AN: Demyx's noisy downstairs neighbours are based on my own noisy neighbours from uni. Thankfully, I don't live there any more, but they were the cause of many sleepless nights. I feel Demyx's pain all too well. Prompt 13 - "misfortune".

Demyx's day had started badly when the people in the apartment below his had begun playing loud, pounding music at one in the morning. The floor in Demyx's bedroom was shaking, and he had, reluctantly, woken up. His downstairs neighbours had an unfortunate habit of doing this. He'd spoken to the landlord, but nothing had been done about it. Sometimes, jumping up and down repeatedly made them reduce the volume. Demyx slid out of bed and stamped on the floor, shouting, "Some of us have to get up in the morning!" Nothing changed. He hunted around for the earplugs he'd bought last week, rammed them into his ears and climbed back into bed. The sound was muffled, but it hadn't stopped the vibrations. Still, it was an improvement. Eventually, from sheer exhaustion, he slept.

8.45am, and Demyx's first lecture was in fifteen minutes. He blinked, bleary eyes staring at the clock in disbelief. Thanks to his earplugs, he'd managed to sleep through his alarm. Panicking, he flung on the first clothes he found, brushed his teeth, grabbed a notepad and pen, and ran. Five minutes late, he sneaked, or tried to sneak, into the lecture theatre. Unfortunately, the only door was right at the front, where everybody could watch the latecomers arrive. He flushed red with embarrassment, as everyone in the room stared.

"So nice of you to join us this morning." The lecturer's sarcastic tone was worse than anger. Demyx muttered his apologies and scuttled to the nearest seat. He opened his notepad, only to find it was the one filled with his drawings and song lyrics, instead of lecture notes. He whispered to the person next to him. "Do you have any spare paper I can use?"

"What do I look like, a walking stationery store?" Grudgingly, a sheet of paper was handed over and Demyx started to write.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The lecture ended, and most people trooped out. Demyx stayed put - he had another session in the same room.

"Is this seat taken?" A young man, around Demyx's age, gestured to one of the chairs.

"No, go ahead."

"Thanks." The newcomer sat down, and Demyx found himself studying him. Blue-grey hair fell over one eye. It had to be dyed, nobody had hair that colour naturally. The eye that was visible was purple, again highly unusual. He spotted Demyx looking, and half-smiled. "I'm Zexion. And before you say anything, I already know it;s a strange name. People tell me all the time."

"Actually, I was going to say it's a cool name. I'm Demyx."

"First time I've had that reaction." He smiled properly then, meeting Demyx's eyes.

"I hate to be a nuisance, since we've only just met, but can I possibly borrow some paper?"

"Of course. How much do you need?"

They started writing, Demyx sneaking peeks at Zexion's notes. His handwriting was meticulous, and he hadn't missed a single detail. When Demyx looked back at hos own work, he realised there was a problem. "Damn."

"What is it?"

"My pen just ran out." Wordlessly, Zexion pulled another out of his bag and handed it to the blond. "Thanks."

"No problem."

They continued working, and the time passes surprisingly quickly. When the lecture finished, Demyx asked what Zexion was doing for the rest of the day.

"I've got nothing in particular planned."

"Let's go get lunch. I'll pay, if we can go by my place first."

"If you're sure."

"I am. Let's go." Walking into the sunshine, Zexion started laughing suddenly. Demyx looked startled. "What?"

"Did you get dressed in the dark this morning?" He indicated Demyx's clothes. Demyx looked down at himself and groaned. His T-shirt was on backwards and he was wearing odd socks - one blue, one orange.

"I was still asleep when I got dressed this morning, thanks to my inconsiderate neighbours." He launched into his explanation as they walked down the road.

"I feel your pain."

When they reached the building, Demyx fumbled in his pocket for the keys... which weren't there. Cautiously, he tried the door handle, and realised it wasn't locked. "I told you I wasn't having a good morning. I didn't realise I'd managed to go out without my door keys." Entering his apartment, he quickly surveyed his belongings. In the first stroke of luck that day, nothing was missing. He picked up his wallet and keys from the floor, where he'd left them last night, dropped his lecture notes on the desk, and put his shirt on the right way round. The socks were irrelevant, they could stay as they were.

"You're a musician?"

"Yes." Zexion was inspecting the collection of guitars leaning against one wall. "I've got a piano back home, but it was far too big to bring. Do you play anything?"

"No. Had lessons for years, but never managed to get the hang of it."

"That's a shame."

They headed back outside, Demyx locking the door firmly behind them. "I still can't believe I did that."

"You weren't properly awake. It's understandable."

"I've just been really unlucky so far today. It'll all be fine tomorrow."

"The eternal optimist, are you?"

"You could say that, yes."

The two of them talked non-stop through lunch, realising that they had many of the same lectures, but somehow hadn't noticed each other before. Zexion commented that he was normally a very quiet person, and this behaviour was most unlike him.

"Must be because of me, then!" Demyx grinned, resting his hand on Zexion's shoulder.

"Maybe it is." Their eyes met and both could see the instant attraction that had flared between them.

"If I've got completely the wrong idea, Zexion, just tell me, ok?" Demyx leaned forward, brushing a kiss across Zexion's lips, fully expecting to be pushed away, or hit around the face. Instead, Zexion returned the gesture, and linked the fingers of his left hand with Demyx's right.

"You haven't got the wrong idea." A blush was spreading across Zexion's face, and Demyx thought it was adorably sweet.

"I didn't really think I had."

AN: Some of this really happened to me, other parts didn't. I really did go to a lecture with my T-shirt on backwards, and didn't realise until the label started making my neck itchy. Still, some people I know have turned up in pyjamas and slippers, so that's not really too bad.