This chapter is the longest I've written so far. its 19 pages, and almost 10,000 words. And I love it.
Chapter 10
Zexion felt sorry for Hayner.
So did Roxas.
Both boys felt a tinge of guilt in knowing they couldn't tell the enthusiastic blonde about why they would snicker every time the two smaller teens in the backseat caught the driver cast a shy glance at Sora. The snicker ended up being light elbowing between the two when Sora would chance a glance back, usually with a blush pained on his cheeks.
Poor Hayner; so out of the loop.
Roxas also felt sorry for his friend for another reason. Hayner was apparently smitten with a student from school. Every time he noticed his friend daydreaming, he couldn't help but catch the longing look in the boy's hazel eye. Lovesick. His best friend was lovesick, and he simply refused to tell Roxas for whom.
Zexion, who was sitting in the far right back seat of the car while Roxas sat in the middle, didn't know Hayner well enough to notice a change in the boy's usual state, but felt sorry for him for another reason.
Seifer.
It was a school known fact that Seifer and Hayner hated each other. They fought at any opportunity, and were often found in the office seated on opposite ends of the bench outside the principal's office. The two spunky blondes clashed. Both had an amount of blind arrogance about them, and short tempers to boot. While Zexion knew Seifer on a more… personal level than he knew Hayner, he hadn't expected the older of the two to befriend him first. If that's what one could even call them.
Seifer was in the same grade as Zexion, held the same minimal amount of friends, smoked the same brand of cigarettes, and also was interested in the same gender. Male. Or that's what the troublemaking teen was interested in at that point in time. Rather, that happened to be the gender of whom he was interested in.
Zexion smirked as he watched Hayner press his forehead against the car window boredly as the travelled along the roadway.
"I thought you two hated each other?"
"I know! I know I'm supposed to hate him. The whole school thinks we hate each other's guts, and I have every reason to dislike that lamer!" Seifer groaned loudly through the speakers.
"So, why him then?"
"I-I don't know! Ugh! I mean, for one thing, he's not bad to look at, but, come on. Me and him have pretty much beat the crap out of each other since first grade. I think… that kind of forced us to know one another. We had to, if we wanted to keep an edge, right?"
"So…"
"It's started to get to the point where I can tell if he's really upset about something, and just needs someone to punch, or if he doesn't feel up to a fight. And-And I think he's figured out when I don't feel up to fighting him either."
"Can you tell if he likes you?"
"I have no idea! He probably still hates me, I mean, I've given him every reason to."
It wasn't that Zexion couldn't see what Seifer saw in Hayner. Actually, he wholeheartedly agreed the boy was attractive. Attractive, a loyal friend to Roxas, he'd seen his sense of humor… Hayner was kind of popular even, just, not in the same bad-ass way that Seifer was. Where as Hayner was more of a good student, Seifer was the bad boy of the school. It was probably the reason he and Axel got along.
"Wow, I forgot how long it took to get to Dem's house." Hayner muttered, letting his eyes slip shut with his boredom.
"He lives in the middle of fucking no where." Roxas agreed with a nod. Zexion watched with mild amusement as field after field of corn passed by. Demyx definitely did not live in town.
"Not that much farther, he's right at the end of this road, right?" Riku asked his copilot, who nodded eagerly.
"He lives at the end of a dead end road. His neighbors are two fields over from him." Sora said with a smile, tightly clutching his bottle of Vodka to his chest in excitement.
"It's the old white house that's back from the road." Roxas supplied quietly. "I think the front field has the cows this year."
Cows? Zexion raised an eyebrow. Well, he's expected farming to be a part of Demyx's life, but not to the extent of livestock.
"Question: the party is in the house, correct?"
Riku looked back at his cousin through the car mirror and nodded.
"Yeah. It's in the house. Why?"
"Just wondering if we were going to be sleeping on a normal floor, or a barn floor is all." Zexion shrugged and crossed one leg over the other in the back seat. Roxas smirked over to him, but said nothing, the rest of the ride remaining silent until they reached a rather unkempt driveway the stretched along side a fenced field.
"This is it, right?"
"What, the blue pick-up didn't give it away?" Sora asked, already giddy for the party that was due to take place in what was likely to be less than a few hours.
Riku chuckled in response, elbowing his best friend playfully. He somehow missed the wink that Roxas tossed his brother, the brunette blushing immensely when he caught on. Flirting. Riku was flirting with him.
Roxas mouthed a quick 'its cute' before he returned to smirking, Zexion staring rather impassively at him. Sora went to say something, but his voice stopped when the car did, so he sat half turned around looking at his brother with his mouth hanging open.
"Sora, I think it's safe for you to let go of your Vodka, bud." Riku offered, and the younger teen all but threw the bottle into his arms and flung his door wide open. Stumbling out onto the barely visible gravel, his eyes quickly darted to Zexion through the back window. The slate haired teen was smirking rather manically at him. The prick was clearly enjoying his awkward discomfort. He was enjoying how nervous the realization was making him.
"HEY! SORA! Riku!"
As Sora quickly looked up, he spotted Demyx on the house's porch, flailing his hands wildly in order to catch their attention.
"Hey you guys! Haha!" He jumped the three steps off the porch and came running towards the vehicle just as the boys in the back clambered out. "Zexy! You made it!"
"Well, I said I wou- Ah! Demyx! No!" before he could move out of the way, the mulleted teen had grabbed hold of the scrawny boy, pulling him into a quick spastic embrace. "Demyx, I hardly think hugs are necessary when you seen me only a couple hours ago."
"You need all the hugs you can get! Quit lookin' so gloomy and I'll quit huggin' ya!" The blonde squeezed his hold on Zexion tightly before releasing him once more, the younger of the Schreyer boys hiding behind his cousin for a moment.
"Demyx, where do you want us to put our stuff?" Hayner asked with a smile.
"Booze to the kitchen, other stuff…. Anywhere. Just toss it in the living room for now, I guess. Dad will be leavin' soon, so as long as Larxene and Marly don't show up and park near the tractor, we're good." Flashing a cheery and rather excited smile, Demyx hurried to the back of the car, making a motion with his arms for Riku to pop the trunk.
Doing as he was told, Riku leaned back in to his car and flicked the twitch just inside. Hearing a giggle behind the vehicle, he assumed it had worked. Demyx quickly began pulling out the multiple sleeping bags and pillows, only slowing his handing out of objects once he reached the small coolers at the bottom. The alcohol.
"Holy shit, Riku!" Demyx exclaimed, standing up straight as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Bring enough to drink?"
"That's what I said!" Zexion raised his hands lightly, gesturing to himself around his rolled up sleeping bag. "And he told me-"
"I said it was better to have and not need, than to need and not have." Riku crossed his arms over his chest, his sleeping bag and pillow tossed over his one shoulder.
"Those are some wise words."
The group of teens turned to the direction the voice had come, only to find a middleaged man standing with his thumbs tucked through his beltloops, a rather familiar goofy grin on his lips.
"Hey Dad." Demyx as he picked up the first of the coolers. "This is Riku, Zexion, Sora, Roxas and Hayner." He nodded in the direction each of the teens before handing his father the cooler he's been hanging onto.
"Nice to meet you boys. I never knew you had so many friends Dem. And they aren't all girls, so that's good." He chuckled as he began heading back to the house, two coolers, one atop of the other, in his rough looking hands.
"Nope! There's still more coming too!" Demyx exclaimed excitably. "We're gunna party our faces off tonight!"
While his cousin laughed and followed after Demyx's father, the other boys doing the same, Zexion found himself bringing up the rear of the group as they made their way to the old farmhouse, blonde guitarist at his side.
"If you're taking a couch tonight, you should probably call dibs soon." Demyx suggested, blue eyes watching as the other carefully made his way up the stairs, having a hard time seeing due to his long fringe of hair as well as the sleeping bag and pillow in his grasp. "That or you'll have to fight one of the others for a spot later. And I doubt you can take Axel, no offence."
Zexion flashed a small smile and shrugged.
"I don't know as I'll be getting much sleep tonight anyways." He said, slipping inside the doorway with Demyx not too long after him. "I'm a bit of a night hawk to begin with."
"Well then I guess that means you aren't a sleepy drunk?" Demyx playfully nudged him as they kicked off their shoes. "Are you a talkative drunk? That might be funny."
"I'm not really sure. Its only ever been me and Riku when I've drank before." Zexion gave another shrug, setting down his sleeping bag and pillow behind a grey couch. "And we were on Vent the last time, Raiding. It made WoW pretty funny, actually."
"Haha, me and Axel used to get smashed all the time!" Demyx kept walking towards the kitchen, where he deposited the cooler he'd been carrying. "Sometimes he'd go on Warcraft, other times me and him would go for a walk around town. Get into all sorts of trouble."
"Like that one time you called me up at five am, wanting me to come get you?"
Demyx turned to grin at his dad as the man nodded towards a care of beer next to the refrigerator. Scooping it up, the blonde teen walked back toward the front door of the house, Zexion following simply for the company.
"It's not like you haven't done it before." Demyx chuckled as he adjusted his hold on the case of beer, walking through the still open doorway.
"Well, last time, Dave challenged me, and who am I to say no to a contest of any sort?"
Shaking his head with a smile, Demyx hefted the box up onto the ledge behind the seat of a rather ancient looking tractor parked in the driveway. Using a bungee cord to secure it well enough, the blonde hopped back down to the ground, smiling over to his friends who stood a few feet away watching him.
Eventually, Mr. Brooks wandered out of the house, shouting playfully at Namine and Olette who were seated on the couch in the living room still. With a grunt and a hop, he clambered his way up the small ladder-like steps on the side of the rusted tractor and plopped down into the seat, its worn cover letting loose a poof of hay dust.
"Now boys, please don't burn my house down." The blonde man said tiredly from his place on the tractor seat. "I really can't afford to fix it, nor buy a new one."
"Don't worry Dad, I'll try and keep Axel under control tonight." Demyx said happily, stepping up onto the ancient machinery. "And I'll call if something happens, I promise."
"Thank you, Demyx." With a sad seeming smile, the man pulled his son into an awkward hug from where he sat, since Demyx was only on the top step. He pressed a parental kiss to the teen's forehead, looking him in the eye a moment. Identical blue eyes shone at one another. "Have fun, Dem. Take care of your sister." With that, he playfully ruffled his son's spastic locks and gave him a shove off the tractor's steps.
"I will dad."
With that, the man started the tractor up and turned the piece of farm equipment around. He smiled to the teens watching him and called out a 'if anything happens, I'm just down the road' before giving it a little more gas and heading towards the road.
Just as the tractor reached halfway down the lane, a motorcycle turned in the driveway. Tossing a wave as the bike passed, the driver slowed to a halt only a few feet from where Demyx stood. The sound of the thrumming engine had gained the attention of the others inside, and Roxas, closely followed by Riku, Sora, Naminé and Olette all came first out onto the porch, then down onto the edge of the gravel driveway.
With a flick of a wrist, the machine's noise ceased, and the drive eased it onto a kickstand, pausing only to look over at the sudden crowd gathered around.
"Did you guys start without me already or what?" came the slightly irritated question from beneath the helmet.
"Axel." Demyx looked to the older teen, hands on his hips.
"What?" Emerald eyes peered back at him through biker-goggles.
"You know what."
"No. No I don't."
The blonde held out an open hand expectantly, twitching his gingers in a 'gimme' motion when the other stared blankly at him.
"You're drinking tonight. Give me your keys." With a loud groan, Axel pulled them from his still warm motorcycle.
"Dem, I don't even have my helmet off yet." He grumbled, releasing the metal between his fingers to let them fall into the guitarist's hand with a quick jingle.
"This way, I don't get distracted and forget you drove. I can't have you driving anywhere on that thing drunk." Demyx shoved the key into his pocket, then grinned. "And don't you try and tell me you wouldn't do that, because I've watched you."
"Fiinnneee."
"Oh, and dad doesn't want the house to burn down, so you're taking it a little easy tonight, okay?"
"Awww, still upset about last time?"
Zexion's eyes widened and he looked from one teen to next.
"Exactly what happened last time? Should I be concerned for me life?" He asked, violet eyes wide with concern.
Axel laughed as he removed his helmet, red spikes sticking spastically out of a pony tail.
"I caught part of the shed on fire a couple weekends ago. Dem's old man didn't like that too much."
"You burnt one of his favorite lawn mowers that we had tweaked! It was so awesome, and now it won't start, fuck-tard!"
The thre teens had hardly any warning before Roxas came running up to them, mouth agape.
"YOU HAVE A BIKE?" the youngest exclaimed loudly, throwing himself between Demyx and Axel. "You never told me you had a motorcycle!"
"I… didn't think it was something that would bother you? I mean, it's a bike…"
"motorcycles are so hot!"
Demyx burst into a fit of giggles while Zexion could only smirk. The look on Axel's face was priceless. It was one of disbelieving shock mixed with excitement and a hint of blushed shyness.
"Y-you think so?"
"Yeah!" Roxas insisted, eyes bright as he moved to rest a hand on he crimson coloured gas tank. "Why don't you ever drive it to school? You'd get so much attention!"
"I-uh.. Well, I don't want a lot of attention really…" The red head laughed sheepishly, running a hand through his hair nervously.
"He mooches rides off me every day because someone would key his bike if he brought I to school." Demyx said with a sigh. "Its so noticeable and obviously his that anyone who disliked him probably wouldn't even think twice about keying it."
"yeah.." Axel chewed his lip thoughtfully. "That's the reason I guess. I don't exactly get along with everyone."
"Roxas!" Sora had started his way down the stairs, Riku close behind. "Come on, we're gunna go pick up Kairi! She just called!" Riku nodded, twirling his eyes in his hand, but not looking one bit pleased about what he was about to do.
"Nah, go on ahead." Roxas waved a hand lightly to his twin before returning his attention to Axel, and then Zexion and Demyx as well. "Guys, I'm not holding back tonight. Seriously, I need to get drunk, and so does Sora. If he stays sober, alls he'll do is baby me."
As Sora reluctantly got into the passenger seat, Riku watched with a raised eyebrow, before sighing heavily and sitting down in the drivers seat. Rather obediently, Hayner trotted over from the porch to stand with his best friend. He eyed Roxas a bit suspiciously, what with the sudden conversation with Axel, he was bound to see something amiss sooner or later. Everyone else had noticed the younger of the twins had changed his attitude slightly.
"What do you say we all go inside and watch a movie or something?" Demyx offered, hoping to have a chance to sit down. The musician had yet to do so since he'd gotten home, having been rather busy cleaning and preparing for the party. While the boys agreed it was a decent idea, as long as the movie was something action packed, Namine and Olette decided to go upstairs, the two girls discussing some Facebook group they'd recently joined.
"The Matrix."
"The first one is the only good one."
"Lord of the Rings; I could go for some slaughtering of Orcs, personally."
"You would say that." Riku scolded his cousin.
"Hey, hey, in all fairness, I there are some epic battles in that!" Demyx quickly protested, pouting in the silver haired teens direction while Roxas laughed.
"What about 300?" Hayner inquired, having already made it to the large stack of movies next to the entertainment unit.
"Fuck yes." Axel agreed, holding the door open for Roxas once all the others had gotten inside. As a round of 'yeahs' was voiced into the living room Roxas tossed a wink up to the redhead, catching him completely off guard. While Axel could only stare after the younger teen with his mouth slightly agape, Roxas chuckled lightly and slumped down on a couch next to Hayner, who was eagerly awaiting Demyx's starting of the movie.
Eventually, the others began to settle into their places on the two couches and small sofa. While Zexion opted to take the corner of one couch, Hayner had neglected to sit directly next to his best friend, the spot instead being filled by Axel, who by that point was earning some very peeved looks from Sora and Riku who seemed rather cosy on the sofa.
Zexion glanced from sofa to couch with mild amusement. Riku and Sora still didn't know, he mused. They still had no idea how flirtatious Roxas was being, and how nervous Axel was. But who was he to speak up? Besides, he would rather have his cousin get upset, because Sora wasn't one to speak up to his twin nor Axel, and somehow manage to get a confession out of the oldest teen. It would prove to be entertaining at the least. He watched Demyx slump down next to him as the movie began and smirked at him.
"What?" the guitarist whispered once the others had become engrossed in the beginning of the film. "what are you smirking about?"
"Sora and my cousin. They still don't know about Axel." Zexion replied in the same quieted tone, bringing up his legs so that he could sit on them while appearing to be focused on the tv screen.
Demyx watched with wide blue eyes as Sora snuck a glance at his sibling, eyes narrowing slightly as Roxas shifted to sit rather close to the vocalist next to him. Axel's cheeks gained a blush while he pretended not to notice. Hayner on the other hand, sat leaned against the arm of the couch, head resting in the palm of his hand. Big brown eyes seemed to be watching the movie, however the lost expression on his face said otherwise.
"What's up with Hayner?" Demyx asked, leaning close to the slate haired boy sitting next to him so that he could also gesture a small nod in the other blonde's direction.
"Lovesick, from what I can tell. Roxas also mentioned something about it earlier this week." As much as he enjoyed the gossip, Zexion moved away after that. The closeness Demyx had issued was… bothering him. He wasn't used to it, the younger boy told himself. He wasn't used to having anyone get so close, anyone being so comfortable with him.
Demyx nodded and returned his attention to the movie. Moments later, there was the pounding of feet above the boys. The girls. There was a giggle and a squeal, and then more pounding. Yelling, laughing, a bang as someone tripped over their own feet. Demyx's left eye switched slightly as his sibling let out a loud shriek, the pitch of the sound almost enough to shatter glass. Zexion winced next to him as well. Looking around the room, the look on Roxas' face told them he too was bother by the noise.
Suddenly, the banging of feet got louder as the two girls came racing down the stairs. As the giggling girl got closer to the living room, as well as getting louder, a car could be heard coming down the driveway through the open windows.
With a slight scowl, Demyx mashed buttons on the remote to raise the volume on the speakers in attempt to drown out his sister and her friend.
"Kairi is here!" Olette cheered loudly, running into the room, closely followed by Namine, who appeared to be just as excitable as her older sibling if given the chance.
While Sora got up eagerly, Riku seemed to have trouble removing himself from the sofa, obviously displeased by the pink haired girls arrival. As Namine and Olette's voices were joined by Sora's, Demyx quickly held down the volume button, the speakers going as loud as they possibly could just in time for the door to fly open and Kairi come running in.
In an instant, Riku was on his feet and over to the door to stop the imminent glomp between the girl and Sora. Perfectly in time with the movie playing, Riku stopped in front of her and let out a "This. Is. SPARTAAAAAA" and went to kick her right back out.
Sadly, she dodged, and scowled at him as he stumbled, having apparently intended to actually kick her. Riku however, grinned in response. Mission successful: no glompage occurred.
After some laughs at Riku's actions, the others eventually said hello to the pink haired girl, and invited her to sit down. Zexion noticed the only spot left was on the other side of Demyx, who, judging by the face he was making, did not really wish for her to come sit there. That end of the couch was next to Sora's end of the sofa. It was clearly a battle zone waiting to happen.
Before everyone returned to their seats though, Axel shot up, startling the hell out of Roxas. With a devious grin, he gestured for Demyx to mute the television, which he did. Once everyone was looking at him, and the room rather silent, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.
"NOODLE FIGHT!"
There was a round of echoes.
Apparently, the term 'noodle fight' held more than one meaning. And apparently, the one they were talking about did not involve long, foam pool toys or various colours being used to beat the living daylights out of one another until someone ended up drowning or crying. Zexion clearly remembered his childhood experiences in the pool with his cousin. It was really no wonder he was terrified of a good portion of society.
When he paused to think of the other possible mean, that theory was also shown to be false. Axel had not meant that type of noodle fight either. Everyone was definitely remaining clothed.
He watched curiously as his cousin readily agreed, and of all things, grabbed hold of his sleeping back. What the hell? Suddenly, everyone in the room was snatching up their sleeping bags and unrolling them.
"Zexy! Grab your sleeping bag!" Demyx demanded, pointing in the direction of the rolled up material on the carpet. The younger boy did as instructed, unrolling it to look back up at the other teen.
For some strange reason, most of them were pulling their sleeping bags over their heads.
Oh god.
No.
No!
Riku, blinded since he was under his blue sleeping bag, rushed forward towards where he'd heard Sora giggling from under his own Red sleeping bag. There was somewhat of a tackle, then more laughter.
Just like that, chaos erupted.
Girlish screams and giggles were muffled by sleeping bags as the teens all began blindly throwing themselves around the room, covered by the material they were suppose to be sleeping in later that night.
"This is so fucked up." Zexion muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose light as he watched the scene before him.
"Zexy! You too!"
Before he could protest, Demyx had pulled the slate haired teen's sleeping bag over his head and the rest of his body.
"D-Demyx! I can't see!"
"That's the point!" judging by the muffled sound to the guitarist voice, he'd also covered himself.
Something collided with the back of Zexion's legs and he crumpled forwards, taking out Demyx who'd been standing in front of him.
The blonde giggling under him, not even attempting to get out of the predicament. Zexion felt his cheeks heat up. This was a stupid game. Demyx rolled then, managing to get his sleeping bag-bound self laying on Zexion.
"I win."
A stupid, horrible game, that's all it was.
"Don't think so." Zexion wriggled violently within the material, successfully throwing Demyx off and onto the carpeted floor. Chuckling as he heard a groan of protest, the slate haired teen began feeling his way around the floor. Carpet.. carpet… coffee table…. Foot? He poked at it through the material, the limb flailing while being accompanied by a giggle. Roxas. There was a yelp as someone, judging by the voice, Axel, tumbled over the wooden coffee table, landing haphazardly on top of Zexion as well as Roxas' legs.
"Sorry whoever you are!" the older boy exclaimed, groping around through his sleeping bag to find the carpet, instead his covered hand came in contact with something else.
Roxas' ass apparently.
"Axel! Don't grab my ass!"
Demyx burst into a fit of giggles then flopping over to where he'd heard voices.
"Sorry! Oh my god, Roxas, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to I swear!" the red head pleaded, beginning to pull off his sleeping bag.
"No copping a feel when I can't even see you! That's not fair!" There was a rustling of a sleeping bag and an 'oomph' as Roxas pounced on Axel, still unable to see anything.
Zexion took that opportunity to wriggle out of his sleeping bag and look around. All over the room there were still people covered by material, piling onto one another, or some, like Hayner, who and found their way into a corner and were battling themselves.
"You give up easy."
Violet eyes turned to watch Demyx pull his sleeping bag away, hair possibly more spastic than it always way.
"I like being able to see."
"Sure it's not just 'cause me and Axel were winning?"
Zexion smirked, shoving the other boys shoulder playfully.
"I think Axel was too busy trying to inconspicuously grope Roxas." He joked, smirk remaining as there was a muffled protest from under the coffee table where a certain redhead was being assaulted.
"Trust me when I say the game gets more entertaining the more you drink. Its like RockBand. Some people manage to get better with the more they drink, others get so horrible its hilarious." Demyx said with a shrug, getting to his feet and folding his sleeping bag over one arm. He offered the slate haired teen a hand in getting up, which was surprisingly accepted.
"So, is that a hint to get drinking? Or that I'll be forced to play that mindless game before the night is through?" Zexion inquired, rolling his bed in his arms and tucking it back behind the couch.
"Both." His cousin answered from across the room.
Riku was slowly getting to his feet, Sora still clinging to his legs under his sleeping bag.
"We're gunna start drinking?" The brunette asked through the material.
"The suns going down, might as well get to it." Riku said with a shrug, tossing his messy sleeping bag onto a nearby loveseat.
Sora quickly removed his sleeping bag and began looking around.
"Your Vodka is next to my back pack Sora." Riku sighed and slumped down onto the couch on top of his bedding, chuckling as he watch pence and Olette stumble out of their own confines. Hayner had yet to escape his, and remained in the corner of the room.
Sora quickly returned with the large bottle, only then realizing he had not brought anything to mix it with. He looked to Demyx worriedly, and the guitarist chuckled.
"There's orange juice and Koolaid in the fridge Sora. Help yourself."
Sora darted into the kitchen and returned with a jug of orange juice and two red plastic cups.
"We'll meet you guys in the ping-pong room!" Sora exclaimed excitedly, dragging Riku with him into a small room to the side, where the silver haired boy could be heard protesting to a game.
The other teens in the house slowly began digging out their alcohol and opening bottles up. While Namine and Hayner sat down on the couch, some sort of cards in hand, Olette hopping into Pence's lap so that the two could play as a team. Apparently, Pence sucked at card games. Zexion vaguely recalled Roxas telling him recently that there were a lot of things Pence sucked at. One of them being life in general. The slate haired teen was brought back from his thoughts by the sound of Axel whining from where he stood holding both he and Roxas' sleeping bags.
"Oh come on Dem, do some shots with me."
"Fine! Fine! But just a couple. I need to make sure that, in case Marly and Larxene show up, I have enough sense to stop them from breaking my stuff." The blonde groaned as Axel linked his pale arm around Demyx's more tanned one, and pulled him towards the kitchen.
"Come on Roxas, you too!" Axel called. While Roxas followed rather willingly, Zexion found his hand snatched up by Demyx's unoccupied one, and he too was pulled into the next room.
Axel pulled a green tinged bottle of liquid from the counter top, followed by two small shot glasses from a shelf on the wall. By the way he was acting, and how he knew where to find everything, Zexion could only guess Axel coming over to drink with Demyx was a common occurrence.
With expert ease, Axel filled the two glasses with the coloured liquid and offered on to Zexion, who shook his head with a 'no thanks', then to Demyx. The mulleted teen took it from him and examined the perfection that was Axel's shots. He always filled them with such an exact amount, it amazed him. Looking back to the redhead, Demyx watched him down the booze without a second though, smacking his lips loudly and returning the small glass to the table with a clink.
"Dude, Demyx, we should go out in the back field!"
"I'm not drunk enough to even attempt that yet." Demyx laughed.
"What's in the back field?" Zexion asked curiously, a single eyebrow raised at his friends. Axel grinned deviously, thumbs tucked in the belt loops of his black ripped jeans.
"Oh noothinngg." He replied in a sing-song tone that lead the slate haired teen to believe differently.
"Axel, I can't terrify Zexy! What if he got hurt? On his first time over! I'd feel sooooo bad!" Demyx whined, wincing as he downed shot. He handed the glass to Axel with a disgusted look on his face. "By the way, that shit is nasty. I'm not doing any more with you."
"Oh come on, it's green apple. It's not that bad."
"It doesn't taste like apple at all!"
The vocalist smirked, emerald eyes turning to Zexion as he gave up on his band mate.
"There's this walking trail in the back field. Goes through the bush and stuff, its real cool. Creepy even. And there's some of the more rowdy cattle back there. Like Demyx's bull. Thing fuckin' hates me." Axel shrugged, as if he had no idea why.
"You have red hair, and you used to pester it growing up!"
Roxas laughed and leaned against the table.
"Are you really that much trouble, everywhere you go?" the youngest asked up to the vocalist.
"I'm not the trouble, the trouble just follows me where ever I go." He ruffled the others hair playfully, smirking when he figured he'd mussed it enough to look a bit goofy, yet still adorable.
"Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Zexion could only watch in absolute shock as Axel proceeded to poor Roxas a shot, as well as himself another too. They were getting along. Well, actually. Axel was far less nervous than he had been at the beginning of the week. And Roxas was getting so… close. Close to Axel. They were talking and laughing and had been play fighting earlier…
The smile plastered on Demyx's face told Zexion that the other boy was thinking he exact same thoughts. Axel looked so happy. Not troublesome, not devious, and not pissed off. He was really happy. And it was because he was actually getting somewhere with Roxas.
"Think you can take it, squirt?"
"I bet I could drink you off your ass tonight, Axel."
"Pfft! You're like, what, twelve? Like you could out drink me." The red head, readied another shot, waiting for Roxas to press the glass to his lips.
"Ax, don't forget you have a case of beer here too." Demyx said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair.
"Yeah, you and Rox can help me finish that."
"You're already doing shots though.."
"Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you're in the clear. Come on Dem! You know how it goes!" Axel chuckled and sucked back the shot, nearing choking on a laugh as he watched Roxas make a very unpleasant face at the taste as he copied the motion.
There was a short buzzing noise and Roxas pulled his phone from his pocket, coughing lightly due to the lingering taste in his mouth. Flipping it open, the youngest read the message he'd received and snapped the device back shut.
"Dem's right, it doesn't taste like green apple. And Sora ways we should come play he and Riku in a game of ping pong."
Demyx leaned around the doorway to the kitchen so that he could peer through the living room and through the doorway into the room where Riku and Sora could be seen leaning against the pong table.
"Was it really necessary to text that?" The guitarist asked loudly, Sora's laugher reaching the other teens in the kitchen. "I mean, we're like, a room away!"
"Just get you asses in here already!" Riku responded, smirking as Demyx huffed at him.
"Fine, what ever! We'll come play!"
The others followed Demyx into the other room, Axel stopping with Roxas along the way to snatch up a few beers before they entered the room where Demyx was taking up a paddle, Zexion looking rather terrified that he was expected to play as well.
Eventually the slate haired teen got the hang o the game, and was found to be quite good, having saved Demyx from having to do embarrassing dares a couple times, as that was Riku's idea of punishment for losing.
Riku was on a bit of a devious streak, it seemed, as the dares were getting more and more twisted as he and Sora continued to dominate first Zexion and Demyx, then Axel and Roxas at the games of table tennis.
After nearly an hour of playing, there were a number of empty beer bottles tucked under the pong table on the side where Axel and Roxas had been, and still were playing. Demyx and Zexion had been fixed a couple of drinks and, after a tiring dare of giving Riku and Sora piggy backs around the house, ended up slumped on opposite ends of a tattered couch along the wall of the small room.
Hayner had long since turned up a stereo in the living room, and Pence could be heard laughing obnoxiously every now and then. Apparently, he was losing whatever drinking game the teens out there were playing. Roxas hadn't lied. He really did suck.
At one point in the middle of a rather bouncy song, most likely something one of the girls had wanted to listen to, there was a piece of music that didn't quite match. Screamo did not match pop.
Axel paused mid drink, pulling out a small flashing cell phone. With a smirk in place, he flipped the device open and held it to the side of his head.
"Yo."
"Look at him. He's had the thing two days and he acts like it's been years." Demyx laughed from his place on the couch next to Zexion, lazily stretching his arms over his head.
Axel frowned, listening to the speaker on his cell phone.
"No. I'm not coming raiding; I'm at Demyx's house... No, he has dial-up." Axel crossed his arms over his chest and sighed heavily. "No... Lots of people." Emerald eyes opened to stare straight down at Zexion, who tilted his head curiously. "Yeah, he's here... Yep, just a sec." Removing the cell phone, the redhead took a few steps forward, hand outstretched. "Zex, phone's for you."
"Me? Who would want to talk to me?" a little shocked, he accepted the phone, pressing it lightly to his ear while Demyx watching him with great interest. "Hullo?"
'Emo Kid. What's up?'
"S-Seifer?"
Demyx raised a blonde eyebrow to him while Axel went back to the game of ping pong, serving the small ball to Riku who was rather unprepared on the other side of the net, Sora yelping as the ball narrowly missed the two who had begun to chat quietly, drinks in hand instead of paddles.
'Yeah. You guys are partying without me, you lamers.'
"Sorry? I don't think Demyx would have expected you to want to come." He answered honestly, looking to Demyx, who had heard him mention the bully's name.
"He'd start shit." Demyx warned.
'Is he there?'
Zexion smirked impishly.
"Yep, he is."
'Can I crash?'
"One sec." Zexion quickly covered the bottom of the phone so that he wouldn't be heard by the older boy. "Dem, he wants to know if he can crash your party."
"Did you not just hear what I said? If he wasn't such a trouble maker, then it'd be fine. But I already have Axel to worry about!" the musician had lowered his voice so that they wouldn't be heard by Axel and Roxas who were already preoccupied by their game of ping pong against Sora and Riku.
"He thinks you'd cause trouble. He's already got Axel here."
'I won't cause trouble. I promise. I-I don't want any fights…. I won't even drink if he doesn't want me to…. If I fuck anything up, I'll just leave. I'll drive myself right back home.'
"He promises not to start anything Demyx."
"I heard part of that." Demyx smiled lightly at his friend, then sighed. "I suppose he can. He's not allowed to drink though. I don't know what he's like once he's had some."
"He says fine, but no drinking. That's just because he doesn't know what you're like, and well, neither do I." Zexion said, a certain kind tone leaking through his voice.
'Thanks Zexion. That means a lot.' there was a slight pause. 'Do you think I've got a chance?'
A smile fell on the slate haired teen's lips, catching Demyx's attention. Blue eyes watched intently, only moving from Zexion's face to glance over at Axel, who was beginning to get suspicious.
"Well, you might. But you'd better get here before he starts drinking, so that he actually has a mind to listen to you." Suddenly, Demyx was grinning like an idiot. "Other wise, he'll be too drunk to use his head, and you promised no fights."
'Yeah. Ok, I'll be there in an hour. Try not to get wasted before then in case I need some help.'
"Ha! Like I'd be of any use. Oh, and if you bring Rai, I'll let Hayner beat the crap out of you."
'That fuck-tard is probably too busy whacking off in his basement.'
Zexion snickered, as did Demyx.
'Be there in an hour, lamer.' There was a loud click as Seifer hung up, Zexion offering a smile to Demyx, who sighed lightly in response. Closing the cell phone quickly, Zexion stood and returned the device to Axel, the redhead simply slipping it back into his pocket and returned to the game
"That's cute." Demyx said quietly as Zexion slumped back down, taking a sip of his rye and coke. "Seifer likes Hayner."
Zexion nodded, setting his drink back down on the box next to the torn up couch.
"He's scared about it."
The blonde to his left blinked curiously, fingers intertwined behind his head.
"Really? Well... I suppose I can see why. Hayner is liable to just punch him if Seifer isn't careful about... telling him." This received another nod, slower this time. "But, why tell you?"
"I wish I knew." The younger teen shrugged, crossing one leg over the other. "I keep having theses guys tell me about their boycrushes. It's rather frustrating."
"Oh?" Demyx remained with his hands behind his head, though beginning to chew his lip with what appeared to be boredom.
"Everyone else seems to have found someone they've taken an interest in. I think... I think this was why I didn't hang out with a certain crowd before. So that I didn't get so... involved." The smile on his lips faded and he began to look around for something to entertain himself, since he was beginning to get sick of just sitting around, and he was already falling into the state of openness. He was on his second glass, his first having been rather strong to begin with, but that was what he got for allowing Riku to pour him the drink. That idiot held his liquor rather well it seemed, as his cousin could still manage to hit the small white ping pong ball back across the table particularly well.
"Zexy?" Demyx's voice, as well as the hand placed on the skinny jean clad thigh startled him suddenly. Violet eyes darted to meet blue.
"Yeah?"
"Did you maybe want to find someone?"
Whether it was the amount of alcohol he'd consumed making his face heat up, or the fact the Demyx was leaning a little closer than he normally would, Zexion wasn't sure. Possibly a combination of both.
"D-Demyx. I think you've had enough to drink." He tried, but was met with a very mischievous smirk.
"Zexion." Oh god, he said the full name. Demyx never said his full name! "Is that it? Maybe you just need someone?"
Axel chose that moment to flop backwards onto the couch, falling right between the two younger boys, Roxas wriggling in his arms.
"Haha! No! Axel! Ha! Stop!"
"Oh come on Roxy, you totally cost us the game!" The red head exclaimed, turning to stretch across his bandmate and fellow smoker, his thin fingers tickling Roxas' sides mercilessly.
"You weren't! Ha ha! Covering me well enough! Ha-HAHA! AXEL!"
As uncomfortable as it was to have a flailing couple of hormonal teenage boys on top of him tickling each other, Zexion had to admit he may have scowled slightly when Sora came hurrying over looking rather terrified that his twin brother was currently in the pyromaniac's grasp.
"Roxas!" The younger of the twins exclaimed, reaching out to attempt to help his sibling.
Demyx must have seen that Sora was going to stop the two's interaction as well, because he chose that moment to give Axel's side a strong push, sending the redhead's upper half off his knees and onto the carpeted floor. With a smirk, Zexion pushed the redhead's long spindly legs off as well, sending Roxas downwards and onto his captor.
While Sora's expression seemed to some how worsen, Axel's own laugher finally escaped him. Riku paused midway across the room, apparently thinking he'd help Sora rescue his brother from his supposed creeper.
"Haha! Axel, where's my beer?" Roxas giggled slightly, rolling off the older boy and onto the floor next to him.
"You drank it already."
"You sure you didn't drink it?" the blonde inquired, giggling a little bit quieter as he struggled to accurately poke Axel's nose playfully. Shaking his head 'no', Axel removed his hands from the younger teen's sides, instead tucking them against this thin torso awkwardly.
"Demyx says I shouldn't be drinking too much tonight. I've had some already, and I need to make what I have last."
"Being all smart... about your booze. Haha. You should go get another. Me and you. We'll go get some more from the kitchen."
"Roxas, I think you should stop for a bit." Sora said down to him, concern showing in his voice.
"Riku!" Zexion all but exclaimed, his cousin looking to him curiously. "I think you should go make Sora a drink. One of your real good ones." He suggested with a devious glint in his visible eye.
Riku paused to consider the idea, then grinned.
"Good idea Zex. Come on Sora. I hear Hayner yelling about something in the kitchen." The silver haired teen said, quickly grabbing hold of the younger boy's hand and pulling him through the door way, a blush painted on the brunette's cheeks at the action.
"HA! Riku better get him smashed!" Roxas giggled, attempting to get up onto his knees but only half succeeding. Instead the younger boy fell onto the redhead's chest, smiling sheepishly down into emerald eyes. Where as Roxas was most definitely past being tipsy, Axel had just barely reached the point. With cheeks as red as his hair, the vocalist swallowed nervously, but made sure to keep his hands securely on Roxas' thin hips.
"R-Roxas.. Um…"
Zexion leaned over, hand covering his mouth partially.
"Demyx, we should go." he whispered. The guitarist's eyes darted from him, down to Axel who looked like he might die of nervousness, then back.
"Hey, don't you go backin' out on me now." Roxas suddenly commanded, steadying himself on Axel's chest. "I thought for sure I'd had you figured out. Don't go proving me wrong now of all times."
Axel blinked once, twice, then tilted his head in confusion.
"Oh come on, don't gimme that." Roxas pouted, but settled his small hands on either side of the older teens face, thumbs reaching up to lightly caress the black tattoos on his cheeks. "You and I both know you like me."
Demyx's mouth fell wide open, but he and Zexion remained still. If either of them moved, it may disrupt the 'moment' that was occurring on the carpeted floor in front of them.
"Y-you know?" Axel stuttered, his brilliant eyes somehow growing wider.
"Of course I know. You aren't exactly subtle." The blonde scoffed, but then smirked, one hand moving to run through messy red locks.
"Roxas.. I-I…" Axel quickly tried to advert his eyes, move his head, anything, but the younger boy wouldn't have it. Blue eyes locked with nervous emerald.
"Axel, my twin brother is about as gay as they come, did you really expect me to be any different?"
Zexion held in the urge to keel over laughing. The look on both Demyx and Axel's face said it all.
"You.. Don't mind that I…?"
Roxas smiled sweetly, leaning down to press to tip of his nose to Axel's.
"Of course not. I'm quite happy actually." Roxas chuckled, still a drunk sound to his voice. Axel seemed to pick up on the tinge however.
"But is it the alcohol speaking, or you, Rox?" He asked worriedly.
When the blonde's sweet expression turned into an absolute frown, Zexion heard Demyx gasped lightly, the guitarist concerned for his bandmate. He too was biting his lip in nervousness, though a voice in the back of his head was still yelling that they really ought to get out of the room, he forced himself to stay and not disrupt anything.
"Axel, I didn't just figure this out now, if that's what you mean." when he noticed the fearful look in the redheads eyes, Roxas calmed himself once more, carefully moving his fingertips over the tattooed cheek again. "I just needed some courage to tell you that its not so one sided. Liquid courage."
That was all he needed. Axel's hands finally moved from Roxas' sides to entangle in wispy blonde hair as he forced his back off the ground slightly. Carefully pressing his lips to Roxas', he made a mental note to thank Demyx for telling him to take it easy with the booze since it had really paid off to be somewhat sober. Then, everything but Roxas was gone to him and he sat up, pulling the younger boy into his lap. Where Roxas was sloppily drunk and forceful, Axel was cautiously precise, catching every kiss the blonde would have missed.
"R-Roxas?"
It was Axel, not Roxas, who froze. While the redhead remained still, shoulders tense, Roxas slowly seemed to realize he was being watched. Blue eyes opened to glare at his sibling, the blonde shifting to sit up properly, though his legs still remained on either side of Axel's boney hips.
"What, Sora? What do you want?" he snapped, reaching to entwine his fingers in Axel's, who still hadn't turned around, his eyes shut tight in fear.
"You- You're drunk, Rox. Don't -"
"So what if I'm drunk? At least I know what I'm doing." the younger of the twins interrupted with a growl. "At least I'm actually serious about this! I really like him, Sora."
Axel's cheeks were matching his hair again, and Zexion couldn't help the soft 'aww' that escaped him when he noticed the blissfully happy look in those emerald eyes. His noise attracted the attention of everyone though, especially Demyx, who was smirking triumphantly next to him on the couch.
"You hopeless romantic." the blonde chuckled, playfully elbowing the smaller teen, who smiled sheepishly in response.
"Yeah, well-" he crossed his arms, though a hint of the smile was still present on his lips. "He's just been trying for so long… and they're cute!"
"He has?" Zexion's lavender eyes went wide as his head snapped to look at his cousin.
And just like that, Demyx was on his feet and grabbing hold of Zexion's one unoccupied hand.
"Come on Zexy, everyone's gettin' drunk 'cept us!"
Awkward moment avoided? Only to be replaced with another.
"Zex!"
"Going to get a refill!" The slate haired teen yelled back to his cousin as he was pulled in the direction of the kitchen, Demyx laughing giddily the whole way.
"Dem-Demyx! You really think you need more to drink?" the younger boy asked as the musician flung the fridge door open. Pausing in his grabbing of cold booze, the blonde turned to look at him.
"Zexy, I'm hardly tipsy." His voice was even, his steps were steady. Zexion's face went blank in attempt to compute the current situation. Demyx was still rather sober. "It takes more than just a couple drinks to get me."
"O-oh… but then?"
A bottle of vodka to mix in one hand, Demyx stepped forward and leaned down to look the other in the eye.
"I'm actually curious… whether you've been thinking about only everyone else's relationships? Or maybe your want of one as well."
It's kind of hard not to want what everyone else seems to have and enjoy so damn much. He dealt with it every day it seemed. Seifer, Axel, his cousin. There wasn't a day recently where the thought hadn't crossed his mind that maybe he was missing out.
The sound of liquid being poured reached his ears and Zexion realized Demyx was now at the counter, pouring the two of them their drinks.
"I.. Don't know what I want." Zexion stammered out, stepping over to the counterside, leaning on it absentmindedly.
"That makes two of us." Demyx took a quick swig from the bottle of vodka instead of his mixed glass, then placed it back into the refrigerator. "Lets see which one of us figures it all out first, huh?"
Before Zexion could respond, Demyx was walking away again, headed in the direction of the living room.
"D-Demyx! Wait!"
"I'm going to play RockBand! Come play with me Zexy! I need a bass player since Larxene isn't here!" the mulleted boy called back before he disappeared around the corner.
He was about to follow, just about to give chase, when a rather frustrated looking Riku came through the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and aqua eyes narrowed at his cousin.
"You said 'for so long'." the older of the Schweyer boys stated forcefully.
Shit, I did.
"Uhhhmmm, no I didn't." He couldn't help snicker as Riku snorted. Yeah, he wouldn't have believed himself either. Zexion plucked his drink from the countertop and took a sip, raising his one visible eyebrow at his cousin as he shrugged. He felt so very devious, not giving his housemate a straight answer.
"Zexion! You knew? You knew he liked him and you didn't say anything to Sora?"
Zexion smirked impishly, turning on his heel, drink in hand, and walking towards the kitchens exit. He paused, looking back over his shoulder to add only a 'My house. Its on fire' and hurried into the living room, chuckling to himself as he heard his cousin groan loudly in frustration.