Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything related to it.


There was thunder in the distance, and the sky above was dark, full of gloomy, gray clouds. But all else was quiet -- peaceful even. The once gentle breeze now threatened to chill the boy straight down to his bones.

"If it starts to rain, I suggest you come inside, or else you'll catch a cold."

"I'm not a fool, Even; I know better than to do such a silly thing as stay outside long enough to get ill."

"I was just--"

"I know what you were doing." A small smile as he kicked his legs, his feet inches from the water below him.

Ienzo was seated on the edge of the dock, swaying a little back and forth as he continued to swing his legs. "It's beautiful, though, is it not?"

"Is what beautiful, child?"

A small giggle. "The sky, silly! The sky is beautiful, is it not?"

"Oh. Yes, yes it is. Can you please come inside now? It's--"

"--looking as if it is about to rain, and I don't want you to catch a cold!" finished Ienzo, turning his head to look over his shoulder and up at Even with a cute smile. "Is that what you were about to say?"

Even frowned, silent for a moment. "Have you seen Aeleus at all today?" he asked, not-so-skillfully changing the subject.

"Yes," replied the teenager, turning his head back to look ahead of him. "I had lunch with him; it was quite nice. You should have joined us."

"You know I--"

"I know. I was merely being polite and saying that you should have; does not necessarily mean that I wanted you there."

There was a silence.

"I was not being serious, old man."

A small, silent gasp from Even. He opened his mouth, then shut it and frowned. Then opened it again and said, "I am not an old man, little boy."

"Stop calling me such names like 'little boy' and 'child', and I shall stop referring to you as 'old man'."

"Deal."

Ienzo blinked as a small raindrop hit his nose. Then another on his cheek. But he did not say anything, but rather, waited for the other to say something.

Yet there was nothing being said about the change of weather from the older one; he merely stood there, gaze lost in the beautiful but dark sky…

It was decided, then -- Ienzo pushed himself up to a stand and pulled on the sleeve of Even's shirt.

"Time to go in now; I do not want you to catch a cold," grinned the boy, tilting his head to the side as the raindrops began to fall in greater and faster numbers now.

Even glanced down at the boy, smiling and chuckling softly. "Indeed, I do not wish to catch a cold, either." He put a hand gently atop the boy's head as they soon began to walk back down the dock to the house up on the hill.