Just Business
folder
Kingdom Hearts › Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
6
Views:
1,728
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Kingdom Hearts › Slash/Yaoi - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
6
Views:
1,728
Reviews:
3
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
United Kingdoms Elite
Just Business
(AN: Hey all sorry for the late update. But I am glad to say that Chapter 3 is almost ready for posting as well. I do want to thank everyone that’s offering me ideas and critics. Also I want to thank Linkin Park for creating the wonderful song “What I’ve done” that I’ve borrowed for this story to share with all. I don’t own a thing and no moneys are being received for this piece of entertainment. Thank you all. And please let me know of what I should change, correct, or any ideas you would like me to add in the future. )
Chapter 2
Ah. The wonders of a hot delicious vanilla chocolate latte. There really wasn’t anything as good, well, except maybe sea salt ice cream. But that was his twin’s nitch, this was his alone. Taking another sip, Sora allowed the sweet-bitter heaven wash across his taste buds. A moment of peace passed as his eyes slowly opened to the matching sky color above. Everything was perfect. His smile rivaled the sunbeams filtering through cinnamon locks as he quickly continued on his way. Glancing at his watch, he confirmed what he already knew. For once, he was early. The office would be his, alone, for an hour. TODAY WAS THE DAY!!! A mischievous glint sparked. Axel’s high score was going DOWN! Spotting his destination, Sora quickened his pace and opened the door with a flourish.
In this farewell
There’s no blood
There’s no alibi
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret
From the truth
Of a thousand lies
So let mercy come
And wash away
WHAT I’VE DONE
I’ll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go what I’ve done.[/b]
Ah, hell. Sora thought as the door clicked behind him. Recognizing the beautiful voice instantly, he hung his head in defeat. But soon curiosity grew. Why’s he here this early, anyway? Creeping forward, he followed the singing.
Put to rest
What you thought of me
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty
So let mercy come
And wash away
WHAT I’VE DONE
I’ll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go what I’ve done
It didn’t take long for him to locate the dancing blond belting his heart out in the store room. His long hair and distinctive mullet swayed in his fast turns. Sora shook his head at his cousin’s antics. Demyx was the ONLY person he knew that lived off music alone. Or so it seemed to him. You’d always be able to tell what he was thinking or feeling just by the music he was singing or listening to. Chuckling, Sora managed to catch the color of the MP3 player at Demyx’s waist on a turn.
For what I’ve done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I’m forgiving what I’ve done!
I’ll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go what I’ve done
What I’ve done
FORGIVING WHAT I’VE DONE
Black.. Black.... Now what did black mean again? Confusion marred Sora’s cute face as he fought to remember. Demyx had five different players FULL of music. Each color for a different mood. Let’s see. Blue is his normal or favorite music. Pink is his ‘hunting’ music. Red is romantic. Green is reserved for his more thoughtful moments and black was for.... “Oh no.” Closing his eyes, Sora took a deep calming breath. Pain, sorrow, and anger warred within the brunette for the hyper blond. “Demyx?” He called gently.
Nothing. The blond switched to the newest song. His voice brought tears to his audience’s eyes. Heartbroken, Sora knew what must have happened. Trying again, he moved to intercept him. “Demyx?”
Startled, forest green eyes met the worried sky blue. Right now, though, they more resembled the rainforest with the moisture they held. But it wasn’t the tears that hissed Sora’s breath in rage, it was the deep bruise spread across the left side of his face. “S...Sora? What are y-“
”What happened?” His growl grated across Demyx’s spine. “And don’t give me that ‘I ran into a door’ excuse. You’ve used that one too many times. SO just tell me the truth.” Settling his stormy blues on those frightened greens, Sora waited.
Demyx knew he couldn’t lie anymore. He, also, no longer had a reason. Hanging his head, his whispered response barely cut the silence.
“What was that?”
“I said no last night.” His voice rose enough to be heard. Blinking, Demyx almost got whiplash. Who knew his sweet and polite cousin had such a COLORFUL vocabulary?!
“That’s IT! He’s a dead man! I don’t care if you DO love him; he’s going to PAY! This is one time too many. I’m going to castrate him with a toothpick and burn it to ash in front of him then for him to eat the blasted stuff before I make him bend over and....”
“Nonononononononononono!” Shaking his head violently, Demyx grabbed his cousin’s retreating waist. “You don’t have to worry about it. PLEASE, don’t DO it! I don’t want you hurt. And...it really doesn’t matter anymore. It really doesn’t!”
The brunette stilled in his trembling grasp. “Why?”
The sobbing blond didn’t notice the dripping venom in his tone. His tears softly soaking the red shirt he clung to so desperately. “He... he left last night.” Sora kept his lips closed tightly. “HE... he said I was *sob* pathetic and ...weak. No one... no one would WANT me. I am a waste of breath and I’m not even worth being a whore!” Breaking, his voice rose with each whispered word.
Closing his eyes, Sora wrapped his arms tightly around him. Rage spiraled almost out of control. The Bastard would pay. It’d been three painful months of dating Demyx.. All the bruises, the stitches, and concussions danced across his memories. More than twice a week, he’d been in the emergency room sitting with Demyx getting patched up from one of his ‘accidents’. The Bastard had put him through Hell, but Demyx always protected him. He loved him. Now he’d gone and done this. The unthinkable. He’d broken Demyx’s heart. Oh. He would pay tenfold the karma coming back to him! And with each passing minuet Sora held the crying blond, the more elaborate his plans became.
Ting-ting.
Both froze as the front bell echoed. Demyx’s frightened eyes caught Sora’s soft smile. “I’ll go take care of it; you go ahead and get cleaned up.” Turning his head gently, Sora got a good look at the bruise. “ I think Marly has some concealer under the cabinet in the first aid kit. It should do the job.” He replied thoughtfully. Demyx’s dazzling smile rewoke Sora’s own. Running off, he barely missed his older cousin and friend walking in.
“Sora? What are you doing here this early?” Cloud’s eyebrow quirked lightly. As if he didn’t know, but the dark aura radiating off his younger brother stopped his teasing. Leon as well froze at his look. “What’s wrong?”
Leveling his gaze at the closed bathroom door, Sora sighed. “I’ll tell you later, okay?” Whatever was wrong, Sora didn’t want to talk about it? Now Cloud was starting to worry. Before he could ask again, he moved to the bathroom door and knocked. “Hey, Demyx? I’ll go open our office while you finish up. “Shooting a pointed look at his brother, he turned to leave. “Oh. Cloud and Leon are here so you better hurry.” Sora walked quickly past the other two, hoping they’d get the idea.
By the footsteps behind, they did. Thankfully, neither stopped him as he readied their office. Slowly but surely, the others filed through the door. Namine’s arrival was easy to tell by the sweet aroma of hot chocolate and coffee wafting in every corner. Kiba and Shino’s appearance was even easier by the escalating moans from their shared office. Cursing Jiraya for ever letting them change to the same office, the rest of the UKE agents managed their case loads. Demyx and Sora quickly forgot the morning as they typed their reports. Soft knocking at the door pulled their attentions back to the present.
At their combined ‘enter’, Namine poked her head in. Her bright smile warming the air. “There’s a meeting being called for a major client. Everyone needs to report, so drop everything. “ Seeing their nods, she shut the door softly. Saying they were confused was an understatement, but both knew it was important if Marly was calling EVERYONE in. Quickly locking their computers, they soon joined everyone in the conference room.
The suits at the table smirked seeing all the confused looks. It was Sora that finally spoke. “Riku? Roxas? What are you guys doing here?”
Thwap!
“Owwwie!” Rubbing the back of his abused head, Sora glared at his boss. “What was that for?!”
Ignoring Riku and Roxas’s snickers, Jiraya snarled at the brunette. “Be respectful brat!”
“Why? It’s just Riku and Roxas!”
THWAP!!! “They are ALSO clients. So sit down and shut up!”
That got everyone’s attention as all eyes widened on them. Riku smirked even more as Roxas merely nodded. “Sorry, guys, but he’s right.” Waved on, he continued. “We are here to discuss a job opportunity with Big O. You see, Big O and SIK are attempting a merger in 3 months. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some ‘issues’ were brought to the company’s attention.”
“What sort of ‘issues’ ?” Marluxia looked up at the pair from his notes.
Sighing, Riku leaned forward. “Let’s just say, there are rumors concerning illegal practices of our future partners that we need to validate BEFORE the contract signing.”
Collective ‘ohs’ whispered. “We need UKE to infiltrate their facilities and investigate.” Roxas frowned at the snide redhead as Axel sauntered in. “What are you doing here?” Ocean blues narrowed more as his assistant laughed.
“I got a page from Marly about a big meeting.” His smirk widened. “Since it an ‘all hands’ meeting, I HAD to come.”
“What does THAT have to do with anything?”
Everyone watched as the vein throbbed in Roxas’s forehead while Axel leaned back in his chair. Smiles crept out at Demyx and Kiba’s shouts of “He never told you?!” It was their blank looks that brought Leon’s quiet “He moonlights.”
“WHAT?!!!” Betrayed, Roxas’s glare settled upon him. A simple shrug of the shoulders was all he got.
“We’ll discuss that latter.” Flipping his page, Marluxia continued reading without looking up. “First, let’s get our game plan organized.” He didn’t even wait for acknowledgment as he moved forward. “I like the ideas you two have. There are just a few points we’ll change. “ Ignoring Riku’s mumbled ‘of course’, the pink haired beauty settled his gaze on his husband. “Jiraya, I think we should add more than the three they call for. That way there’s a better spread to their departments and a higher chance of someone learning the truth.”
*SNORE**SNORT*
Sighing heavily, Marly merely rubbed the bridge of his nose. WHY was he NOT surprised the super pervert was sleeping? He shook his head, but let him alone. “Anyway.” Marly rustled through the papers until he reached one he sought. “Hmm. It seems SIK has several openings on different levels. Four are personal assistants to different department heads and quite a few security jobs as well.” Deep in thought, he swivelled in the chair. “Axel, Sora, Demyx, Cloud, Aerith, Tidus, and Selphie , I want you to apply for the assistant positions. Each of you have the necessary backgrounds and personalities to blow away any competition. And I DON’T mean that literally, Axel.” Leveling the fidgeting pyro, Marly made sure he understood. “Leon, you Kiba, Sieffer, and Shino will apply for the security positions. This way at least a few will gain entrance.”
“If they do not?”
Even Riku shuddered at Marly’s glare. “They will, but even if they don’t I have another plan.”
Nodding, Riku rose with Roxas quick to follow. “That’s good enough for me. Payment has been discussed already and the rest we will leave to your capable hands.”
Axel didn’t even turn as Roxas left; glare in place. Once outside, he couldn’t halt the explosion. “What does that red-headed harassment case think he’s doing?! He works for US not THEM. When he gets back I’m gonna make damn sure he remembers! His zippo collection is soooo dead!!”
Riku blinked at his friend. “Actually, this maybe a good thing?”
Even the police officer standing near Riku as they walked by flinched at Roxas’s language. Several girls almost fainted from the adorable glare that preceded it. “WHAT??!!! He works for Big O! He signed an agreement! He will be sooo fired.”
Sighing, fingers massaged his temples. “Roxas, the agreement is to not work at a RIVAL company. UKE is not one of our rivals.” Riku ignored the sputtering. “And Axel will be an immense help. This way we’ll get an official report from UKE, but you can also receive unofficial reports from him.” Frowning, he turned the corner. Worry written in his eyes. “I’ll also feel better if he’s there. If something goes wrong, he can help protect Sora.”
He didn’t notice the startled halt. “What do you mean?”
“Well. SIK is supposed to be having illegal procedures. What do you think would happen if they get caught? *snort* I can tell you it will NOT be pretty. And I KNOW Sora can take care of himself, but at least there’d be someone else there to help if the shit hits the fan.”
Feeling his blood temperature drop, Roxas swallowed. He’d never thought of that. Scenario after painful scenario played in his mind’s theater. Blood, gore, and pink tutus haunted him. Riku was right. Axel would be necessary if anything happened. But Sora, Roxas was sure, would not need him. Heh. All the Strife boys were trained fighters thanks to their mother and her delusions of grandeur. The one that’d REALLY need the protection was Demyx. He was just too nice to fight. Oh, don’t get Roxas wrong. Demyx had kicked both Cloud and Leon’s asses on several occasions. He just hated fighting for himself.
Yes. Demyx was a door mat. You could yell, hit, set on fire, and even drop off a building, but he’d just smile and let you. Hell. Look at his last few boyfriends. But if you hurt someone he loved or an innocent...well, let’s just say it’s your funeral.
Roxas frowned harder remembering Demyx’s poor attempt at covering the bruise. He’d not wanted to say anything, but he knew all the rest wanted a piece of the Bastard. Shaking his head, he tried to get back on track. This seriously wasn’t helping him. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Look at it this way, “ Riku smirked as Roxas finally caught up. “You now have an excuse to get another assistant.”
Roxas’s smile twitched to life. That’s right. Three whole months WITHOUT Axel groping, teasing, or harassing him. “Hmm. Wonder if we can extend the assignment?”
Chuckling, Riku strolled beside the elated blond. His mind already on his piling work. Maybe it was time for him to get an assistant. After all, it had been two weeks since he’d had the last one escorted from the primacies. Thinking about it, he decided it was well past time.
*********
(back at UKE)
The meeting had taken longer than most anticipated, but everyone knew the plan forward, backward, sideway, and diagonal before all was done. Filing out, they split into silent groups.
“Hey!” Sora called as he and Demyx caught up to Axel. “You REALLY should have told him, you know.”
Battling confusion, Axel’s momentum stopped long enough for Demyx to slam into his back. “Huh?”
Sora sighed. “Roxas. You should have told him earlier that you were working here in your free time.”
Demyx watched, astounded, as Axel’s emerald eyes darkened then faded into shadow. “Heh. Why should it matter, anyway? Like he’d really care.”
Feeling more than either one thought, Demyx flung his arms around the slim waist. He knew what the redhead meant. Tearfully, his whisper almost didn’t reach the. “Don’t say that. Axel, Roxas does care about you. We ALL do. NEVER say we wouldn’t!” Confusion warred on his face as Axel looked at Sora for help. His shrug didn’t answer much. Taking matters gently, he wrapped his arms around the sobbing blonde. “We DO care. Sometimes... sometimes it seems we’re the only ones. We’ll ALWAYS care. It may not be the type you want, but it will be strong and deep.”
Axel held him until the tears subsided. Demyx’s words seeped deep into his thoughts. Maybe...just maybe, Demyx was right
(AN: Hey all sorry for the late update. But I am glad to say that Chapter 3 is almost ready for posting as well. I do want to thank everyone that’s offering me ideas and critics. Also I want to thank Linkin Park for creating the wonderful song “What I’ve done” that I’ve borrowed for this story to share with all. I don’t own a thing and no moneys are being received for this piece of entertainment. Thank you all. And please let me know of what I should change, correct, or any ideas you would like me to add in the future. )
Chapter 2
Ah. The wonders of a hot delicious vanilla chocolate latte. There really wasn’t anything as good, well, except maybe sea salt ice cream. But that was his twin’s nitch, this was his alone. Taking another sip, Sora allowed the sweet-bitter heaven wash across his taste buds. A moment of peace passed as his eyes slowly opened to the matching sky color above. Everything was perfect. His smile rivaled the sunbeams filtering through cinnamon locks as he quickly continued on his way. Glancing at his watch, he confirmed what he already knew. For once, he was early. The office would be his, alone, for an hour. TODAY WAS THE DAY!!! A mischievous glint sparked. Axel’s high score was going DOWN! Spotting his destination, Sora quickened his pace and opened the door with a flourish.
In this farewell
There’s no blood
There’s no alibi
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret
From the truth
Of a thousand lies
So let mercy come
And wash away
WHAT I’VE DONE
I’ll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go what I’ve done.[/b]
Ah, hell. Sora thought as the door clicked behind him. Recognizing the beautiful voice instantly, he hung his head in defeat. But soon curiosity grew. Why’s he here this early, anyway? Creeping forward, he followed the singing.
Put to rest
What you thought of me
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty
So let mercy come
And wash away
WHAT I’VE DONE
I’ll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go what I’ve done
It didn’t take long for him to locate the dancing blond belting his heart out in the store room. His long hair and distinctive mullet swayed in his fast turns. Sora shook his head at his cousin’s antics. Demyx was the ONLY person he knew that lived off music alone. Or so it seemed to him. You’d always be able to tell what he was thinking or feeling just by the music he was singing or listening to. Chuckling, Sora managed to catch the color of the MP3 player at Demyx’s waist on a turn.
For what I’ve done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I’m forgiving what I’ve done!
I’ll face myself
To cross out what I’ve become
Erase myself
And let go what I’ve done
What I’ve done
FORGIVING WHAT I’VE DONE
Black.. Black.... Now what did black mean again? Confusion marred Sora’s cute face as he fought to remember. Demyx had five different players FULL of music. Each color for a different mood. Let’s see. Blue is his normal or favorite music. Pink is his ‘hunting’ music. Red is romantic. Green is reserved for his more thoughtful moments and black was for.... “Oh no.” Closing his eyes, Sora took a deep calming breath. Pain, sorrow, and anger warred within the brunette for the hyper blond. “Demyx?” He called gently.
Nothing. The blond switched to the newest song. His voice brought tears to his audience’s eyes. Heartbroken, Sora knew what must have happened. Trying again, he moved to intercept him. “Demyx?”
Startled, forest green eyes met the worried sky blue. Right now, though, they more resembled the rainforest with the moisture they held. But it wasn’t the tears that hissed Sora’s breath in rage, it was the deep bruise spread across the left side of his face. “S...Sora? What are y-“
”What happened?” His growl grated across Demyx’s spine. “And don’t give me that ‘I ran into a door’ excuse. You’ve used that one too many times. SO just tell me the truth.” Settling his stormy blues on those frightened greens, Sora waited.
Demyx knew he couldn’t lie anymore. He, also, no longer had a reason. Hanging his head, his whispered response barely cut the silence.
“What was that?”
“I said no last night.” His voice rose enough to be heard. Blinking, Demyx almost got whiplash. Who knew his sweet and polite cousin had such a COLORFUL vocabulary?!
“That’s IT! He’s a dead man! I don’t care if you DO love him; he’s going to PAY! This is one time too many. I’m going to castrate him with a toothpick and burn it to ash in front of him then for him to eat the blasted stuff before I make him bend over and....”
“Nonononononononononono!” Shaking his head violently, Demyx grabbed his cousin’s retreating waist. “You don’t have to worry about it. PLEASE, don’t DO it! I don’t want you hurt. And...it really doesn’t matter anymore. It really doesn’t!”
The brunette stilled in his trembling grasp. “Why?”
The sobbing blond didn’t notice the dripping venom in his tone. His tears softly soaking the red shirt he clung to so desperately. “He... he left last night.” Sora kept his lips closed tightly. “HE... he said I was *sob* pathetic and ...weak. No one... no one would WANT me. I am a waste of breath and I’m not even worth being a whore!” Breaking, his voice rose with each whispered word.
Closing his eyes, Sora wrapped his arms tightly around him. Rage spiraled almost out of control. The Bastard would pay. It’d been three painful months of dating Demyx.. All the bruises, the stitches, and concussions danced across his memories. More than twice a week, he’d been in the emergency room sitting with Demyx getting patched up from one of his ‘accidents’. The Bastard had put him through Hell, but Demyx always protected him. He loved him. Now he’d gone and done this. The unthinkable. He’d broken Demyx’s heart. Oh. He would pay tenfold the karma coming back to him! And with each passing minuet Sora held the crying blond, the more elaborate his plans became.
Ting-ting.
Both froze as the front bell echoed. Demyx’s frightened eyes caught Sora’s soft smile. “I’ll go take care of it; you go ahead and get cleaned up.” Turning his head gently, Sora got a good look at the bruise. “ I think Marly has some concealer under the cabinet in the first aid kit. It should do the job.” He replied thoughtfully. Demyx’s dazzling smile rewoke Sora’s own. Running off, he barely missed his older cousin and friend walking in.
“Sora? What are you doing here this early?” Cloud’s eyebrow quirked lightly. As if he didn’t know, but the dark aura radiating off his younger brother stopped his teasing. Leon as well froze at his look. “What’s wrong?”
Leveling his gaze at the closed bathroom door, Sora sighed. “I’ll tell you later, okay?” Whatever was wrong, Sora didn’t want to talk about it? Now Cloud was starting to worry. Before he could ask again, he moved to the bathroom door and knocked. “Hey, Demyx? I’ll go open our office while you finish up. “Shooting a pointed look at his brother, he turned to leave. “Oh. Cloud and Leon are here so you better hurry.” Sora walked quickly past the other two, hoping they’d get the idea.
By the footsteps behind, they did. Thankfully, neither stopped him as he readied their office. Slowly but surely, the others filed through the door. Namine’s arrival was easy to tell by the sweet aroma of hot chocolate and coffee wafting in every corner. Kiba and Shino’s appearance was even easier by the escalating moans from their shared office. Cursing Jiraya for ever letting them change to the same office, the rest of the UKE agents managed their case loads. Demyx and Sora quickly forgot the morning as they typed their reports. Soft knocking at the door pulled their attentions back to the present.
At their combined ‘enter’, Namine poked her head in. Her bright smile warming the air. “There’s a meeting being called for a major client. Everyone needs to report, so drop everything. “ Seeing their nods, she shut the door softly. Saying they were confused was an understatement, but both knew it was important if Marly was calling EVERYONE in. Quickly locking their computers, they soon joined everyone in the conference room.
The suits at the table smirked seeing all the confused looks. It was Sora that finally spoke. “Riku? Roxas? What are you guys doing here?”
Thwap!
“Owwwie!” Rubbing the back of his abused head, Sora glared at his boss. “What was that for?!”
Ignoring Riku and Roxas’s snickers, Jiraya snarled at the brunette. “Be respectful brat!”
“Why? It’s just Riku and Roxas!”
THWAP!!! “They are ALSO clients. So sit down and shut up!”
That got everyone’s attention as all eyes widened on them. Riku smirked even more as Roxas merely nodded. “Sorry, guys, but he’s right.” Waved on, he continued. “We are here to discuss a job opportunity with Big O. You see, Big O and SIK are attempting a merger in 3 months. Normally, this would be a good thing, but some ‘issues’ were brought to the company’s attention.”
“What sort of ‘issues’ ?” Marluxia looked up at the pair from his notes.
Sighing, Riku leaned forward. “Let’s just say, there are rumors concerning illegal practices of our future partners that we need to validate BEFORE the contract signing.”
Collective ‘ohs’ whispered. “We need UKE to infiltrate their facilities and investigate.” Roxas frowned at the snide redhead as Axel sauntered in. “What are you doing here?” Ocean blues narrowed more as his assistant laughed.
“I got a page from Marly about a big meeting.” His smirk widened. “Since it an ‘all hands’ meeting, I HAD to come.”
“What does THAT have to do with anything?”
Everyone watched as the vein throbbed in Roxas’s forehead while Axel leaned back in his chair. Smiles crept out at Demyx and Kiba’s shouts of “He never told you?!” It was their blank looks that brought Leon’s quiet “He moonlights.”
“WHAT?!!!” Betrayed, Roxas’s glare settled upon him. A simple shrug of the shoulders was all he got.
“We’ll discuss that latter.” Flipping his page, Marluxia continued reading without looking up. “First, let’s get our game plan organized.” He didn’t even wait for acknowledgment as he moved forward. “I like the ideas you two have. There are just a few points we’ll change. “ Ignoring Riku’s mumbled ‘of course’, the pink haired beauty settled his gaze on his husband. “Jiraya, I think we should add more than the three they call for. That way there’s a better spread to their departments and a higher chance of someone learning the truth.”
*SNORE**SNORT*
Sighing heavily, Marly merely rubbed the bridge of his nose. WHY was he NOT surprised the super pervert was sleeping? He shook his head, but let him alone. “Anyway.” Marly rustled through the papers until he reached one he sought. “Hmm. It seems SIK has several openings on different levels. Four are personal assistants to different department heads and quite a few security jobs as well.” Deep in thought, he swivelled in the chair. “Axel, Sora, Demyx, Cloud, Aerith, Tidus, and Selphie , I want you to apply for the assistant positions. Each of you have the necessary backgrounds and personalities to blow away any competition. And I DON’T mean that literally, Axel.” Leveling the fidgeting pyro, Marly made sure he understood. “Leon, you Kiba, Sieffer, and Shino will apply for the security positions. This way at least a few will gain entrance.”
“If they do not?”
Even Riku shuddered at Marly’s glare. “They will, but even if they don’t I have another plan.”
Nodding, Riku rose with Roxas quick to follow. “That’s good enough for me. Payment has been discussed already and the rest we will leave to your capable hands.”
Axel didn’t even turn as Roxas left; glare in place. Once outside, he couldn’t halt the explosion. “What does that red-headed harassment case think he’s doing?! He works for US not THEM. When he gets back I’m gonna make damn sure he remembers! His zippo collection is soooo dead!!”
Riku blinked at his friend. “Actually, this maybe a good thing?”
Even the police officer standing near Riku as they walked by flinched at Roxas’s language. Several girls almost fainted from the adorable glare that preceded it. “WHAT??!!! He works for Big O! He signed an agreement! He will be sooo fired.”
Sighing, fingers massaged his temples. “Roxas, the agreement is to not work at a RIVAL company. UKE is not one of our rivals.” Riku ignored the sputtering. “And Axel will be an immense help. This way we’ll get an official report from UKE, but you can also receive unofficial reports from him.” Frowning, he turned the corner. Worry written in his eyes. “I’ll also feel better if he’s there. If something goes wrong, he can help protect Sora.”
He didn’t notice the startled halt. “What do you mean?”
“Well. SIK is supposed to be having illegal procedures. What do you think would happen if they get caught? *snort* I can tell you it will NOT be pretty. And I KNOW Sora can take care of himself, but at least there’d be someone else there to help if the shit hits the fan.”
Feeling his blood temperature drop, Roxas swallowed. He’d never thought of that. Scenario after painful scenario played in his mind’s theater. Blood, gore, and pink tutus haunted him. Riku was right. Axel would be necessary if anything happened. But Sora, Roxas was sure, would not need him. Heh. All the Strife boys were trained fighters thanks to their mother and her delusions of grandeur. The one that’d REALLY need the protection was Demyx. He was just too nice to fight. Oh, don’t get Roxas wrong. Demyx had kicked both Cloud and Leon’s asses on several occasions. He just hated fighting for himself.
Yes. Demyx was a door mat. You could yell, hit, set on fire, and even drop off a building, but he’d just smile and let you. Hell. Look at his last few boyfriends. But if you hurt someone he loved or an innocent...well, let’s just say it’s your funeral.
Roxas frowned harder remembering Demyx’s poor attempt at covering the bruise. He’d not wanted to say anything, but he knew all the rest wanted a piece of the Bastard. Shaking his head, he tried to get back on track. This seriously wasn’t helping him. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
“Look at it this way, “ Riku smirked as Roxas finally caught up. “You now have an excuse to get another assistant.”
Roxas’s smile twitched to life. That’s right. Three whole months WITHOUT Axel groping, teasing, or harassing him. “Hmm. Wonder if we can extend the assignment?”
Chuckling, Riku strolled beside the elated blond. His mind already on his piling work. Maybe it was time for him to get an assistant. After all, it had been two weeks since he’d had the last one escorted from the primacies. Thinking about it, he decided it was well past time.
*********
(back at UKE)
The meeting had taken longer than most anticipated, but everyone knew the plan forward, backward, sideway, and diagonal before all was done. Filing out, they split into silent groups.
“Hey!” Sora called as he and Demyx caught up to Axel. “You REALLY should have told him, you know.”
Battling confusion, Axel’s momentum stopped long enough for Demyx to slam into his back. “Huh?”
Sora sighed. “Roxas. You should have told him earlier that you were working here in your free time.”
Demyx watched, astounded, as Axel’s emerald eyes darkened then faded into shadow. “Heh. Why should it matter, anyway? Like he’d really care.”
Feeling more than either one thought, Demyx flung his arms around the slim waist. He knew what the redhead meant. Tearfully, his whisper almost didn’t reach the. “Don’t say that. Axel, Roxas does care about you. We ALL do. NEVER say we wouldn’t!” Confusion warred on his face as Axel looked at Sora for help. His shrug didn’t answer much. Taking matters gently, he wrapped his arms around the sobbing blonde. “We DO care. Sometimes... sometimes it seems we’re the only ones. We’ll ALWAYS care. It may not be the type you want, but it will be strong and deep.”
Axel held him until the tears subsided. Demyx’s words seeped deep into his thoughts. Maybe...just maybe, Demyx was right