Sorry this took so long, I actually expected to be done with it a lot sooner, but a random idea for a MarVex story wriggled it's way into my head, and I had to write it down. When i finally finished it, I was mad at myself and started yelling randomly, "OMG brain, you made me forget about my AkuDemy story!!! GRAWR!!" xDD So, enjoy the chapter, with all it's tooth-rotting fluffiness =P
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Axel murmured, nearly ripping off the cabinet door from it's hinges. He growled in frustration when it ended up being empty, as all the others. He slammed the door shut, stopping to check behind the shower curtain, before he stalked angrily out of the bathroom.
Sighing, he stopped in the middle of the white hallway next to the bathroom.
"Now…where to check next? Ughh, it's no use! That mullet-head must be getting someone to cover for him…" Axel thought aloud.
He'd been searching for nearly ten minutes now, thinking of all the places the Melodious Nocturne could be hiding, but every place he'd checked the blonde was no where to be found. Of course, he wasn't going to run all over the wretched castle, so, naturally, he'd used a Corridor of Darkness to get somewhere. But, geez, it seemed that he'd check nearly every place in the castle! First, he'd headed straight for the sitarist's room, and, not finding him there, searched in places like the dining room, the library, the various bathrooms, and most of the other members rooms.
Xemnas hadn't seemed to happy to be intruded on…and neither did Saix… Xigbar threatened to use the red-head as target-practice, immediately vacating the Flurry from his room. Xaldin had nearly pierced a lance through his shoulder, Vexen wanted to use him for deadly experiments, Lexaeus just slammed the door in his face, Zexion threw a book at his head, Luxord insinuated his hair looked like a fire-hydrant, Marluxia tried to feed him to his man-eating flowers, and Larxene lodged a couple of her kunai in his leg.
So, after much thought - and much panic over the fact he only had two minutes left -, the red-head opened a portal and stepped into the swirling darkness, where he only a few moments later stepped out in the one place he had yet to check: The castle's basement…
'Insert creepy music here,' Axel thought, slightly shivering at the coldness of the dark room. It was nearly pitch black, and somewhere in the room he could hear the faint dripping of water. 'Geez, this place is freakin' weird! I don't know why I'm wasting my time down here, surely Demyx would never have the guts to come here.'
The red-head jumped at the sound of his digital watch beeping, signaling that the ten-minutes he once had were up, and he had to go back to the Grey Room to meet Demyx. He groaned in frustration, thinking, all the while, where the Nocturne could've hidden that he wouldn't find him…
He swiftly made his way back through another dark portal, suddenly very eager to ask just where the water weaver had been hiding. Though, he wasn't as eager when he appeared in the room, only to be greeted with the biggest, cockiest, most irritating 'Haha-I-beat-you-AGAIN-I-so-totally-PWN-you!' smirk from the Nocturne, who was relaxing against the same lounge chair in the far corner. The only thing more irritating than that smirk, was the way the blonde tried to pull off a 'I've-been-here-for-EVER-where've-you-been?' look.
"Hiya, Axel!" Demyx piped up, in his usual, peppy tone.
"Alright, spill." Axel said rather loudly, crossing his arms angrily. "Just where the heck were you hiding, huh?" The red-head crossed the room, and looked down expectantly at the blonde, waiting for an answer.
"Aw, you know I can't tell you that! It's my best hiding spot, and I don't want you stealing it." The sitarist explained.
"Yeah, but Demyx," He said, bringing his voice down to a lower volume. "If you don't tell me that'd be cheating."
"What? Cheating? But…but I don't cheat, Axel!" The blonde spluttered, his voice rising an octave or two.
"Well, I know that…but the tickle-monster doesn't." He quirked an eyebrow at the water weaver, who silently gulped and sunk further down into the chair. "And do you know what the tickle-monster does to people that lie?" He leaned forward, and whispered very deliberately into Demyx's ear, "He tickles them until they can't even breath!"
Demyx gasped aloud, and inched away from the red-head. "Y-you wouldn't do that to me…would you Axel?" He whimpered slightly.
"See, that's the thing Dem: I wouldn't…but, truth is, I have no control over the tickle-monster, and he could show up at any moment."
Demyx shivered at the red-head's breath tickling his ear. "I st-still can't tell you…"
"Fine." Axel huffed, turning sharpley away from the sitarist. "Let's just finish this game."
Axel looked rather angry at this point. He so desperately wanted to know where the water weaver had been hiding, and it angered him even more that he was getting so worked up about such a small thing. 'Geez, what a pain…' Axel thought begrudgingly. The red-head, however, quickly dismissed his angry thoughts when he saw the water waver try and stifle a yawn.
"Okay, ready for the next…" The blonde's sentence was quickly interrupted by another yawn. "…round?"
Axel sighed, shaking his head. 'Course he'd be tired, what times is it now, ten? He's always been real weird about his bed-times, he always goes to bed so damn early. Heh, he really is a kid, isn't he?' The Flurry was almost compelled to just play one more round with the sitarist. 'Ah, I really shouldn't keep him up any longer…Even though…I'd actually…rather him stay awake a little longer…' The red-head was confused at his own thoughts, continuously questioning himself. He could never remember a time when he'd been so flustered, and so comfortable at the same time around another person. Was it merely because he was becoming good friends with Demyx? Or was it…maybe…No, no, no. Of course it wasn't that…he and Demyx were just…friends…weren't they?
"C'mon, Dem," Axel said, helping the boy off the couch and onto his feet. "Bed-time."
Demyx pouted, and glared defiantly at the red-head. "I'm not a little kid, you know…I can stay up late like everyone else!" The pyro placed a single gloved finger to the sitarist's lips, and a blush appeared on the surprised-looking boy's face.
"I said, bed-time." He said, sternly. "It's almost eleven, and if you go to bed late tonight, you'll be too tired to get up for breakfast tomorrow. Come on, I'll take you back to your room."
Demyx pouted, and for a moment, when he looked up at Axel with those sad puppy-dog eyes, the red-head was tempted to let him stay up a little longer. He looked away from the increasingly persuading look the blonde was giving him, and opened a dark portal to the sitarist's room. He reached, hesitantly for Demyx's hand, and, without a word, pulled him through the portal after him.
When they reached the room, Axel was so kind to turn his head while Demyx changed out of his usual black-coat, and into something more suitable to wear to bed. When Axel turned around, Demyx sat on his bed, in a simple white t-shirt, and light blue pajama bottoms.
"Alright," The red-head nodded. "I'll see you in the morning, Dem."
"No, wait!"
Axel looked back at the cerulean-eyed boy looking up at him, and then down at the hand enclosed around his wrist, absolutely refusing to release him. "Dem?" He questioned the blonde, who blushed and looked down.
"What's wrong?" He asked, moving to sit next to Demyx on the bed. "Are you afraid of the dark or something? 'Cause, I hate to break it to you, I don't make a very good nightlight." He grinned, when the blonde tried to keep himself from smiling.
"It's not that…I just…" Red flooded the Nocturne's cheeks once again, and he struggled to form words. "I just…I really don't want you to go, okay?"
This time, it was Axel's turn to blush, as he looked in shock at the sitarist.
"Will…you, um, sleep with me tonight? …Please?" Cerulean-blue eyes looked up into emerald-green ones, both standing out significantly in the dark room.
Axel was utterly speechless. His cheeks were a vibrant red, almost redder than his hair, and his heart was beating rapidly. A million thoughts ran through his mind at once, and he struggled to form a coherent sentence. 'OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, OH. MY. GOD!' Was his main train of thought, repeatedly running through his head.
Demyx sighed dejectedly when he received no answer. "Uh, right, sorry. T-that was stupid of me to ask."
"No!" Axel said, a little too quickly. "I mean, uhm, no, no, it's fine. I'll sleep here; besides, I don't feel like walking all the way back to my room." He feigned sleepiness, stretching and yawning loudly.
'You, sir, are a terrible liar.' Axel scolded himself. 'You can just use a portal, you jackass. And would it kill you to admit that you'd actually like to spend the night with him? I mean, seriously, he's basically telling you upfront, "I like you.", and you're blowing this off as some phobia of the dark.'
"Y-you'll really stay…?" He asked hesitantly. Demyx looked up again at the red-head, a small smile beginning to form on his lips.
"Yeah, I'll stay, Dem." Axel nodded, offering a small smile to the blonde.
Demyx pulled back the covers of his bed and climbed under the warm sheets. He rested back against his pillows, wriggling his feet under the covers. Axel, meanwhile, kicked off his black boots, and unzipped his coat. Guess he'd just have to sleep in his pants and t-shirt that he wore under the long, black coat.
The red-head made himself comfortable in the large bed, crawling underneath the bed sheets and plopping down lazily against one of the pillows.
All night, he didn't sleep a wink, merely staring down at the sleeping form of the Nocturne. He was surprised, to say in the least, when the blonde suddenly shifted in his sleep sometime during the night, and rested his head on Axel's chest. He didn't have the heart to move him, so he let the mullet-haired boy be, and lazily combed his fingers through his soft, blonde hair.
'Oh boy,' Axel thought, sometime in the middle of the night, upon hearing his stomach rumble hungrily. 'We better fucking have pancakes in the morning…'