What Fills the Silence (Kingdom Hearts II, Demyx)

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

Title: What Fills the Silence
Author: cleflink
Rating: G
Warnings: Technically voyeurism, but in a particularly banal sense
Word count: 698
Prompt: karaoke - they'd be embarrassed if he wasn't so damned good

Summary: Demyx likes to sing in the shower. Xigbar and Axel like to listen.

It was Roxas who eventually found them out.

“Is this some sort of obscure initiation ritual I don’t know about?” XIII asked dryly, hips and shoulders akimbo as he leaned in the doorway. “Because I’m not really sure I want to know when it’s my turn.”

“Shut the door and sit down,” Axel told him, waving his hand absently in Roxas’ general direction. “You’re going to miss it.”

“Miss what?” Roxas asked, though he was pulling the door closed as he spoke, too trusting by far.

So Xigbar grinned at him, wild and vaguely threatening. “You’ll just have to watch and find out, now won’t you kid?”

Roxas appeared unimpressed, cool blue gaze drifting incuriously towards the window-wide pool of darkness rippling against the far wall. Through it he could see Demyx, humming tunelessly as he splashed in a large pool, completely oblivious to the scrutiny.

One blond eyebrow slanted upwards. “I didn’t realize bathing was a spectator sport around here.”

Axel’s answering grin was even more wolfish than Xigbar’s. “You’d be surprised what sort of things become spectator sports around here,” he leered.

“I rather doubt that.” Roxas perched on the couch next to him, undeterred, and something like honest appreciation crept into Axel’s expression.

He gestured towards Demyx. “Just hang tight – he’ll start in a second.”

Roxas opened his mouth to ask the inevitable question, but paused when Demyx’s vague humming shifted suddenly into something more, hums becoming notes becoming words, spinning half hesitant snatches of song out of nothing until the pool resounded with the haunting sound of Demyx’s voice.

Xigbar made a pleased noise and leaned back in his chair, single eye drifting contentedly shut. One hand tapped on his knee in time with the halting tenor of Demyx’s voice.

“Singing?” Roxas demanded, as close to baffled as he ever came. “You’re listening to him sing?”

Axel shrugged. “What? He’s good. And he always stutters like mad when we try to make him sing in public.”

“Which is a shame,” II added, eye still closed. “Because it would sure go a long way to livening this place up.”

They got a decidedly blank stare for that. “Doesn’t it bother you?”

“What? Watching him sing in the shower?” Axel shrugged. “Not really.”

Xigbar grinned. “Hard to be embarrassed when you haven’t got any feelings. And what’s a little invasion of privacy between non-entities, anyway?” He leaned back more comfortably in his chair, leather sliding against leather. “Besides, IX’s pretty damn good for a Nobody, don’t you think?”

Demyx was still singing, his voice growing stronger with each note though the music kept jumping around, starting out slow, then whirling into a rapid spill of winged words that swooped and danced in the empty air. The words were half-formed and nearly insensible, vague thoughts and snatches of images that were at once dizzyingly cheerful and painfully melancholy.

It wasn’t a real song, not like Roxas understood they were supposed to sound, but it seemed somehow more appropriate like this – broken and unfinished but powerful despite that, a shadow of something full and alive, shell and regret and memory all at once.

Axel was watching him with a distinctly smug expression and Roxas decided against pretending he didn’t agree.

“You two come listen to him often?” he asked instead, and Axel’s smirk widened.

“Maybe,” VIII hedged, obviously enjoying himself. “Why? You want to join us?”

Roxas shrugged. “Maybe.”

Xigbar’s chuckle was low and amused, a perfect counterpoint to the lilting warble of Demyx’s airy tenor. “If you two have quite finished flirting, you’re missing the show.”

“It’s not a karaoke bar,” Roxas muttered, but he settled himself more comfortably on the couch at Axel’s side, eyes on Demyx’s slim form. A long arm snaked around his shoulder without any attempt at subtlety and Roxas rolled his eyes. “You’re hopeless” he declared, making no attempt to move. “Both of you.”

“You wound me, kiddo,” Axel grinned, pulling him close. “Now shut up and enjoy.”

Which wasn't really possible for a Nobody, but with Demyx's voice dancing bright and clear around them and Axel's side warm and solid against him, Roxas figured he could ignore that fact just this once.

~owari

Comments

[kawaiigami.livejournal.com]

Neat! I like how you describe Demyx's singing, and the interaction between the characters. :)

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thanks! I kinda figure that music would be hard for Demyx when he doesn't technically have a heart, but I think the longing for it would help make up for it.

And these guys just love snarking at each other *sighs* I'm surprised they shut up after only 700 words. :)

[hiza-chan.livejournal.com]

That was beautiful. I loved it. I almost want to see a fic in his point of view about the differences of singing when he was alive and when he was a nobody...

Damn, though. That was pretty. ♥

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

Hmm, it would probably be a lot more frustrating from Demyx's point of view and...no! Bad thoughts! No follow-up fic for me! *shakes head hard* Damn plot bunnies...

Glad you enjoyed! ^__^

[janegray.livejournal.com]

I could have sworn I left a comment here *shakes fist at stupid server*

Anyway, I really, really loved this fict :D

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

Ah, the joys of the internet. :P Thanks very much for reading and commenting (twice-ish!) ^__^

[de-yaten.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow! I really really liked this. I loved the dynamics between the characters, and the dialogue was really well done. ("Hard to be embarrassed when you haven’t got any feelings. And what’s a little invasion of privacy between non-entities, anyway?” cracked me up)

I loved your description of the singing as well. It was very... errr, lyrical, forgive the bad pun.

:D

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

*happy face* Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed! Banter is something I like to play with and Xigbar always seems to come up with good lines. And I think I used almost every description of music there is in this thing, so you are more than permitted the pun usage.

Thanks very much! :)

[dogmatix-san.livejournal.com]

ohhh, that's nice. Really like how you described the Dem's singing, and Roxas' observations were great X3

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

^__^ I enjoy Roxas when he's being snarky - especially at Axel. Glad you liked!

[emerald-embers.livejournal.com]

Love, love the dialogue, but it's the descriptions of Demyx's singing that kills me in this - it's so... it's something you almost feel, beautiful even if you can't hear it, and it's just marvellous. Axel's man-crush on Roxas is still cute as anything but I love how it's a background thing in this 'cause everyone's just smitten with Demyx's voice - and Xigbar's not-entirely-subtle ogling is awesome too.

Love this to bits, it's just so evocative :).

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

*hugs massively* Your comment makes me grin like a loon because I just love playing with unusual wordage and it's so rewarding to hear it is enjoyed by others. (And I think it's impossible for me to write Org stuff without Axel's man-crush showing up somewhere - it's just too cute).

Thanks! ^__^