Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its affiliates.
A/N: Blah, blah, blah. Hope you're enjoying!
Dedication: Riku-stalker, 'cause she deserves it, motivating me like she has.
Originally Published: 12/07/07
Edited Chapter Published: 08/08/08
Chapter Seven: Discussions All Around
Axel was… stunned. Yes, that was it. He was stunned… or at least he felt the ghost shadow of what surprise was. The reason for him being stunned was rather simple, actually. Myde and his entire family were- to put it nicely and succinctly- lunatics. That was not to say that they weren't nice or anything of the kind. They were just crazy, mad as a hatter, psychotic; any other adjectives that could possibly describe insanity could be used for the Mizu family. And so, Axel was stunned.
He watched a piece of potato wiz past his head and land in Mrs. Mizu's hair. And then he heard her giggle. Yes… giggle. And yes… Mrs. Mizu and Myde were waging a small potato fight at the dinner table… in front of guests. Even Zexion, who had watched Myde for five days, looked just a bit stunned at what was transpiring right in front of their eyes. Axel turned to Myde's father only to be shocked again. He was calmly eating his food as though the display in front of him was either not happening or was such a common occurrence as to be used to it. Either way, he was calmly sitting there, not even glancing up as another piece of potato sailed past his head to land directly on Myde's noise. Of all the things that Axel could have ever expected to happen tonight at dinner, this was not one of them.
The small food fight, which was entirely between Myde and his mother, lasted for another few minutes- with both Axel and Zexion looking on with something akin to amazement- before settling down into small little puffs of laughter from the two Mizu's. It was obvious where Myde had gotten his fun loving personality from. Mrs. Mizu settled down, taking a large sip from her glass of water before turning her gaze on the two guests that she had not forgotten about during her little play time.
Myde rarely saw his parents and even more rarely ate dinner with them. This caused Mrs. Mizu to have many guilty feelings. Thus, when they did eat dinner together they always had the small food fight. The only thing that changed was what they flung at each other each different time they played the small game. The food fight was a small way to make up for not always being around. Myde enjoyed it and so did she. Her husband did not particularly care either way and so the fight had continued through the years. She looked at her guests and saw the barely disguised stunned looks on their faces. And she giggled yet again. She felt so young when she was with her son. And now he had friends… she was so happy for him.
"So… how did the two of you meet Myde? Were you in a class together?" Myde looked up from the dinner that he was now trying to eat instead of throw and looked almost panicked.
"You've got that right, Mrs. Mizu. We met this semester in his… physics class. We're here because of a project that we had to do together. That's how we met, actually." Axel put his signature smile on as he waited for Mrs. Mizu to accept the lie.
"Really? What was this project on?"
"It's an Our Choice project. We haven't chosen yet. We may do something on Murphy's Law." Before Axel could answer, Zexion had spoken up- the first words he had said to anybody since dinner had begun.
"Really? That sounds… fascinating- most definitely." Mrs. Mizu, Axel noted, was not meant to be an actress. But at least she tried.
"It is, Mama: most definitely interesting." Myde put one of his smiles on and his mother melted and dropped the subject. Unfortunately, the new topic of discussion was perhaps worse than the first.
"So, sweetie… have you met any cute guys lately? You should start dating. I feel as though you don't get out enough." Mrs. Mizu only smiled when her son choked on the glass of water that he had just rose to his lips and then spewed it across the table. She grinned when it sprayed Zexion in the face.
Dinner was by no means a quiet affair after this. The Mizu family slipped into a gentle camaraderie with easy banter flying between them. It was obvious to Zexion and Axel that the love they felt for each other was very strong. Zexion wanted to grab his notebook and take more notes on this. This was a perfect display of what he had needed to watch for in his mission. Axel held no such desires for he was not a researcher. No, Axel held a different desire all together: he wanted to join them.
Axel had never had a real family. Even his Somebody had been alone for the most part. Because of this, Axel had been weak and susceptible to the darkness. Because of this, he had turned into a Nobody. The obvious love that the Mizu family held for each other was so apparent; it was practically glowing from their every pore. And Axel wished that this love could include him.
'What is this feeling? I shouldn't be feeling this way. I can't feel. But if I could… would this be what I wanted? A… family? A loving family, with a beautiful home?' Axel's thoughts slipped back to another time and place; back to when he was a Somebody. And he felt so horrible and unclean. Perhaps being a Nobody was his punishment; a punishment that had been long overdue.
No one noticed the slip in Axel's careful façade and so no one commented on it. Eventually, he shook off the old thoughts and turned back to the conversation taking place. The water incident had already been forgotten by everybody but the two Nobodies. Somehow, Axel had a feeling that Zexion wouldn't soon forget it. Perhaps because he had been immediately taken to change and was now in Myde's clothing while his own were cleaned for the second time that day. Myde's clothing was, to say the least, too big for Zexion. They engulfed his small form and made it seem as though Zexion was even smaller than he actually was. Axel could tell that Zexion enjoyed being in Myde's clothing.
'Boy does he have it bad. Never took him for the type to swing that way. For that matter, never took him for the type to be interested in either sex. I have been surprised yet again. Perhaps Zexion is… somewhat human. As human as we can get.'
"Why don't the two of you stay for the night? It's already past eleven o'clock. I'm sure all three of you are tired." Axel whipped his head around to stare at Mrs. Mizu in surprise. They were done with dinner and were all pitching in with cleaning the table.
'She's offering to let us stay in her house? She is quite the trusting type. Not that Zexion and I have any intention of doing anything yet. I wonder how she'll feel when Myde's gone.' Axel noticed that Myde was looking slightly panicked and knew that if the two of
them stayed over, his questions would be answered. Whether they were truthful or not didn't matter, because Myde would never know the difference.
"Why, Mrs. Mizu, that is so nice of you to do that. If it's alright with Myde, I'd be perfectly willing to stay and so would Ze-Ienzo." Axel cringed inwardly.
'Damn it, Axel! Keep your head in the game and don't forget that he's not going by his name here! Ugh- you're going to jeopardize everything! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!'
While Axel insulted himself in his thoughts, Myde looked at the two of them and then at his mother and slowly nodded. It was time to get his answers.
Dinner was over and they were in Myde's room, getting ready for bed. Although Myde was tall, his height still did not match Axel's and so his pajamas were too short for Axel. Therefore, Axel did not wear them and contented himself with stripping down to his boxers. Zexion enjoyed being in Myde's huge clothing and so did not bother changing.
Myde just watched them, wondering if they should have the Q and A now or in the morning. Although he was dying to find out the answers to his burning questions, he didn't want his mother or father to hear them or anything. They didn't need to know this. And Myde couldn't understand why he didn't tell his parents about his stalker and the stalker's strange 'friend'. Myde still didn't really believe that Axel was Ienzo's friend… or roommate.
"Well… do we want to get this over with now or later? Cause, you know, I'm kind of tired and I think we should go to bed." Axel was, of course, being his usual, cocky, take charge self.
"He's probably right, Myde. We don't need your parents to hear and, quite frankly, I'm tired as well. And I'm still sick." Ienzo finally spoke up for the first time since the water incident.
Myde looked at him in surprise and then quickly nodded. He was beginning to think that he would do anything if Ienzo wanted it.
The night did not go as planned, though. Two hours later and Axel was still awake. The odd thing was that he really was tired and did want to sleep. But he had too much on his mind and he couldn't relax and fall into slumber. Things were not going as planned. He was supposed to have gotten Zexion and then gone back to The Castle That Never Was. Gods, what a long name that was. Xemnas was a character, for sure, to have come up with such a name.
Axel's mind slipped further and further into wondering about the decision of naming the castle such as it was and away from the other troubling thoughts plaguing his mind until he finally fell into a sleep, still thinking of the name of the castle.
Myde, on the other hand, was also awake and his thoughts were not as easy to put aside as Axel's had been. He slipped from his bed and padded down to the kitchen. He needed his pick-me-up drink: chocolate milk. He opened the refrigerator door and took out the necessary ingredients. He went to mix them when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned around to see his mother step through the doorway. She turned the light on and Myde made a noise as his pupils dilated in the sudden light.
"Oh, sorry, sweetie: I didn't see you there. What are you doing up at this time? Are Axel and Ienzo asleep? I would have thought that you would stay up all night and talk to each other. You know- regular sleepover tactics."
"Oh, they're asleep. Yeah, they were really tired. I would be asleep, too, but I had some thoughts going through my head and decided to come down here."
"Chocolate milk? I never was able to understand why that, of all things, was so comforting to you. Would you make me some, please?"
"Of course, Mama."
Myde went back to mixing the milk and chocolate and a comforting silence descended upon the kitchen. He soon plunked the glass in front of her and sat down, sipping on his own thoughtfully.
"Mama, are you really okay with me being gay? I know that you would support me either way, but are you really okay with my decision? If I actually found a guy and fell in love, would you still love me?"
Andrea Mizu was shocked. "Honey! Why would you ever think anything different?! I love you and always will, no matter what your choice of bed partner. What's causing you to suddenly think this? Is this why you couldn't sleep?"
"That and other things. Mama… I never thought that I would ever actually find someone that I would like- like that-, and I was just wandering if you were okay with my… orientation because of this fact. And now… I think I've found someone who… interests… me. If I… did start dating… would you be comfortable with that?" Myde was so uncomfortable. Coming out to his parents had been so nerve-wracking. This, somehow, was even worse because now it was a done fact.
"Oh! You have? Who is it? Is it Axel or Ienzo? Or is it someone else?! Sweetie, I forbid you to think such thoughts. I love you no matter what and I don't think that your orientation matters. You are still my sweet and wonderful boy. You will make some guy so happy one day. Who couldn't love you? I have absolutely no intention of ever being uncomfortable about this. I'm happy for you. I've been so worried about you. You are in no way introverted and yet you never talk about any friends. I was so ecstatic when I walked through the door and saw those two there. You're finally getting back to who you used to be."
Myde's mother was incredibly happy. All that she wanted was for her baby to be happy and in love; to not be alone. She cursed having to leave him everyday till late at night. For the most part, they barely arrived back home in time to say goodnight to him. It frustrated her because she knew how lonely he was. He never smiled as much as he used to and he didn't offer conversation as much as he used to. She was worried. Or rather… she had been worried. Somehow she had a feeling that Myde wouldn't feel so lonely anymore. And this made her so happy.
"I think I really like Ienzo, Mama. There's something about him. He's nothing like me but he intrigues me so much. He's quiet and almost cold but there's some kind of… warmth in his eyes that gets to me. I've never felt this way before. What should I do?"
"You know exactly what you need to do. If you like Ienzo then go after him. Tell him how you feel. See if he reciprocates. And if he does then go from there."
"But what if he doesn't? What am I saying…? It shouldn't matter whether or not he likes me." Of course, Myde couldn't tell her that Ienzo probably did like him and that this was probably his reason for stalking him, because that would have destroyed everything that he had already done to protect them.
"You'll never know until you try. You'll always regret it if you don't. I can't tell you what to do with this. It's your decision. I can't do anything to change that and I don't want to."
"Thanks, Mama. I'll let things be for now. I want to find out some things first."
"Okay. You go with a pace that you feel comfortable with."
Myde smiled at her- once again it was his beautiful and sweet smile; the smile that melted anyone who looked at it.
It certainly did so for the blue haired man standing in the shadows of the stairs. Zexion crept back upstairs and contemplated this new complication. The scariest thing to him was that he didn't really mind it. He, to be perfectly honest, enjoyed it.
A/N: I will not ask, nor demand, reviews from you. However, if you do decide to review, do know that they are very much appreciated.
Lifes.Lover
Reviewers from Chapter Six: Mousikos, 13loves8loves9loves6, Riku-stalker, sorakairi forever, Serexion, The Flurry of Dancing Flames, NaroRau.
