Hello dear readers! I have just gotten home from a wonderful weekend of camping and I have to say... never have I written a more exciting chapter. I'm pretty proud of it, but I would like your opinions too. Now, once again I've noticed there doesn't seem to be any of this yaoi I promised and if you're getting impatient with me I APOLOGIZE! I will. Write some. Soon. Anyway, not gonna keep you. Please ENJOY!
WARNING: Contains yaoi (manXman), main pairings being Zemyx, AkuRoku, slight AkuZeku, some SoRiku, perhaps some CloudXSephiroth...oh, just expect anything...
This story is centered around vampires. Huzzuh for cliché~ There is OOCness and AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, any of the characters, place names, etc. I am but a humble, obsessive fan. U_U
MISFORTUNE
Shit. The smirk playing across his features was nearly infuriating. Although it was my fault for the little slip up, he was playing on that, rubbing it in and letting me know how transparent I was.
"Why so silent Axel? Just what does Cloud Strife need to tell Roxas?" Damn. There was really no way I could get out of this now. Zexion had something that he could grab onto and use against me. He now had an upper hand. I could refuse to tell him, but all he would have to do is threaten to tell Roxas about what I said. Roxas would go to Cloud and... But Zexion must have heard the way I'd said it... what I was implying. He was becoming impatient now.
"What have you gotten us into Axel? Why would I be endangered by something Cloud Strife knows?"
"...Well..."
"Well? Well what? For the love of God, spit it out already Axel." I sighed and sat down on the couch. This room was certainly becoming depressing lately.
"I may have... maybe met up with... Strife at one point..."
"What do you mean?"
"..."
"When you say met up... you don't mean..."
"Well there was a bit of a scuffle..."
"YOU IDIOT!" I cringed. Rarely did he ever raise his voice. When Zexion was angry you knew it, but by the death glares and flat, icy tone he gave you rather than the volume I was subjected to now. "All he has to do is describe you to Roxas, who already knows that we live in the same damn house and it won't take them long to figure it all out!"
"I know! That's what I'm saying!"
"You've killed us both."
"Now that's a little melodramatic."
"They'll be here at any moment."
"Kay, really, enough with the sarcasm Zex. We'll be fine."
"Sarcasm," he scoffed. "We have to leave... Now."
"Well here you are taking this all out on me, but who was the one who went on a little killing spree last night?"
"That wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't of-
THUMP.
"..." We were both frozen. The noise had definitely come from upstairs.
"Did you hear a...?" I looked at Zexion who gave me a look that clearly said 'I told you.' Nothing happened for a moment after that, so we exchanged silent glances and began to creep towards the stairs, moving slowly and soundlessly.
SMASH! We looked at each other again, this time in confusion. If it were Strife or other hunters would they really be so obvious? Was it supposed to be a trap? We heard a few more smashes and a grunt. I straightened and peered up the stairs.
"What the hell is-" Before I could continue there came a tortured roar and from out of the hallway a huge figure came flying out. Whoever it was smashed into the wall at the side of the stairway and moved a foot forward in a jerky, sluggish way. I heard a gasp and turned to see Zexion staring up with his mouth opened in a shocked O. His skin was paler than our usually deathly pallor.
The figure lurched forward and his right foot came crashing down onto the first stair. In this moment of shock and confusion I had the comical thought that I was watching The Incredible Hulk stomp down my stairs. After pulling my brain out of the gutter I realized that this monster man was staring right at Zexion with crazed eyes.
"Hey Zex, you know this guy?" Zexion was trying to respond, but he didn't seem able to make any sound as his mouth opened and closed like a gold fish's.
"MRAAAUUHH!," the man cried, pulling at his fiery hair as if his scalp was burning. Zexion stepped back and swallowed.
"I...I don't believe it... How?"
"HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLL!"
Hell? No, it sounded like he was crying for help. Suddenly the giant missed a step and went crashing down, and I mean that literally, breaking the banister and landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. Both Zexion and I had jumped backwards only narrowly avoided being crushed.
"How!," Zexion exclaimed in a high voice.
"Zex, what the hell is going on!," I responded in a similar tone.
"I-He! I killed him!"
"What! This is...? The missing body..."
"I... I don't understand. He was dead." The man was motionless and seemed to be unconscious, which didn't surprise me after that fall.
"Zexion," I said, my voice low. "He is dead."
"What the hell Axel! Did you not just witness-"
"No. Zexion. I think you know what I mean."
"Impossible." He said it with such resolute firmness that I knew he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince me. I saw his clenched fist tremble a little. He was afraid. I sighed and rubbed the side of my face, like I did when I was at a loss.
"You didn't completely turn him."
"I didn't-"
"You did Zexion! You must not have drained him completely or something..."
"But I never released any venom Axel!"
"You were pissed enough last night that you could have without realizing it. It's an effort to hold it in sometimes and you were probably so caught up in your own frickin pride-"
"Shut up! Shut UP!" He was covering his ears like a kid who doesn't want to hear someone tell them they're wrong. He was acting so childish. I'd never seen him like this before, so... terrified.
"You have to finish it Zex. If not you do know what will happen, right?" He didn't answer.
"Do you remember when I turned you? Remember how it felt before you took my blood? It's a two-part process Zexion. If you don't give him your blood, he'll take it himself and probably kill you too."
"I can't..." I let out an exasperated growl.
"Zexion look-"
"No! Axel, I can't! I can't sire someone! Maybe it's easy for you, but I just can't do something like that!"
"What are you so afraid of...?" I questioned him in a gentle voice, hoping to calm him down enough to give me a real response. He was nearly hyperventilating.
"I...I..."
"RAAAAUUUUUUGH," the man cried and he began to whip his arms around, attempting to find something to pull himself up.
"Do it now before he's back on his feet Zexion, or else we might not be able to overpower him!" Zexion remained frozen beside me, as if not hearing my words. Meanwhile the giant was on his knees, slowly struggling to rise.
"W-What should I do...," he asked with a slight edge to his voice. He seemed to be tying to compose himself.
"Alright, first you have to bleed yourself. Bite your wrist or something. I'll try to restrain the guy and what you have to do is get a good mouthful down his throat." Zexion grimaced and I couldn't help but chuckle. "Not so glamorous when it's the other way around, is it?"
The man still wasn't completely on his feet, so Zexion and I both crouched and once again shared a glance, this time laced with uncertainty on his part and determination on mine. Zexion had gotten us into this, but there was no way in hell I was going to make him do this alone.
We sprung forward at the same time and as I swung around back and pulled his arms up over his head Zexion deftly sliced his wrist with his teeth and grabbed a fistful of orange hair. He was about to launch his bleeding arm into the half-turned vampire's mouth when suddenly the giant let out a roar and yanked his arms out of my grasp. He then swept me aside with the force of a tsunami and threw a fist out to catch Zexion in the stomach. Zexion let out a strangled gasp and he fell to the floor in front of our assailant.
"Zexion!" I pulled myself up off the floor, trying not to stumble as I ran forward. The man had one large hand around Zexion's face and was lifting the semi-conscious boy up, an intense hunger in his tortured eyes. I flew forward and tackled the giant and we all went crashing down in a heap. I threw my arms around his neck and he tried to throw me off. Zexion was gasping and trying to stand, but he was only knocked down again by a flailing arm.
After another moment of confusion I found myself in a very bad situation as the man threw himself backwards, ultimately landing on top of me. I choked as all of the air within me whooshed out. This wasn't a huge problem for me, seeing as air wasn't a survival necessity, however the fact that I had about a ton of muscle crushing me was another matter. The man lifted himself slightly and threw a hand around my throat, trying to crush it with sheer force. I struggled, but could not break free and I felt the pressure building until I was sure my neck would snap.
Zexion let out a cry that surprised me more than anything that had happened so far and before I knew it he was clinging to the attacker's back, one arm thrown around his throat, the other waving around his mouth. The man's eyes became more fierce and he released me, grabbing Zexion's tiny arm with both hands and greedily beginning to drink.
"Ah," Zexion gasped, his face contorting in pain. He was trapped up against the man's back, his arm being pulled in an awkward direction. I slowly lifted myself to my knees, but I was unnoticed as all of his attention was now focused on draining Zexion. I waited for a moment, listening to Zexion's small moans and the disgusting slurping sound of the giant's gorging. When I finally deemed the time to be right I swung a fist up and caught the man in the temple. His eyes widened in shock before rolling back into his head. He released Zexion and collapsed once again.
Zexion pulled his arm up against his chest, breathing hard and watching the immobile figure with wide eyes. I carefully made my way onto my feet and regarded him as well.
"There," I sighed in a hoarse voice. "That wasn't so hard." Zexion looked at me as if I were some kind of alien. "You okay," I asked him in a soft tone. He nodded mutely. After a long moment where we just sat there breathing Zexion rose to his feet, wobbling slightly. He was watching the floor with a tight expression.
"What...what do we do now...?"
"Well... wait 'till he wakes up and send him on his way."
"What! We..."
"We what Zex?" Zexion's expression turned to stone and he glared at me with fierce eyes.
"He's my responsibility. I must take care of him until he adjusts." I might have smiled and patted him on the head, mumbling 'Good job Zexy,' if it weren't for the fact that his voice was shaking and his gaze was now darting around helplessly.
"Zex... is that what's bugging you so much? You don't think you can do it?"
"What? No... I just... I turned someone Axel. I never meant... I never even planned to. Ever. And now here we are... I know siring someone is more than just the initial process. It creates an irreversible bond between the two... I'm not ready for any more bonds..."
"Aw, Zexy, do I tie ya down that much," I asked jokingly. The glare I received after that shocked me. His answer was in his eyes, only... I would have never guessed that was actually the case. Did Zexion not want to live with me, to know me? Did he hate me? And now did he feel he was putting someone else in that position..., the position that makes you feel dependent on another... forever...?
"I need to go to school. Take care of him Axel."
"Y-Yeah... Um, don't forget to wrap your wrist up."
"I'm not an idiot Axel," he snapped. After another short silence he was gone and I was left alone with a huge, unconscious newly made vampire at my feet.
"Damn," I concluded.
I couldn't help but be jumpy all day. The news that was traveling around the school was freaky and the usual paranoia that kicked in every so often was assailing me all day long.
"Hey Dem, you alright?" I nodded to Roxas, not trusting myself to talk. Everywhere I looked I imagined them, demons with their glowing eyes and pointed teeth, grinning at me from the corners of my vision. Damn, I was screwed up. There was no sure way to tell it even had been a vampire. But every time... every time some weird type of murder happened, I thought of my parents.
No body... I shivered, catching the attention of everyone this time.
"You chilly or something Demyx," Marluxia asked in an airy voice.
"Hmm? No, oh no! I'm great, thanks Mar." I smiled my all too famous smile. With a little jolt of guilt I glanced at Roxas, knowing he'd see through me, but to my surprise Roxas seemed just as preoccupied as I was in his thoughts. He seemed troubled. When I stopped to think about it, we weren't the only two.
I glanced down the table to where Zexion sat, surrounded by Kairi, Olette and Naminé, the girls wooing over him, like he was some sort of model. Apparently, as of yesterday, they all thought he was the most amazing guy in the school. Now, Zexion in this situation would probably be more than a little perturbed, but today he seemed downright spacey.
Ah, hey," I said aloud. "Rox, Zexy, you wanna come help me with something for a minute?" I stood up as they both regarded me dreamily, pulling Roxas up by the arm and moving down to where Zexion was.
"What...," Roxas questioned vaguely as Zexion stood, glad to be freed from the girls. We moved outside to our usual bench and plunked ourselves down. I let out a sigh and Roxas and Zexion looked at me expectantly. I was slightly confused for a moment before I remembered the excuse I'd used to get them out here.
"Oh, yeah... I didn't really need anything... It's just..." They continued to regard me silently. "Erm, is it just me, or are we all a little gloomy today?" Roxas nodded solemnly and Zexion scoffed. For some reason, the dark haired boy's response hurt a little, as if he were saying 'No duh, genius'.
"Sorry Demyx. I'm just a little occupied with... well, what happened last night." This time Zexion snorted and when Roxas was facing me, glared daggers into his back. I nearly choked at the sight of him being so openly hostile.
"Hey Zexy, are you upset about something," I asked concerned.
"Who, me? No, never. Oh and by the way, I'm not sure if I've gotten this through your thick head yet, but my name... is not. Zexy."
"My... my.."
"Hey!," Roxas shouted, leaping up and moving to stand over Zexion. Why was it that whenever I was insulted poor Roxas had to defend me. I opened my mouth to try and say something, but I was still too shocked that Zexion had said such a thing to me. "You may be in a pissy mood, hell, we all are, but that gives you no reason to talk to Demyx like that."
"Well, regardless of my mood I believe it is none of your business what I say to anyone. Freedom of speech and all that." Zexion was smirking, but I could tell he was far from pleased. His sharp tongue was his weapon and defence, and it was more than enough to pierce me.
"Did you really mean that Zex...ion," I asked, my eyes glued to the grass.
"I might have, and do you always have to whine Demyx? It's disgusting."
"Hey!," Roxas shouted again. "Why don't you just shut the hell up, huh? Do us all a favour and go mope somewhere else. I don't know what's up with you, but if you're going to act like a total bastard, then take it elsewhere!" The expression that crossed Zexion's face then was one I'd never seen, a look full of such hate and... fear... Roxas stepped back, his eyes widening for a moment before the only thing apparent on his face was confusion.
"Fine. As if I need be concerned with the ways of... children anyway," Zexion spat before storming off.
After apologizing to Demyx and telling him goodbye I ran as fast as I could to the washroom and looked into the mirror. A pair of big, blue, stunned eyes returned my glance. I'd never seen Zexion so angry, but in that one moment..., that one split second I sensed something I'd never felt before. It was something that Cloud had warned me of many times. I recalled the words he spoke to me years ago, so vivid in my mind.
"When you meet your first one you'll know. You'll feel a feeling I can't really describe, but any good hunter knows it. There won't be a doubt in your mind." Except I was having doubts. Zexion. Quiet, passive, seemingly helpless Zexion... a vampire? I wasn't sure, after all, he'd been to our house and Cloud hadn't said anything, hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary...had he?
I thought about the previous night, about Cloud going out and chasing a vampire who got away, about the body that had disappeared, the one I'm sure had been a vampire's victim, about Zexion's peculiar attitude and sensitivity today... I kept on staring at those eyes that were darting around, trying to draw an affirmative conclusion.. I had to go see Cloud. Now. I promptly spun around and began marching to the office.
Why hadn't he used his power? We'd been in definite danger and I knew that he had no idea about it, but it always kicked in when there was danger. I sighed, leaning on the little island in our kitchenette, regarding the frozen figure on the sofa.
"I worked my butt off to get you up there," I told the unconscious form. ",so you better stay comfy for a while." I got a bout of silence in response. "Well, good then. Now... you do know this is a really crappy time to be barging in on our lives? I think it's your fault that Zexy hates me now... No... I'm just going to blame you, I guess. No point owning up to something I had no idea I was doing." Standing there, talking to myself, was proving to be very unproductive.
"Maybe I'll take a nap too. You wouldn't mind would ya?"
"And just what the hell is this?" The harsh voice startled me and I straightened up and glanced over to the front door where Saix was standing, his mouth opened in a half snarl.
"Now, I have a good explanation for this," I said, raising my hands. Saix growled and looked at the giant man.
"Axel. You have much explaining to accomplish before I gut you like a pig."
"Good to see you so soon too."
Oh Lordy! Do I sense a climax coming over the horizon! Then again, who ever said there would only be one. *cough cough* So. I supose we can all guess who the mysterious giant is. What do you think? And what are your thoughts on the turning process? Once more, the game (I lost) is still ongoing. If you can tell me when and how many times Zexy's used his powers I will give you a one-shot fanfiction of choice.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
