In The Morning (Too Young)
Pairing: Even x Ienzo
Rating: M for sensitive subjects, such as shota (chan) and homosexual relationships, as well as sex in later chapters
So, I was listening to a song by the Junior Boys called In The Morning (hence the title), and it sparked the idea to do a triplet ficlet focusing on pairs with a noticeable age gap. This is the first of the three, featuring a pair that I don't think gets nearly enough love: Even and Ienzo, Vexen and Zexion's Somebodies. They're so hilariously awkward. I'll try to keep them as in character as possible, and I hope you enjoy. Also, do keep in mind that there are some iffy subjects in here which include shota, which means that there is a large age gap between the two. I ask that you, as a reader, keep an open mind while reading this. Also, a minor explanation: in the chapter title, there will be two numbers, such as 4-46; these represent Ienzo and Even's ages, respectively.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot, and I am making no monies (munnies) off of this fiction. Kingdom Hearts and Disney own what they own in this, and the "Curiosities and Anomalies in Medicine" belongs to its respectful authors (I do own that book though, it's intense XD). Thankees!
Chapter One: 4-46: Cute Things Are Always Small, Why Is That?
Ienzo came under his care at age four. Even himself was forty-six, and considered himself far too old for fatherhood, be it adopted or biological. Aeleus and Dilan certainly couldn't do it, however, due to the fact that they had duties as soldiers and guards; Braig wasn't trusted as a decent caretaker, and so Even was stuck with the child who refused to speak.
Even led the child to his laboratory, stressed and pissed and hoping to Mickey that the kid would stay quiet and out of his way. He pulled a stool into the corner and pointed to it.
"You will sit there and you will not move. I will tolerate no talking, and so help me, if you so much as think about touching anything, the punishment will be severe," he said, waiting for the child to seat himself before returning to his experiment of the day.
He glanced at the child from time to time to make sure he was doing just what he was supposed to do, and to Even's intense relief, he was. Ienzo was staring at him very intently every time he looked over, but it was something Even dismissed as a child's natural curiosity.
The day passed without incident. Even had successfully compiled his report for the day and Ienzo had kept to himself. Even had cleaned and organized the lab before he heard the deep, quiet gasp of a yawn from Ienzo's corner. He turned to see the child running tiredly at his eyes, and he realized he had no clue what to do with Ienzo. The instructions that were given to him were vague and simple- "The child has no parents, see to it that he is taken care of and provided for, as you are his new guardian."
Even barely took care of himself, let alone anyone else. He couldn't even keep animals; any animals he used in his experiments were usually one timers, and he had absolutely no desire to keep a filthy pet.
He gazed at Ienzo, who stared back coolly. The child was dressed terribly, his black shirt was ripped and dirty, his jeans were also torn and much too small. He had on socks that were mostly holes, and no shoes. His slate-colored hair was mussed and tangled. Even sighed, running his hand through equally tangled hair, and reluctantly decided that the child needed new clothes, and a bath.
He sighed again to placate himself, and gestured for Ienzo to follow him out of the lab. Ienzo waas at his side in an instant, waiting patiently as Even locked the door. He turned and began walking to the stairs that led out of the basement and into the cobblestone streets of Hollow Bastion.
Even walked quickly out of habit, as it gave him a no-nonsense air and deterred other people from trying to bother him. He didn't realize how disadvantageous this was for Ienzo until the boy let out a frustrated whimiper and ran as fast as he could to catch up, grasping onto the blonde scientist's lab coat sleeve with tiny fingers. Even stopped, surprised, and glared down at the child, who met his green eyes with the same look.
"You walk too fast," Ienzo complained softly. Even tensed, the boy's voice new to him, and drilling deep into his core. Without making any sort of conscious decision (something he never did), he picked Ienzo up and resumed walking despite the child's silent and feeble resistance.
"You'll have to learn to walk faster then."
Even was somewhat of a hermit-it didn't take a genius to figure that one out. His small apartment was immaculate, like a hospital, and smelled that way too, like no one dwelled there.
The living room held a large, dark green armchair that was well-used from being read in, and oftentimes slept in. The walls were lined with books about everything, with more stacked on the floor. Heavy dark green curtains blocked out the setting sun and a single lamp illuminated the small room from next to the armchair. The small kitchen held enough dishware for exactly two people, and the fridge held enough for a well-balanced, albeit bland, diet. The bathroom was done in white and dark green. Even's bedroom was completely white, and lacked anything personal save for clothing. Everything was organized and color coded.
Ienzo loved it, staring approvingly before wandering over to the books. Even watched him closely from behind the half-wall separating the kitchen and the living room as he prepared a mushroom soup and bread for dinner. Leaving the bread to warm later and the soup to boil, he walked into the bathroom and ran a bath for Ienzo. The child in question had occupied himself with a medical dictionary (illustrated, of course) in the armchair. Even searched for and found an old lab coat that was too small for him, thinking that baggy, rolled up clothes were better than nothing. He'd bully Tifa into getting Ienzo some fitting clothes tomorrow.
"Ienzo. Come take a bath," Even called gruffly, placing the coat on the bathroom counter next to the sink and turning off the water. The bath was half-full with steamy water, causing condensation to form on the mirror. Ienzo walked in slowly, eyeing the bath warily.
"I don't want to take a bath," he mumbled, and turned to walk back out. Even grabbed him by his shoulder, his long, calloused and scarred fingers engulfing the tiny joint.
"Then I regret to inform you that it is not a choice. No bath, no dinner," Even replied. Ienzo stood there, angry and pouting, his little hands clenched into fists. Finally, with a scowl and a dejected huff, Ienzo shoved Even's hand off of his shoulder, and then pushed at Even's legs.
"Get out. I'm fine by myself," Ienzo said indignantly. Even just muttered a quick, "don't drown", and returned to the kitchen to finish dinner.
He'd just finished setting out the food when Ienzo came into the room, practically swimming in the coat made for tall, skinny men and not little boys. His hair was damp and ruffled, the back sticking up every which way. He sniffed and eyed Even with contempt. The blonde simply raised an eyebrow and stared back. Ienzo, frustrated at their staring contest, held out his arms, the lab coat sleeves dangling, and made an annoyed noise.
Sighing heavily, Even knelt down and began folding the sleeves, stopping once Ienzo's hands were visible. He then hauled the boy onto a chair, and combed Ienzo's hair quickly into place with his fingers, another unconscious decision (two in one day, how unhealthy). Not wanting to encroach upon the child's personal space anymore (and to quell the sudden trembling in his stomach), he stood and sat at his own chair to eat. Ienzo sat there for a moment, his eyes barely clearing the top of the table. Suddenly, he leapt off the chair and scampered into the other room, Even gazing after him in question. The slate-haired boy returned carrying the thickest book Even owned-a complete, unabridged dictionary-and set it onto the chair. He proceeded to climb on top of it and sit down, now able to reach his dinner.
Where most children of Ienzo's age would refuse such a bland, "adult" dinner, Ienzo ate it all without complaint. After dinner and dishes, Even set up a makeshift bed on the armchair, pulling out the footrest and leaning it back to make it more bed-like for Ienzo. The boy crawled into the chair, trailing the too-long coat after himself, lugging the dictionary behind him.
Even had turned off the lamp and was walking to his own bedroom when he was stopped by a softly spoken question.
"Why aren't your books alphabetized?"
He stood at the corner where the hall met the living room, and wondered why he had never even considered that before. Why weren't they? Everything else that could be, was.
"There are too many for me to organize," he concluded aloud. "I don't have the time."
And with that, he left the room.
Even worked diligently through the day, focusing intently on a new experiment for Ansem. He'd left Ienzo at the apartment; mostly to keep him out of the way, and secretly because he couldn't bring himself to wake the child.
He finished late, and the stars were well in the sky as he made his way home. Stopping in front of his door, he listened for anything out of the ordinary, but was met with silence. He really hoped the child hadn't blown anything up. Or died of gas poisoning. Or…He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
He then proceeded to have a heart attack.
Not really, but the shock left him speechless and thoughtless-a new concept for him, Even, the great scientist.
The living room had been changed, the stacks of books on the floor now in neat rows. Ienzo's bedding was folded and stacked on the chair. In the middle of the room lay the boy himself, snoozing on top of the dictionary.
Even slowly made his way over to the shelf closest to the hallway, where the books started. They all began with A. Then B. And so on, so forth until Even was back at the front door, staring at a book titled, "Zygotes".
The blonde scientist swallowed thickly and looked over at where Ienzo snored softly, swamped in clothes too big for him. He didn't know how it happened. He didn't know that it could happen, even, and especially not in such a short time of knowing the child.
But it was then that Even realized, consciously and otherwise, the he loved Ienzo.