Holding Half of my Heart

Eight

Because who doesn't love Demyx?! Don't worry Axel is coming up soon! 

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        Axarhs was laying on the edge of the bed, eyes wide open and a frown on her face. Why? Because Demyx is a bed hog-oh, but that’s not the worst of it. He had the entire bed but was he using it? Nope. He was curled up in a ball with his knees digging into Axarhs’s hips. His face was right next to her ear and my god this guy could snore!
He kneed her in the hip sending her to the floor. Axarhs’s frown deepened-she stood up and glared at him, but quickly faded into a smile. She couldn’t help it-he looked adorable…in a weird way.

        He’d rolled back over on his back, his arms and legs splayed out so he looked like a starfish. His mouth-the source of his god awful snoring was wide open. She slapped his cheek playfully, “get up sitar boy; you have a promise to keep.” He groaned, but didn’t move. “Get up! Get up! Get up!” Axarhs jumped onto him and straddled his hips. Even after everything that had happened earlier-which Axarhs was trying to forget-she couldn’t help it. Demyx brought out her playful side.

        Demyx’s body jolted and his eyes shot open, “I’m awake! Get off me!” He laughed and looked up and Axarhs. She smiled and let him get up. “You’re looking a lot better.”

        “Because of you,” and also because that stuff Saix put in my body has probably worn off…I think.Axarhs didn’t know if what she was feeling now was because of what Saix and Xemnas did to her, or if it was something else. She felt special.

        He stretched, “guess I have a promise to keep. Ready to go?” He asked while opening a portal. She nodded and they both stepped inside.

        They didn’t step out on the other side-more like they were thrown into whatever this world was. “Didn’t I tell you? Isn’t this place neat?” Demyx was in front of her without a shirt or legs. “You’re a fish?! Wait…are we underwater? How are we talking-how are we breathing?!”

        He laughed and swam over to her, “that’s merman, not fish and yes, we’re underwater. Cool isn’t it? We can talk, breathe and we have tails!”

        We? Axarhs looked down and saw that she was also sporting a tail. Hers was a bright gold with a dark black mark on the right side. She was also shirtless, but with the cliché seashell bra covering her. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest, “don’t look there!”

        “Don’t worry, I won’t. C’mon, there’s something I want to show you.” He swam ahead of her-obviously he’d been here more times than anyone could count. He moved effortlessly through the water while Axarhs was still trying to get used to the feeling of being weightless. He took her hand, “I’ll show you how.”

        He moved slowly at first, but quickly decided to be a show-off and move faster, throwing in a few spins and flips while they moved through the undersea life.

        “Stop it Demyx, I can’t do that! You’re making my hand hurt!” Axarhs shouted.

        He stopped and smiled, “sure you can! Here, it’s just like jumping backwards.” He placed one hand on the small of her back and the other on her stomach. “Now try to jump backwards. Don’t worry; I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt.”
His words and the way he was looking at her made that “special” feeling grow. She nodded and felt Demyx’s hands push on her stomach and back-helping her flip.“Now, was that so hard?” He asked after she’d regained herself.

        She smiled and shook her head, "Now show me what you were goanna show me!”

        “Alright, alright, but no peeking!” He quickly swam behind her, put his arms under hers and covered her eyes. “It’s a surprise.” He guided her through the water until they reached their destination. “Are you ready?” She nodded-excitement building. “Ok,” he moved his hands, “you can look now.”        

        “Oh Demyx, it’s beautiful!” They were in an undersea garden. Seaweed and multicolored flowers swayed in the cool water while the sun shone down on a rock in the center of it all.

        Demyx swam out into the sparkling water, “told ya it was goanna be great! Do you like it?”

        Axarhs stared at his bright eyes and pale skin, “it’s amazing. How did you find this?”

        “Well…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “it was by accident. I like to come here and relax sometimes.” He grabbed her wrists and pulled her over to the rock. He grabbed a bright pink flower off one of the plants and tucked it behind her right ear-adding the perfect amount of color to her silver hair. “Perfect,” he smiled and sat down next to her.

        Axarhs leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, “let’s make this our spot, ok?”

        “Our…spot?”

        “Yea, this place is for you and me, no one else.” He nodded-his gaze moving down to the dark mark on the right side of her. He reached out and touched it-Axarhs pulled away at first, but relaxed again and spoke, avoiding eye contact.

        “Ugly, isn’t it?”

        “What is it?” He asked cautiously, not sure if this was a touchy subject or not.

        “It’s a scar. Xemnas told me that when we were going to the castle, Axel attacked us and burned my leg. I don’t remember it, but…do you think maybe I could’ve done something to make him mad and he burned me because of it? Would he really do something like that?”

        Demyx wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, “I don’t know Axel very well, but he’d either have to be really stupid or really brave to attack you and Xemnas. I think it’s a combination of both.” Axarhs giggled. “Besides, why would he still be in the Organization if he attacked the two of you?”

        Axarhs’s eyes widened and her body tensed, why would he be in the Organization? She quickly pushed that thought aside for another time-this moment was about her and Demyx. Not Axel and certainty not about Xemnas. She smiled and grabbed Demyx’s hands, “I wanna try something!” She shouted while swimming toward the surface.
“Watch this,” she said after deciding they were high enough. Turning her face toward the sun, she stuck out her index and middle finger and blew-droplets froze and fell around them-like it was raining diamonds. The sun’s rays bounced off each droplet-all Demyx could do was stare at how amazing everything looked-specifically Axarhs. Her eyes were shining like the diamond water around them-her hair curling around her face with the waters movement, the pink flower held everything together.      

        She smiled, leaned forward and kissed his forehead-not sure if that was ok to do. Oh well…I don’t regret it, she thought. “Let’s go explore some more!” She shouted and dragged a very confused Demyx through the water.
--
        It was almost 11:30. Axarhs and Demyx had just returned to the castle, even though neither one of them wanted to. Axarhs-with toiletries in hand-was on her way to the shower. As wonderful as that place was, the seawater made her skin and hair feel weird. Axel was leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway-Axarhs thought about what Demyx had said earlier, why would he still be in the Organization if he attacked the two of you? I’m in too a good mood to deal with this right now. She thought while passing by him silently.

        “Hey.”

        Crap. She stopped and stared at him, “yes?”

        “Why do you smell like seawater?” He asked in a tone she couldn’t read.

        She faked a smile, “Demyx took me to the ocean.”

        “Oh…you were with him today?” He crossed his arms and stared at the floor.

        What’s with him? He looks almost…sad that I spent time with Demyx. This is not the Axel I know. 

        He sighed, “Look, it’s not my style to make enemies, so I guess…”

        “You want to be friends?” Axarhs raised an eyebrow.

        He raised his eyes and smirked, “we should tolerate each other, is what I was going to say. Truce?”

        “Truce.” She smiled and continued her walk to the shower wondering what the real reason was behind Axel’s kindness.