45.
Tuesday
Everything was in boxes: his books, his stereo, that videogame he hadn't played since he was ten. Everything he owned were sorted and packed away into volumes of cardboard, like an encyclopedia of everything that was him. That very meaningful gathering everyone had had only happened yesterday and already the children had been told to start preparing to move. In his own personal opinion, it was the most insipid and selfish thing anyone could have done to another person. But of course, the little people had no say in this matter and Riku just did as he had been taught to do for seventeen years: listen to his father. Sephiroth, Cloud, Roxas, Sora and he were to move out by the end of the week. Fast, indeed.
He had no idea what the two were thinking.
The three elder brothers had already being called and informed of the situation. The house would be rented out for months at a time, while their respective rooms would remain untouched and locked, should they choose to come back and live their after school, on break, etc,.
It hadn't really set in yet that someone else would be sleeping in his room.
He left the house early, being done with packing most of his things, save a few daily used items. On his way out he saw Sora sitting in the front seat of Leon's car, the man locking the front door of his house. Barely a second later, Riku dashed across the lawn and approached Leon just before the man could make it to the steps. From here, the words he would speak would not be witnessed by Sora, and by so, adding to his shortly-gained adrenaline a little more confidence. Leon turned to face him.
"I know I'm probably the last person you want to speak to, and I know that that phrase has been used a million times by people who need something to say first before getting to the apology, but I feel like I really should apologize." Leon just stared, stoic expression unchanged.
"I also know that you haven't exactly approved of me, since Sora and I started seeing each other… romantically, but that's beside my point. I'm sorry for what the actions of my father have done to you and your family. I'm sorry I knew it happened and didn't do anything about it. It didn't exactly show a strong moral quality in my character. I apologize, sir. For my behaviours, I am ashamed."
The morning chill passed through the gap of their houses, creating small whirlwinds in each crevice of the porch and it's adjacent steps. The rush of his adrenaline must have blown away in the process, because now, at the end of his speech, the entire feeling of having nothing else to say, lingered in the air like a mist. And for the length that it did linger, Riku's sudden bravery was slowly melting visibly through his body language. He shifted his weight from one blue Converse to the other.
The man made his way down the steps, fingering the car key in his ring of keys. "Stay out of trouble. For both of you."
Leon walked past Riku, around the house and towards the driveway, to see a half-face shaped smudge in the inside of his passenger seat window.
Zexion Corazza has had six sexual partners in his 17-year life.
It all started in seventh grade . . . where he'd had a crush on a Spanish boy in his class. His name was Xavier Dela Cruz. He was a scrawny boy with light, brown hair who liked to play soccer and had an aptitude for mathematics. He sat beside Zexion for most of their grade seven year,. It was how the short, thirteen-year-old Zexion could admire the boy, if not for his charmingly good looks or intelligence, his all-around friendliness. Xavier was the one who talked to him the most for that chapter of his childhood, and so one could conclude that they were best friends.
When Zexion finally became aware of 'homosexuality,' he observed his friendship for a while and eventually ran the idea by his best friend. All from an innocent and technical point of view, of course. They tried it. They experimented everyday after school for weeks, kissing, touching and gradually making their way towards what Xavier said it should look like according to his elder brother's magazines. (Zexion taking the role of the girl.)
They lost their virginities to each other when they were fourteen, in Zexion's basement, one Thursday afternoon. It was then that they 'concluded' that they were homosexual and decided that they were indeed attracted to each other. -At least as much as fourteen-year-olds know they can be.
Their friendship grew even more intensely. Zexion noticed he was happier since their encounters started, despite his initial awkwardness and uncertainty. He'd never had this type of closeness with anyone.
Zexion was the middle child of three. When both parents passed away and they went into foster care he was only six. After that, he kept to himself and learned self-reliance, so that Fuujin, only two years younger than him, could rely on him as well. Zexion was ten years old when Ansem, a wealthy overseas correspondent, adopted them. Paine had just turned eighteen when he too was killed in an accident one year later. Paine obtained government support, worked her ass off, and moved herself and her siblings to the neighbourhood they live in presently. Zexion began the sixth grade at Enix Public School, the school where he'd meet Xavier some months later.
Looking back, the whole ride was exciting. Xavier made him excited about future events -everything they could do together. He began picturing starting high school having a 'boyfriend.' An actual boyfriend.
Naturally, by then, he'd done his research, aware of how homosexuality wasn't exactly accepted by everyone, along with some current gay-right movements, etc,. Zexion wasn't worried. It wasn't like he was loud-mouthed, apt to flaunt his new relationship in other peoples faces or anything. There was nothing to worry about.
There really became nothing to worry about when Xavier had told him that they wouldn't be attending the same high school. (The one designated for their district.) Xavier would be sent to a semi-private, all-boys school. Funnily enough, the boy had come out to his mother after she'd already enrolled her second child.
And that had ended the way many young relationships do: with distance, a promise to keep in touch and gradual silence.
Then along came Axel in ninth grade! This, as all Zexion's endeavours had, started with friendship. Zexion wasn't someone to sleep with anyone he didn't trust. Not a value he'd been taught, but found out himself to be a part of a survival instinct. (And of course, survival was a constant priority. He and his siblings where finally near 'stable.' He couldn't let anything seriously get to him. Not when other people depended on him.)
One day, he and Axel were partnered for a geography project, situating them at Axel's house where Axel could play his xbox while Zexion did their work. Finally, Axel decided he was bored and a little... horny. That resulted in Axel prying into Zexion's private matters and by the end of the evening... his private parts. Zexion had at that moment decided he wouldn't really lose anything by trying it again with someone else. It was a 'why not' sort of situation.
Axel had definitely been more experienced, and so had Zexion play the submissive role. He found this time much more exciting than he thought. The sort of excitement he hadn't felt in a while. He couldn't help but compared Xavier to Axel. And Axel seemed to have a more 'active' style. Zexion enjoyed himself that day, remembering how Axel taught him how to play xbox after that. He didn't feel awkward about anything that time and he supposed it came with the age, the friendship and the added experience.
He and Axel had sex two more times after that, and only two more times, since Zexion decided that Axel was getting annoying and Axel was starting to get a little bored with just Zexion, and being the educated little ninth-grader he was, Zexion wasn't going to consent with getting it from Axel while four other people were getting it too. To provide an example, seeing Risa and Jeff in the same day and screwing them both with a few hours in between. Precisely. No no no no no.
A month later, Marluxia declared to his friends that he was bisexual. And being somewhat more of a jackass that Axel was by then, 'recommended' Zexion to be his first male ass. Zexion, being pliant, clean, and just so damn adorable, was the perfect choice. Zexion shrugged and went back to his English homework, agreeing to go home with Marluxia after school. For once Zexion felt like he was more in control, despite bottoming for Marly (he had been a virgin to males after all). But in conclusion, he liked it too.
Vexen had been a complete surprise. The blond had been drunk at a party in tenth-grade, and the whole gang was there. All of a sudden, Zexion found himself being pushed into a bathroom by a drunk Vexen, prying his legs open as he sat on the edge of a sink. The odd thing was, in retrospect, the Zexion was completely sober. Maybe still a little baked from four hours prior, but still there, still conscious. The thought that did keep him there and keep being used was that he knew Vexen (the one when he was sober). He wasn't a bad guy or a bad friend, intelligent enough, so to ease his mind even further. It seemed okay to go ahead with.
Keeping true to his good guy status, Vexen remembered their session the day after, apologized profusely, and offered to do it again properly or even... date him. By that time, Zexion hadn't really really dated anyone, and if he gave it some thought, would seem a little weird since they were friends. Zexion declined and they resumed their friendship.
Behold: puberty, right?
But that thought lingered in his mind for a while. Up until then, he'd only have sex with those who were his friends; however, he wouldn't date them if they were. So did that mean he'd never date someone and have sex with them at the same time? He thought about that for a while.
Nearing the end of tenth-grade, Zexion had gone as far as to question his long-believed sexuality. Xion, yet another friend, had offered to help him reach his answer. This experience had certainly been different. Penetrating a female and getting a blowjob were two very different sensations. This encounter was indeed intriguing, but ... the entire time, Zexion was fighting with himself. He felt bad for not being sexually attracted to her, pretty as he thought she was, he had to think of something else to get him erect at first. And even after he entered her... well, it might have just been luck that he took her from behind, and could sort of imagine that the buttocks in front of him belonged to a less-curvy, more muscular being.
Yes, he was definitely gay. And he would like to top once in a while.
Zexion halted the mental illustration of his past. His violet eyes turned towards his bedroom ceiling as he brought himself back into (as of then) Tuesday March 9, 2010. His senior year. Seventeen years old. Well into puberty.
The sound of soft snoring, halted his mind from swirling any longer and he turned his head to the right to see his sixth and current lover. Demyx O'Donohue.
His soft complexion in the five AM white light. His eyelids momentary fluttering. His light blond hair falling around his ears.
Zexion's lips quirked as he hummed in silent thought.
Axel honked twice. And Roxas stuck two ring-clad fingers out his window to signal the approximate minutes longer he'd take.
The only keys on the half-wall, were his own, meaning he was the last one in the house. He patted all his pockets down, feeling that he had everything, armed the door, grabbed his bag and his keys and dashed out the door before the beeping of the alarm stopped.
Roxas jumped in the Volvo, and Axel leaned over to peck him on the lips. The blond smiled and fastened his seat belt, bag at his feet as Axel sped out the neighbourhood. Roxas grinned at his reflection in the window as the blur of houses and lamposts whizzed by. This was better than taking the bus.
It was easier to forget what shit he had to deal with at home when the way in which he was leaving the house was this awesome. He was just going to school and yet it felt cool to drive there with Axel.
The sound of a lighter sparking clicked him out of his inner gloating. Axel then handed the freshly lit cigarette to him and lit his another one for himself. He puffed. Roxas was handling smoking better these days, but he still felt really high if his blood pressure was low to begin with. That and he still couldn't last through smoking a king-size. Axel rolled down their windows, and without looking away from the road, he raised his arm to open the sunroof.
Cigarettes ashed and flint glowing, the air blew through the car. Roxas took another pull. Oh yeah, much better than taking the bus.
YHS
xDelfin
