Disclaimer: Axel and Demyx belong to Squeenix. "Killing Loneliness" is by HIM. We don't own anything. Don't sue us, we're broke.

A big thanks to our beta, shimaspawn! And also everyone that has favorited, watched and reviewed!

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Love: Red and Dodge

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"Excuse me," Demyx murmured apologetically, turning to see the girl he'd accidentally bumped into. He hadn't been all there a lot lately. It had been over a month since he’d seen Axel last, and it was beginning to wear on him. Even talking on the phone as often as they did, he still ached to see him in the flesh again. He had been preoccupied thinking about him and not watching where he was going.

"It's ok." The girl smiled sweetly. Petite, with long, slightly wavy brown hair, twinkling innocent gray eyes, and a soft rosy complexion, she was lovely. Demyx hardly noticed as he smiled back. "My name's Adelaide. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Demyx. Aren't you in the choir?" Demyx asked, suddenly remembering her face. She nodded, looking pleased.

"Yes I am! Are you in a music program?" She asked, interested. He nodded.

"I'm in the band," he replied, smiling. She smiled back.

"I see. Well, Demyx, it was nice meeting you. I have to go now, but um…if you'd maybe like to hang out some time…Could I give you my phone number?" She asked shyly. Demyx nodded, not really thinking about the deeper implications of what she was saying.

"Sure." He said giving her a friendly smile and taking out his cell phone. She quickly recited her number and said her goodbyes, blushing slightly. As she ran off, Demyx turned away, smiling to himself, then stopped, blinking. Oh…oooh. She liked him. He shook his head, and headed home. That was a shame; he'd like to be friends with her. Maybe she'd understand if he explained he had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who he never got to see…He sighed, his thoughts becoming gloomy once more.

Axel had tried. He’d tried so god damned hard to be loyal and make this whole long distance relationship thing work. But loneliness is a difficult adversary to overcome; particularly when you’re a certain redhead with an alcohol problem who’s used to being near his significant other at all times. Axel had given the odds a good run for its money, but the odds won.

At first, it was easy. He’d missed Demyx so much that he couldn’t even look at another person without feeling the hot prick of tears behind his eyes. Eventually the feeling had faded; occupying their house by himself and sleeping in their bed alone got easier. Soon enough, Axel was looking at others again and craving the attention. He needed the physical comfort that only another human being could provide.

It happened after a show; he was so drunk he could barely stand and she was just another girl that wanted into his pants. They went back to the house he and Demyx had made a home and in one night, he turned his home into a house again.

As the girl left in a huff from the nasty things Axel had said, he called Demyx. Tears were running down his face as he banged his head on the wall over and over while waiting for his boyfriend to pick up. He’d never questioned whether or not he should tell the blond what he’d done. Demyx deserved the truth no matter the outcome.

Demyx picked up his phone, putting his pencil down and smiling. Not many people called him after all, so it was probably Axel.

"Hello?" He asked brightly.

The redhead had almost hung up, but then his boyfriend had picked up. The cheerful voice he was greeted with just added to his guilt. Quickly finding his voice, he spoke up. “Hey Demyx, it’s me,” he responded softly.

Demyx frowned. "Axel? Hey babe, what's wrong?" he asked, wondering over the quiet slightly choked tones of his boyfriend's voice.

For several minutes Axel was silent unable to admit to his loving boyfriend what he’d done. Doing so would make it real and he didn’t want this to be real. He wanted to brush this off as being just another elaborate lie, just like he did with his alcohol problem.

“I...” He started only to choke up, “I cheated.”

Demyx's smile fell away. "What…?" What was he talking about? Cheated? Cheated at what? His mind couldn't process, couldn't understand. What did Axel mean: cheated?

“I cheated on you, Demyx. I slept with someone...else.” Axel’s voice left him. He mentally chastised himself. How dare he use his boyfriend’s name after uttering someone else’s name in bed. His lips were dirty now and he had no right to say Demyx’s name.

Demyx was silent for a long time. His brain was screaming denials even as hot tears prickled his eyes, spilling over onto his face in twin unchecked streams. He was lying. He was lying. Why would he tell such a cruel joke? He--he wouldn't… So he was telling the truth?

"Oh…" His voice was quiet and saturated with grief. He bit his lip hard, the phone shaking in his grip. "Please don't call again." He hung up quickly, his face dropping onto his arms on his desk. Sobs tore from his throat and his shoulders shook. He was angry, and hurt, and he felt sick. How could he?! He slammed his fist into the desk, but couldn't feel it. The pain in his hand was dwarfed by the pain that was forcing deep heart-rending sobs from him. How could he…

Axel kept his phone held to his ear for several minutes, the dial tone echoing sharply, until it slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a soft thud. “...fuck.” He muttered softly as tears ran down his cheeks and dripped off his chin. Nearly half an hour later, his phone rang. The redhead snatched it up quickly and answered thinking it was Demyx. Mikey, his best friend and singer in his band, was on the other end.

After much coaxing, he finally talked the depressed Axel into leaving the house and going out for a few hours. Mikey promised that it would be good for the redhead to get out and be around people. A night alone with his thoughts would just make things worse. But parties like the ones his friends threw are never good for relieving a man of his thoughts, nor are drugs.

Demyx spent the night locked in his room with his thoughts. By the time morning dawned, he had not slept and seriously considered just staying home. Instead, he hauled himself up and to the shower, shoving his hands in his pockets. He pulled a bit of paper out of one and looked at it. Adelaide's number…He stared at it for a bit, thinking. He needed to get out… He picked up the phone and dialed, clearing his throat.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Adelaide? This is Demyx. You busy today?"

Axel woke up the next morning on the couch at his band mates’ crappy apartment. His head felt like it was screwed on wrong and his mouth was dry. The room swam before his eyes as he reached out for someone who wasn’t there. Then it hit him like a kick in the nuts, he couldn’t reach out and hold Demyx anymore; he wasn’t Axel’s boyfriend anymore. The redhead bolted upright and buried his head in his hands, sobbing miserably.

Adelaide was a sweet girl, Demyx discovered. Gentle, pretty, petite, unabrasive. She was almost the exact opposite of Axel in every way. She was also fun to hang out with. They had a lot in common, and Demyx might have enjoyed himself if his insides didn't feel like a venomous snake was having its death throes in his abdomen. He hurt so much, but oddly enough, Adelaide's presence soothed it ever so slightly. He smiled for her, unwilling to let her see his pain. She deserved more than to be a rebound girl, but he needed someone to be there for him right now--even if they didn't realize how just being there was helping him. And as she took his hand shyly as they walked home after going out for dinner, he thought maybe. Just maybe…