Ch.4: You've got a friend in me

Sage: 'ello again to you all! n.n As you know, I tend to answer questions in my author's notes, so here I go!

Vexen and Demyx tripped over...a conveniently placed banana peel which nobody noticed/bothered to pick up. srsly.

Our chapters are genderless; therefor, they are ITS! o.O

And if you notice, I tend to title my chapters after songs :3 I forgot to put the disclaimers in the previous chapters, so here they are.

Disclaimer: We do not own "It's tough to have a crush" and "Disaster" by Okgo, "Not gonna get us" by Tatu, "Broken" by evanescence, and "You've got a friend in me" from toy story. Or Demyx/Zexion from KH2/CoM. Can't forget that.

This chapter is extremely long! O.O And this author's note is making it even longer...

The next morning, Demyx woke up early and was sure to get out of bed quietly so that he wouldn't wake Zexion. He yawned and stretched, half-dazedly glancing at his Sitar. There wasn't much to do at this hour; most of the members were still asleep, and Xemnas hadn't given him any new orders. The blonde sat next to his instrument, taking it in his hands and strumming it randomly out of boredom. He played softly to avoid being a disturbance. Soon enough, the random notes became a gentle, mellow tune, and he began to sing just as softly.

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed

He glanced at the sleeping dog for a moment, then looked back at the strings.

Zexion stirred barely-noticably as his companion woke up the next morning. The dog remained as still as possible, trying to go back to sleep. It was safe to say that the Cloaked Schemer was most certainly not a morning person. He heard the hollow sound of someone picking up an instrument and deduced that the Melodious Nocturne must have decided to play a little. He strained his ears to hear the quiet tune that the blonde was playing.

Just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
You've got a friend in me

His voice began to become a little louder, but still soft enough for no one to hear on the other side of the door.

When the gray creature heard the song that was being played, he felt heat rush to his cheeks. Well, at least his fellow Organization member didn't seem to be so angry at him as he did before. At least, he hoped that was what the song meant.

Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too...

He now found himself smiling, chuckling at how true that verse was.

Maybe
But none of them will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you..

As the song reached these lyrics, the Illusionist couldn't keep his tail from wagging.

Damn dog instincts... He's going to know that I'm awake. He thought. Annoyed was an understatement. He was embarrassed as well. The quadruped tried to become as still as possible, hoping that the other male hadn't seen him. Well, he's so oblivious, maybe he won't realize that those words were what made my tail wag. Hopefully, at least.

And as the years go by
Boys, our friendship will never die
You're gonna see
It's our destiny
You've got a friend in me..

As the song ended, Zexion realized that he couldn't have been more stiff if he tried. If anyone saw him and didn't know better, they might have thought that he was stuffed.

Sea-green eyes trailed they gaze towards the bed, and noticed the dog wag his tail for a brief moment. Demyx smiled as he finished the song, setting the Sitar aside. He stood and walked over to the bed, plopping down in front of Zexion; laying on his stomach, arms crossed and chin resting on them. "Mornin', Zexy." He grinned.

He wasn't sure if Zexion was starting to take a liking towards him; he wasn't too sharp when it came to noticing those kind of things. But one thing was certain; he wasn't going to give up. He still had a chance to win his non-existent heart, and he was going to take that chance. Little did he know he was slowly winning it already...

The blonde chuckled and playfully poked his nose. The dog looked pretty stiff, but he wasn't fooling Demyx.

The dog's eyes opened and he looked at Demyx after his nose was poked. He stared at the other male for a moment, taking in his features as much as he could before his mouth opened wide and a squeaky yawn escaped him. Once the tired sound escaped him, he closed his eyes and crawled closer to the blonde, licking his cheek a few times before pressing his nose against him. Honestly, it was probably the cutest thing he'd ever done.

Dogs are friendly creatures, after all. The Cloaked Schemer thought. He would have smirked if it were possible for a dog to do such a thing. Zexion licked the other's face one more time before making another odd squeak and rolling on his side. The squeak was his equivalent to a sigh.

Demyx... It's so nice to see you smile again. He thought happily. It was great to see the blonde be his usual, optimistic self again. Just you wait... I'll get my body back and tell you the truth in my own voice. He turned his snout up and sniffed the boy.

That's right... Grass and sugar. It fits you well. You're sweet like sugar, and you're able to pop right up again no matter how many time you're stepped on, like grass.

The nocturne laughed from having his face licked. Even though he had gotten use to it by now, he didn't seem to grow tired of it. Seeing the dog roll on his side made him have to fight the urge to snuggle him to death; it was too adorable to bear. Demyx gave him a friendly wink and rubbed the dog's stomach. "Still sleepy?" he asked upon hearing the other let out a 'yawn'.

Zexion wriggled in delight when his owner rubbed his belly Alright, my canine instincts were responsible for at least a little of that, I promise.

The blonde sat up and walked towards the closet, getting his clothes and coat before heading towards the bathroom. "Sleep a little longer if you want; I'm gonna take a quick shower." With that said, he closed the door behind him.

As the water from the shower beat down on him, he ran his fingers through his hair with the shampoo. Demyx also had himself thinking for a bit; what happens now? How are they going to find a way to change him back? Also, what will happen when he does change back? Will Zexion just give him a 'thanks', part ways, and never talk to him again? Ugh...you're thinking too much. Stop worrying. he assured himself.

When the blonde mentioned taking a shower, the dog felt heat rush to his cheeks for the second time that morning. When he heard the water start in the bathroom he immediately jumped to his paws.

He's just a few feet away... And he's completely naked. The gray creature shook his head, trying to expel that particular thought from his mind. He jumped from the bed. As he did so, he saw his book lying on the ground out of the corner of his eye. It was then that he realized that he hadn't really looked through one section of it. Maybe there was something there that was more efficient than the floating pieces of paper there. He opened the book cover with his nose and began to flip through the pages with his right, front paw. Eventually, he came across a page that made him stop.

He looked at the page over and over again. It had its advantages, but it had disadvantages as well. However... Zexion did think that it would be useful. He wouldn't have to carry his book around with him everywhere he went to be able to communicate with Demyx, and if there was another meeting before he got his body back, he would be able to talk to the blonde without anyone else hearing. Yes... This would work well enough.

The gray dog stood and walked closer to the bathroom door, lying down in front of it to wait for the other male to come through it.

After rinsing the foam out of his hair, Demyx shut off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. The mirror was fogged up from the steam, causing the blonde to wipe some of the fog away with his hand. His hair that was normally spiked up was down and fell over his eyes, dripping slightly. The nocturne shook his head a little bit, reaching for a smaller towel and ruffling his hair with it. Once his hair was somewhat dry, he dried his face and let out a sigh. ah, that was refreshing. he happily thought.

Demyx rubbed the towel against his neck and shoulders, continuing to dry himself off. He was going to fix his hair, but noticed the gel wasn't in the bathroom. He frowned, furrowing his brow. where'd I put it?... The blonde looked through the cabinet below the sink and behind the mirror, but it was nowhere in sight. hmm... He unlocked the door, only taking about two steps before finding Zexion right outside. Blinking twice, he looked left and right before letting out a nervous chuckle. Although he was a dog, it was still Zexion; part of him felt awkward for being seen like this, but part of him didn't know if he should be okay with it because he was a dog.

Zexion looked up eagerly when the door opened. Upon doing so, he wished he hadn't. Demyx.. In a towel... and being almost directly beneath him didn't help the situation much. The dog felt heat rush to his face. He backed away from the boy slowly, extremely flustered.

Well... I think I'm going to try that particular ability out after he gets dressed. The Cloaked Schemer thought, embarrassed after what he just saw. The boy closed his eyes and covered them with his paws.

Why, Demyx, oh why did you decide not to bring clothes in with you?! A squeaky whine escaped the small creature as he continued to back away.

The blonde scratched the back of his head and sweatdropped. "Heh, sorry 'bout that...I have to look for somethi--oh, there it is!" He spotted what he was looking for by the nightstand, picking up the bottle of gel. Demyx couldn't help but feel his face flush when the dog covered his eyes. He didn't mean to let the other see him like this, but it couldn't be helped if he forgot to bring something into the bathroom beforehand. He bit his lip, walking back to the bathroom and closing the door again.

After a few more minutes, he had fixed his hair into the usual mullet-style, and slipped on his coat. The blonde stepped out again, dressed but still barefoot. Demyx eyed the dog curiously for a moment before squatting down, giving his book a side glance. "Do you have an idea to help get you back to normal?"

Zexion couldn't contain a sigh of relief as he heard the door close with a click. His paws dropped from his face and he walked to his book. The creature felt heat rush to his face for the third time that morning when he realized that if Demyx thought he was still a dog, he might have come out with nothing on at all. The Cloaked Schemer tried to focus on his book and get his mind off of that particular mental image.

When the door opened again, the gray dog looked up, this time more in worry than anything else, and was relieved to see that the blonde was now fully dressed. When the other boy asked about the book, Zexion shook his head.

No, not a way to get back to normal, however much I wish it were so, but rather a way to communicate easier. He pawed at the open page of his book and barked. The book glowed for a moment and the dog barked again. After he had, the glow disappeared.

"Can you hear me?" The creature tilted it's head to the side, Zexion's voice loud and clear in Demyx's mind.

He blinked twice, then stared at the dog, raising a brow. "..yeah?" He replied aloud. Did he just talk to him telepathically; or was he going crazy? The dog seemed to nod in acknowledgment, so he must've really said something. Wow...how'd he do that? The blonde began to ponder for a moment, curiosity paying another visit to his mind. I wonder if he can just hear what I'm thinking, or read my thoughts too... Demyx gave Zexion another stern stare, as if trying to say something back. Coooookieeee..

The nocturne held back a gigglesnort, being the little dork he was. However, he couldn't help but bear a goofy grin and laugh. Then he coughed and shook his head. "Ok, ok, seriously." He chuckled. "Heh, this is alot better than carrying that book everywhere." After that being said, Demyx inspected the dog closely for a brief moment. There it was again...now he was starting to believe it wasn't just his imagination. Zexion was blushing! He didn't think it'd be possible; the schemer rarely got flustered. How he got him flustered, he couldn't te--

Oh...that's right...The shower.

Demyx lay in front of the dog, cupping his chin in his palm. "Oh, Zexy.." he teased in a sing-song tone. "You wouldn't happen to be having certain thoughts about me, would you?"

Zexion watched Demyx for a moment and observed the boy as he tried to take in what was happening. Suddenly, the blonde's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Cookie? That was an odd word to test it out with, but... Yes, in case you haven't noticed, you can talk to me as well. It's more of a mental link between us, really. Kind of similar to the way that the keybearer can connect the worlds... Using... The keyholes..." He stared intently at the other as he lowered himself to the ground and asked a question. The faint blush that remained on the dog's cheeks deepened.

"W-What?! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Number IX." The Cloaked Schemer denied, turning away and trying to hide the pink tint on his cheeks that could just barely be seen through his fur.

"A-Anyway... A-As I was s-saying, there are s-some disadvantages to this. For one, i-it only works within a t-two meter radius. A-Also, the b-book has to stay open t-to that page. I-If you leave the w-window open and a breeze c-comes through and t-turns the p-page, the c-contact will break." The gray creature swallowed, trying desperately to regain his normal, stoic composure. "It t-takes a little more of my s-strength to keep this up t-too, so I'll b-be a bit w-weaker than usual." He weakly looked out of the corner of his eye at the older boy, who still had that same mock-innocent look on his face.

"I-It doesn't take much to talk back to me... Y-You just have to be aware that you're d-doing it. It's k-kind of l-like hypnosis. You have to t-trust the person you're l-linked to, or it w-won't work. That's what k-keeps me from reading your n-normal thoughts." Zexion swallowed again.

I can't let him see me like this, it'll completely destroy the whole superior-underling relationship! Well, what's left of it, at least. I believe most of it disappeared when I became his pet.

His grin turned into a smirk. "Suuuure...whatever you say, superior."

Zexion's constant, non-stop stuttering was priceless. It was funny how he could make him squirm by saying something so simple. Not only that, but he was witnessing a rare sight; the schemer being incapable of talking in coherent sentences and acting more nervous than a porcupine in a balloon factory. Priceless. Completely priceless.

...and cute.

This was fun. Perhaps he should mess with him a little more. Although he had heard and understood everything he just said, Demyx pretended to be oblivious to his instructions. The blonde crawled a little closer to the dog with his elbows, placing his index finger under Zexion's chin and making him turn to face him. "Mmm..I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked innocently.

Zexion flinched as he felt Demyx's finger under his chin.

"D-DEMYX!" He pulled back from the older male and whimpered. "S-Stop it!" He ordered shaking his head furiously. "I know you heard me!" The gray creature backed up a few steps and dropped to the floor, putting his paws on his snout. He had never been more embarrassed or flustered in his life. He closed his eyes and tried to pretend he wasn't there.

After a moment the dog allowed a squeaky sigh to escape and he shuddered a little.

"Please, don't do that again." He pleaded, allowing his eyes to open. To say that the Melodious Nocturne's mock-seduction made him uncomfortable was an understatement. It completely unnerved him.

Demyx chuckled in amusement. "M'kay." He replied jokingly. The blonde laughed and ruffled the other's hair. "I was just joshin' ya." And what fun it was! He sat up in an indian-style position and rested his hands on his ankles. "So..what now?"

Zexion timidly approached the blonde and sat in front of him. As he did so, his stomach growled. The Cloaked Schemer usually ate breakfast as soon as he woke up. Waiting for Demyx to shower and explaining their new ability had taken some time, not to mention that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before. The dog allowed his gaze to fall to the floor in embarrassment. It seemed that he was unable to make a single move without becoming flustered or ashamed, lately.

"I... I'm a little hungry." The gray creature said, honestly, not looking his owner in the eye.

"Aww...I guess you haven't had anything to eat since I found you.." Come to think of it, he hadn't eaten anything either. The blonde could sympathize...or better yet, empathize! Demyx stood, then sat on his bed for a moment to put on his boots. Then he squat in front of Zexion and picked him up, carefully placing the dog on his shoulder and pulling the hood over his head. To the kitchen!

----

The nocturne now stood in front of an opened refrigerator, eying it's contents. He was no cook; and to avoid burning down the kitchen and being pulverized by Xemnas, Demyx would have the aid of his canine companion, who was the one that was usually put on cooking duty. "What do you want to eat?"

Zexion stared at the contents of the fridge. Usually he just had fruit for breakfast, but there didn't seem to be anything left other than grapes. His eyes caught round white shells in the door of the fridge.

"Boiled eggs?" He asked Demyx, nudging his neck a little. The Cloaked Schemer was glad that he took another look at his book. It was a lot easier to communicate like this. Sure, there would be some problems if they were on opposite sides of a large room, but that was a very small complication. All he would have to do is get up and walk a little bit closer.

"They're really easy to make..." He insisted. "Probably the hardest thing is just dropping them in the boiling water without breaking them." The gray dog knew exactly why the water elemental was never put on cooking duty. He was there that first time, after all. He remembered it well...

"Um... What's that beeping noise? Is it done?"

"NUMBER IX! THAT'S THE SMOKE DETECTOR!"

The illusionist wagged his tail. That particular scene was much funnier in retrospect.

"Okay." As Demyx picked up two eggs and bent down to get a small pot, he pondered for a moment. Was it okay for dogs to eat eggs? They had alot of protein and stuff, so they shouldn't give him stomach troubles or anything, right? The nocturne shrugged it off and gently placed the eggs in the pot, filling it about halfway with water from the sink. One egg probably won't hurt.

As the pot was placed over the stove, Demyx glanced hesitantly at the knobs. Which number to set it to? How many minutes? What temperature? Sea-green eyes rested their gaze on the dog, searching for an answer. "Um..".

Zexion just barely kept himself from sighing.

"Are you really this hopeless?" He wagged his tail, trying to show that he meant it in a good-natured sense. "Medium high, then wait until it reaches boiling point. After it starts steaming, then you start taking account of the time. Three minutes for soft-boiled, five minutes or more for hard-boiled. I'm quite partial to hard-boiled, actually, if you must know." He nosed the blonde in a sort of "hint-hint-wink-wink" fashion.

"One more thing, if you're one for superstition, a watched pot never boils." To be honest, the gray dog was just curious to find one more thing about his companion. If he was the superstitious sort, then he would turn around.

Demyx chuckled nervously in response, nodding a little. He set the stove to medium high as told. He glanced at the clock so he'd know to wait five minutes. His eyebrow raised in curiosity to the superstitious rumor comment, keeping his gaze on the boiling pot. "I wouldn't trust that theory too much...knowing me, we'll probably lose all of castle oblivion if I turn around."

Zexion wagged his tail and leaned up to lick the Melodious Nocturne's neck, as he couldn't reach his face.

"You're doing really well." The illusionist encouraged, hoping to give the older male a little more self-esteem. "A lot better than your first time, at least. Then again, something that splatters a lot of grease like bacon probably wasn't so good for a first attempt. Boiling is a lot easier than frying." He could have chuckled. "Well, at least you're a water elemental, so if something catches fire you can put it out right away."

His sensitive canine hearing picked up footsteps.

"Someone's coming." He warned the blonde.

Demyx found himself blushing not only at the compliment, but the lick to his neck. That was one of his most sensitive areas; one wouldn't guess because no one's ever gotten close enough to find that out. He tried not to flinch from flusteredness and pay attention to his cooking, but gasped a little when alerted of someone coming. The blonde didn't move, simply continuing with making breakfast as if there wasn't anything strange going on (like a dog perched on his shoulder).

"...Demyx?...Are you...cooking?"

The nocturne turned his head a bit to see the person from the corner of his eye. It was another blonde; short with blue eyes and a young voice. Demyx sighed in relief. It was only Roxas.

"Heh, yeah...I couldn't wait for someone else to wake up and cook something, so I took it upon myself to try doing it on my own."

The other blonde withdrew a carton of milk from the fridge, pouring some of it into a bowl of cereal on the table. Roxas wasn't one to cook either. He preferred simpler things like toast or cereal anyway, nothing fancy. "Well, just be sure to be careful. We don't need another fire like last time. 'Sides, we have Axel to start those."

Demyx chuckled nervously. "Right..."

Unfortunately, Roxas took a seat and began to eat. Looks like he was going to have to be cautious now that there was someone nearby.

Zexion wagged his tail a bit. From all of the Organization members, Roxas was one of the least threatening when it came to Demyx's pet... Namely, him. The Cloaked Schemer listened intently as the youngest member of the Organization seemed to prepare a bowl of cereal for himself.

"Relax..." The dog tried to comfort his companion, nudging his neck just enough so that the Key of Destiny wouldn't notice the action. "If he notices how tense you are, he might become suspicious... Oh, the eggs are done. Turn off the stove, walk to the sink, pour out the water, fill it with cold water and let the eggs cool down for a moment. Be really careful. If you get burned..." I'll never forgive myself.

Zexion just barely kept himself from whining in fear that the blonde would get hurt.

"I'm serious. Be as careful as you possibly can."

Demyx let out a small sigh, calming down a bit. Zexion was right...then again, would Roxas be a brat and rat him out to Xemnas? The other blonde didn't cross him as the snitching type, so he hoped not. "Don't worry, I'll be careful.." His arm went around the steam emitting from the pot, turning the knob to 'off'. Since the pot was half-filled with water, it was rather heavy. None the less, he grabbed the handle firmly and quickly shifted it to the sink, tilting it so that the water could pour out.

He turned on the water and refilled it with cooler water, causing more steam to rise. While he waited for the eggs to cool down, the blonde got a fork, knife, and plate. He almost got two by accident, but was able to remember about not rising suspicion at the last second and only picked up one. Wanting to get back to his room, Demyx picked up each egg with the fork and knife and placed them on the plate, balancing them as he walked out of the kitchen. "Later, Rox." he chimed.

"Mmhmm." he mumbled in response, mouth full of cereal.

His optimism remained in tact once again! Yep, he was a morning person alright. To avoid dropping the eggs, Demyx decided to take the faster way...to the portal!

------

Once they were back in the room (which they seemed to spending alot of time in now) the blonde sat on his bed and set the plate down, pulling off his hood. Tapping the fork on the first egg, he cracked it's shell and began to peel the rest of it. After that, Demyx cut it into slices and threw away the shells. "Here you go." he smiled.

Zexion nearly sighed in relief when Demyx was able to pour the water out of the pot without burning himself.

"Good job." He encouraged. The dog tensed a bit as he noticed the blonde nearly pick up two plates, but relaxed when the Melodious Nocturne caught himself. As the water elemental picked up the eggs and balanced them on a plate, the gray creature became instantly nervous again. "Careful, don't drop them..." He cautioned, watching the older male's actions intently. Once they left the kitchen, giving their fellow Organization member a short "fare well," and used a portal to get to their room, the canine finally allowed a squeaky sigh of relief to escape him.

"Well done, Demyx." The Cloaked Schemer complimented, wagging his tail as he climbed down from Number IX's shoulder. "That went off without a hitch." When the furry gray creature landed on the bed, he took a slice of the egg, a rather difficult thing to do with paws, mind, and put the whole slice in his mouth. Chewing as a canine was... Something that Zexion could admit he wasn't used to. It would take a while to get used to it as well. Their mouths weren't even the same shape.

After finishing one slice of the egg, the dog wagged his tail and hastily grabbed another slice.

"These are really good." I usually have them with salt, but... "Great job on your second attempt at cooking, Demyx."

"Thanks...I guess." Demyx chuckled, peeling the shell off the other egg. He'd never really tried eggs like this, and was curious to taste. Instead of cutting it in slices like he did with the other, the blonde took a bite into it directly.

Big mistake.

"Owowow!!!" Steam merged from the area he bit, scolding his tongue. Putting the egg down, he pouted. "Ib waa too hah." Translated, he said 'it was too hot'. Muttering under his breath, Demyx lay on his side on the floor. He'd wait a little longer for it to cool down.

Zexion swallowed his second slice of egg and watched his companion as he peeled his own food. As he started to eat the egg as it was: completely whole. The dog whimpered.

"Demyx, stop!" He tried to warn the other, but it was too late. By the time he had fully formed that sentence, he other male had taken a big bite out of his own, scalding hot egg. "Oh, Demyx, you fool..." The Cloaked Schemer whined as the other complained that it was too hot. He allowed a squeaky sigh to escape him and licked the blonde's cheek.

"I should have warned you that it would still be hot, but I thought you had enough common sense to wait for it to cool down first." The gray creature scolded himself as well as his room mate at the same time. "Try to be more careful... You worry me." He blushed and pulled his tongue back in his mouth after realizing what he said.

Be more careful of what you say, Zexion! You're going to give it away before you mean to.

Upon hearing what Zexion had said, a light blush rose to his own cheeks. "...S-sorry.." The blonde turned over so that he was on his stomach, resting his chin on his arms again. He blew a few stands of hair out of his face before burying his face in his sleeve, many thoughts running through his mind again. Even though the two seemed to have settled their differences, Demyx couldn't help but still feel awkward. Being in the same room as your crush, having them know you like them, and you knowing they don't like you back...it was a strange, unwelcoming feeling; but at the same time he often forgot about that and they acted as if the confession/rejection never happened. Then again...

You can't force anyone to love you...no matter what. If you truly love them, you'd want them to be happy, right? Even if it means not sharing that happiness with that person...

Making someone happy never hurt so much.

Sage: xD I saw Ratatouille about a week before we wrote this, and we found it funny that Demyx and Zexion had a Ratatouille moment of their own xP

I'll spare chapter 5 the agony and simply ask you guys to review. So review! D: