This chapter only took about two hours to write. So what took me so long? That's right, I was waiting for that second review.
I honestly could care less about the alerts. I would rather you review and not favorite/alert than favorite/alert and not review. I'm not asking for a lot of reviews, I just want to have my numbers of alerts match my numbers of reviews-per-chapter, and right now it's nowhere close.
Anyway, thanks to the lovely people who reviewed, who favorited, and who alerted. I do love you. I just couldn't end it here, so there's one more chapter. Ah, the closest to finishing a project I've ever come. Read, enjoy, review.
Carry this Picture for Luck
Chapter the sixth
Sora couldn't sit still. He wandered around, camera in hand, and when he couldn't find any photos to take, he returned to his seat, only to get antsy and leave again.
Sora liked people. He loved them; he was a people person to the core. But he couldn't stand the jostling crowd of Demyx's fans. He couldn't stand the loudness, the exuberance, the whole... -ness of it.His life was falling apart in front of him. Kairi... Kairi was gone. Because of Riku. What stung most was that... she was probably right.
And Sora's only saying probably. It's not like he had thought of Riku in any other way than friends, really. But when he'd found out that Riku and Roxas had been... an item without him even knowing it, that Riku had broken Roxas' heart, he felt betrayed like he never had before. Roxas was the most important person in the world to him, and Riku had done that? Riku, his best friend? A guy he trusted with his life? For him. Riku was in love with him. Sora hated himself for liking that Riku felt for him. And so, doing the only thing he could think of, Sora had kicked Riku out of the apartment.
Now that he had the time to himself to think and wallow, he thought of how right Kairi was. On his list of important people, Riku ranked a close second to Roxas, not including his parents. Kairi was after him on the list; he knew that if Riku hadn't liked Kairi, he would have dumped her a long time ago. And Riku...
Sora sighed and pushed out the door, hoping fresh air would do him some good. Riku was his favorite model, still. There was something about Riku that made his pictures just shine. Maybe it was just a model like quality, but his pictures were always the best. Sora could see the pictures in his mind now, Riku's arrogant features, Riku's smile, Riku always there when Sora needed to take pictures, so Sora would rarely need other models. Riku's quietness whenever Sora got a new girlfriend. Riku waiting up while he was out developing photos so that they could spend some time together, watching television and talking about their days.
And Sora loved him. Not in love, mind. He just loved him, like a friend. More like a brother. But in a different way than how he felt for Roxas.
"Sora?"
Sora whipped around. Riku stood there with his hand in his jacket pockets and his eyes rimmed with red, like he'd been crying recently.
"Sora, I'm really sorry, for everything." Riku jumped straight into apology mode, taking a step closer for every step Sora took away. "I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to hurt Roxas. He's in love and happy and not with me, so doesn't that count?"
"He broke up with Hayner!" Sora yelled, backing into the wall, beside a poster for Melodious Nocturne's concert. "The night after you slept with him! Tell me he's happy now!"
Riku paused, if only for a moment. "I saw him this morning. Last night. Whatever you would call it. You should have seen him and Axel. Even when Roxas tried his best to not let Axel affect him, I could tell. I could always tell about Roxas. He's my best friend too. So don't tell me this is about Roxas. This is about you and me, Sora. And let me say right now, I didn't sleep with Roxas to hurt you. I would never hurt you."And then he kissed Sora, pushed him back against the wall with all he had. "I just want to know if you feel the same."
And Sora, poor Sora whose world had been turned upside down since the night he announced his engagement to the girl of his dreams, found that he wasn't ever really dreaming of a girl. "So Riku," Sora said, pulling Axel's extra ticket from his pocket. "Do you want to go inside?"
--
Zexion was psyched to find out that Sora and Roxas' premium passes allowed them backstage. "Sora," Axel said, draping an arm around the younger man's shoulder. "When you said you could get us an interview with Melodious Nocturne, I didn't know this is what you meant." Sora was invited to take photos during the photo shoot immediately after the show, and for an hour the other four lingered in the corner of the room the shoot was in.
Zexion was so excited he almost wet himself, though he tried not to show it, and Riku was floating on Cloud Nine as well, his eyes wistfully trailing after Sora, who was getting pointers from the photographer Demyx had hired to take pictures for a road show scrapbook.
"So…" Axel drew out. "You and Demyx Shirabe, eh?"
Rxas shrugged. Ever since his revelation on stage, he was feeling even more nervous about Axel. "Yeah, I guess."
"Zex is excited."
"I can tell," Roxas replied looking anywhere but Axel.
"I mean, his roommate's boyfriend is best friends with his idol."
Roxas looked. "Boyfriend?"
Axel looked directly at Roxas, his nervousness shining in his eyes. "Well, that's me asking. I mean, you did sing that song looking at me. And you're not with Hayner, are you? And I know it's because of me."
Roxas gazed steadily into his eyes. It seemed like forever until he said, "Okay."
There was a pause until suddenly a voice rang out, "Roxy dear! I thought I smelt you!" Then he was there, Melodious Nocturne. Demyx Shirabe, in person, bounding over in delight as the photo shoot broke up, Demyx's band heading off to their dressing rooms.
"Hey Dem," Roxas greeted as the rock star threw his arms around his neck. "I'm still serious about killing you, you know."
"Aw, but I hope you introduce me to your friends first," Demyx said, eying Zexion with a wink. The gray-haired man colored slightly in the cheeks. Riku rolled his eyes and Axel glared.
Roxas shrugged Demyx off and grudgingly extended a hand to indicate Axel. "This is Axel."
"Ah!" said Demyx, grinning widely and nudging Roxas' side. "What happened to Hayner? You sly dog, you."
Roxas completely ignored him, going on to introduce Zexion, "Axel's roommate Zexion, big fan of yours, and you know Riku."
"Heey, Reeks," Demyx grinned. Riku flipped him off. "Aw, come on. Peace? Please?"
"It's just too much fun hating you," Riku replied with a smirk.
Demyx shrugged and looked Zexion up and down. "I hope you're the one interviewing me. I wouldn't mind some one on one time with you."
"Actually, I'm going to be the one," Axel jumped in, stepping out slightly in front of Zexion. He was just as protective of his roommate as Riku was of his.
"Oh really then? Okay, well, let's just step into my room, okay? Don't want these guys hearing all my secrets." Demyx grinned.
"I know all your secrets," Roxas protested.
"Yeah, but what about Reeks? We won't be long, promise. I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend." Roxas sputtered a little, red in the cheeks. Demyx and Axel closed the door behind them.
--
"I'm jealous, just so you know."
Demyx raised an eyebrow, making himself comfortable in a chair with Axel sitting across from him. "Aren't you the one dating him?" Demyx asked teasingly.
Axel clucked his tongue. "I knew Roxas before you did. All our lives. Best friends forever. But he leaves, moves away, doesn't write a single letter. When I see him again, he acts like he doesn't know who I am. But you…" Axel made a wide gesture with his hand, pen dangling from his fingers. "He writes to you."
"We're different kind of friends," Demyx shrugged. "You got the boy though."
"Yes," said Axel thoughtfully. "I did."
"I was going to break up Rox and Hayner," Demyx admitted. "I was carrying something of a torch for him myself. I always imagined him my first and only love, and all this time I've been operating that way. But when I saw him today, nothing clicked. And when I saw you… There are really no words to describe how really perfect you are for him. I'm glad you're not Hayner. I'd have kicked your ass."
"Hayner's a jerk," Axel said. "I couldn't get Roxas to break up with him for the longest time, and I was beginning to think it was futile. But then Hayner dumped him last night, probably because he snuck over to my place in the middle of the night."
"Getting the hanky panky on early, eh?" Demyx grinned. "Anyway, enough of the small talk. I was going to do the whole, burly, 'Roxas is my best friend, don't you dare hurt him' speech, but I don't think you need it."
"Thanks," Axel said.
--
Music of the Night
Interviewee: Demyx Shirabe, aka Melodious Nocturne
Interviewer: Axel Kaze
Photography: Sora Hikari
Demyx Shirabe's solo project began just after his senior year. As his friends went off to college, he moved out to Los Angeles to begin a music career as Melodious Nocturne. After two indie albums, Mystery Boy and Photography, he was picked up by the record label 13, and since then has enjoyed wild popularity. His latest album, Genuinely yours, DEM, is at the top of the charts. I was able to sit down with him after Sunday night's concert at Hollow Bastion Concert Hall.
Axel: How does it feel to be so insanely popular? Your concert was all sold out, the line went around the block.
Demyx: It feels great!
A: During the first few minutes of the concert, you surprised everyone. What were you thinking when you pulled Roxas Hikari up on stage?
D: (laughs) I was thinking, "Roxas is my best friend and deserves recognition for his awesomeness."
A: Was he the only reason you came to Hollow Bastion?
D: The other reason was Sora.
A: I see. So you share a very strong connection with them.
D: Well, yeah. I've been friends with them since the seventh grade. We've been through thick and thin together, and so of course I kept in touch when they came here.
A: A lot of fans of yours could be off killing Roxas right now.
D: What, because he's friends with someone famous? They better not, or I'll never come back here again.
A: So, what are your plans for the future?
D: I'm not the kind of person who really plans, you know. I like fudging things up, screwing around the order once in a while. Maybe I'll disappear for a few months, take a vacation. That'll be nice. And then I'll be back with an all new me to show. Who really knows?
A: What do the names of your albums mean?
D: Nosy, are we? Well, if you know the Hikari brothers, you know where my inspiration comes from. MysteryBoy refers to someone we all knew in high school, Photography refers to Sora's hobby of course, Moving Twilight is actually named after our high school, and Genuinely Yours is how I like to sign my letters. DEM, of course, refers to my name.
A: Are the albums thematic?
D: Not the first two. I just put whatever songs I had on them. But when I got signed, Moving Twilight was almost all about high school, and the songs of Genuinely Yours, DEM are all things me and my little inspirations discuss.
A: Any ideas for future albums?
D: Not as of the moment. I'm having fun in the now. I'm here, I'm singing, I'm having the time of my life. What comes will come, and surprise is part of the fun. +
chapter end
