A/N: I thank you for your dedication to Demyx's table fund. I got more reviews then ever on that last chapter and we raised somewhere around 70. Grazie, guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Squeenix, or Disney. (I do own a Mickey Mouse watch I bought in Disney World this past summer. It plays music. You know the song in Disney Castle in KH2? Yeah…that song…)

Chapter 14

Demyx let out a contented sigh and tightened his grip around his boyfriend, burying his face in the pale silver hair in attempts to lull himself back to sleep. Zexion, however, let out a pained grunt and pulled himself out of Demyx's arms.

"Not so tight," he murmured, before his nose wrinkled in disgust. "I need a shower."

Demyx merely laughed, feeling more relaxed the he had in weeks. He reached up and looped his arms around Zexion's neck, pulling him back down on him. He moved to stroke his back, fingers freezing at the feeling of jagged skin and Zexion's small gasp. He vaguely remembered scratching a bit last night, but he hadn't realized he'd drawn blood.

"Shit! I'm sorry, Zexy!" he moaned, his chill feeling instantly evaporating. Zexion kissed him softly and shook his head.

"It's fine, Demyx. Just a few scratches. I don't mind." Despite his calming words, Demyx felt guilty. "Lets go get cleaned up." Demyx dutifully led the way to the bathroom, turning on the shower. It was a complicated rig, where you had to turn the knob three times to the right, jerk it out, twist it once to the left and push it back in before the water would even consider turning on. He made to leave Zexion alone, coming to a hopeful stop when he felt a hand grab his arm. He turned to look at Zexion over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zexion asked, pulling him toward the shower, which was now steaming.

"I was going to give you some privacy," Demyx answered with a grin. Zexion shook his head.

"Oh no. You caused the mess, you clean it up." Demyx gave him a sarcastic salute before following him into the shower.

After spending nearly an hour in the shower, effectively managing to dirty themselves after getting clean, forcing them to again get clean and eventually start the cycle over (until the water grew cold, that is), Demyx settled himself into a chair, shifting around until he could find a comfortable position. He preferred being dominated, but damn the repercussions of the act to hell. The two didn't speak much, but they also didn't seem to be able to keep their hands off each other, whether it was just a simple brush of skin in passing or a kiss. Zexion had borrowed one of Demyx's shirts, as it was baggier then one of his own so it rubbed against the gashes on his back less. Demyx liked the way he looked in it, even if he did feel totally guilty every time he thought about why he was wearing it.

There came a pounding knock on the door. Demyx let out a groan of horror as he pulled himself to his feet. He limped to the front door and pulled it open, only to see Axel and Roxas on the porch. Axel looked livid and Roxas just sent Demyx a half wave.

"What did he say to you?" Axel demanded.

"What did who say?" Demyx asked wearily, walking back to the kitchen, trying to keep from limping as he went. He settled himself in a chair and waited as his friends followed them into the kitchen. Axel looked like he was about to throw a fit, when suddenly his expression relaxed and he looked amused. As the wicked grin split across his face, Demyx knew that Axel knew.

"Damn. I'd come in ready to hunt Zexion down and beat the hell out of him for hurting you…of course, I totally thought he'd hurt you in a different way…"

Oh. With the events of the night before, Demyx had forgotten about the argument they'd had that was the catalyst to it all.

"What the hell are you on about?" Zexion demanded, his eyes blank and cool as he looked at Axel.

"Don't try to hide it. Axel knows all. You guys totally had sex," Axel grinned.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Demyx keeps shifting in his chair because his ass hurts and you, my dear Zexion, are sitting so that your back doesn't touch the chair, not to mention the monumental hickey on Dem's neck and the fact that you're wearing his clothes."

"What does my back have anything to do with it?" Demyx flushed, focusing his eyes on the table. He really wished Zexion had dropped it.

Axel let out a barking laugh. "You forget there, Zexy. I've ridden the Dem train, too. I know what he's like. I have a goddamn scar from those nails of doom…"

"Axel!" Demyx yelled, now completely mortified. "Just stop!"

"Oh come on, Dem. It's not like everyone didn't already know about your pain fetish."

"Roxas didn't!" Demyx wailed.

"No, I did," Roxas corrected. "Axel told me years ago."

Demyx glared at the redhead. "Why?" he cried.

Axel grinned turned his back to them, yanking his shirt up over his head. A stark white line traced from just under Axel's shoulder blade to the middle of his side. Demyx had Roxas had both seen it before, but Zexion looked a bit taken aback. Demyx buried his face in his arms on top of the table, refusing to look at them.

"It's pretty damn visible, Dem. Roxy wanted to know, so I told him."

"Afterwards I wished I'd never asked," Roxas sighed. Demyx didn't look up from his arms. God, his friends were so damn embarrassing. Zexion would never want to touch him again. And then, there came a sound that Demyx hardly ever heard, though he did enjoy it more then anything in the world. Zexion let out a low chuckle. Demyx looked up at his boyfriend in shock. That had been the last thing he was expecting.

"Hey, Dem!" Axel exclaimed, suddenly excited.

"Hey Ax!" Demyx replied, imitating the redhead's excitement.

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

Demyx could feel the confusion spread over his face. Had they made plans that he'd forgotten about?

"Did we have plans or something?" he asked, glancing at Zexion to see if he knew anything. Zexion merely shrugged before letting out a small hiss as the movement stretched his back out.

Roxas grinned and shook his head, exchanging a glance with Axel who looked just as amused.

"I can't believe you don't know what I'm talking about!" Axel exclaimed.

"What? What is it? Is it really important?" Demyx asked, a feeling of panic rising up in his chest.

"Well, I suppose it isn't all that important. What day is it tomorrow?" Roxas was beating around the bush now and Demyx felt guilty. What was it that he was forgetting?

"Tomorrow is…um…Thursday, right?"

"The date, Dem!"

"I don't know the goddamn date today!" Demyx exclaimed, finally growing annoyed with their teasing.

"The date tomorrow is June 9th," Zexion offered. He, apparently, didn't know why the date was important either. As soon as Zexion said it, though, Demyx knew.

"Oh!" he exclaimed loudly. His eyes went wide as Axel started to laugh. "I can't believe I forgot! How pathetic."

"Care to share?" Zexion asked, looking just the slightest bit exasperated.

"Tomorrow's my nineteenth birthday!" Demyx exclaimed giddily. He loved his birthday. It was so exciting!

Zexion looked like he was about to say something when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Zexion winced and held his phone away from his ear. Demyx could hear a tinny voice on the other end yelling.

"My mom," he said quietly and rolled his eyes before putting the phone back to his ear.

"Mom, I'm fine…I'm at a friend's house…I had my phone off. Yes. Yes. No…what? Don't listen to anything Riku says, he's an idiot. Yes…yes, I know. All right. Okay, mom, okay. I'll be there soon." He snapped his phone shut and rolled his eyes once more.

"I've got to get home," he said, standing and shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Is something wrong?" Demyx asked.

Zexion shook his head. "My mom got worried when I didn't come home last night. Riku apparently told her that I'd decided to elope. No doubt punishment for stealing his car."

Demyx laughed.

"The worst part, though," Zexion sighed. "Is she was going to yell at me for not doing the dishes before I ran off to get married."

"Ah, yeah, your mom is a little weird, isn't she?" When Zexion shot him a dirty look Roxas added a bit sheepishly. "Larx always talked about her. Thought she was so cool, if not a bit weird."

Zexion shrugged and made his way toward the front door. Demyx shot a glare at Roxas, who looked a bit guilty, while Axel rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. The blonde followed his boyfriend, closing the door behind him.

"Zexion? Are you all right?" Demyx asked.

Zexion was silent for a long time. A car passed on the street, the driver hardly glancing at the two boys. A cat sat at the base of the tree, watching a caterpillar swing back and forth in the breeze on it's silk web.

"I don't really like your friends," Zexion finally said. Demyx had known that, but Zexion was nice enough to hang around them just to make him happy. Still, he wasn't really sure how he was supposed to respond to that.

"I…I won't just drop my friends, Zexy," he said quietly. Zexion nodded, still not facing him.

"I know that, Demyx. I'm not asking you to…"

"Do you me to hang out with you and your friends more often, then?" Demyx persisted. He wanted his lover to be happy.

Zexion finally turned to look at him, a sad smirk on his face. "My only friend is dead," he said solemnly.

Demyx felt his heart break a bit. "I'm your friend, Zexy," he said quietly. "I may be dying, but I'm not dead yet."

"That isn't what I meant," Zexion sighed.

"It's what you said," Demyx shrugged.

"I consider you more then a friend, Demyx."

Demyx smiled his brightest smile. "I know Zexy, but why can't we be both?"

"Axel."

Demyx let out an exasperated sigh, reaching out a hand to grab Zexion's shoulder. The shorter boy, however, took a step back, leaving Demyx's hand to hang in the air before it dropped back to his side.

"I don't understand why you dislike Axel so much! What's wrong with him?" Demyx demanded, no longer feeling very nice. Axel was, and always had been, his best friend, after all.

"You're always so focused on him! Your little pet names drive me crazy, and goddamn it, you two kiss as if it's nothing!" Zexion was yelling now. Demyx had never heard his voice hit such a high range.

"Because it is!" Demyx yelled back, his hot-headedness taking over. "Axel is my best friend. He always has been and he always will be! He's been there for everything that has ever happened to me! When I was coming to terms that I wasn't like the other boys, Axel was right there with me! When I was trying to get Larxene's attention, when my parents disowned me, when they died, when Lyric was born, when Larx died, Axel was always there! He's been my comfort and my rock through hard times! Maybe we had something in the past, but it isn't that way now! He's like my brother, for god's sake! Don't make me choose, Zexion. I'll choose him."

Zexion's eyes clouded with anger and narrowed into a glare.

"Fine," he spat. "Fine. Go back to Axel then. Here's another moment you can depend on him for. I don't even fucking care." Demyx could see a curtain pulled aside in the house next door, a brunette woman watching them in interest. Demyx fought the urge to glare and flip her off, choosing instead to chase after Zexion, who had already made his way across the yard and was sliding into the front seat of his car. Demyx grabbed the door before Zexion could slam it shut.

"Zexion, please don't do this," he said quietly. "Don't make me choose."

Zexion didn't look at him, but Demyx could still see that his face was cold and impassive.

"You already did, Demyx." He grabbed the handle and Demyx snatched his hand away before it slammed shut, watching Zexion run away from him for the second time in less the twenty-four hours.

--

A/N: Okay…how many of you hate me now? I seem to have turned Zexion into an emo little bitch, but I think he has good reason. Even though poor Demyx doesn't deserve to be so mistreated. Between the two of them, they win the world record for Emotional Baggage Holders. Reviews tickle me Elmo.