Hmm... Cheating goes on in the chapter... And Dem seems to want to keep Axel from getting himself into trouble but... well... who knows.
I'm updating this as it comes. And right now it's coming pretty fast. I'm feeling nice and confident because I'm happy and inspired at the moment. I sold a piece in the gallery today. YAY!
EDIT!
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::: The Masks We Wear :::
The paintings sold well, and something was bothering Axel. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, once again and as ever. He couldn't see past the heavy black velvet curtain that withheld the future from his eyes, blocking the limelight and the maddening crowds – knowing that they were there made it all the worse.
Demyx was there, seemingly enjoying egging the band boys on, getting them to play more raucous, excitable songs by the minute. Axel walked up and stood behind the blond companionably. He was only a few inches taller, but it was enough to make him seem more authoritative to the blond, who turned with a silly looking guilty grin on his face.
"Oh, uh – I can make them tone it down again, if you like," he said sheepishly.
"No," Axel replied distractedly, "I rather like it…"
"What's up?"
"I really don't know."
"Hey… um… did you sell any?"
"A few…" he said, a satisfied smile curling his thin lips, "Good take tonight. I'll be able to get some Jäger."
"And that's all you can say for it?"
"Yeah, pretty much. It's kind of like the 'Job well done' signaling phrase. You'll definitely get it once you hang out with me more," he explained. "But wait, how old are you, kid?"
"Twenty-two," Demyx replied instantly, "But I don't drink all that much… I don't really have the stomach for it…"
"We can fix that. You're probably drinking cheap vodka and that's why you're so messed up."
Demyx snorted, "Nah… I'm just a lightweight… Nothing more, nothing less."
"Still can be fixed."
"Maybe… I kind of like you enough for that," the blond said softly, turning to smile over his shoulder. He had that completely unreadable smile once again. "But hey… where's your woman?"
Axel hadn't thought about that… and so the curtain rose, the limelight glared, and the audience bayed for his blood.
"And where the hell's Luxord…" he hissed darkly. Oh he'd had a feeling all along – it was in script, but the characters weren't meant to know until now.
Demyx's eyes suddenly reflected a sort of shocked confusion, aquamarine bright and splintering.
"That - that whore is banging my art dealer… god help me… I'll kill her…I'll fucking kill her…"
He turned and went directly to the back rooms of the gallery, Demyx following close at his heels, speaking soothing things that barely registered. Axel had crossed that threshold and he slammed the door. Several people tailed momentarily, but they fell back when he came to the studio door. All of them, except Demyx.
"Axel… look, it's probably just a coincidence, really… I mean, how could you know right off the bat? I've only known you for a little while, but seriously… you need to trust me."
They came to the door and Axel stopped stock still, a statue made carved from flammable wood. Quite suddenly, Demyx was clutching him around the hips, holding him back.
"Don't you dare go through that fucking door…" he whispered hoarsely. "You already know what's happening, don't you?"
"What?"
"If you're right, it'll only hurt worse. Don't do it."
"This isn't any of your business. What makes you think you have the right to-"
At the sounds of scuffling inside the studio, Axel wrenched the blond off of him and threw the door open. Luxord yelped and looked up like a rabbit in the headlights of a barreling SUV and Larxene yanked her dress down, half-snarling her anger and disdain. Of all the bleeding horrors he could have faced; this, this was the final straw.
Axel broke the blond's grip again, and strode forward, walked directly up to his art dealer who was still buckling up his pants. He stood there, looking the man straight in the eye.
"I want my money. You'll give me one hundred percent of the earnings tonight, and you can take the whore home with you. She'll be payment enough, right Loo?"
"Wait… Axel! This isn't what you think! Not at all! If you had been more considerate of my needs, it might have never happened anyway!" she stammered, then sneered.
"Axel…" Luxord choked apologetically.
"I said I wanted to kill you, Loo, but you know what?" he ignored him, looking at the blonde woman.
There was an awkward pause.
"What…?" she finally asked.
"May you live for-fucking-ever. Live in your agony. Wallow, you filthy sow, in the final throes of your folly," he hissed, suddenly turning to face her, kneeling heavily to look her in the eye and smiling. "May you never forget what you did here, sweetheart."
He kissed her on the lips while she was still shocked by the weight of his statement. It was tender, sweet even, but enough to rouse her. She slapped him hard across the cheek, but hadn't been expecting to get it back in the form of a heavy back-hand.
She cried out and Axel lurched to his feet. It had felt amazing to give her what she deserved. His mouth was a wide, mad smirk and his eyes danced like the flames of hell as he turned back to Luxord, who stumbled back a pace.
"If I don't get my cash, I'm going to find you. Do I have to finish that?"
"No, sir," The other mumbled shamefully, looking at his feet.
"You and I, Loo… we're fucking finished. I'm going home," he laughed, stumbled to the door. Waning now, he felt like a stringless puppet. "As long as this all stays in the dark… You'll be fine. I won't say anything just as long as my demands are kept."
Demyx stood in the hallway, head bowed.
He ignored the blond, floated down the hall. Every inch of him was numb… in fact he felt rather strange, like the way he always felt before he passed out when he was drunk.
"Shit," he managed to mumble before the whole word spun and the crowd cheered, buzzing in his ears.
Fade to black.
--- ---
Coming to, Axel heard the sound of someone sobbing faintly.
He sat up, massaging his temples, looked around for the source of the sound. It was somewhat unfamiliar and a little strange. What the hell had happened tonight?
"Loo? That you-" the memories flooded back to him all at once. If he could have killed himself right then and there, he probably would have. "Nonono… this isn't - happening," he snarled, softly.
Someone came tearing out of the bathroom. Bloodshot ocean blue eyes met similarly afflicted jade.
Demyx sniffled and crawled onto the bed.
"Leto bit me when I came in," he started, "I probably deserved it… but it hurts."
He sobbed hard again, bandaged hand resting limply above his head. He was half curled up on his side.
"Where's Larxene?" Axel asked weakly. He honestly felt like he was going to faint again.
"She… brought me here and got her stuff… she went away," Demyx husked, shoulders still shaking lightly. He'd probably been more scared by the bite than in real pain because there was relatively little blood on his gauze bandage. Leto sat perfectly still by the door. He didn't look too happy.
"Let me see…" Axel said softly, picking up the wounded appendage. Demyx moaned pathetically, curling up tighter, but he didn't recoil.
"Leto, come!"
Demyx jumped, literally crawled up into Axel's lap.
"Don't be afraid of him," the redhead said calmly, despite the flow of tears slipping down his pale cheeks. The dog trotted up to the bed. Demyx took a deep breath, visibly relaxing when Axel laid a hand on his shoulder.
Demyx put out his uninjured hand and stroked the dobe's head and neck. Leto laid his head on the edge of the bed happily, accepting the new face now that both his owner and the newcomer were at ease. He almost looked as if he wanted to crawl up on the bed with them though, because animals sense these sorts of things.
Axel rose wordlessly. Someone had undressed him down to his jeans. He limped across to the kitchen, opened a cabinet and pulled out a big bottle of vodka. He hesitated, pulled out a second. He made his way to the bed where Demyx now lay on his side, stroking Leto. Both seemed calmed by the simple action, and Axel had to admit he was glad of it.
He sat down and dropped the bottle against Demyx's hip.
"It'll make the pain go away," he explained, his voice a little shakier now that he was trying to hold back the emotions surging in him. There was a thin, high-pitched screaming in the back of his head, white noise praying for a voice.
Demyx sat up and held the bottle hesitantly.
"This is a lot…"
Axel cracked the top off his and knocked back a prodigious amount with relatively little effort. Demyx sighed and tried to emulate, only managed to choke himself.
"Take it easy, killer." Axel said softly, laughing a little. It really was kind of funny.
"Yeah… y-you're going to have to teach me some stuff…"
--- ---
Axel smiled. This kid was frigging hilarious.
"Y' saved m' life, y'know…" he slurred.
"I haff no f'ken idear wh' ya jes said," Demyx replied. He was grinning like a complete loon, but then again, so was Axel.
They both passed out soon thereafter.
--- ---
There were mornings when Axel would wake and he regretted being alive. This was one of them.
He didn't have long to bemoan his existence though, because there was a terrible sound coming from the bathroom and Leto began barking in distress. He was a quiet dog, so this had to be pretty bad.
Axel lurched to his feet and stumbled into the bathroom where someone unfamiliar was hunched over the toilet, retching his guts out. He finally stopped, sagging pathetically onto the porcelain, racked with painful sobs.
"Are you okay?" Axel croaked, shoving a washcloth over his mouth.
Whoever it was sobbed harder, shielding his face with a hand as he looked over his shoulder. The name registered. Demyx had stayed the night with him… and Loo was gone… Now he remembered it all, but now it wasn't as bad as it would have been if there weren't someone else in dire straits in the same room. He came and sat on the tile next to his companion, laying a warm hand on the kid's back. His head was pounding, but he ignored it as best he could.
"I… I'm sorry," Demyx choked.
"Don't be. I was the one who did this to you."
"I fucking hate it…"
"Hmm?"
Axel was confused; the sudden shift in demeanor was completely out of character for the kid.
"I fucking hate puking… I hate it," he sobbed pathetically. He was about to say more, but a dry heave rocked his surprisingly fragile frame. Axel leaned in and ran his hand up to the back of the kid's neck, gripping firmly.
"Hey. Take it easy. Just let it happen."
Demyx's only response was to go limp, slamming his head against the seat. He wasn't yet passed out, but he definitely wasn't doing well either. His breathing was ragged and shallow. Axel sighed softly, taking a firm grip in the other's hair. This was answered with an equally ragged sob.
"Axel…" he said shakily.
"No. Don't talk. I can't have you passing out on me."
"I need to… ask you something…"
Axel sighed heavily, "What?"
"C-can I… stay with you here?"
Bemused, Axel paused, then finally replied, "Why?"
He'd meant more like "Why would you want to?" but it probably got taken more like "Why do you need to?" because that was how Demyx replied.
"I-I got kicked out of my place. I guess my band was too loud. I've been staying with one of my band members, but he's getting married, and I gotta pack it in and get the hell outta there…"
"Oh…"
"I… c-can't find anyone who will keep me… So I just try to grin and bear it and be happy but I can't fucking do it any more… I'm flat broke, and I'm so scared…"
"Hey," Axel soothed, "It's okay… just take it easy."
"I think I'm losing it - I'm- I - my mind is bending the wrong fucking way."
"Demyx…"
He seemed to calm a little, the sparks of utter madness, the shards of sapphire in sea-green dimming from his eyes.
"I love when you say my name. It sounds like you really mean it."
Axel was shocked with the utter intimacy implied by the statement. Demyx took a deep breath and tentatively tensed his stomach. Nothing happened.
"I-I think… I think I'll be okay…"
"Take a shower, kid," Axel said softly, "You'll feel better. I've got a toothbrush for you too…"
"Thanks…"
"And you can stay with me… but only on one condition."
He paused, ocean eyes filled with a little apprehension, "Yeah?"
"You have to let me paint you."