Rivalry

Saix had planned ahead, got all his work done early so he could go to bed at a reasonable hour, as he had many tests the next day for school. He sighed in content as he sunk into his bed, his eyes heavy and fluttering shut, hoping nothing would interrupt him.

Come at me and you'll see

I'm more than meets the eye

He groaned loudly as he reached out and grabbed his phone, answering without looking. He didn't have to, the song was picked specifically for the annoying friend it belonged to.

"Axel, I'm trying to sleep," he groaned.

"Well, wake the fuck you you pussy!" Axel yelled. Saix sighed, knowing that tone. Axel was drunk. Really drunk.

"I am awake, Axel, you won't let me sleep."

"Come get me, you know you want to."

"No, I don't and no, I won't."

"We have a deal!"

"It doesn't include me coming and getting you whenever you're drunk. Find someone else to get you or take a taxi."

"You'realiddlecunt, youknowthat!?" Saix sighed angirly. His friend was a total asshole when drunk, and he always found himself wondering why he was still friends with him.

Well, he thought, I guess we're more than friends right now.

Boyfriend was too strong a word for what Axel was to Saix, but that was always how the red-head introduced him to people, so he just stuck with it. Still, even though they did have that relationship, along with Axel's mentioned deal, Saix often found it to be more of a burden to be around his childhood best friend for prolonged periods of time now. But, at the same time, his concious wouldn't let him just leave the drunken idiot out and about on his own. He was no doubt with his good ol' drinking buddies, meaning they were all drunk as well, so he forced himself out of bed.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Change of mind I see," Axel said and laughed loudly. Saix hung up, knowing where to look based on how drunk he was. Axel liked to try new places, sure, but there was only one place he ever truly got this drunk. He walked out to his car and turned it on, waiting a couple of seconds before shaking his head and going off to find Axel.

Once he arrived at the bar, he stepped out of his car cautiously. This particualr bar was just off campus, and it was where all the rowdy people, mostly non-students, congregated, and that meant bad news. He hated this place with every fiber of his being. He walked slowly into the bar, looking around for Axel, wanting to get out as quickly as possible.

"Hey, iss mah pwetty wittle girly!" Axel sang and wrapped an arm around Saix's shoulders, turning him and planting a sloppy kiss on his lips. Disgusted, he wrapped an arm around Axel and pulled him out of the bar and into his car. He dumped him uncerimoniously into the back of the car, knowing full well that the red-head would try to fuck him while he was driving if he didn't.

Saix's plan was to drop off Axel at his dorm and go back to his and go back to bed so he could be well rested for his test. That was the plan. But nothing ever went the way he planned. Somehow, he wound up drunk and in Axel's bed that night.

The next moning, Axel growled lowly when his alarm went off. He reached around Saix and slammed his hand down on the snooze button, which caused the blue haired man to stir, but he didn't wake. Axel chuckled as he looked down at him. He always thought Saix looked cute while he was asleep, much more at ease, and not to mention younger. While he was awake, Saix was always scowling, like nothing could please him, but when he was sleeping, he looked so calm and relaxed. Axel didn't want to wake him, especially since he knew he probably verbally abused him again the night before, as he always did when he was drunk.

A few hours later, Saix awoke to find Axel fast asleep. He grabbed one of the many robes out of his closet and stood up, stumbling from the sudden movement, and went to the bathroom where he proceeded to throw up. Once he was finished, he went into the kitchen to make something to eat that his stomach would hold down. He decided on cereal.

"Are you as hungover as I am?" Axel asked, stumbling out of his room and into the kitchen.

"More, I'm sure," Saix replied and took a small bite of his food. He couldn't handle his booze like Axel, since he wasn't a heavy drinker like him. He was still feeling sick, like he was going to throw up again. For all he knew, Axel had already enjoyed his barf of the day and felt much better, unlike him.

He looked at the clock and choked on the cereal in his mouth, jumping out of his chair and running back into Axel's room, throwing on his clothes. He stopped only to barf, a mix of his hangover and the headache that came with it, before bolting back into the main area of the dorm.

"Woah, calm down!" Axel shouted, "What's wrong?"

"Unlike you, I'd like to pass my classes," Saix hissed. He'd already missed one test, he wasn't about to miss another, no matter how sick he felt. He was dedicated to getting a good education so he wouldn't be forced to flip burgers at the local burger joint. Some could do that for life, but he wasn't one of them.

He ran out of the dorm, out to his car, and started the large vehicle. He thanked every deity he could think of when his car started, knowing full well it liked to not work whenever he needed to be somewhere. He pulled out of the driveway and sped off toward his next class.

He stepped out of his car and sped off toward his class, but managed to run into someone on the way. He groaned in pain as he shook his head, then looked up at the person he'd run into and blushed. He had run into a complete stranger, but this stranger was the most handsome person he'd ever seen. Tan skin, platinum blonde hair, if he had a deep voice, Saix wasn't sure how well he'd last.

"Are you okay?" the stranger asked. Shit, deep voice. Saix nodded dumbly, unable to make a sound, and took the hand that was offered to him greatfully. The stranger picked up Saix's bag for him and held it out. "You really should be more careful. You could really hurt someone, or yourself."

"I'll keep that in mind," Saix mumbled, not trusting his voice to be any louder than a whisper. The stranger tilted his head slightly to the side in a quizical manner, but Saix tried to avoid looking at him.

"Well, you seemed like you were in a hurry, so you should get to wherever you were going."

"Right. Sorry about running you over."

"You make it sound like you hit me with your car. It's alright, don't worry about it. I'm tougher than you look." Saix looked at him now, tilting his head at him.

"You look pretty tough to me." The stranger chuckled and shook his head. Another, younger male, that looked a lot like him, walked up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Xem, you're gonna be late," he complained and tried to lead him away. Saix had seen him before, but he couldn't quite place where. The older told him to go on ahead, and watched him slowly walk away.

"I didn't catch your name," he said once the other male was gone. Saix looked up at him and noticed how close they were now.

"Saix," he told him, now feeling a bit more confident in his voice. His hangover must have been worse than he thought if he wasn't able to actively growl at the complete stranger the way he did everyone else.

"Xemnas," the man said before leaving, going his own way to his own class. Saix stood dumbfounded for a moment before remembering his important test and running to class. Something was nagging at him, though, the name. It sounded familiar.

Axel found Saix after his class and took him out to get food. Much to Saix's surprise, and approval, Axel was the one that bought that day, not him. A nice change of pace, he thought. "Man, that kid Demyx is going out with is scary when hungover," Axel commented as they looked for a place to sit. They found a bench not far from where they were and took it upon themselves to occupy it. "He went to class hungover, with a pair of sunglasses on, and passed his test with flying colors. He got an A, Saix, an A! Hungover!"

"And I care why?" Saix growled. There was the good old tone he was used to.

"Because it's creepy! I mean, who goes into class, hungover, and passes with an A? No one but him."

"He has a name you know."

"Eh, never bothered to learn it. I don't know what it is about him, but he just...rubs me the wrong way."

"Axel, I'm pretty sure he's not rubbing you any way."

"That's right! That's your job." Saix smacked his head as hard as he could without feeling terrible about it, earning a small whimper from the red head. Satisfied, he returned to his lunch.

"And then there's that other guy. What was his name? Xemnas?" Saix choked on his food when he heard the name. Axel patted his back lightly to help.

"Why'd you mention him?" he asked once he could breathe again.

"He's another guy that rubs me the wrong way. He looks like one of those guys that goes around stealing girls from guys that take good care of them, and then ditch 'em once he's done with 'em."

"So, you think he's you." Axel glared at Saix, shocked and offended, though it was true he wasn't the most loyal person. He'd slept with plenty of people while still calling Saix his boyfriend.

"Yeah, whatever," he said, "I need to get to class, I'll see you later." WIth that, Axel stood and walked away. This was typical of the two of them now. One leaving, needing space from the other after some insult was thrown or simply getting fed up with the other. It wasn't very healthy, but it was what their relationship had become. Saix decided he shouldn't stay where he was and instead see if he could make up the test he'd missed.

"So, we meet again." Saix jumped at the sound of Xemnas' voice and looked down to see him reading under a tree. "Small world, I see. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."

"Well, we do go to the same school," Saix replied. Xemnas chuckled and waved for him to join him, so the blue haired man walked over and sat down on the grass beside him. "Do you by any chance know Zexion?"

"Of course I do, we grew up together. He's like a little brother to me. Better than the one I actually have."

"The person with you before?" Xemnas nodded. "And what do you think about Demyx?"

"Not a bad personality, but not a good student. Honestly, I was shocked to find out Zexion decided to ask him out. He's always been one to date high intellects, like himself, but perhaps he wanted to try something new. I'll never know. Either way, they seem to work well somehow." Siax nodded. At least he knew where he'd heard Xemnas' name before. "I doubt you really care about that." Saix shrugged, not really knowing what to say. Damyx was Axel's friend, not his. He'd gotten to know him, but he wouldn't really say he cared about how he lived his life. Not to mention he'd been sleeping with Axel when he actually was Axel's boyfriend. He couldn't blame him for that, though, he didn't know. At least he was loyal.

"I've got mixed feelings," he admitted.

"So, do you really want to talk about your friends?" Again, Saix shrugged.

"I don't really have friends," he stated. "I can't even really call Axel a friend anymore."

"Sounds like you need to meet new people."

"Apparently I run into new people. Literally." Xemnas chuckled, the deep sound making butterflies flutter in Saix's stomach. What was wrong with him? "I think I should get back to my dorm, I have things I need to finish."

"Why don't I take you so you don't run into anyone else?" Saix nodded and stood up, following Xemnas back to his dorm. In his classroom, Axel glared at the two of them.

Later that night, Axel just so happened to run into Xemnas as he was heading back to his dorm. 

I'm not stalking him Axel told himself. Just so happen to be in the same area. And I'm now going to have a very civil talk with him. If a civil talk included breaking someone's legs and setting them on fire, of course.

"Hey Axel!" Demyx said and waved. He and Zexion were walking with Xemnas, Zexion in some deep coversation with the older man. Axel didn't even try to comprehend what they were talking about, deciding it was something he wouldn't understand in a million years even if he tried.

"Hey, Demyx," he replied, "Do me a favor, will ya? I need you to take little Mr. A+ on a hangover somewhere so I can have a little talk with Mr. Steals a lot."

"Wha-"

"Just do it!" Demyx blinked in shock and confussion, but walked over to them and tapped Zexion's shoulder, telling him something that made him hesitate before leaving. Zexion looked behind him in concern as they walked away. Axel ceased the moment, walking up to Xemnas with a scowl on his face.

"Can I help you?" Xemnas asked him.

"Sure you can," Axel replied, "Stay away from Saix. He's mine, got it memorized?"

"Sounds like you're making him an object, not a person."

"What?"

"You should ask him who he wants to be around before making any threats," Xemnas replied, walking past him and heading toward his dorm again, "You might be surprised." Axel snarled and turned toward him again, but Zexion and Demyx were already back, both of them creating a barrier of sorts between them. Demyx made a slashing motion over his throat, but Axel's interpretation of it was very different from the actual meaning.

And then there was Saix, out and about at night, sketch pad in hand as he watched the sky. Even he didn't really know what he was doing with it. Demyx walked over to him and took it out of his hands.

"Blank page?" he asked, "Boring! Wanna come have dinner with us?"

"Who's us?"

"Me, Zex, and Xemnas. Who else? I'll even pay for you." Saix shrugged, trying to remain calm. He stood up and joined the small group. Zexion and Demyx looked around for Axel, but the red head was already gone.

"Should we be relieved?" Demyx quietly asked his boyfriend.

"I don't know," he replied, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Dinner came and went. Zexion and Demyx went back to their dorm, leaving Xemnas and Saix alone. Of course, Saix had never been to this area of campus and had no idea how to get back to his own dorm, and was too tired to make the effort. So, Xemnas offered to let him stay at his dorm, which he graciously accepted. One thing led to another, and he found himself in Xemnas' bed that night.

The next morning, Saix left before Xemnas awoke, needing some time to think. As much as he didn't like the arrangement he had with Axel, he wasn't too pleased with sleeping with someone else while in some kind of relationship, no matter how messed up it was. He figured it was best to go and break things off with the red head before things got even more complicated.

When he walked into the dorm, Axel was already waiting for him, and he laughed when he saw him, but it didn't sound like his normal laugh. It sounded sad. "I figured you'd be coming to break things off," he commented. "I could tell you had something for that guy." Saix looked away from him, unable to look at the face Axel currently had on. "You know, I know we were fucked up, but that doesn't mean I didn't care. But perhaps this is the right thing. I didn't take care of you the way I should have. But if this guy's an ass, I get first dibs to fuck him up." Saix chuckled and shook his head. "Deal?"

"Deal." Axel walked over to him and hugged him.

"Alright. Now, go find your fuck boy." Saix smacked him in the head, earining a laugh from his friend. "Just like old times, I see."

"Shut up," Saix growled and walked out of the room.

"Yep, just like old times."