Chapter 15 – He Doesn't Look a Thing Like Jesus

At least the rape got better after he shot me up with heroin. But that was the euphoria stage, now I'm 'on the nod' (1) and going through a moment of drowsiness. Gods I'm walking so slow I think a snail just passed me. There it is? Oh glorious Reventon. My car is just feet from me, and my stomach is turning. Shit! Here's the vomiting stage. I fell to the ground and let my stomach contents flow.

After Xemnas had finished with me he tied my hands together, put a bag over my head and had his lackeys dump me on a street near my car. By this time the euphoria the heroin had given me was gone, and I was left naked on the cold ground with my bound hands holding my clothes. I think it took about thirty minutes to free my hands and figure out how to put my clothes on and it's taken at least fifteen minutes to find my car. I wiped my mouth on my shirt as I stood up from the ground.

When I finally made it to my car I fumbled around my coat pockets to find my key which I then dropped. I ended up emptying my stomach again when I bent down to pick them up. Once I got into the car I noticed my breathing was incredibly slow. I need to get home. It took me six attempts to get the key in the ignition, and start the car.

I ignored all traffic laws as I sped towards my apartment. Maybe, I don't really recognize this area. Hmm…I'll take a right. Gods don't let me get addicted again. Four years sober and it may all be ruined in one night. But it's better me than Roxas. Finally finding my apartment, I parked the car, amazingly without hitting anything. Staggering the entire way, I made it to my door. Again, I had to fuck with the damn key.

When I finally figured the key and the keyhole out I stumbled through the door and accidently slammed it shut, grabbing the attention of the three figures on the couch. I waved stupidly at them. What a great influence I am for Roxy. "Ze…Zex-y…we gotta, talk…I…n-need a…um…we gotta." I slurred out and paused to get my thoughts straight. "Um…a…an appoint…I need an appointment…tomorrow…m…m-morning…'kay."

"What happened?" Demyx asked, probably shocked by my haggard appearance.

"Are you drunk?" Zexion asked concerned.

"T-tom…orrow, Zex." I said before tumbling down the hall into my bedroom and collapsing on my bed.

oOo

"You're sure they're just friends." I asked sitting in between Demyx and Zexion on the couch.

"Yes we're sure." Demyx reassured me for the hundredth time. They were right. I'm probably just overreacting. Axel devotes all of his time to me. He adores me. I hope his friend is okay. I was snapped out of my thoughts when the door was slammed shut revealing a very sick looking Axel.

He was incessantly scratching his arm, his walking was incredibly sluggish, and his breathing was dangerously slow. Both Demyx and Zexion tensed up on either side of me. "Ze…Zex-y…we gotta, talk…I…n-need a…um…we gotta." Axel stopped. His speech was so slurred and slow, I don't think he realizes how long he's taking to think over his words. "Um…a…an appoint…I need an appointment…tomorrow…m…m-morning…'kay."

"What happened?" Demyx asked in a shaken voice. Axel's face now had more than the one bruise the kitchen gave him, his eyes were drooping, and he looked like hell.

"Are you drunk?" Zexion asked.

"T-tom…orrow, Zex." Axel slurred, and began stumbling down the hall. With a limp! Like he just got drunk and had sex with his 'just friend'. Mind whirling I shot off the couch and stormed out of the apartment.

oOo

"I'll take care of Axel, you go after Roxas." Zexy said immediately rising to action. My sexy Zexy is always so level-headed. Damn that's hot. "Go!" He insisted, snapping me out of my fantasies.

"Right." I shot up from the couch and ran after my little pouty muffin. I ran through the hall down the stairs and found Roxas leaning on Axel's…holy crap! I have never seen Axel park his car like that. He was completely taking up two spaces. There was also a nice pile of puke next to it.

I walked up to Roxas and wrapped my arms around his trembling form. It seems he was crying again and my heart was breaking for him. "Roxy-poo, tell me what's going through that adorable little head of yours."

"You said they were just friends, Demyx." Roxas said as he buried his face in my chest.

"They are. I'm sure of it." I insisted. I knew it was true; all Axel ever talked about was Roxas.

"Then why did he get drunk and fuck him?" Roxas said angrily, before falling back into his depression and saying, "I can't even blame him because it's my fault."

"I don't believe Marly and Axel would sleep together. But I am curious as to why you think that, and why you think it's your fault?"

"He was limping, like he had rough fucking sex. And he did it because I'm not giving it to him." Roxas cried into my chest.

"Roxy," I tried to use my most comforting voice, "Axel would never cheat on you. I'm sure there's another reason for his appearance."

"He's not satisfied with me. He has to get it somewhere."

"Axel's not like that. He loves you Roxy. You're the only one he wants. He told me so. He said he'd wait forever for you."

"Well apparently forever is to long!" Roxas yelled. "Can I sleep at your apartment?" He said in a softer tone.

"I guess so, but Roxy, I really don't think Axel would cheat on you."

oOo

I hurried through the apartment as Demyx ran out the door. I hope Axel is okay, he looked pretty messed up. When I got to his bedroom I walked to the bed where I found Axel passed out. I could smell the vomit on him. This was not like Axel. He was completely sober. He didn't drink alcohol, take medicine, or even drink coffee. There's no way I could believe he'd relapsed. Yet all his symptoms pointed to heroin.

I lifted Axel's foot to get his boot off. It looked like it was tied by a child trying for the first time. The second mimicked it and his socks looked like he'd given up halfway through putting them on. My hand slipped a little while I was pulling the second sock off and I thought I saw blood on his ankle. I carefully pulled his pant leg up a bit to get a better look. Dropping his leg, I put my hand to my mouth in surprise. There was dried blood all around his ankle which appeared to have been tied at some point. After recovering from my shock, I checked the other ankle and found it to be identical.

What happened Axel? Next I began working on his coat. His wrists were in the same condition as his ankles. I dry heaved as I removed his shirt. He definitely had a few broken ribs, there was bruising everywhere, it was disturbing to say the least. I could easily tell someone had been gripping him tightly on his arms and near his hips, and there wer bloody scratches running down his back and chest. Oh my God Axel, what happened?

I tried to find a spot on his tortured body, that wasn't covered in bruises, to put my hands so I could drag him under the covers. His mouth was so dry. I walked to the kitchen to get him a few glasses of water but before I could go back to the bedroom the doorbell rang.

When I opened the door I gave a confused look to Demyx and Roxas. "We left our keys in here." Demyx said as he dragged Roxas pass me. I got a good look at Roxas and realized he had been crying again. Demyx apparently noticed my staring and continued. "Roxy, thinks Axel's cheating on him, so he's going to come home with us."

"I don't think he's cheating on you Roxas, it's something else." I handed my keys to Demyx. "I'm going to stay with Axel tonight. He can't be alone. I'll see you tomorrow Dem." I leaned in to give him a passionate kiss. After seeing axel, I needed this comfort from him.

"Keep him safe for me Zexy." Demyx said before leaving with Roxas, who was still holding back tears.

oOo

Demyx's apartment was above the music shop and as soon as we walked in he said, "You know Roxy, Zexion is always right. If he says Axel isn't cheating then he isn't. And he was really worried about Axel. He rushed us out because he didn't want me to see. Roxy, there's no way Axel would cheat."

"Demyx, he's your friend, of course you both are going to try to convince me he's not cheating. Even if he only had sex because he was drunk, it's still cheating. I just want to go to bed." I told Demyx and he walked over to a closet to get a blanket and pillow.

"You can sleep on the couch Roxy. Good night." Demyx said before walking away. It was eating me away inside. I threw myself on the couch. I had believed Axel when he said he'd wait for me. But too many nights of denying him and he ended up in another man's bed. I got up from the couch and made my way to the bathroom, which was behind the first door I attempted. It didn't take long for me to find the medicine cabinet and get it open. However as soon as I opened it, it was slammed closed by Demyx's angry palm. "No." was all he said before he dragged me to his bedroom. "You're sleeping in here with me."

Thank God for Demyx. I curled myself into the bed and he climbed in next to me. If it weren't for him I definitely would've found some sort of drug and taken it. Axel had been the only thing keeping me form drugs and now he was with someone else.

(1) 'on the nod' – an alternately wakeful and drowsy state

AN: If you want to see the difference between a depressed Marly and the normal Marly you can read "One Fine Melody" (Zemyx), if you haven't already. He and Saix are in that story briefly.

I actually did about two hours of research on the short term effects of heroin, so if I got it wrong it wasn't from lack of trying. And if you'd like to criticize me on the description of it I'd appreciate it if you did it in a nice, helpful way, rather than a scolding, mean way. Thank you. (I've never done drugs before so you'll have to excuse me).

I hope this chapter is okay, like i said i'm working my way through writer's block. I'm still writing chapter 17. I track my progress on my profile page, if you want to see where i am in writing any of my stories.

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