Oh man DX I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever. Something happened with my email account so I can't access it now and I literally had to scourge through my document files to find my FF password since I accidentally pressed on a button saying to retrieve it and so my computer screwed up and I wasn't able to get on ;3; So that pretty much explains that. Now that I found the pass though I can change email account and all, so yay XD -very happy-
Okay in other news sorry for the long wait. This is the prom chapter and is the longest one (which I hope explains why it took so long). As for the beta for the new story I'll put up later I found a friend of mine who said she would be willing to do such for me, so that solves that.
First part of the story is Zexion POV. And yes there will be Zemyx in it (I was a Zemyx groupie before it became popular all the sudden, and it was actually the first KH2 pairing that I loved, following AkuRoku and then Soriku –still remembers a time when there was only about four or five pages worth of Zemyx on FF-) so you can all be happy now…or something. After that it'll be mostly Roxas POV. Then for a little bit we'll go to Demyx POV, then back to Roxas, then to Namine for a short while and finally back to Roxas XD
Chapter dedicated to Sy Druid, one of my favorite authors and writer of two of my favorite stories, Ironic Circumstances (finished) and the in progress sequel, Shattered Reverie. If you haven't read them then go read Ironic Circumstances and then start reading Shattered Reverie. IC is long but it's worth it. Plus if you hate OC characters then you'll love the diversity of Final Fantasy characters used in the story (I admit, most of them I never heard of, but at the end of most chapters it's explained where the unappreciated characters come from).
On a special note: my school's prom was actually on Friday, but I decided to update today because it's Zemyx day (6/9). Though by the time you read it it'll be the tenth ;o; Ah well.
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'Alright that does it Bill. I'm pretty sure killing Jesus is not very Christian.'
(Quote from South Park Episode 1105: 'Fantastic Easter Special')
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Every story has a beginning and middle. Why was there never any ending? An ending would mean that the world has vanished. All the characters in the story would die, their surroundings would disintegrate without a trace and there would be nothing left but decaying memories. No story had a true ending. There was just an empty space in those pages, waiting to be filled by the reader's own wild imagination. What would happen after the two star-crossed soul mates married and had three children. Would the wife cheat on her husband with her best friend who was in reality her unknown half-brother? Or perhaps one of the children would contract a vile disease and could only be saved by taking out his heart and replacing it with his sister's. Anything your mind could ever think up that was reasonably logical could happen in my belief.
Right now the story was transfixed onto one single moment where everything seemed horribly wrong. I was outside the scene of the story, doing my best not to bask in the horrible stench of old people smell and discarded elastic medical gloves of the hospital waiting room. There was only one person besides me sitting on the wide white connected chair-bench. He was someone I never seen in my life. He didn't seem phased with the knowledge that a certain pyro was sleeping behind the door, breathing through an air mask with over several wires attached to various parts of his skin. Of course there was no redundant ignorant smile on his face, but there wasn't a frown either. Just a blank look that made me imply the idea that he didn't even know why the hell he was here waiting for nothing.
That little blonde fool was now inside the room, light sobs echoing through the plain white walls to the hallway waiting room. No one was in the hallway besides a receptionist in the far unseen corner, most likely playing a game of Solitaire on her computer to mindlessly pass the time away. It was the middle of the work day and visiting hours were technically over right now. The only reason I was here with this nobody, hearing regretful droll sobs from Axel's room was because I was dreadfully bored. My homework was as always done by the time I finished the period and when I overheard from across the hall that Axel had collapsed from a stroke. When I arrived in the hospital about an hour after school Roxas and his nobody friend were already talking to a young nurse, a nametag pinned on her bosom reading 'Aerith Gainsborough'. I was staying out of sight from the two, eavesdropping on their conversation carefully.
Axel apparently suffered from a stroke due to low blood pressure. Luckily they responded just in time and he survived but was now under careful surveillance just as an extra measure, secretly saying that this may happen again at any given moment. He would be forced to stay in the hospital for about another week or so which seemed to make Roxas jittery and wrecked. After she secretly allowed Roxas to stop in Axel's room I came into the waiting room hallway, collected like life just began and sat myself two feet from the nobody. He seemed quite strange though, fashioning a mullet hairdo, wearing a blue zipper sweater; neatly zipped up to the top, baggy faded blue jeans and black converses. I was certain he didn't come from our school, so who was he?
That's when he noticed my peripheral vision was watching him, even though I still had my copy of The Bell Jar resting on the grip of my fingers. He seemed a bit distraught so I calmly turned my sight back to the small lettering of the psychopathic view of a suicidal woman. Perhaps her insanity led her to drown herself in the ocean without as much as a word of goodbye. Truly a mind alienated from the rest of society. Yet I digressed.
"Are you one of Axel's friends?" Asked a small shaky voice, curiosity and fright mixed into its voice. It was the nobody that was sharing the bench with me right now. I didn't respond, only fixated my eyes on his anxiety ridden self and then turned quietly back to my book. They always said silence was the best answer. "Well…I'm Demyx, and I don't if I can be considered one of Axel's friends, even though I just met him a couple days ago. I came here for Spring Break, but I think your Spring Break ended a while ago, right? Sora did tell me that your prom night is coming up in another week and your school year should be ending soon. Why did you have Spring Break so early, wasn't it still winter when you had your break and-"
"Shut. Up." I snarled, shutting the paperback book with swift ease. My eyes narrowed at him to shoot rusty knives into what seemed to be his emotional expression. He looked back at me a bit distraught and shell shocked. Obviously he didn't get that silence meant 'be quiet or I will strangle you'.
The awkward silence between us soon faded as the brown haired nurse, Aerith, from before came up to us. Her head motioned toward the closed door which had Roxas behind it, sobbing silently over Axel and then quickly turned back to us. She sighed and pointed at both Demyx and I, and then pointed toward another door near her receptionist desk.
Demyx put his focus on her and then looked back at me quickly as I stood up to follow the nurse. Soon enough he started to follow behind me and only a couple minutes later we were sitting on two different cushioned chairs, staring straight forward at Aerith who was seated on a wheeled black computer chair behind a redwood desk.
"I think I should tell you this rather than I tell your blonde friend," she started, one hand tapping its fingers restlessly and another twirling a ballpoint pen. "I've been Axel's nurse for most of his life and I know him very well. There's a reason for this of course. You see at the age of seven Axel developed Peripheral Artery Disease. He is usually at higher risk for a stroke or a heart attack due to this. The hospital has been funding his medication so he can maintain a normal blood pressure to avoid this. Getting this stroke all the sudden I suspect he might have not been taking his medicine lately."
Demyx looked a bit shocked, hit mouth slightly gaped, yet I didn't make any reaction at the news. That is- a reaction that I never let the naked eye to reveal. "Will Axel be okay?" A stupid question, but sadly enough that dumb question came from me. Of course Axel wouldn't be okay. This 'disease' is a defect in his bodily function and it has absolutely no cure as of now. By the time it will have a cure Axel will probably be in his late sixties or would already be dead.
"Axel will be fine, but as you both know he'll be in close surveillance for another week. We just need to make sure this doesn't happen again too soon," Aerith's eyes slowly tore from our view and quickly moved to a yellow file, paper clipped down to make sure no mind could learn from the contents.
After hearing my rhetorical question answered I picked myself from the blue cushioned chair and let myself out of the room. When I came out I noticed Roxas outside of Axel's room, staring around the small isled waiting room, looking for an invisible Demyx. The mullet haired idiot then scurried out of Aerith's office, waving at Roxas to signal him here.
Roxas quickly took notice of Demyx and headed toward our direction. As he came closer I noticed his eyes were still a bit puffy, most likely from crying too much. How could one that does not even love a person cry over one so much? An enigma that can never be solved perhaps; the true motives of the mortal heart. "How's Axel doing, Roxy?" Spoke up Demyx from absolutely nowhere, the delightful voice obviously masking misery. He didn't act or look as someone with the memory span of an ant; he knew what Axel's current condition was. The question was if he planned on telling the small blonde about Axel's dysfunction?
"Well he told me he was fine, but he didn't know how his blood pressure became so low," Roxas said, sheepishly brushing strands of his hair from his azure eyes. It was impossible to even tell if Roxas was just playing a role in a play or just hiding the logical truth from our hearing ears. Or perhaps Axel, being the closeted sentimental idiot he was, didn't want to crush the boy's heart by telling him that he could easily die at any moment. "So what were you doing in that nurse's office, Demyx?" Demyx? I think I became invisible.
"Well…we were…err," Demyx muttered, glancing at me with despair. I wanted to tell the small blonde idiot the truth, but I knew I would get it from Axel once he was out of the hospital.
Not even meeting Demyx's eye sight I blinked diligently at Roxas and just chuckled. They always said laughter was the best cure in the world. "Before you open doors how about you close the first one you opened, moron?" That's all I could say; a riddle that he wouldn't even solve until it was too late. Now I was bored once more. With a sigh I left both blondes with confused looks and left the hospital room with haste in my feet.
"Wait, what's your name?" Demyx quickly asked, my hand being grabbed by his own. It was warm and felt like the grainy soft sand of the ocean. My face is not heating up.
"…Zexion," I finally replied, not meeting his sight again. Though I could see his look, drilling into the back of my skull carefully so that I could meet his longing gaze—I am not in love, dammit. Yet after only telling my name I quickly took note that Demyx was no longer a nobody. Comprehending this I freed my hand from his latching soft grip and stalked out of the hospital, my face still warm.
I think I'll take a nap. Maybe then I can wake up to this nightmare again, prepared and ready for whatever tries to hit my face.
To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.
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"So did Axel die?" Sora muttered while chewing on one of the green apples mom had bought at the fruit vendor. They only came once every three months or so. Most of them are pretty old; I think they came from Midgar and were Al Bhed like Rikku. She kept bragging this morning five hours before Axel's stroke about how amazing Al Bhed people could grow fruits apparently. I don't see the difference between how different races can pick crops better than others. We are all just people, same hands, same feet, and same egotistical monsters as we were.
"Of course he didn't!" I cried, having a secret urge to punch him in every weak spot the frail human body provided. Being his brother I knew he meant it as a simple harmless joke. Yet that was just uncalled for, especially when his family could have been making funeral arrangements by now.
"Don't have to get so upset," he grumbled, furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes at me. "Honestly you talk like he's your-"
"My what?" I stupidly questioned, knowing I wasn't going to enjoy the reaction from his next words at all.
"Like he was your boyfriend," Sora hollered with a choking laugh, small chunks of mashed up apples spitting from his mouth. Sometimes I wondered if I was related to a dysfunctional chimpanzee.
"At least I can get one." Hello mental word processing, I'm Roxas. Please stop being an asshole to me, because I really want to be your best friend.
To the obvious mind I got a gut bursting laugh from 'yours' truly bastard brother'. With a groaning moan and a small blush covering my cheeks I stormed off to my bedroom and slammed the door shut. Yes. I slammed the door. That's it; I'm taking 'Masculinity 101' courses during the summer break. Now I just need to find a place and a tutor that teaches such a course. I suppose the internet will do.
Locking the door to my room I scanned around the small space that was mine to recreate. I was just too lazy to do so, just as everyone was in the end of the day. My mind flashed back to the incident in the classroom before Axel collapsed. I don't understand this perpetual idea known as 'fate' or 'destiny'. Namine and I literally confessed to having feelings for each other and then the happiest moment of my current life became knotted up as Axel went limp and smashed to the ground. Life was a real bitch, no matter what silver linings she has in her white and blue hair.
Yet for some reason nothing even seemed real anymore. You know how they say that when you're asleep you actually die for a while. You barely remember what your subconscious mind was streaming into your head and when you wake up hours passed you by, and yet you feel like you haven't been out of the scene for even a minute.
I started to become more dazed from my thoughts, thinking this was still some nightmare I was sleeping in, refusing to wake up. No; this was real, wasn't it? Namine did confess to me. Axel almost did die today. In the end those I did was nothing. Sure I was there to smile at Namine's answer and I did come to Axel in the hospital to cheer up his spirits, but both those actions were completely worthless compared to what they did.
Then there was Zexion. I knew there was a reason I didn't like him, and it wasn't because he was a proclaimed 'emo kid'. He was just an enigmatic man, trying to screw with my head until it was finally fixed or broken down beyond repair. What did he mean close doors before you open others? He didn't make sense. Nothing seemed to make much sense now.
No matter what happened today I was dubbed by 'faith' and 'destiny' as completely worthless in the eyes of everyone around me. How depressing.
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Fast forward, now. It has been a week since Axel's sudden stroke and he was out of the hospital. The prom was scheduled to go on in two days from now, and Namine literally did a 360 degree personality turn. Last week she was timid and continuously avoided me and now she was clinging to my arm, swooning over me in public with a shy yet pompous smile.
Now don't get me wrong, Namine is definitely not like one of those blonde bimbos you see trying to loose their virginity to the high school jock, so they can either sob or brag about it to all their friends. In our school losing your virginity was like a right of passage. I knew freshmen that apparently lost their virginity before they even got into high school, though, so I can't say they're total sluts. It's just so odd for me to see this whole different side of her come alive. My gut continued to twirl around my small intestines when she was ever near me though. It wasn't that I liked her but I just can't get over the mirrored reflection of the other before her.
Yet everything seemed to be so droll around the school; like nothing was even happening when something was at the same time. Most of the girls were taking about the guy they were taking to the dance with them, while I overheard a few of my classmates getting either ditching their date because they're nervous about what could happen or talking about playing the infamous prom prank during the giant dance.
In other words it was going to be one messed up event. Kind of sucks since it's my first one in a while. The last one I went to was the eight grade prom, but I didn't have a date to go with. Luckily Kairi's friend, Selphie, was on one of her revenge schemes to get back at Tidus who supposedly called her fat in some dress. So in the end I wounded up making Tidus jealous at me for taking out his girlfriend.
Though I do agree with him; Selphie did look a couple pounds fatter in that yellow dress.
The school was good enough, for once; to give Axel an extra three days off to recover from what they thought would be 'post trauma'. No idea where the hell they got that from, but he seemed pretty happy about it. For some reason I thought he was too overjoyed for someone who had a near death experience, but he always seemed to be in such implausible spirits it could scare hyper children. His eyes were different though. Usually they were bright jade, bouncing with caffeinated pleasure, a party never ending on the inside. Yet now they seemed dimmer, no matter how wide his toothy Cheshire grin was. Did the party end before it began?
"Roxas…Roxas?" A sweet voice streamed in, a voice that seemed so dead for the long-run of time as of now. My eyes lazily opened to see chunks of blonde hair separated, followed by two stern sapphire eyes starting directly at what seemed to be my very being. Quistis.
I meant to say "Mom?" but because my arms were crossed on the dining table and my head slouching on them for support it sounded more like "Merh?"
"Roxas, Namine just called. She wants you to meet her at the mall to pick out a suit," she said with a bright smile. Something was hiding behind that cool collective smile, but I never could figure out what it was. What could she possibly have to hide from Sora and I? "I'm so happy you decided to go to prom with her. Knowing you I honestly didn't think you would want to go." A smirk sewed itself on her lips, trying to hide from me ever so carefully.
So that's what it was. She was right though. The last prom that was available for me to go to was my eight grade prom, and I didn't even want to go to that one. Besides what difference did it make if I didn't like going to school dances? Everyone just dances like a complete moron.
Deciding not to think of the idea of having a real date to prom I picked myself up from the table, not even bothering to answer Quistis's question, and left for the door. This was going to be a long two days.
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"I think you look handsome in it, Roxas," Namine's gentle voice swooned into my ears, taking a look at me in my suit. Nothing too flashy, just the basic attire of a suit; a tie, a light black jacket that went to my hips and form-fitting black pants that went down to my shoes. "We'll match too, black and white."
"You're wearing your white dress to the dance?" I asked with a perked eyebrow, wondering why she would wear the same outfit she nearly always wore outside of school. Didn't make sense at all in my opinion. Hell it wouldn't make sense in anyone's opinion.
"Of course not," she retorted a frown. Well that cleared that up, "the dress will be much longer than my usual one." Or not.
"Why won't you wear any bright colors?" I asked, sheepishly scratching the back of my head. "I mean, I think a nice light blue dress would be a good tint on you."
"Roxas its fine," she replied with a bright smile. "Now go take off that suit so we can pay for it."
Maybe it was just my personality but I didn't feel like arguing with her right now. Or maybe it was because I didn't want to lose her. I've tried so hard just to get to her after all and now that she was here, what was there left to do but keep her? She was like a doll though. You finally scrapped up enough cash to buy her. It took you months to find a store that sold her. Then when you finally buy her off you just place her on the shelf and stare at her. Ten seconds later, you're looking for a newer doll to look at. It was the curse of society that he just only finally grasped now. I'm just another collector.
About fifteen minutes later I was out of the store in my regular outfit again, one hand carrying the white cardboard like bag with the store's name, logo and motto on it, the other hand being squeezed tightly by Namine.
"Hey, Roxy!" A figure shouted out a few stores down. My heart swelled up with joy at the thought of it being him, but it quickly waned as the figure became clearer. The sitarist that I knew so well was quickly sprinting towards me, a smaller figure trailing behind ever so slowly. "Is this your girlfriend?" Demyx cooed at Namine, looking down at the petite girl with a smile.
Namine blushed lightly from the embarrassment I decided to assume, clutching my arm tighter afterwards. Why was I starting to feel like she was just a lost kitten? The smaller figure, now recognized as Zexion, finally caught up to the sitarist with a bored yet unreadable expression. He simply stared at Namine, steel lilac hair covering his ghost eye from view, noticing how she was clinging onto me.
Yet at his stare I felt Namine loosen up a little, whatever left of her on me shrilling up bitterly on my skin. My peripheral vision turned to her lightly, as Demyx hated when people wouldn't pay attention to him when he was talking, and noticed she was staring back at the self-proclaimed narcissist. A voice talked into my ears lightly, but my mind made no effort to translate it to me. That is until the tall source of the naïve curious voice lightly tapped my shoulder a few times. I quickly blinked my eyes, a light hue of sapphire, much lighter than my brothers, and stared back at Demyx. "What is it, Demyx?" I asked uninterested. My peripheral vision shifted again to Namine and Zexion, who were continuing their silent staring contest.
"How's Axel doing?" He asked, a small smile tracing his lips. Axel. Now my stomach was forming knots again. In all truthful honesty I had no clue. Last time we even talked was when I checked up on him in the hospital almost in tears. Why did I even cry though? I barely knew Axel, he was my friend, but the last time I cried in front of anyone was when Sora was trying to explain to me why our father was divorcing Quistis.
"He's fine, Demyx," a nearly unheard voice quickly answered from a short distance. It seemed like Namine and Zexion's stare off was finished in a draw. "Axel called me yesterday after school ended. He said he wanted to talk to you and Roxas in private. Something about the prom, I believe." Wait, the prom? Did Axel even have a date?
"Well that's good to know, thanks Zexy," Demyx piped up happily, at which point my imagination made me believe Zexion's cheeks tinted light red as he gave off that evil glare that just simply read 'Don't. ever. call. me. Zexy.' I'm just surprised that nothing was done about it.
"We should get going, Roxas," Namine intruded with no hint of remorse for doing such. She seemed perfectly content with barging into the short lived conversation. Or perhaps she wanted to have all eyes on her, as the spotlight was being rude enough to neglect her on the stage. Being either the polite guy I was, or the complete idiot that wanted to devour my sense of reasoning my mind forced me into a simple nod. "It was nice meeting you two," she said with a sickening sweet smile towards Demyx, but anyone with a left brain could tell she was mentally motioning an evil look at Zexion.
Demyx waved goodbye as she pulled on me gently to turn my back, while Zexion was as always being a physical rock. As I left off I could have sworn I heard Demyx and Zexion whisper carefully among each other.
Should we tell him about-?
No, Demyx. Let him close the door first.
Again with the damn open door. Whoever keeps opening it for me, I hate them.
Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope.
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It was finally prom night. Everyone was gushed up and fancy looking for this one single night. All the girls in their two hundred dollar dresses were chatting amongst themselves, as their dates got them punch or were simply stuffing up their faces. The school received a permit from the town to host the prom at the abandoned manor, which belonged to some rich guy long ago.
There was a legend, as all abandoned manors have in the world, about the previous owner. As far as the fable goes the manor used to belong to a closeted man named DiZ. No one knew DiZ's real identity and he rarely came out of the giant manor. Residents claimed they saw people come out of the manor though, not him, but his butlers running errands for him, such as grocery shopping or dropping and picking up clothes from the Laundromat. Though a couple times people have seen him leave the house, yet you would never see his face. He was completely cloaked in red robes; his face even concealed in satin red to a point where only one eye and his mouth was revealed.
One day he just disappeared though. A couple teenagers saw a bunch of maids and butlers moving stuff out of the manor and packing up in a giant van. When they asked the butlers what was going they just shrugged and told them 'No point of living in a dead town'. Since then the manor had been left alone and no one moved back into it. Some obviously didn't have the money to buy it, others just believed the rumors that said DiZ died inside the manor and now his spirit haunted it.
Figures our school rented a supposedly haunted place.
The manor was painted the same way that most buildings in the town are painted, shades of light and dark brown and a gradient of orange and yellow mixed together like the twilight sky. I never understood why our town was like this. Yet another myth for another day though.
Axel had called me later yesterday after I came back from the mall with Namine. Apparently he was going to prom, but only to host one of the ill-famous prom pranks. Every year at least one member from each grade banded together to pull something huge at the prom. This year Axel decided to be the sophomore representative of this prank. The pyro got Demyx on the bandwagon, and tried to pull Zexion and me into this mess too. The two were upset, especially Axel, when both Zexion and I refused to assist them in the prank. Who could blame me though, I still had to go out with Namine.
"You know, Roxas," the ever arrogant Riku opened his mouth, lying around my house while I waited for the limo along with Namine to come by, "you don't have to go if you don't want to."
"What are you talking about?" I asked Riku dumb-founded. Of course I wanted to go with Namine…didn't I?
"You like him, don't you?" Did I ever mention I hate Riku. "Axel, I mean."
"Well of course I like him, he's my best friend." He's my best friend. I just purposely pulled a naïve Sora and I didn't like it one bit. Of course I knew what Riku meant by 'you like him', I would just never admit it. Yet I think those aqua eyes could easily see right through me. I was just that much of a loser.
A loud honk from outside the house awoke me from my sleeping daze. "Are you coming, Riku?"
"No, I kind of lost my reason." Poor Riku, his 'reason' left with a red-headed girl an hour ago to go to that same prom. Here he was trying to give me advice on my love life, and his own was barely existent in the first place. Hypocrite.
With a simple shrug I took my eyes off of the broken man who was moping on our couch and hesitantly opened the door. Outside the long black limo was parked, a giant black door open, leading to the darkness that lurked inside of it. The windows were tinted a shade of dark lavender and coming up to it I could see the driver stepping out, waiting to usher me inside like a four year old and close the door for me. The driver, a woman named Scarlet, pushed me into the backseat lightly and closed the door as soon as I entered.
By my side when I turned around wasn't only Namine. Inside was also Hayner, who was grasping a blushing Olette's hand and Sora who was sitting by the auburn haired Kairi. The whole car ride was a complete bore. While Hayner and Olette gushed into metaphoric love puddles over each other on the other side of the limo my arm was being squeezed to death by Namine, and Sora was making stupid jokes with Namine and I, while Kairi was just watching Sora the whole time with a delicate smile. She had an energetic static in her blue eyes as she simply looked at my brother. I know that Sora wasn't very interested in her, as much as she wished the brunette was only focusing on her.
When we got there the iron gates to the entrance were wide open and everyone was flowing like the sea into the manor. The insides weren't extremely decorated since the manor itself looked fantastic as it once was. The only thing that was different was that there were tons of tables to a certain side of the room for people to sit at and the large buffet near it. There was also a DJ station, which was about to start a song by The White Stripes.
Fell in love with a girl
I fell in love at once and almost completely.
She's in love with the world.
But sometimes these feelings can be so misleading.
Namine had smiled at the lyrics, tugging on my arm quickly. "Let's dance Roxas!" Did I mention I hate dancing.
She turns and says "Are you alright?"
I said "I must be fine because my heart's still beating"
"Come and kiss me by the riverside,
Bobby says its fine he don't consider it cheating."
Red hair with a curl, mellow roll for the flavor and the eyes for peeping.
Can't keep away from the girl.
These two sides of my brain need to have a meeting.
Can't think of anything to do, yea my left brain knows that all love is fleeting.
She's just looking for something new and I said it once before but it bears repeating.
At this point in the song Sora and Kairi were already mixed into the dance floor, along with me being pulled along feebly by Namine. When did the frail blonde become so strong?
Can't think of anything to do
Yea my left brain knows that all love is fleeting
She's just looking for something new
Well I said it once before, but it bears repeating.
Fell in love with a girl
I fell in love at once and almost completely.
She's in love with the world.
But sometimes these feelings can be so misleading.
She turns and says "Are you alright?"
I said "I must be fine because my heart's still beating"
"Come and kiss me by the riverside,
Bobby says it's fine he don't consider it cheating"
At that point throughout all the ecstasy flashing lights and the giant wave of dancers near a distant corner I saw a flash of spiky red hair, just glaring at me in anger. I couldn't recognize the face through all the elliptic flashes, but if I wasn't stupid enough at that time I would have realized it was Axel. Of course, I didn't. Though the final verse of lyrics was incredibly ironic now that I think about it.
Can't think of anything to do
Yea my left brain knows that all love is fleeting.
She's just looking for something new and
I said it once before but it bears repeating.
Right at that note the song was over, and a few seconds later another had began. My brain was so far away from the scene that I couldn't even focus on the song. Namine looked sweetly at me with that soft melting smile, and blinked delicately. "Roxas, should we find our table?" I just made a meek nod to her, and I was yet again pulled away from my location by the porcelain blonde. While being pulled away I looked back to that same corner where the daggers that somehow made it to my heart and the red flash was gone.
At the table Kairi was already sitting down, her hands laced. My eyes trailed around the buffet table from afar and noticed spiky brown hair in the distance, gathering punch. Namine and I sat down and the blonde quickly started chatting with the auburn hair girl. Looking at the two my gut started to twist again. The two objects of my ultimate affection looked like exact twins. If Namine dyed her hair red or Kairi dyed her own blonde you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. It scared me a bit.
I decided to quickly avoid nausea by patting Namine's shoulder, alerting her I would be going to get drinks. She just nodded half-heartedly and I quickly left. Sora was still there, a bit dazed in the punch pouring. Luckily another fast paced song popped up and everyone rushed to the dance floor. When I got there he took note of me and replaced his dead expression with an obviously fake smile.
"Hey Roxas, do you know if Riku's coming?"
To anyone hearing this somewhere if you didn't realize Sora had a huge crush on the silver haired guy then you must be as naïve as the brunette himself. "No, he said he didn't want to go. He said he lost his reason." At my words Sora's smile quickly fell, his eyes downcast. "Sora, what's wrong?"
Sora didn't say anything, but quickly left the buffet table, quickly running off into the dance floor. Kairi was sucked into Namine's conversation like the blonde was a black hole. I was sure he was going to go to Riku's side. He was naïve, but not stupid. Unlike me.
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"Zexy, where are we going?" I lightly squeaked as I was pulled away by the lilac haired boy. Axel had just abandoned me after seeing Roxas dance with Namine. He was obviously mad at the blonde haired girl. I was about to chase him, but then I was suddenly grabbed by the senior.
"Just somewhere quieter," Zexion said with a shaky sigh, "the dance is way too noisy."
We were now going up a flight of white stairs, a light draft of nothing starting to chill up my spine. Zexion seemed unaffected by it of course. When we got to the top Zexion quickly opened a metal door, entering us to a windy draft. He had leaded us to a giant white room, two windows still open. The only thing there was a giant blue bed and curtains that swished with the windy breeze that entered the room.
"Isn't this place supposed to be abandoned?" I asked confusingly as Zexion entered, starting to close the windows slowly. He just shrugged, settling himself on the bed quietly.
"Demyx, can I ask you a question?" He asked his voice so quiet it coursed shivers around my spine. I responded with a slow nod, sitting on the bed next to him. "Are you still going out with Ritz?"
I looked at him a bit startled. Did he hear from Axel about what happened? The unnatural pink haired girl had decided to break up with me while I was still on vacation. It actually happened on the day I met Zexion. She had left me a voice message on my cell phone, which I stupidly left in the hotel, saying she had met some new guy at the high school named Marche. I was pretty upset about it, but I don't think I was as upset as I should've been. "No, she broke up with me." I stated chastely. "Why did you ask?"
Zexion just stared at me with unblinking eyes. No, it wasn't a stare. More like a longing daze. Before I knew it he grasped my shoulders and pulled me towards himself. At that point I felt a warm sensation pressed on my lips. I stared wide-eyed at him, his eyes still looking at me as he encircled his arms around my neck. At that point I don't know what took over me. Maybe it was the pure feeling of his warm lips on my own, but I had closed my eyes as he closed his own.
As if it was a normal reaction I encircled my own arms around his waist. He then carefully climbed on top of me, a small gasp breaking through the imaginary wall of my throat. I could feel him smirk into the kiss as he seemed to take advantage of my moa-gasp! It was definitely a gasp, I swear!- and snuck his tongue inside my mouth. The feeling of his tongue riding against my teeth as he moved his hands to tightly grasp my hair was like a drug. I personally hated drugs and would never do them, but I couldn't resist it seemed. I sneaked my arms up higher and clashed my tongue with his.
The gravitational force against us-as he would say-had toppled us over on the soft bed, breaking our heated kiss, leaving us both gasping for breath, his hair flung over his ear to reveal both his soulful blue eyes. We were both sweating it seemed. "Ze-Zexy," I stuttered a small moan, my arms now around his scrawny neck while his hands were pinning me down.
He blinked at me, panting a bit more, looking out of breath. For once he seemed so helpless, and I personally found it adorable. Never had I seen him so vulnerable. "I'm," he started, still panting helplessly, "I'm so sorry, Demyx," he finished, his face horribly flushed.
He pushed himself from my light grasp around his neck and quickly got himself off of me. He was sorry? "I shouldn't have done that, I'm really sorry." I could hear his voice breaking, and it was just killing me. "I…I just don't know." He started to back away farther from me. Was he going to turn away again? No-this time I wouldn't let him.
I sprang myself from the bed dashed to his side, grabbing his hand into a gentle grasp. "Don't turn around on me again, Zexion!" His eyes cast themselves up at me, understanding I was being serious by using both syllables of his name instead of one. "Please just—don't, okay! I don't want you leaving me just after what we did."
"Demyx…" he trailed off, his hand starting to become mush in the hold of my hand. He was quickly losing his voice so I quickly embraced his frail exterior in my arms, hushing him quietly. I felt my suit attire become wet as I stroked Zexion's back soothingly.
"Its okay, Zexion," I whispered the sweet nothing-no, the sweet something-into his ear, continuing to caress his back, feeling him lightly arch to the touch. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
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"Roxas are you sure you don't know where Sora went?" Kairi pleaded with me, grasping my hands and squeezing them tightly. She was faking it; she knew very well I knew where Sora was. Of course I wasn't going to tell her that the guy she had hoped to be with again was probably swooning over his best friend. So I just gave a small shake and she staggered off, trying to find Sora again with no avail.
Namine sighed a bit, clutching my hand. "Poor Kairi. She really wanted to try and ask Sora to go out with her," like that would ever happen, "but I guess she'll have to learn."
At that moment the previous fast paced song died out and a slow song droned out from the speakers. Namine smiled gently at me and pulled me to the dance floor. I contently sighed as I took her hand in a light clutch and encircled my arm around her hip. She smiled and stared into my eyes as the song went from orchestra to lyrics.
You seem to find the dark when everything is bright.
You look for all that's wrong instead of all that's right.
Does it feel good to you to rain on my parade?
You never say a word unless it's to complain.
It's driving me insane.
If I were you
Holding the world right in my hands
The first thing I'd do
Is thank the stars for all that I have
If I were you.
The song took another orchestra break, in which Namine took the chance to lean her head on my shoulder cautiously. I took mind to it, but for the sake of the moment I continued to hold onto her.
Look what surrounds you now.
More than you ever dreamed.
Have you forgotten just how hard it used to be?
So what's it going to take
For you to realize.
It all could go away in one blink of an eye.
It happens all the time.
If I were you
Holding the world right in my hands
The first thing I'd do
Is thank the stars above
Tell the ones I love that I do.
Yea, if I were you
I felt her clutching tighter around my waist as a louder orchestra break occurred. What was happening? If she was afraid of loud noises then I'm sure she wouldn't last this long in the prom.
So what's it going to take
For you to realize.
It all could go away in one blink of an eye.
It happens all the time.
If I were you.
Holding the world right in my hands.
The first thing I'd do.
Is thank the stars above.
For the ones I love.
Take a breath and enjoy the view.
Live the life that I've wanted to.
If I were you.
The song finally ended, but it seemed time had just froze for us both. When she timidly peeked her head up at me small little tear were twinkling from her eyes. From just that look I had the sudden urge to just kiss her tears away. To make her forget why she was even crying. I dipped my head in to kiss her lightly, but then out of nowhere she pushed away from my grasp and panted lightly. Okay, I thought I would be the one to push away first.
"Namine," I asked quietly, looking at the blonde as she hugged herself and started to shake. Right at that moment I looked at her and didn't even believe we were a couple. I just saw her as her. It scared me. "What's wrong?"
"R-Roxas…I can't," Namine sobbed quietly, refusing to make eye contact with me. "It's not right." Before I could ask her what wasn't right she ran away from the dance floor, the swarm of other partiers crowding my path to follow her.
What just happened? I think I fell asleep in the middle of it all, right?
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It was too much. I couldn't bear to stay with him any longer. Asking him to dance with me was a horrible idea. Even worse, he almost gave up his first kiss for me. Without a second thought I just ran off, hearing Linda Linda by Paranmaum start up as I hurried out. How ironic. I quickly rushed out of the manor itself, hoping the crowd would slow down Roxas. This was horrible. I had to find a way back into the manor and hide before—
"Namine!" A shrill voice cried out. I swished my head around to see a very angry Olette, accompanied by Hayner who had his eyes closed and was laying his back on the wall of the manor like he owned the place. "What are you doing?!" Making the biggest mistake of my life.
"Wh-what do you mean?" I said, trying to choke back another sob. I knew my eyes were already a bit read from the silent sobbing from before.
"Don't act like you don't know! We saw you run out of the place, right when Roxas was about to kiss you!" Oh crap. "What are you thinking? Roxas likes you and you like him back, so just kiss him!"
I couldn't stop a somber chuckle from escaping my lips. Olette was probably going to look at me like I was insane for the rest of my time with her but that didn't matter to me. "No, that's not true," I said still lightly chuckling, wiping my eyes of my crestfallen tears, savoring the confusion in her look. "I like Roxas…I do. But he doesn't like me that way, no matter how much I want him to."
Olette gasped at my assumption-more like my declaration-and rushed over to my side. "What are you talking about? He can't stop talking about you." I could hear Hayner snort at her last comment, though she was too caught up in our moment to hear him.
I shook my head furiously and sighed again with a chuckle. "No, he just likes saying that because we're so close." That and Kairi blurted out during over conversation that Roxas used to have a crush on her, which definitely got me thinking. "He likes someone else much more."
"But who?!" Olette cried, shaking me like mad. Peeking over the frantic girl's shoulder I took note of her date, who was smirking evilly at me. So he knew too. Her I thought I was being smart.
--------------------------------
What was going on? Namine had just ran off into the crowd and disappeared all together. I found Hayner and he said that she had left somewhere with Olette. I let out a hazy sigh and started to slump around the giant ballroom. Somehow I ended up entering a giant garden area. No one was there, but it was beautiful. The perpetual sunset radiantly shined, and made me remember the nights at Destiny Island. It upset me a bit that I wouldn't see any stars for a long time. I made a light sigh, finding a good spot in the middle of the garden to sit down and watch the still sunset.
"Hey there, Rox," a narcotic voice rang out behind me. It was the person I wanted to see the most and the same person I didn't know even existed anymore. Axel. A small smile twinge onto my lips. I don't why but Axel could always make me smile. It was like a contagious bug, right from day one.
"Hey Axel," I replied cheerfully, trying to forget about what happened with Namine. "How did the prom prank go?"
"Horrible," Axel grimaced with a scowl. "We were going to set off the sprinklers but some idiot decided to talk to his friends about it yesterday in school and the staff overheard it. Bastard."
I just offered a small nod. On one hand I'm disappointed that Axel was bummed out by what happened, but on another I sort of wished it had been done. Maybe then I would be with Namine. "So what're you doing out here, Rox?" He asked, raking a hand through his hedgehog spikes. "Aren't you supposed to be with Namira?"
"That's Namine," I groaned annoying at Axel who just shrugged, "and she sort of left."
Closing time-
Open all the doors and let you out into the world.
The soft lyrics of another slow song sung out from the open doorway leading to the prom hall. "She left you?!" Axel gasped, a bit shocked. I looked at him and nodded. "That no good bit-girl." I chuckled at his lame cover up. "I mean, who in their right mind would leave someone right in the middle of a date?"
Closing time-
Turn all of the lights on over every boy and every girl.
"Well, it's fine. I can always talk to her about it when we come back to school on Monday," I nodded with a smile. In my mind though I doubted even making normal eye contact with her again.
Closing time-
One last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer.
"No it's not fine," Axel snapped back fuming. What got into him? "I mean, that's not fair. You're too good for that."
"Too good?" I asked perplexed. "Too good for what?"
Closing time-
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.
"Too good to be treated like that," he said, looking over me with earth shattering jade hues. Those eyes…what exactly did they hide from everyone. "You're so good to everyone, and yet you always seem to get the short end of the stick. It's not fair at all."
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home.
"Well that's how life goes Axel," I shrugged without a care. I felt like I was some kind of drunken haze. "Can't always expect to win."
"But you always get that short stick. Especially with that one time with Seifer," Axel grumbled back.
Closing time-
Time for you to go out to the places you will be from.
Closing time-
This room won't be open till your brothers or your sisters come.
"Well that was my fault and-wait," I interrupted myself, "how did you know about that? The only person I told that to was Sora!"
So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits.
I hope you have found a friend.
"Seifer told me about it," Axel huffed out in disagreement, crossing his arms.
"You're not even friends with the guy!" I snarled behind my teeth. "Axel, how do you know that?!" No reply. "Answer me, dammit!"
"Fine, I will!" He growled back at me. "It was me! I was the one that saved you from Seifer that day, you happy?"
"…what?" I looked at him dumbfounded, my sapphire eyes blinking at the pyro. He saved me? "That was you?"
"Yes it was me, Roxas," he sighed out, his tone more hushed now. He turned to me and simply stared down my eyes with his own hypnotizing jade ones. "I'm the one that rescued you from Seifer that day."
Closing time-
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
"But why?" I asked, still looking at his eyes. Why didn't I leave contact with him yet? Maybe because I was scared. Scared that if I broke the contact then he would disappear forever. Disappear from the face of the Earth and never return. Was this what Zexion meant by closing doors you already opened?
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home.
"Do I need a reason?" He asked, his hushed tone becoming huskier. My face became horribly flushed as he took his hands and put them on my cheeks. What was going on? Isn't this the part where I push him away and coldly stare into his dejected look and tell him to never come near me again?
"A-Axel," I quietly moaned, continuously staring at his eyes, unable to look anywhere else. I just received the sweetest smile I ever received just from that. But who was I to judge how beautiful someone's smile was? Then without warning he closed an invisible gap between us with his lips softly coming down on my own.
Closing time-
Time for you to go out to the places you will be from.
The kiss was incredibly sweet. I would obviously say that back then because he was my first, but even now I still say that his kisses were the softest—and roughest I've had. My eyes closed at the precise moment of contact, the feeling of the kiss making me forget where we were. Anyone could see us out here—even Namine. Though I don't think I cared. Axel moved his hands from cupping my cheeks to my neck and then to my torso, scouting every area of my body. I moaned into the kiss and he just received encouragement from it.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home.
I suddenly felt his steamy hands sneak right under my black tux jacket and white shirt. The burning sensation caused me to moan horribly loud into the kiss, giving Axel the best opportunity to sneak his tongue into my mouth, which he did. We were suddenly engulfed in a liquefying French kiss, our tongues clashing with each other quickly.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home.
It was only by the time his hands swarmed their way down to my belt did I finally realize what was happening. I quickly pushed his hands away from me and broke the heated kiss, stumbling over on the grassy garden. Axel was still in his place, looking down on me as I stumbled to get myself up. "R-Roxas. I'm sorry…I didn't mean to—Roxas!"
I couldn't hear it anymore. I was far too confused with everything. This feeling made me sick. I quickly dashed back into the prom hall, avoiding the dancers skillfully and landing myself into back into the limo, but not before hearing the last heart breaking lines of the slow song.
Closing time-
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
"Take me home," I asked Scarlet, my voice cracking up. She knew that the others weren't here yet but she understood that I needed to leave from my obvious sobbing. Without anymore words she drove off from the street corner, heading done the twilight lane.
I had taken two finger-bowls of champagne, and the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental, and profound.
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A/N Notes: Holy crap. Longest chapter I ever written to date. Over 8,000 words, 13 pages and on Verdana font size 8. For those that don't know how small that is opening up Microsoft Word and find out. Anyways yes, for all those that didn't catch the songs they were (in order): Fell in love with a girl by The White Stripes, If I Were You by Hoobastank, Linda Linda by Paranmaum (okay the lyrics didn't appear, but if you want to see them just look around Google and you should find them) and Closing Time by Semisonic. Also the quote that Zexion uses in the end of his POV is a quote from The Bell Jar (which I mentioned he was reading in previous chapters. See my notes do mean something XD)
Hoped you enjoyed the ooziness of Zemyx, AkuRoku and a brief Roxamine moment that I supplied you with. Only two chapters left now. Let's all feel bad for Roxas because he has to go through such crap. You will also have to feel bad for Axel, Namine, Demyx and Zexion. Why Demyx and Zexion…well you just have to wait.
Oh and if there's enough request I might throw in a bonus chapter in the end that'll tell you what happened with Sora and Riku during the prom :D
Until next time-
Yours truly, Smyde.