
"Would you believe me if I told you I have come to terms with my inner kitty, Mr. Booties, and am willing to welcome my new feline tendencies with open arms?" Demyx blinked and wondered for a second if Axel was either serious or crazy. Axel sighed again, "I hope not. If you believed me, then you'd be far too gullible."
Demyx scratched his head, careful to not mess up his hair, "You know, you just avoided the question, right?" Demyx crossed his arms and rose a knowing eyebrow at Axel, "Now tell me why you're in a tree?"
"Because Larxene isn't in this tree." Axel looked up to see the jaybird from earlier flying back, perching on his finger trustingly.
"As opposed to being in other trees?" Demyx shook his head in confusion, "You aren't making much sense. You aren't trying any drugs right?"
Axel stroked the jay's head with his forefinger, "Larxene told me to stay away from her. She won't come to this tree, so I'm away from her." The bird chirped and flew off of Axel's finger, deciding that there was no danger in allowing the vampire to stay in his tree. "We fought."
"Surprise, surprise." Demyx replied with sarcasm. "You two are both so stubborn, I'm surprised this hasn't happened earlier." Demyx rubbed his head an annoyance, "You two have to be the biggest headache since Xigbar, and that's saying something."
"Comparing me to Xigbar? That's low man." Axel chuckled, "I'm surprised Xemnas tolerates him. Ever since he fried Xaldin's dreads when he decided to try out a coffee machine, that guy's been on thin ice."
Demyx laughed, "He's my sire, that has to earn him some points right?" Demyx smiled fondly, "I was just a starving musician, and he was like a father to me in those times. Never knew he was a vampire... well, after he turned me I kinda got the message."
Axel chuckled, "First off: turning you probably lost him points rather than earned them. How long did he have to spend training you?"
"It was only 10 years," Demyx argued. "It took him 20 to learn how to use his powers."
"That's because he had no one teaching him," Axel countered. "I learned how to use my powers in 3 months."
"Well, we can't all be genius mortals who get turned into genius vampires by the most genius of all genius vampires now, can we?" Demyx grumbled, turned his back on Axel to lean on the tree. "Xemnas could even teach me how to be an expert in less than a year, that's how great he is." Demyx furrowed his eyebrows, "Being turned by him... it must be amazing."
"What was it like for you?" Axel asked quietly.
"Turning?" Demyx looked up to see Axel nod. "It was like being high, except you actually knew what was going on. And the munchies were ten times worse," Demyx laughed. "Was it different for you?"
Axel was silent and Demyx wondered if he asked a sensitive question. "I never took drugs, so I can't compare it to that." Axel sighed again and the bird hopped over to see what the fuss was about. "It was like I was drowning. I felt so helpless, like I lost control of everything. Every time I tried to breathe, it was like I was suffocating. Whoever I tried to move, I only felt pain." Demyx looked up at Axel curiously, "I think your turning relates to your elemental strength. For me, it was like burning. For you, it was like swimming."
Demyx sighed, "I suppose not everyone has it easy." He picked up a blade of grass and twisted it, "I can only imagine how it must have been for some of the others... Zexion was probably on a drug trip, Saix was probably peaceful... Xemnas..." Demyx shuddered, "Feeling 'nothingness' can't be fun."
Axel sighed, "If Larxene was turned... I hope she doesn't suffer." Axel's eyes darkened at the thought and the bird flew off again, frightened by the man's dangerous aura. "If she had to go through as much pain as I did... I'd hate myself."
"You really care for her, don't you?" Demyx looked up at Axel again, who didn't move.
"She's my lifemate."
"That wasn't the question," Demyx countered. "I asked if you care for her."
"Of course I do damn it." Axel growled and hopped out of the tree. "If something were to happen to her, I would kill whoever did it."
"What of it was you?" Demyx looked at Axel seriously.
"I would never hurt her directly." Axel sighed. "But I could somehow accidentally encourage others to attack her. If that happened," Axel's eyes turned a bright shade of green as he hissed, "I would kill them, and make sure it'd never happen again." Demyx shuddered, knowing that that pyro was not joking. It was true that very few could live after the death of their lifemates, and those who did usually went insane from grief, but seeing firsthand the passion one feels for their lifemate was still mind-boggling. Then the thought of Mary possibly being hurt made a similar passion rise in Demyx and the idea was suddenly less mind-boggling.
"Axel!" Both vampires turned quickly, seeing Larxene walking towards them. Axel moved silently towards Larxene, his face a mask of emotionless stone. "Listen, about earlier-" Larxene was cut off as Axel brushed past her, not even looking in her direction. Larxene's eyes widened in shock before narrowing in irritation, "Fine then, play it like that."
Demyx sighed as Larxene stormed off, and Axel continued on. He could feel the turmoil from both of them, "They are definitely worse headaches than Xigbar."
