Author's note: Jolly Bananas! I was well please with all the review you guys gave me! And i'm really sorry that this update is so late... I've been on holiday and then i had a load of coursework so... yeah I didn't get round to it. Anyway, this chapter is... interesting. It's like plot development. Actually, it's a bit too late in the story to be plot development but, whatever. I hope you enjoy it... err, yeah.

-o-x-Chapter 22-x-o-

"Roxas, you have to promise to call every night! Okay?" Rikku insisted, hugging him again for good measure.

It was weird to think how many different types of hugs there were. You've got the awkward 'we're two manly heterosexual men' hug, the 'oh my god I haven't seen you for ages' hug, the classic 'don't' leave me, I love you' kind of hug and the 'thanks, you are such a great friend' hug… you could go on forever.

Now, this was an 'oh my god! You're leaving me to my doom! I'm going to miss you so much but I really hate you right now' hug.

"Of course I will. I don't know how I'm going to manage without you guys." He said, laughing softly and initiating a big group hug.

"You won't be able to. Without us you will shrivel up from lack of… uh… hugs and sugar and stuff and you will have to live the rest of your life as a moldy old prune." Yuffie grinned and hugged him tighter.

"Nah… not a prune. More like a raisin. They taste better." Rikku mumbled into his shoulder.

Roxas chuckled softly, "Man, I'm going to miss you guys way too much."

"Of course you are, how could you not?" Yuffie claimed arrogantly.

Naminé nudged her in the ribs with a pointy elbow, rolling her eyes when Yuffie gave her a confused look and mouthed 'what?'

"We're going to miss you too, Roxas."

"I know." He smiled untwining himself from the three girls. He really was going to miss them. He was also worried that there was a possibility that he might lose his mind without them here to give that extra touch of insanity.

"Hurry up you lot. You'll miss the flipping train!" Jess yelled from the car.

"Just a minute!" Rikku shouted back, "Alright, Roxie, everything is going perfectly. Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine, okay?"

"Uh huh."

"And make sure you call us. We need daily - if not more frequent - reports on what's going on." Yuffie insisted, gently thumping his shoulder and laughing.

"Yeah. Everyday." Naminé added.

"Hey. You know me, of course I will." He said, grinning.

"Actually, you have a point there. We'll call you." Rikku decided, shaking her head in amusement.

"Gah, I can see how rapidly I shall lose the credit on my phone." Yuffie mused, staring at the wall over Roxas' left shoulder, a serious expression fixed onto her face.

"I'm glad I mean so much to you, Yuffie." Roxas laughed as she grinned apologetically.

"Guyys! I need you to come to the car!" Jess whined again from outside.

"You'd better go…" Roxas said wistfully.

"Ha! I knew you could wait to get rid of us, Roxas Harada! You evil cretin, you." Yuffie exclaimed, jabbing him in the chest.

Rikku shoved her to the side, "You'll have to excuse her, she lost her medication," she tutted like an old grandma, "Now, Roxie darling, be good. Don't play any kissing games unless you are drunk, don't try to entice anyone unless they're hot, don't take a tumble in the bleachers during a pep rally unless you don't want to and don't resist that man candy. It's nice." She nodded solemnly before kissing briefly on the cheek and walking out of the door, dragging a protesting Yuffie and a disbelieving Naminé with her.

Roxas grinned as he leant against the doorframe, watching as they all piled into the car. He really was going to miss them, and you never really know just how much you are going to miss a person until they're gone. He had realised that when his parents had died.

His smile was a little strained as he waved goodbye, laughing quietly at their calls and jokey declarations of love. He didn't stop waving even though his arm was aching and screaming in protest. He only stopped and turned around when the car was nothing but a speak on the horizon.

He sighed and slouched over to the sitting room, practically throwing himself into one of the armchairs and closing his eyes. Unfortunately, as he couldn't close his ears, he didn't get the peace and quiet he wanted. After a while of trying to ignore the disturbing noises coming from the couch, he snapped.

"Jesus Christ! Get a fucking room, guys!"

The noises stopped and were replaced by murmuring and giggles from Sora.

"Sorry, Rox."

Roxas heard Riku whisper something and Sora giggle once again, then they both raced out of the room.

Roxas scowled and muttered darkly under his breaking. Stupid people and their stupid perfect relationships.

His mind wandered over to the happenings of the past two weeks. It was strange to think that this time three weeks ago he had been worrying about what his new High School would be like when, now, he had obtained several new friends, a crush - he refused to call it an obsession, he was not a girl - and fake boyfriend. Okay, that last part was weird.

He didn't quite know what to do about Seifer. He wasn't actually as much of a bastard as Roxas had first thought. Although, he was still overly arrogant, mean, strangely obsessed with Roxas' friends and a bully. And he had scary friends.

He wasn't sure if the time had yet come to break up with him or not. Yesterday had been good. Scratch that, yesterday had been fucking brilliant. But he was confused. After a breath taking snogging session Axel had excused himself, saying that he needed to take care of something.

What that something was, Roxas didn't know, though Rikku and Yuffie had a lot of fun coming up with dirty ideas of what it could be.

This time two weeks ago he'd kissed Axel for the first time. In the hall just out there.

He sighed and rubbed his tired eye with the heel of his hands. He decided that, since he had nothing better to do, he would take Zexion's advice and go talk to Demyx.

He raised himself from the chair and slouched upstairs, ignoring the stifled giggling and murmuring coming from Sora's room, and made his way to Demyx's room.

He didn't bother knocking. He knew no sound would be able to penetrate through the loud music playing. Roxas twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

His bright eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

"W-what the hell?"

Roxas turned on his heel, slamming the door behind him and ran to his own room. He had not wanted to see that. The sight the completely befuddled him and he didn't know what to do. How do you react to finding your cousin getting off with one of your best friends?

It seemed to make sense now. Roxas knew why Zexion had been spending so much time with Demyx since they had met. But why hadn't Zexion told him? Did he think that Roxas would be disgusted and appalled and refuse to talk to him No, Zexion knew him better than that.

There had to be more to it.

He blushed in embarrassment as he heard Demyx calling after him. It's bad enough to walk in on anyone but it is about ten times worse when you're related to one of them.

Roxas pushed open the door to his own bedroom and collapsed onto his bed.

"Roxas?" there was a tentative knock at the door.

Roxas groaned as Demyx meekly poked his head around the door. He bit his lip nervously as he silently slipped into the room and crept over to Roxas' bed, plonking himself down next to him, making sure to leave a suitable gap between them. Even Demyx could be tactful when it was needed.

"Zexion's gone." He said softly, glancing at his cousin earnestly.

Roxas covered his face with his hands and groaned. He really did not want to have to go through the embarrassment this conversation would surely involve. You just don't talk about it when you see things like that; it is way too uncomfortable.

"I'm really sorry, Dem. I didn't know. I should have knocked but you had your music on and I didn't think you would be able to hear me and… yeah." He ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair agitatedly.

"I should have told you about me and Zexion. I mean, this wasn't just a one-off thing. I really, really-" Demyx paused and his brow furrowed in confusion, "wait. Did you just apologise?"

Roxas nodded, covering his face with his hands again.

"…why?"

Roxas couldn't believe Demyx was asking him this. Was he actually being serious? Did he just want to point and luagh at the faces he would surely pull while explaining this to him? Would he have to say it in plain words? Or was Demyx just genuinely confused?

"I'm sorry for walking in on- on you and Zexion." He said it slowly, pronouncing each word carefully and correctly; he really didn't want to repeat himself again.

"Yeah, I got that," Roxas really shouldn't think so low of a family member, "But… shouldn't I be apologising to you?" Demyx asked, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Why should you be sorry? I'm the one that interrupted you"£ Roxas cried, falling back onto his plumped pillows.

Demyx laughed and fell back onto the pillows next to him. "What a misunderstanding." He sighed. "I guess I should tell you everything now." He laughed a little manically, his eyes over bright.

Roxas glanced at him slightly nervously; he couldn't help but think that he was going to get an earful of something he really didn't want to know about.

"Ya see, "Demyx folded his arms behind his head and began telling his tale. Although he was talking to Roxas, his eyes were fixed on the photo of a posing Rikku, Yuffie, Roxas and Naminé attached to the space of ceiling above his eye line. "When Mom and Dad first split up, I lived with Dad and Sora stayed here."

Roxas' eyebrows furrowed slightly. Why on earth was Demyx telling him something he already knew? He decided against interrupting him though, now Demyx had started talking he looked like he wanted to get it over and done with.

"And I had this friend." He smiled. "Zexion."

Roxas nodded, indicating for Demyx to continue.

"So, um, yeah. Then Dad's new girlfriend moved in and, well, we didn't get on very well…"

Roxas found it difficult to believe that there was anyone that could dislike Demyx. He was just that kind of person that gets along with anyone and everyone.

"And Mom said I could come back and live with her and Sora. Dad didn't have anything against it, though I think he was a little disappointed because he's been really keyed up about us being a 'proper family' again." Demyx spat the last part out bitterly. "So I moved back in with Mom and I promised to keep in touch with Zex but then, about five-ish months after I have left he just stopped texting, emailing, writing or making any sort of contact with me at all."

Roxas frowned, that didn't sound like something Zexion would do at all. He started to say this but Demyx stopped him.

"I know, just wait." He cleared his throat and spoke again, "I heard from another friend that he had been in some sort of accident. Something serious. Turns out it was a motorbike crash."

Roxas couldn't help but let a gasp of shock escape him. Demyx smiled at him sadly.

"Eventually I stopped hoping that I would hear from him again. I just let him kinda find into the back of my mind. But then you found him. You brought him here and I- I didn't recognise him at first, he looks so different." There was a smile playing around his face now. "Until he introduced himself I didn't realise who he was. And then I took him to my room and he told me what had happened."

By now Roxas was itching to know what had happened. Zexion hadn't told him anything about an accident or that he had previously known Demyx. Then again, Zexion hadn't really told him anything much about himself, not even why he had moved here.

"Apparently, the accident had been pretty serious and he had had to go under a series of operations and some plastic surgery."

Roxas winced, "Ouch, he must have been pretty messed up…"

"Yeah," Demyx grimaced. "Anyway, he had a tutor over this time and then, when all that surgery was over and he was healed, his parents wanted him to make a fresh start so they moved him here."

"Wow." Roxas whistled and raised his eyebrows; that was quite a story.

"Yeah," Demyx sighed. "He's still got a scar, you know. Even after all that surgery he had to go through, he had still got this huge scar over his left eye. That's why he wears his hair like that." He explained.

Roxas nodded to show that he had taken it all in.

"You know, you didn't need to tell me all that." Roxas told him.

"I know," Demyx grinned, "but I wanted to."

-x-X-x-

Author's Note: It wasn't too aweful, was it? gah...

read, review, party, enjoy life...

nirii xx