Disclaimer: It hasn't changed, DAMMIT. This is kinda rubbing me wrong.
A/N: LOL, I'm being so weird, doing this now. Ah, well, so long as ya'll appreciate it.
Dedication: NaroRau, a great friend who also happened to be the 100th reviewer for How to Love a Somebody. She was the one to slip me into the triple digits. Love ya still, girly. Go read the story I wrote for her, called 'Triple Dog Dare You'. What? I'm allowed to advertise.
Originally Published: 3/27/08
Edited Chapter Published: 08/08/08
Chapter Twelve: Waking Up Together
He was warm, oh so warm. Myde smiled, wanting to feel that warmth just a little bit more and a little bit longer. He snuggled further beneath the covers, feeling as though he was wrapped in a cocoon.
Of course, it couldn't (and didn't) last for much longer. Myde could already feel the haziness that had accompanied his sleep dissipate, leaving him only slightly foggy.
He slowly awoke, not really knowing why he was waking up. He sighed, and burrowed deeper into his sheets. He heard a chuckle behind him but didn't think much of it. He was still asleep. He breathed in deeply, smelling a scent that he hadn't smelled in the last few days.
Ienzo….
His sheets smelled like… Ienzo. How was that possible? His sheets had been changed since the sick man had slept in them that one night.
How did they smell once more of ink and books, with a slight undertone of jasmine? Myde's mind was unable to truly wrap around these thoughts, and his mind flashed back to the soft chuckle that he had heard from behind him.
There was someone else in the room….
Myde slightly stiffened, wondering what to do. Who was this person? Was it… Ienzo? He shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to wake up if this was a dream.
Either the person behind him was Ienzo, or it was an intruder. Myde certainly wished for the former. He bit his lip, thinking of what to do.
'Is it Ienzo? How do I find out without alerting the person that I'm awake? What if it isn't Ienzo? Could I surprise this person enough to get away? I don't… want this to be the end. Oh, Myde, you're getting paranoid. Just turn around and… look. It's not that hard. Just… do it.'
Myde gulped, wanting to believe that the person was Ienzo, wanting to believe that he wasn't in danger.
Slowly, acting as though he was still asleep, Myde turned over in his bed, cushioning his hands beneath his pillow, eyes still closed.
He heard another chuckle and Myde slowly opened one eye, keeping it closed enough so that it looked like it wasn't open. Myde could see slightly through it, though- enough to catch flashes of color.
Silver-blue, lavender… and periwinkle.
It was Ienzo. Myde's eyes shot open, staring wide eyed into the amused face of the one person that Myde had wanted to see above all else. He gasped and could feel tears start to water his eyes. He cursed his girlishness. No ordinary guy would cry at seeing someone after only two or three days.
"I- Ienzo?"
Myde brought a hand up and laid it on Ienzo's cheek. He stared at him, at the small smile gracing his lips, the small sparkle in his eyes… he was beautiful.
So, so beautiful. Myde couldn't believe that this man wanted to be with him.
Ienzo brought his hand up and laid it over Myde's, not saying anything, still smiling softly, gazing directly into Myde's eyes. It was like he was trying to memorize everything about Myde.
"Hello, Myde. I'm sorry for not having been here earlier. I had… matters to deal with."
Myde just stared, not really listening to what Ienzo was saying. He was really there….
Myde had worried for nothing. Now he felt like slapping himself for getting so depressed for absolutely no true reason.
He was truly in deep with Ienzo.
The longer he stared at Ienzo, the more his smile grew, until it was practically overcoming his face with its brilliance. Then he felt like really slapping himself.
Why wasn't he kissing this heavenly creature that was in his bed and just waiting for him to make the first move?!
Myde lunged forward and connected their lips together. A small grunt escaped from Ienzo's throat and Myde groaned.
Finally….
Myde threw his arms around Ienzo's neck and pressed his lips even harder against Ienzo's. Ienzo lifted one of his hands and placed it under Myde's head, cradling it. The other he put on Myde's hip.
Myde moaned softly and tightened his grip further, so glad to finally be where he wanted to be. Right next to Ienzo, being kissed by him and just taking in his scent. His beauty… it was intoxicating.
Myde shivered as Ienzo's hand slowly crept inside his shirt. He kept kissing him, liking this new sensation.
Ienzo's fingers softly gliding along his skin was heady and Myde definitely thought that he could get used to this feeling.
Not like it would be hard or anything.
Ienzo's tongue slipped into his mouth and Myde slipped his hands out from around Ienzo's neck and sent them circling around his back, digging into the skin of Ienzo's back.
Ienzo hissed, back arching, sending his lower body slamming into Myde's. Myde grinned, disconnecting their lips and planting his lips on Ienzo's neck, suckling softly.
Ienzo's head fell back, neck arching, allowing Myde easier access to the soft and sensitive flesh. He groaned, curse words falling from his mouth.
What Myde was making him feel should be made illegal in all worlds.
Ienzo then grinned wickedly. Why not return the favor in kind?
He quickly flipped Myde onto his back and straddled him, knees on both sides of his hips. He stared down at Myde's flushed face, grinning at the feelings coursing hotly through his body. He liked this feeling. It did make him wonder, though.
How was he able to feel when, just earlier, he hadn't been able to feel anything?
Ienzo shelved these thoughts for later, when he wasn't doing such pleasurable activities to the boy beneath him. He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against Myde's before lightly pecking Myde on the lips.
He moved his head down slightly; placing his mouth on Myde's softly arched neck and sucked. He had this undeniable urge to mark Myde as his.
Apparently from the groans and sighs coming from Myde, Myde had absolutely no problem with this plan, either.
Ienzo slipped his hands beneath Myde's shirt, bunching the material in his clenched fists and slowly raising it, keeping his mouth on Myde's neck, only leaving it to slip his shirt over his head and throw it on the ground next to the bed. He returned to it quickly, happy to finally have his hands coasting freely over Myde's creamy skin.
Myde softly cursed, never having felt this before. He'd never gone this far before with someone before. Hell, Ienzo had been the first person he'd ever kissed in a non-platonic way.
He sent his hands into the back pockets of Ienzo's jeans and squeezed softly, enjoying the slightly garbled moan that came from Ienzo. Then he decided that Ienzo had too much clothing on and he swiftly pulled Ienzo's sweater off, throwing it away just as quickly as Ienzo had done with his.
Myde pulled away, wanting to see what Ienzo looked like, not wet or freezing cold. The only other time he had seen Ienzo naked was when he had pulled his sopping wet clothes off while Ienzo had been unconscious. This was slightly different.
Ienzo's skin was a pale white color, contrasting with his gorgeous hair. It was almost translucent and Myde could faintly see the blue blood vessels beneath the skin.
He was perfect. Myde felt like covering up his slightly tanned skin with a sheet or something. He didn't feel good enough to be around Ienzo.
Ienzo had drawn back slightly, sweeping his eyes over Myde, doing the same thing to Myde that Myde was doing to him. If only Myde knew exactly how much Ienzo was thanking the gods above for sending Myde to him; perhaps he wouldn't have wanted to cover up then.
Myde brought his hands up and placed them around Ienzo's neck, bringing the boy on top of him down for another kiss; tongues dueled, saliva swapped, hands swept over the other's bodies.
Myde drew his left leg up with his knee bent at a 90 degree angle, and then hooked it around Ienzo's waist, still kissing as though his very breath depended on him staying connected to Ienzo.
Of course, all things have to come to an end, fantastic as they are or not.
They slowly disconnected with each other and Ienzo slipped to lie on his side beside Myde on his huge and comfortable bed. He touched Myde's cheek softly, cupping the curved flesh and brought Myde in for a soft kiss; closed lips pressed together gently before drawing back.
They stared at each other, smiling.
Ienzo nuzzled his face into Myde's neck, breathing in deeply, going light headed at the scent Myde emitted.
"I missed you, so much. Don't leave again without giving me some kind of way to get in touch, please?" Myde's voice whispered above him.
It sent shivers through Ienzo…. The beauty of that voice… it did wonders to his system.
Ienzo brought his head back up and stared at Myde. He then smiled gently, brushing the back of his index finger across Myde's cheek.
"… Okay."
Myde smiled broadly, before he kissed Ienzo quickly.
Then he frowned.
Ienzo wasn't expecting the slap that was delivered to the back of his head.
"What the…?!"
"That's for scaring the shit out of me when I woke up."
Axel stared at the brunette mermaid, his mind swiftly coming up with and then rejecting idea after idea.
He needed to get this girl to trust him and then steal the Trident. Preferably quickly, for Axel wanted to get out of this hellhole as quickly as possible.
The girl was singing in a language that Axel didn't understand (probably the Mer language that Axel had never troubled himself to learn. He hadn't exactly thought that he would ever have to actually go to this troublesome world) but Axel wasn't going to let that worry him. She was, after all, King Triton's eldest daughter; she would know how to speak other languages.
Diplomacy and all that.
Axel shifted slightly, a scale on his fin itching. Unfortunately, his skin scraped against the rock he was leaning against and the sound it made was like a gunshot. Sound traveled fairly well through water and it wasn't long before Aquata was wildly looking around, wanting to know who was there.
Axel cursed. 'Damn you, Zexion, this is all your fucking fault. If it wasn't for you and your inability to complete a mission, I wouldn't have had to get punished and get sent to probably the worst place for a pyrotechnic to be. Thank you, Zexion.'
Axel continued to curse Zexion in his mind, not really noticing that his cover had been blown and that Aquata was slowly swimming nearer to him, gazing over the top of the boulder that Axel hid behind to find a boy talking to himself.
The brunette arched an eyebrow and rested her upper body on the boulder, folding her arms, deciding that watching this boy with the wild red hair (why was it held back with kelp?) and red fin have an argument with himself was just too entertaining to pass up.
She decided to stay silent, watching the boy struggle, not even noticing that he was being watched.
Of course, this soon grew boring.
"You know, you're bleeding. It's not a very smart idea to bleed too much in the water. It draws the sharks here. We don't exactly like them. Then again, I don't suppose a land dweller would know this."
Axel's head whipped around and up to stare in shock at the girl above him. He nearly got whiplash from the forceful thrust his neck made. He winced at the audible crack it made, muttering a 'Why me?' under his breath.
The girl snickered, glad that she'd been able to get a reaction from the boy.
"How… how'd you know that I'm not from around here?" Axel spoke up, not wanting to scare her or do anything that could jeopardize his mission.
The girl smirked and, snickering all the while, swam to sit beside him, back to the boulder. She looked to the side at Axel.
"I'm not the eldest daughter of King Triton for nothing. If you were a sea dweller, you would have recognized who I was and bowed. Besides, I know all the subjects that reside within Atlantica. You do not live here."
Axel cursed silently. He hadn't thought of that. Why was he choosing now of all times to act like he had never done reconnaissance missions before?
The good thing about this slip up was that Axel now knew not to underestimate his victim and future partner in crime.
"So… I'm Princess Aquata, eldest daughter of King Triton and future ruler of Atlantica. And you… are?"
"The name's Axel… got it memorized?" Axel tapped the side of his head near his temple with his index finger, smirking as though his catch phrase was actually going to help his quest.
The girl snickered again and held her hand out to Axel.
"It's nice to meet you, Axel. Now, would you like to tell me what you're doing here? Do you have some sort of issue that you need to bring up with my father?"
Axel smiled and shook his head.
"No… nothing of the sort. I've always liked the sea and wanted to go down here, experience it for real. It's not working out so well." Axel grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck with his hand.
It drew the attention of Aquata and she noticed that the cut on his arm was still sluggishly bleeding.
"Here, how about you let me heal that?" Axel stared as the small and younger girl put her hand on his cut and muttered a few foreign words. A glow emitted from beneath her fingers and when she lifted her hand away, all that was left was a small scar that was nearly invisible.
"There, that scar should go away soon enough. I'm not far enough along in my magic learning's to be able to heal you completely. I'm sorry."
"No, that's fine. Thank you for helping at all." Axel grinned, trying to lay on the charm, hoping that she would fall for it.
It seemed to be working for the girl covered her mouth with her hand and giggled, eyes flashing with amusement.
"You know, you're fun. I hardly ever get out of the palace nowadays and all everyone wants to do is treat me like the princess I am. It's really starting to get to me. That's why I'm out now. I just… needed to get away for a little while. With Daddy always berating me about being responsible and being the oldest of us and how I'm going to become the ruler of Atlantica one day, it can get kind of taxing. Daddy doesn't really understand that all I want to do is dance in the water, free…. I'm sorry; you probably didn't come here to have me babble at you about my problems." Aquata felt her cheeks blushing as she chattered on to Axel. She didn't understand why, but she felt as though she could tell Axel anything and that he wouldn't judge her or think of her any differently.
She didn't understand it, though. It was as though she couldn't tell him a lie. As though she couldn't say that her life wasn't the peachy illusion that everyone made it out to be.
She didn't want to do that to this foreigner, this man from above. It didn't seem right. She scoffed; he probably didn't care if she lied to him or not.
Axel smiled; she was already falling in his trap and he hadn't had to do anything. This girl must have really been yearning for companionship and someone to talk to if she was willing to spill her every thought to a perfect stranger who had hardly said anything to her.
"That must be hard on you. Not being able to do what you want to do just because of your birth… it must be hard. I wouldn't want to do that, either."
She smiled softly, nodding her head gently to his words.
"Yeah… but it's not exactly like I can do anything about it. I know and I accept that I will be the ruler of Atlantica one day. That I will have an arranged marriage and that I will be stuck at home, watching my sisters living the life that I wanted. That's not to say that they have it so easy, though. I don't mean that. It's just…." Aquata ended her sentence on a whisper, dropping her chin onto her chest.
She felt so defeated. She wasn't selfish and she was glad that her sisters had a better chance of living the life they wanted than she did but none of that meant that she didn't want to be in their fins sometimes.
It was a burden; one that no teenager should really have to carry.
Axel noticed the emotions sweep across her face and knew that what he was doing was wrong. Leading her into stealing the Trident just because he needed to complete a stupid mission that Xemnas didn't even care about was wrong. But he couldn't do anything about it.
It didn't matter that she didn't deserve this; that she shouldn't be his victim. Axel had to do what he had to do. And if crushing this girl's feelings was an unfortunate side effect then so be it.
He supposed it was a good thing that he couldn't technically feel.
Otherwise, he would be as guilty as all hell.
"Why don't you try to do what you want to do? Talk to your father or something? Surely he would understand if you told him of your wishes."
Aquata shook her head. "I've already tried. Daddy says that he has enough trouble with the other girls, especially Ariel, the youngest, and that he doesn't need it from me. I can't blame him for the way he thinks. He had to accept his responsibilities when he became King. I shall have to do the same."
"Hmm… well… what if you… I don't know… rebelled against him? Maybe… do something a little naughty, something that he won't find out about, but will let you express your freedom; if only to yourself."
Axel could feel everything just clicking into place with a little snick. It was almost heaven, how easy this was going.
Aquata looked at Axel, at the innocently raised eyebrows, the questioning eyes, the slight smile lifting up one corner of his mouth. He was… cute.
'No… not cute: hot. He's hot, Aquata; a lot better looking than the other boys around here. Too bad he's a land dweller; it'd be great to get to know him better.'
"Umm… I've never thought of doing anything like that. What in the name of Atlantica could I do that he wouldn't find out about?"
Axel pretended to be in great thought.
"Well… you could always steal something of his… something that you could give right back; something really precious of his."
"That would be a good idea but… the only thing really precious to him is the Trident and I could never steal that. He would notice its absence."
"You can't or you won't? Would you actually be able to steal it if you decided to do so? Or is it more that it's so wrong that you just wouldn't be able to do it?"
"No! I could steal it if I wanted to. I know where he keeps it and everything…. it's just that it's a powerful weapon; one that should only be used by the ruler of Atlantica."
"You're not going to use it. Whoever said that you would use it? Stealing it would probably show to yourself that you can do what you want, when you want… no matter if it is a completely stupid and irrational move."
Aquata giggled again. "You're right, it's not like I would be using it. I wouldn't know how to use it: I don't have enough magic ability yet to use it. It wouldn't be too hard to steal it," 'that shows what you know, princess,' Axel thought, "and I would give it right back.
"So, what's holding you back?"
"It's just that… it's a big thing to do and if I did get caught, I would be in serious trouble."
"That is a worrisome problem, isn't it? Well, you could just say that you were looking over it and thinking of maybe practicing; in preparation of your eventual reign."
"That could work, I suppose. Why do you care so much? I'm nothing to you; none of us are. Why would you want to help me be a little bad?"
'I highly doubt you want to know the real reason for why I'm doing this. There's a big likelihood that you wouldn't like it.'
He smiled. "I don't know; I feel as though I should help you in some way. You're a nice girl and the fact that you can't do what you want is a little sad. You shouldn't have to rule just because you're the oldest."
She smiled. He was really nice.
"Okay… I'm going to do it! Why don't you wait here while I go and get it! It shouldn't take me too long. An hour or two tops!" She giggled and swam away, leaving Axel behind with just his thoughts.
Axel frowned, feeling as though he had just done something very bad. Something very cruel… what if she was caught?
He would have to steal it from her and he didn't want to have to do that. Could he coerce her into giving it to him? And when he did, and he left, how much trouble would she get in? What repercussions would this have on her?
Axel wished that he didn't have to do this. That he could just walk, or swim, away from this mission and leave everything behind. That he didn't have to break this girl's heart and spirit.
She would never recover. Axel knew very well how fragile a heart was. Would hers be able to take the injury that this would cause? Or would she give up and become a Nobody… like him?
He sincerely hoped that this didn't happen.
He stayed behind the boulder, wishing that she wouldn't be able to do it; that he wouldn't have to go through with this mission: that he could go to Xemnas and say that he failed and it wasn't his fault.
A portal appeared in front of him and out swam Xigbar, already transformed into a steely black shark.
"Xigbar… what are you doing here? I'm on a mission and if you jeopardize it, I swear I will tell the Superior."
Axel was furious. What was Xigbar doing here?
Xigbar snickered, feeling a certain perverse pleasure in telling Axel this.
"Ah… your mission on this world has been canceled."
"What?! After all the work I went to and all the pain I've had to endure, he decides to pull me off the mission?! Who does that?!" Axel was absolutely livid. After everything he had done, Xemnas does this.
"Apparently the Superior; he wants you to go on another mission. He was originally going to give it to Number V but Number V decided to tear a few ligaments in his knee weight lifting. He can't walk for now. So… you're going to do it."
"Ugh… and this mission would be what?" Axel felt like rolling his eyes. Of course Lexaeus would be able to get out of doing the mission in some way. The saddest part was that he'd probably gotten the tears before he found out he had the mission.
"Saïx has received word of a new Nobody to be created. Number X; you are to go and watch over him."
"Why don't you do it?"
"Because I wasn't ordered to, that's why."
"Fine… where is he?"
"He lives in Port Royale. You are to go back to The Castle That Never Was first and receive a formal debriefing in tomorrow's meeting. So let's get out of this pit of rotten hell. I hate the water."
"You aren't a pyrotechnic who's been living in it for over a day. Get over it."
Axel couldn't help but feel pleased as he left with Xigbar. He just hoped that she decided to not steal the Trident or get caught if she decided to go through with it.
Myde sat on a stool at his kitchen counter, watching Ienzo putter around the kitchen.
Ienzo had decided that he wanted to make something for Myde and had put his plan into action.
Myde could only stare in amusement.
Ienzo was in a frilly blue apron, making waffles, moving to the fridge and then back to the stove, all the while humming something under his breath. It was a very domestic scene.
Myde had never thought that Ienzo would be the type to hum something. Myde had a feeling that Ienzo wasn't the most talkative person out there.
Myde didn't mind, though. He could do more than enough talking for the both of them.
"Ienzo, you do know that I don't really need waffles with chocolate chips in them right?"
Ienzo hummed in response. "I don't care. I feel like making my specialty for you. Everyone I know goes nuts for these things. I, personally, don't know what they find so yummy about them. They're just waffles with chocolate in them. But, seeing as how everyone goes gaga over them, I wanted to make them for you."
Myde grinned. It was like Ienzo was trying to spoil him.
"Hmmm… the chocolate part sounds good. But I'd rather have it on," Myde got up and went over to Ienzo, hugging him from the back, "a small, blue haired, gorgeous man so that I can lick it off."
Ienzo choked, dropping the spatula onto the stove top and moving his hands to grip at Myde's. His eyes bugged out and he could feel the amount of air in his lungs dwindling.
Then, Myde snickered and moved away.
"Got you that time, didn't I?"
Ienzo drew in a big breath, quivering with surprise, eyes still wide open. He whirled around and faced Myde.
"Don't… don't do that!"
Myde snickered. "And why not? You… are my boyfriend, aren't you?"
Ienzo gave pause, and Myde felt his heart constrict in fear. Was Ienzo going to… reject him?
Ienzo's mouth opened then closed several times, as though he were a fish.
"I… I never really thought about it that way. I guess… we are boyfriends, aren't we?"
Myde smiled, feeling his heart release its painful grip. "That's what I was thinking; unless, of course, you don't want to be my boyfriend."
"Oh, no, I think I'm perfectly fine with being your boyfriend. Just… um… I don't think either of us are… ready. You know, to take that… step."
Myde's grin broke out completely and seemed to fill his entire face.
"Are you… nervous, Ienzo? Afraid that I'm going to, uh, do something?" Myde lifted an eyebrow, wickedly grinning at Ienzo.
Ienzo blushed. "O-oh- of course not! Why would you think that?"
"I'm making you nervous, aren't I?" Myde snickered once more, feeling as though he could willingly make Ienzo blush every day of the week and enjoy it. But he was going to stop teasing him for now. "Don't worry, Ienzo. I'm not ready for that. I just like teasing you. And, of course, just because we don't have sex doesn't mean that we can't do… other things."
Ienzo laughed nervously, the only thought running through his mind being:
'Shit, I need to research this.'
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 Eleven: Moogles With Flamethrowers, 13loves8loves9loves6, Onemoreparadise, ZexionVI 008, Angelus98, DearJamie, Blaze Moonlight, Serexion, sana-chan9, Riku-stalker, Shadoom, axeleah, Roxen - chan, Crystal Royale, Sora17, Mizu Hoseki, ItaFearMe, NaroRau, youkai chick supreme.
