By : Shawnathan

Chapter Six : Crosswalk

[A/N : Some new side stuff this time around... sort of. May lead to a new story, if I have the time and/or patience. Reviews and comments are still welcome. Grazie~ ]

[Disclaimer : I own nothing. All credit to Disney/Square Enix]

The vacation had been fun, and Zexion had learned what it meant to be someone's lover. It was intense, it was passionate, lustful... all these things he had never truly experienced before, this blonde boy, bouncing around excitedly to the music on the radio, had managed to show him. Demyx had forever changed his outlook on life; it was no longer about cold calculation, or the acquisition of knowledge. He had developed an appreciation for the subtle things, happiness brought on by the simplest touch or gesture. Demyx turned to him, winking an eye as if in response to his thoughts, making him chuckle. "I didn't know you could read minds too, Dem." He said, his eyes on the road as he made the turn for their exit.

"One of many talents I possess." Demyx whispered back playfully, poking Zexion's cheek with a well-manicured toe. He giggled as Zexion swerved a little, sitting up straight as they approached the apartment complex just outside of Twilight University's campus area. "I hope the band hasn't fallen apart in the few days we've been gone." He said apprehensively, knowing damn well that Axel would be up to something. Zexion grabbed a bag for him, helping to carry it inside, where it was immediately dropped, along with both of their jaws. The apartment was spotless, cleaned so well that it almost looked like a different place. Zexion checked the number on the door, thinking they couldn't be at the right door – but they were.

"Wow, they must have teamed up to get all this done." Zexion observed, kicking his shoes off and strolling about, eyes still open wide in surprise. He ran his finger along the kitchen counter, and found no dirt or dust, nothing at all. "What do you think got them in the cleaning mood?" Demyx shrugged in response carrying his things back to his room, and beginning to unpack them. Zexion had followed Demyx in, sneaking up behind him to give him a surprise hug. Demyx felt the red hit his cheeks, but shoved at his boyfriend playfully before pulling him back in by the shirt collar, stopping just short of his face.

"I didn't know you still wanted to play, Zexy, or I would have just unpacked later..." Demyx whispered, giggling at the look Zexion gave him. It seemed no matter how accustomed the slate-haired boy became to intimacy, he never got over the awkward embarrassment. Demyx didn't mind that about his timid little lover though, quite the opposite; he thought it was cute.

Zexion's face was flushed, his right hand making its way up to rest on Demyx's cheek. Demyx made the purring sound that he so adored, their lips lightly touching, tongues eventually finding the rhythm they so enjoyed. He felt his knees buckle underneath him, Demyx guiding him to the bed as their bodies began to grind together. He found a brief moment to speak when Demyx moved down to his neck, trying very hard not to moan between words, because he had just seen something he wished he hadn't; a flash of fiery red spikes in Demyx's doorway. "Dem... I..." He swallowed, concentrating his energy on getting the words out. "Demyx, I believe Axel is in the doorway." He managed to get out, his breathing ragged as Demyx looked toward the door, and then rolled off of him with a defeated sigh. He rushed to cover up the growing bulge in his pants, which was a little more difficult due to the fact that he had chosen to wear skinny jeans today. Brilliant choice Zexion.

Demyx had turned to the redhead in the doorway, who now had a huge smirk plastered on his face. "Axel, do you get off on watching other people or something?" He asked, breathing gradually returning to a normal pace. Axel just stared back with the same shit-eating grin, reaching for the cigarette tucked behind his left ear, and his beloved zippo. "If I said yes, how big of a problem would that be?" He put the cigarette in his mouth, and flicked his lighter open with a motion so fluid he must have done it a thousand times. Before he could light it, a box of Lucky Charms hit him in the side of the head, accompanied by Roxas yelling "Not in the house, Ax!" from the kitchen. Axel whined, but put the cigarette back behind his ear before turning his attention back to them. "I just thought I'd let you know Roxas and I are hanging with some old friends of his, Xion and some other girl, tonight. I figured you wouldn't want to be humping like bunnies with company in the next room." His grin slid up at the corners as he gave them a casual wave, picking up the dented box of cereal and sauntering down the hall toward the kitchen. Demyx was silent for a moment, then sighed, his head drooping in exasperation.

"Why don't we just go to my dorm for while? I think Sora has a class right now, though I can't swear to that." Zexion suggested, hoping it would be a decent alternative. Demyx thought it over for all of two seconds before nodding excitedly and gathering up some things into a bag. The concept of a 'man-purse' had never really bothered Demyx, it seemed, as he carried that bag everywhere, disregarding any shit people gave him about it. Zexion grabbed Demyx's blue hoodie, a favorite of his that was baggy on him, and threw it on, taking Demyx's hand and heading out toward the door. They paused in the hall to politely introduce themselves to Roxas' friends, who were nice enough, and rather cute.

Zexion smiled as they walked out the door, leaning into Demyx for most of the walk back to his dorm. Demyx gave his hand a genial squeeze, kissing his cheek, which got the attention of a nearby group of girls. They squealed as if it were something special; Zexion never got that, and had always chosen to ignore them, as he considered such people a nuisance. Demyx had told him to lighten up, and just consider them their 'fangirls', whatever that meant. He wasn't acquainted with the term. They ascended the steps without speaking a word, simply content to be around one another. Zexion didn't check the door, because Sora never locked it; it was a habit he had tried to scold Sora about, but it never did any good. He walked in, and was forced to turn his back to the scene he had witnessed. "Um, do you need a minute, Sora?" Zexion asked, holding Demyx at bay so as not to reveal what was going on. Unless he was mistaken, he had just found Sora wrapped in the arms of a strikingly handsome boy with shoulder length silver hair. After a lengthy pause, Sora's voice called out to them in a weak, scared tone. "I-It's okay..." Zexion took the cue, opening the door, Demyx's head craning around to see what was up.

Zexion led Demyx over to his bed, sitting together across from Sora and the silver-haired boy who held him in a very protective way. Before things could become any more awkward, he took the initiative and spoke up. "I... I didn't know you were gay, Sora. How come you didn't say anything after... w-when you saw us?" Sora shook his head, clinging tightly to the silver-haired boy's sleeve.

"Because I wasn't... I still don't really know if I'm... w-well, you know..." Sora said, still scared. Zexion sat quietly until Sora had gathered the courage to speak again, and gestured for him to continue. "I wasn't when I saw you two together... that was really shocking to me, you know? I had never even seen two boys hold hands!" Demyx laughed, causing the silver-haired boy to shoot him an evil look, but it wasn't a mean laugh; it was sympathetic, as was the expression Demyx was displaying. Sora gave the boy's arm another squeeze before continuing. "I'm still really unsure, and really really nervous about everything, but... Riku makes me happy."

Demyx giggled, his smile wider than ever. "So you finally introduce us? Nice to meet you, Riku!" The silverette shot him a questioning look, but nodded back politely when Sora elbowed him in the ribs. "My name's Demyx, and this one is Sora's roomie, my boyfriend, Zexion." Zexion saw understanding dawn on Riku's face when their eyes met. Abandoning the defensive attitude, Riku gave them a very courteous "it's good to make your acquaintance" before adding "Thank you for being so kind to Sora, his happiness means a lot to me."

Zexion nodded back, cheeks reddening a little when he felt Demyx's arms sliding around his waist. "How could I not be? Sora's been nothing but nice to me since we met, and..." Gulping audibly, Zexion continued. "He walked in on us one day, a bit like this situation to be honest, but... rather than freak out, he said that he didn't care about things like that, as long as we were happy."

"That sounds like Sora." Riku mused, fingertips playing at Sora's chin, his expression almost hungry. Sora blushed deeply, but didn't struggle or move away. Demyx, seeing this, squeezed Zexion's sides gently, nuzzling into his neck before lowering his voice to below a whisper.

"Maybe we should leave them alone Zexy." Demyx cooed, spider-like fingers curling over Zexion's hand. Zexion seemed to agree, whipping his hair out of his face as he stood. Demyx followed, and they gave the two a polite wave.

Zexion stopped at the door, hand still tightly intertwined with Demyx's. "Well, we're going to go get a cup of coffee, feel free to meet us at the cafe two blocks down if you're so inclined. If not, then we'll see you when we see you." That was directed mostly at Sora, but he turned to the silverette, and added "take care". Riku smirked, grasping the dual meaning behind those words, Sora simply cocking his head to the side with curious eyes. Zexion smiled, leaning into Demyx again, pulling the door shut behind them. They didn't talk much when they walked. Zexion knew Demyx to be a chatterbox, but Demyx seemed to save his words for comfortable settings. Zexion didn't mind this, because the silence wasn't awkward; he could listen to Demyx's heart by cuddling up close to him, and enjoy the scent that enveloped him, wafting off of the hoodie. It was a very peaceful way to get places. After a short time, they found themselves at the crosswalk that lead to the cafe. Demyx had danced ahead of him a few paces, and wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings, a bad habit of his. Zexion was smiling in admiration, until he saw a light approaching, and heard a horn blowing. He dove forward without a second thought, shoving Demyx out of the way hard, excruciating pain shooting through his midsection as he began to lose consciousness. The last thing he saw was Demyx rushing toward him, hands outstretched, face contorted with sadness... then he blacked out.

[Two days later]

Zexion awoke in a dazed state, woozy from what he assumed to be powerful painkillers. At least he wasn't in pain at the moment, that was good enough for now. The ceiling above him was unfamiliar, too clean and off-white to be his own or anyone's that he knew. His head lolled to the side, observing the IV drip in his arm, and the array of blonde spikes resting at his hip. A nurse was attending to a patient across from him, so he took the opportunity to flag her down. "E-Excuse me, ma'am... I... how long have I been here?" The nurse came over, urging him to sit back and relax, before even acknowledging his questions. "How long have I been out?" Zexion repeated, losing patience. The nurse finally caved, letting out a deep sigh before answering. "About two days, kid. Three fractured ribs, sprained wrist, some nasty cuts and bruising... you're lucky your injuries aren't more severe, what were you thinking?" Zexion looked away, managing to blush even in the state he was in. He gulped in some air, running a hand through Demyx's hair. "I was thinking that I had to protect something very precious to me." The nurse eyed him suspiciously, taking a moment to put it together. "Something or someone?" She asked, looking over the paperwork at the end of his bed. "He's been here the whole time. He caused a scene when we told him to leave, that visiting hours were over. Security had to be called to escort him out, but he came right back as soon as he was allowed. Couldn't have gotten more than ten hours sleep over the last two days." Zexion felt his eyes lazily attempting to analyze Demyx's appearance; he was wearing the same tight v-neck and jeans, still had the bag with him, probably hadn't even showered judging by the state of him. Demyx stirred, sitting up with a loud yawn and stretching his arms high above his head. The nurse nodded to Zexion, and took the cue to leave them alone, sliding out the door silently. Demyx checked his phone and texted several times before he realized that Zexion was awake, eyes shooting open in surprise. Zexion could still see the tiredness in Demyx's eyes, but was still happy that he was there with him. "Hey Dem." He managed, voice a little weak and drowsy. Demyx immediately gave him a tight hug, his brain flashing back to the day they had first met. When Demyx pulled back, there were tears in his eyes, no trace of his trademark smile.

"Oh Zexy, I'm so sorry. I'm s-so, so sorry about this, this is all m-my fault..." Demyx sputtered out between sobs, teal eyes shrouded by a constant stream of tears. "I wasn't l-looking where I was going and you.. a-and y..." He lost all control, crying into Zexion's stomach.

Zexion stroked Demyx's hair, reaching an unsteady hand down to cradle his cheek. "It's alright, Dem. I'm alright, don't worry." He said softly, trying to sound as soothing as possible. Demyx shook his head back and forth, wiping his eyes and sitting up, looking away. "We shouldn't be together anymore, Zexy. Look what happened to you because of me... because I'm such an airhead, you got hurt. You could have been killed." Zexion immediately began to protest, his brain refusing to follow this line of thinking. "It wasn't your fault, some asshole blew through a crosswalk while we had the signal to walk, I remember that much. Even if we hadn't, it wasn't your fault." Demyx was shaking his head, refusing to turn around. "Dem, look at me."

Demyx shook his head frantically, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. "I can't Zexy, or I won't be able to go through with this." He was trying to harden his resolve and walk out, hand resting on the stainless steel door handle as he argued with himself inside his head. That is, until he heard the sound of metal crashing against tiles, and the unmistakable 'thud' of a body hitting the floor. He turned in horror to see Zexion crawling toward him, IV somehow still in as he slid the long metal stand across the floor.

"You listen to me, Demyx. I jumped in front of that car because I didn't want to see you get hurt, didn't want to lose you. I understand how you feel, but it was not your fault that I got hurt, it was my choice." Zexion spat out, pain hitting him in sharp stabs. Demyx had bent down to help him back to the edge of the bed, where he now sat clutching his ribs, leaning into Demyx's welcoming embrace. "I-I knew what would happen... I knew I would get hurt, th-that I might get killed... but I did it anyway." He struggled on, resisting the urge to hit the call button. He wasn't ready to have a nurse fretting over him again just yet. "I did it because I love you, and I could not bear it... the thought that you might die, that I might lose you." Demyx finally raised a finger to Zexion's lips to silence him, swallowing the last of his tears as he fought the knot in his throat.

"That doesn't make it okay for you to get hurt in my place, and leave me here thinking you might die for two days... dummy." Demyx said, his voice still sad, but there was a shadow of his smile coming back. "I was worried sick... I m-missed classes, I couldn't sleep, and they kept trying to make me leave you." Zexion had to laugh at that one. "Yeah, the nurse said you caused a bit of a scene." Zexion was becoming woozy, and thought he might pass out, so he laid back down slowly, resting on his elbows as he tried to find a comfortable position. Demyx fixed his pillows for him, still seemingly fighting the urge to cry. Demyx was making a move to pull up his chair that had been knocked over, but Zexion stopped him by gripping his shirt tightly. Demyx turned his attention back to Zexion and allowed himself to be pulled in, their lips connecting gently at first, until the kisses became more rough and passionate.

Before Zexion knew it, Demyx was on the bed with him, looking down at his face with red cheeks, those beautiful eyes finally clear of tears. "I love you Demyx." He whispered, kissing Demyx again, the two of them grinding erotically until he let out a squeal of pain. It was then that a nurse walked in, interrupting their moment. She turned on Demyx, clearly flustered. "Not you again... listen, this one needs to rest and recover, and he can't do that with you on top of him. Come on, let's go. Go!" She pulled Demyx unceremoniously from the room, Zexion fighting the urge to laugh at how his boyfriend was behaving; it would only hurt if he laughed at this point, or he would have.

[The near future, Zexion's release from the hospital]

Zexion was sipping orange juice through a straw, feeling well-rested and relaxed as he was pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair. It wasn't even necessary, he was perfectly capable of walking, but the others had insisted. Axel, Roxas, Sora, and Riku had all joined Demyx in picking him up. Axel was pushing him around at present, leaning down to his ear level to shout "We are so having a party to celebrate you getting out!"

Zexion cringed at the idea of Axel being in charge of a party for him, voicing his thoughts somewhat tactlessly. "Axel, the last thing I want is you throwing me a party." Axel looked somewhat dejected, responding with a depressed-sounding "Why you no love me, Zexy?", and gave him puppy dog eyes. Zexion sighed, rolling his eyes and spoke again, a bit under his breath this time. "I suppose it would be nice to have a small get-together with you guys, and perhaps a few others. Xion and that other girl from the other night seemed nice enough. What was her name... Kairi? I'm not drinking, though... I'm still high as shit on painkillers." The walk home was pretty silly, all of Zexion's friends taking turns pushing him while the others entertained him with stories of the last few days. Apparently when Axel had heard of the accident, he had been playing with his favorite Zippo lighter, and almost lit the carpet on fire when he dropped it in surprise. Roxas had been forced to comfort a crying Axel, who thought his best friend was dead or seriously injured, which Zexion actually found rather sweet and endearing. Sora had found out from Axel and Roxas when they came by the dorm to pick up clothes for Zexion, and had dragged Riku along because he felt so bad. Zexion wasn't used to having this much care and attention focused on him, so it was making him feel somewhat smothered. That aside, it felt good to know that so many people were worried about him; that was a recent development, so he wasn't used to it.

Demyx was humming happily as he pushed Zexion into the elevator of the main dorm building, planning to retrieve some of his things so he could sleep over. The others had gone on ahead of them, planning to get some drinks, snacks, and another surprise they wouldn't talk about. Sora had eyed Axel skeptically when he'd refused to say anything more, looking to Roxas who had simply shrugged and sighed. "What all do you need me to grab, Zexy?" The blonde asked in his singsong voice, rolling Zexion out of the elevator on two wheels, giggling.

"Just my laptop and a few books. Throw them in my backpack and we should be good to go." Zexion said, pulling his boyfriend down by the shirt collar to kiss him. They were still kissing at each other playfully as Demyx rolled him down the hall toward his dorm room, until he stopped abruptly, causing Zexion to look up. When he did his eyes shot open, jaw dropping in surprise at who was standing at his dorm room's door. "F-Father?"