Underneath the Surface

Disclaimer: I write story but do not own the characters.

I'm going to keep writing this story even though not many people read it… I like it a lot but we all have our duds I guess…

Chapter 5

Five hours of sleep was just not enough… I slapped my alarm clock and whined…

I was not going to enjoy today.

I walked out of my room and into the shower. I washed my body and my hair before brushing my teeth and leaving the bathroom.

I walked back into my room and looked for some clothes.

I found a pair of dark blue jeans and I looked around my closet for a shirt.

Then I noticed a plain t-shirt but the color was blue-green.

It was just like Zexion's eyes.

I frowned… "Well, that sounded girly…" I said aloud.

I pulled on the shirt and walked over to my desk where I pulled out a chain and put it around my neck.

The only reason I wore it was because of the pendant that hung from it.

One side was obsidian carved into the shape of a bat wing, the other side was a bird wing carved in pearl.

I thought it was cool.

I put on some shoes and walked downstairs. My parents were eating breakfast quietly.

"Good morning…" I said and sat at the table.

"Did you sleep well?" My mother asked.

"Yes… why?" I asked.

"Just wanted to know… because I went out early this morning for a walk on the beach…" my mother continued.

Shit… looks like I'm in trouble.

"You know what I saw?" she asked.

I looked to my dad who simply continued to read the paper with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"What did you see, Mom?" I asked knowing this was the end anyway.

"Well, I saw a lot of things I expected to see… shells, sand, water, a crab or two… you know what else I saw that I didn't plan on seeing?" she asked.

Why'd she have to draw it out like that? "What, Mom?" I asked.

"I saw my son and a boy making out on the beach… and I'm pretty sure I said that you couldn't go to the beach for a week didn't I?" she said.

I frowned. "It was urgent Mom! Why else would I sneak out in the middle of the night to meet with someone?" I said.

"So it was urgent to go out to the beach to make out with someone? Didn't you say you weren't a horny teenager?" My mother questioned.

I slammed my hands on the table and stood. "Why are you acting like this mom? Zexion and I haven't done anything to be ashamed of and I didn't go out there just to kiss him!" I said.

"Zexion? The strange boy we found on the dock?" my father asked.

"Yes…" I said. "We've been talking and I've come to really like him."

"But… he's…" My mom trailed.

"I know…" I said. "That's why I've been staying out so late… because he shows me the ocean and we lose track of time." I said.

"How?" my mother asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I said.

"Try us." My father said and sat at the table.

"After the day we let him go… I went surfing remember? I had drifted a good ways away from the house and found a cave that only shows up in low tide. I went in and I saw Zexion sitting with a beached dolphin. He was offering it comfort before it died. He kept telling me to leave but then the dolphin said that he wanted me to stay… I didn't actually hear him say it. Zexion translated for me. The dolphin said that he was watching me from the water… and that I had a strong heart… So I sat with them until it died. It was sad… and I ended up crying a little. Zexion told me that lately the ocean has been getting harder and harder to protect. He said that animals were dying and I asked him why it had to be that way. After all of this, I had found out that I was some human from an ancient prophecy and that one day, he and I would save the waters of the world… There's so much to say… I was skeptical at first… but he went so far as to offering his soul to me… so I said that I would help him." I said.

"And I thought it was only bed-time stories." My father said.

"It's not. He's real and I want to help him. When he gave me his soul… it allowed me to go under the water and see and breathe and swim… it's amazing what life is like under there. He and his family sleep in a sunken cathedral and they have a healer and a mage. There's a whole other universe down there. But yesterday… I met his parents and they were upset with Zexion for giving his soul to me. So I asked them if I could do something that would make them understand that I wouldn't betray them… they told me I had to swim to the surface without Zexion. But the truth is, if I swim too far from Zexion… my ability to breathe and see under water goes away… that's why I almost drowned… I lied when I said I tried to swim to the bottom… I was really swimming to the surface. So last night… I snuck out to make sure everything was okay and that his parents believed me now. They do." I said.

"I j-just… when I let him go I-I… wasn't really thinking… th-the legends are true then?" Mother asked.

"Yes… please don't take me from the beach… Zexion won't let me drown."

My father looked at my mother.

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this…" my mother rubbed her temples.

I smiled and gave my mother a hug. "Thank you!" I said and grabbed my stuff before heading towards the door.

I moved down the steps of our raised house and took my bike from the shed

I peddled off towards school.

-Underneath the Surface-

I parked my bike and walked into the school building.

"Yo! Riku!" Tidus said and ran up to me.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Did you hear about the last minute transfer student? He's in your homeroom. He wouldn't talk to me… in fact, I don't think he would talk to anyone. He's kinda creepy. His eyes are all weird!" Tidus said with a shiver.

"I'm sure he's not that bad. You're the scary one! You're in high school but you act like a four year old." I said with a smirk.

"You know you love your best friend, me, Tidus!" he said and rubbed his face on my shoulder.

I laughed before walking into my homeroom. I looked around for the transfer student.

And there he was. He was sitting in a desk looking out the window.

His hair was long and silver and in a messy ponytail. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and his eyes…

One eye was blue-green, the other black.

"Zexion?" I asked.

The transfer student turned his head to look at me.

"Zexion what are you doing here?" I asked and sat in the desk next to him.

"I transferred in." he said.

"But-"

"Wait! You know the guy?" Tidus asked incredulously.

I nodded.

"It really is hard to recognize you with your hair out of your face." I said quietly.

Zexion nodded. "As much as I hate being out here… Ansem tells me I have to learn to understand human lifestyle."

"Ansem?" I asked.

"The sea mage…" Zexion said quietly.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO WHISPERING ABOUT!" Tidus bellowed.

"Oh we're just talking abo-OH! Tidus! I think Kairi is handing out free lollipops!" I yelled.

"WHAT? WHERE!" Tidus turned to the doorway.

"She just went down the hallway! Go look for her!" I said.

"Don't worry Riku, I'll get one for you too!" Tidus said before jetting out of the room.

I couldn't help but laugh at how childlike he could be.

"You're friend acts as if he were a starving fish swimming for the last of the seal carcass…" Zexion said in all seriousness.

I laughed. "That's a little disturbing but yeah… his parents don't allow him sugar because he's already spazzy. So when he can find candy he runs after it like a starving animal." I said.

Zexion nodded.

"So… it seems that you have to understand my world… and I have to come to understand yours."

Zexion nodded again.

"I'm guessing the turtleneck is to hide the gills?" I asked and reached to touch.

Zexion immediately retracted and slapped my hand away.

"I'm sorry… I-I…" I said in surprise.

"Don't touch them…" he said.

"Yeah… I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking." I said.

Zexion sighed before taking the hand he had hit. He clasped it between his hands. His skin was still soft and moist. "I am sorry."

I smiled. "It's fine. What classes do you have?"

He opened a small bag and pulled out a piece of paper, only to drop it suddenly and hiss at it.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"It is so flimsy but can easily cut… I do not like it…" Zexion said glaring at the paper.

I giggled. "You are completely defenseless when out of your element." I said.

Zexion looked out the window again towards the beach.

I picked up his schedule. "It's paper. What you just received is a paper cut. They're harmless really… but they hurt like hell." I said and looked at his classes.

I smiled. "It's a good thing you're in all of my classes. We might have had a problem if you weren't"

Zexion continued to look out to the beach.

And that's when I noticed the blood dripping from his hand. "Oh my god! Zexion, how deep is that cut?" I asked and took his hand.

"Oh my! How did that happen?" The homeroom teacher asked as she entered her classroom.

"A nasty paper cut…" I said and ran to her desk to take a couple of tissues.

I used one tissue to wipe the blood from the desk and the other to apply pressure to the small cut.

"Your skin is so delicate. You should really be careful." I said.

"I like this paper… it is gentle." Zexion mumbled.

I smiled.

"So, you're the new transfer student. Where are you from?" the teacher asked.

"His name is Zexion and he's from a very remote country far away called… Marinea. Marineans live the most basic lifestyles and really don't know anything about technology. Zexion didn't even know about paper until today!" I made up on the top of my head.

"Wow… will he be okay? I mean… this school is pretty advanced in its technology." The teacher asked.

"That's why I'm here. I'm like a big brother to show him the ropes." I said with a bright smile.

"Well that's very kind of you Riku." The teacher said before moving to sit at her desk.

"You make me sound like an imbecile." Zexion grumbled.

"Well how else was I supposed to explain?" I asked.

"I would have thought of something much more logical." Zexion said.

"Oh yeah? What?" I asked.

"What does it matter now?" Zexion said and I let go of his injured hand.

Only it wasn't injured anymore.

"I wish I could heal that fast." I said quietly.

When the bell rang and homeroom began, the teacher asked Zexion to stand and introduce himself.

I looked at him and he stood slowly. "My name is Zexion and I am a transfer student coming from Marinea." Zexion rolled his eyes at me.

I smiled.

Zexion sat back down slowly and I frowned.

"Is there a reason you are reluctant to move from your seat?" I asked.

Zexion shook his head and finally relaxed in the seat only for the bell to ring for the first class.

Zexion stood again and we walked to creative writing class.

"Alright kiddies! Today I want you to construct a poem using any of these themes. Snowball sentences, anaphora, inversion, or rhymed couplets." she listed.

"What are these?" Zexion asked.

"Well… a snowball sentence is when the next word in the sentence always has one letter more than the previous one. Anaphora is when you have repeated words at the beginning of your sentence, inversion is switching the sentence order so that it is no longer subject then verb, and rhymed couplets is when ever two sentences have the same ending sound. Like… 'I like rice. It is nice.' That sorta thing." I explained.

"Oh! It looks like we have a new student! What is your name?" Ms. Clifton asked.

"Zexion."

"That's an unusual name." She said.

"Do you have a qualm with my name?" Zexion asked the teacher.

"Oh no sweetie, I had just never heard it before." She said.

Zexion glared at Ms. Clifton as she walked away. "I do not like that one… she seems incompetent."

I laughed. "Let's get to work."

After watching me type for five minutes, Zexion seemed to understand what one needed to do to work the computer.

Zexion was a quick learner.

When fifteen minutes was past, I looked over to Zexion's computer to see what he wrote.

'I do not have water.

I do not have ocean.

I do not like paper.

It was very sharp.

I am not Riku

But Riku cares always

For dear, sweet friend

Named Zexion.'

"Aww. I like this poem!" I said.

"What did you write?" Zexion asked.

"Ummm." I cleared my throat. "Some say I can't rhyme, but if you give me the time, I'll find some words, that fly like birds. Some say I can't write, but I'll put up a fight, and conquer Shakespeare of Twain, 'cause reading their literature sure is a pain!' I recited dramatically.

"HOW COME YOU NEVER READ ME YOUR POEMS! And who are you anyway?" Kairi yelped looking at Zexion.

"This is my friend Zexion. Zexion, this is my friend Kairi. I don't read you my poems because you would never comprehend the complexity of them." I said.

"I am assuming Shakespeare and Twain are famous writers?" Zexion asked.

"You don't know about Shakespeare?" Kairi asked.

"Apparently, I come from a place where there are no writers…" Zexion said sending me a glare.

I laughed. "I'm sorry Zexion… but you can't fight who you are!" I said.

"What does that have to do with the conversation we are having? I am not in any combat with myself… " Zexion asked.

"Oh! You got schooled by the new kid who talks smartly!" Kairi pointed and laughed.

I shook my head and smiled. I usually have no fun in this class. But I think I can tolerate it if Zexion is around.

When the bell rang, we saved our poems on the computer and moved to our next class.

It was on the way to study hall that I noticed something was wrong with Zexion. I gently took his arm and pulled him into the bathroom.

"You need to tell me what's bothering you." I said.

Zexion looked away from me.

I moved closer and put a hand to his forehead. "You don't have a fever… are you hungry… thirsty?" I asked.

Zexion remained silent.

"Why won't you tell me what is bothering you?" I asked.

"I'm fine." Zexion said firmly.

"Well then let's go. I said and put a hand on his back."

Zexion hissed at me and hid in a stall.

"Zexion… does your back hurt? Please come out of the stall and let me see." I said.

"There is nothing you can do about it!" Zexion snapped.

"Zexion… I-I… I'm worried about you! If you're in pain I'm sure there is something I can do to help. Please come out of the stall and let me see." I said again.

Zexion opened the stall and walked out slowly.

"Is it just your back?" I asked.

Zexion just shook his head.

"Then what's the matter?" I asked.

No comment.

I sighed and waited a second before lifting Zexion's shirt upwards.

So that was the problem. His skin is so delicate that his clothes are giving him nasty brush burns.

And they were everywhere under his clothes.

"Zexion…" I trailed off.

"I can bear it. Bearing pain is part of my lifestyle." He said.

"No… this needs to be taken care of. You look like someone placed you on a grill and tried to cook you."

"What about our class?" he asked.

"It's only study hall. Wait here for a second okay?" I asked and he nodded.

I ran down the hall to the classroom and walked up to my teacher.

"Riku, you're late, please sit down." The teacher said.

"I've been asked to show the transfer student around and since we both have this study hall… I was wondering if I could use this time to give him a tour." I said.

The teacher thought. "Fine… but if I hear that you were goofing around the halls you will have a detention."

I nodded. "Thank you sir!" I said before running back to the bathroom.

Zexion was standing like a statue so as not to agitate his skin.

"Follow me." I said.

Zexion followed me slowly… I could tell the pain unbearable for him. He's strong… but even the strong need a break.

We walked through the gym and into the locker room. It was just our luck that it was empty this period.

"Take off your clothes." I said.

Zexion remained still.

I sighed and moved towards him. I undid his belt and fly, pulled off his boxers and shorts.

There were abrasions everywhere… it was upsetting.

I took of his shoes. They were even on his feet!

I lifted his shirt… but he wouldn't lift his arms up.

"Zexion… I need to get this shirt off. " I said.

"My gills…" he said quietly.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"Th-the skin is sticking to the shirt!" He said seeming to be in a bit of a panic.

I frowned… I know he must be in serious pain. I knew what it was like to try and take a dry gauze off of a wound…

If you succeeded… you also succeeded in pulling all of the healed skin right off again.

And the pain was excruciating.

I walked over to the sink and soaked a paper towel. I ran back over to Zexion and squeezed the water out onto Zexion's neck.

I repeated this until the neck section of the shirt was soaking wet.

I lifted the shirt again and Zexion lifted his arms.

"This still might hurt…" I said.

Zexion nodded.

I pulled the shirt up and when I pulled it from his neck he let out a bloodcurdling scream.

He collapsed to the floor and writhed.

I kneeled and took his face gently in my hands. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." I said as he cried.

But it didn't sound like the cries of a human… They were guttural moans made by an animal in pain.

I lifted his head a little to see the damage.

I let out a small sob when I saw what I had done.

His gills were red and inflamed. It looked much more violent compared to the light pick and raw appearance it should have had. The protective skin ripped to shreds.

"Zexion… I-I d-d-didn't think this w-would happen. I'm s-so sorry!" I cried.

Zexion's moans quieted and he looked into my teary eyes.

He put his face in the crook of my neck. "This is how I say… you are not to blame."

I stood Zexion up and walked him to a shower stall.

'Turn the handle." I said and stood by the stall door.

When the water turned on, Zexion released a sigh of relief and hummed with appreciation.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and smiled. He had thirty minutes.

"What is this? It is magnificent! It is a gift from heaven! Do you have one?" Zexion said happily over the shower noise.

"It's called a shower… it's what humans use to wash themselves. There are baths too." I explained.

"Baths?" he asked.

"A bath tub is a small water-filled basin that humans sit and soak in. A bath is the act of soaking and washing inside of the tub." I said.

"Ah." Was Zexion's reply.

"Are you going back to the ocean after school?" I asked.

"No… I'm not allowed back until I learn to live as humans live." He said.

"I should probably tell my parents that you're living with us then…" I said.

I looked to the clock… it was time for Zexion to get out.

"Zexion… we have to get to the next class." I said.

Zexion turned off the water and opened the stall.

He looked completely refreshed. There wasn't a mark on him.

I walked over and looked at his neck.

Everything was back to normal.

Zexion wrapped his arms around me. "Thank you." He said.

I placed my forehead against his. "Will you be able to get through the rest of the day?" I asked.

He nodded before moving to put his clothes back on.

I watched him tie his hair back up and put on his glasses.

"Let's go." I said and held my hand out to him.

He took my hand. "Certainly."

We moved on to class.

A/N: Review PLEASE!