Chapter Eleven

He hurt. So much.

He wanted it to stop, wanted to be somewhere or someone else, unconscious, something, anything. Vampire healing just wasn't working nearly fast enough. He would cry, but the tears would sting the cuts on his face and his swollen eye. He would scream, but his broken ribs forbade it. He couldn't do anything, he couldn't move, even if he hadn't been shackled.

He could just like there pitifully on the cold cement floor and wish more than anything that he was with Xigbar instead right now. Curled up in the safety of his arms instead of curled up in pain.


He inhaled deeply as he nuzzled his face into silver hair, trying to clear the scent of blood from his sensitive hunter's nose. Wrapping his arms more tightly around Riku's waist, the redhead gave a content sigh. He hadn't found out what he'd wanted to from their little blonde vampire, but he would in time. There was only so much pain one living creature could endure before they broke, after all.

Riku gave a sigh of a very different nature as he shifted a bit where he sat next to Axel on the couch. "I wish you'd find better methods to get information," he said.

"Why?" the redhead said with a smirk, breathing in the fresh, clean scent of Riku's hair, "It's the best way."

"Obviously not in this case," Riku pointed out.

"He's just tough, that's all," Axel said without too much concern, "He'll break eventually."

The silverette didn't bother to answer that, just turned to gaze briefly around the room before wrinkling his nose. "I thought I told you to clean up."

Axel glanced uninterestedly at the blood spatters on the floor, "I'll get to it," he said with a shrug.

The look Riku gave him in response though made him consider changing his mind. All right, so he did more than just consider it.

"All right, all right, I'll take care of it," the redhead relented, untangling himself from his boyfriend and rising from the couch.

A loud noise caught him off guard though, startled him, and he flinched just a bit before realizing that it had been the sound of the front door being kicked in. Reacting swiftly, Riku was the first to spring into action, getting to his feet and grabbing his long dagger from the coffee table.

Cursing his slower reflexes, Axel scrambled to retrieve his knives. He had been a hunter longer, hadn't he? So why was he always slower and weaker than the silverette? He was older, he had more experience, so why? Now wasn't the best time to worry about that though, so he pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the matter at hand.

With a knife firmly in each hand-the blades still stained with the blonde vampire's blood-Axel spun, heading for the front door. Riku was already some number of steps ahead of him by now, out of sight-no, there he was, stumbling back and falling from a blow by their unseen intruder.

Rounding the bend, the redhead saw who it was and smirked. There was no mistaking that face, that presence-it was Xigbar. The vampire they'd been looking for had come to them, how convenient.

Still with a smug air of confidence, Axel swiftly threw one of his knives-at least he had the best aim of the two of them, and always hit his mark with dead-on accuracy. There was a blur of motion as the vampire caught the knife and threw it back, faster than the redhead could react, and he grimaced as it embedded in his shoulder. Stumbling back against the door frame, he reached up to pull the blade free.

"All that work I did to find you, and I didn't even have to bother," Axel said with a grin, still with his usual arrogance.

His words had an obvious affect on the vampire, and Xigbar growled as he stalked towards the redhead.

Riku moved to intercept, but was knocked away easily before he could attack, his head connecting solidly with the wall. Axel aimed a slashing blow with one knife, but the vampire caught his hand, twisting hard, and the redhead sucked in a pained breath as he felt bones snap.

"You'll regret hurting him," Xigbar said, the words low and dangerous.

"Oh really?" Axel shot back, doing his best to ignore his throbbing wrist, "Try me, vampire."

He received a growl in response, and found himself flying across the room. He hit the wall headfirst, falling to the ground in a heap. There was a metallic taste in his mouth, and for a moment it was all he could do to not pass out. He could hear the sounds of a fight, a few sickening cracks in particular piercing through the fog clouding his mind. Riku, where was Riku?

Forcing himself to his feet, Axel stumbled across the room, leaning one hand on the doorway to keep his balance. It took him a second to process the fact that the vampire was bent over Riku, fangs buried in the silverette's neck. When he did realize it, fury tinged with panic swept over him and he strode forward, reaching out with his good hand.

"Stay the fuck away from him," the redhead growled.

Before he could do anything though, Xigbar spun, delivering a sharp punch to the hunter's face. There was a crunch as Axel's nose broke, blood running down over his chin, but he pressed forward until he was punched again. He stumbled back, his head hitting the door frame just as his vision was engulfed in black and he went down.


He flinched back a bit when the door opened, and he lifted his head from the floor to be able to see with his good eye, the one that wasn't nearly swollen completely shut. Hey…he recognized that figure, however blurry they appeared to be right now. Shifting a bit, he curled his broken arm closer against his chest, trying not to jostle it, and smiled as much as his bruised, bleeding face would allow without too much pain.

"Xiggy…" he rasped, broken ribs stabbing into his lungs more and making him wince.

He knew how horrible he must look, with his clothes ripped and bloodied, the various bruises and broken bones-and he felt all of them too-but right now none of that seemed to matter anymore. His Xigbar was here, and everything would be all right now, he was certain of it.

"I didn't…tell them anything," the blonde said, voice hoarse as he tried to sit up, but only succeeded in causing pain to flare in his wounds, the chains on his shackles clinking together.

"I know, it's all right," Xigbar said soothingly, crouching down next to him.

"…I knew you'd find me," Demyx said with another wince and whimper, only semi aware of when the chains were snapped, "I never gave up hope…I knew you'd come…" He was closer to tears now, much closer to giving in. It was so much easier now, knowing he was safe, or he would be at least once they were out of here.

"It's all right," the older vampire said again, carefully lifting the blonde in his arms.

Succumbing finally to his emotions, Demyx allowed himself to cry, no matter how much the tears hurt. It didn't matter right now; his torture was over, Xigbar was here, and he was going home.