Title: Ten Reasons Why
Character(s): Demyx and Axel
Warnings: Cursing. That's about it.
Rating: K+
Words:1,037
A/N: Inspired by a story I read from Saiyuki by Harukami.
They were at the Arena when it happened. Not exactly the most respectful or conscientious place to do something so drastic, but Axel had always been a man given to impulse and, at the moment, it had seemed as good a place as any. In retrospection, he should have just been happy not to have a spear through his stomach.
"Yo, Demyx…I gotta talk to you."
Demyx abruptly turned, his hand falling away from the taunt strings of his sitar poised for combat. Aquatic dancers swarmed about him, attentive to the sudden shift in their master's aura and the fading of the sitars echo. Without an assiduous mental bond connecting them to their master, they had no choice but to return to their elemental forms, leaving amorphous puddles all over the arena.
"Hey Axel!" Demyx chirped, smiling in greeting. Axel scratched the back of his head, an impulsive human habit he had yet to dispose of and looked over the Nocturnes shoulder as he spoke.
"I wanna break up."
Demyx's smile fell, surprise making his eyes wide. There is a moment of silence in which Demyx truly looks at Axel, at all the things the pyromaniac isn't saying but his detachment is. Still, he's always been a masochist at heart. "But…why?"
Axel sighs, finally turning to meet the Nocturnes eyes. "Look Demyx, we've been partners forever and it was some of the best times I've had. But you know the new kid? Roxas? Well, he doesn't get a partner cause he's odd man out. So I've volunteered to show him the ropes. You don't need me anymore right?"
Demyx looked away, his gaze concentrating on a particularly colorful puddle near his foot. He knew Axel had taken an interest in the new kid, so it wasn't as much of a surprise as it should have been. He also knew that Roxas wouldn't get a partner because, until his arrival, it had been an even partnership between them, six with seven, eight and nine, ten and eleven etc. Roxas would be left alone until someone chose to take him. Apparently, that someone was Axel.
Demyx liked to think of himself as a nice guy, and was smart enough to realize that Roxas needed training and guidance, like he did when he first joined. It wasn't like it they'd signed a marriage contract or anything.
He opened his mouth to speak, an of course Axel, on the tip of his tongue I understand, good luck but it won't leave his lips. Instead what comes out is something entirely different.
"No."
He isn't sure who's more shocked by his words, but Axel's stunned expression gives him an inkling. "No? What do you mean no?"
Demyx tries to take it back but the sudden pressure in his chest is making it harder to think. He's shaking, unsure of where this random shard of emotion is coming from and all he can do is close his fist, draw it back and punch Axel in the mouth.
"I said no!" He shouts before collecting his sitar, making his way toward the entrance and leaving an incredulous Axel behind.
The rest of the day remained uneventful, save for the occasional stares and murmurs from the other organization members. No one had been at the arena to witness the odd spectacle but Demyx's quiet demeanor and the sudden purple bruise on Axel's cheek leave more than a few speculations as to what happened.
Demyx had calmed down considerably since the incident, partaking in a quiet game of gin with Luxord in the recreational area. He's not as good as the gambler –no one is really- but he enjoys being able to distance himself from the days events. Unfortunately, it looked like Demyx was the only one who thought so.
"What do you mean no?"
Axel sat to his left, having quietly entered the room and taken a spectators position. Demyx was amazed the pyromaniac was this dense, considering how even a dog learns from its mistakes. "I said no and I meant it. And if you make me repeat myself again, I'll hit you harder next time."
Xemnas looked up from his paperwork, a tense Axel and a smiling Demyx standing obediently in front of his desk.
"What do you two want?"
Axel turned to Demyx who only smiled wider, motioning toward Xemnas with a tilt of his head. He sighed, turned back to look at his superior and dropped his head. "I respectfully request to withdraw my transfer application for the position of XIII's partner."
No preamble, no warning, not even a goddamn sign, just a simple sentence spoken randomly between them. Xemnas isn't sure whether to question it or not –the smile that Demyx is giving him is strangely disturbing- and instead takes the application and hands it to Axel, who crumples it up, throws it in the wastepaper basket and sets it on fire.
Demyx beams at him, gives Xemnas a respectful bow and takes the pyromaniacs arm, guiding him toward the door. Xemnas could try to decipher it but decides not to. It's Axel's problem, not his.
"I can't believe this…since when did you grow a spine?"
Demyx shifts his attention to the pyromaniac standing in front of him, chakrams pulsing with unused fire. They're back at the arena where this whole mess began and this time around Axel knows better. A lot better.
"I can't talk to you when you decide to be an ass so I did the next best thing. The next time you don't listen, it won't just be a punch." Demyx smiled, a combination of challenge and pacification.
Axel flinched, his cheek pulsing lightly from the veiled threat made promise. "You're fucking possessive you know that?"
Demyx chuckled lightly, focusing on the melody from his sitar to bridge a connection with his servants. Water began to take form, and soon the Nocturne is surrounded by a small army of gelatinous dancers, each awaiting his orders.
"It looks like it…" Demyx smirked, rushing forward with his sitar, metal meeting metal in a shower of sparks as Axel and Demyx reached a standstill. Demyx leaned forward, licking the bruise lightly before leaving a soft kiss. "…Got it memorized?"