AN: My, it's been a while, hasn't it? I hope you all had a lovely holiday and New Years!

I don't own the characters, just the story. Characters property of Square Enix.

Italics are an instant messaging chat.

A soft voice filled my head. A soft, sweet voice. It filled my ears, my body, dragging me out of my thoughts. The evening air had previously been silent but for my puffy breath and the occasional passing of a car, and the light hum that escaped me every so often. The cold wind carried the voice towards me. I froze as the voice grew louder; it seemed familiar to me in the way that reading a classic novel already feels familiar before you've even started. The cold winter air rushed past me as the voice wafted towards me. Closer, closer, closer with every passing moment. For all I knew, the person belonging to the voice could have been five feet behind me and wouldn't have known.

"You didn't have to offer your hand. Cause since I've kissed it I am at your command. But you did."

The first set of clear words drifted towards me. I had thought the song sounded familiar, but having previously only caught a word or two stretched over the wind, I couldn't be sure. "Oh, Turpentine ease me whole."

"Cause I-"

"Don't want to live my life alone." I completely froze.

"Well I-"

"Was waiting for you all my life."

There was utter silence following the phrase. Had the singer left? Did they not know the rest? I did my best to stay solidly frozen; the less noise I made and the harder I strained my ear, the more likely I would be to hear the voice. And yet…

Nothing.

Not a sound drifted through the winter air. I strained and strained and strained and strained, and yet… Nothing. I sighed and picked up my viola case, having dropped it in the snow and headed towards home.

"Mum! I'm home!" I shouted through the house, stamping the frozen show off my shoes.

A lady poked her head out an archway. "Ah! Hello! My, you're home late. Do you want anything to eat Zexion?"

"No thanks, mum." I said, moving to the stairs. "We grabbed something to eat." I could feel her eyes on the back of my head as I walked up the stairs. "I promise I'm eating, mum. The receipt is in my jacket pocket. Inside left." Her mad scrambling to my jacket elicited a chuckle from me as I entered the room I shared with my cousin, Riku.

"Hey bro." He said, turning he full-bodied nakedness towards me.

I rolled my eyes. He was one of those type who strolled around in his birthday suit just to say he did, and frankly, it was getting old. "Would you please put clothes on, at least a pair of pants? I don't want to see your penis every time I walk into my room." I asked politely as I could muster. Surely it came out harshly, but I could honestly care less: it was almost 11 and I needed to be up in 6 hours to be at rehearsal for 6:30. I sat down at the computer and closed the copious tabs of porn while he dug around for something to wear. "Do you masturbate all day, or do you have a job?" I drawled, signing into my email.

"Actually," Zip. "I got into that college on 111th, so I'll be starting there tomorrow." He sighed heavily, flopping onto his small hide-a-bed. "Looks like no more all day porn for me."

"I wasn't being serious, but-" My eyes flickered back to the screen, hunting rapidly for the familiar buzz. "Mum's got food downstairs. Go be a pig." I said directly into the screen.

The straining of old springs groaned from behind me. "Why? Your boyfriend online?" His footsteps and strong body odor lurked towards me.

I spun around."Firstly, he's neither my boyfriend nor my type, and second, I don't interrupt you when you have your computer time. Hell, the only thing I've said was keep it down a little. Go away." He huffed and left as I spun back around, cracking my knuckles.

Zexion: Hey Demyx.

demyx: hey zexy! what took you so long?

Zexion: :rolls eyes: We decided to go out to grab a bite to eat after practice. Told you I'd be home before midnight, didn't I?

demyx: true... how was it?

Zexion: The practice or the food?

demyx: lol the practice.

Zexion: Pretty good. Everyone's stressed out since we're playing the New Years Eve festival in 5 days so they all keep fucking up, but it still sounds good.

demyx: good! i'm excited to hear it.

Zexion: You'll love it.

Zexion: Oh! You'll never guess what happened on my way back.

demyx: uh... you were mugged by a homeless man who ended up being your long lost uncle, so you brought him home to get riku, but riku had already run off with the priest's son/daughter?

Zexion: I totally wish. That would be amazing!

demyx: bet whatever actually happened wasn't as good.

Zexion: Decide for yourself. You know how I keep telling you about that guy who's been singing in the hallways at school and has that amazing voice?

demyx: i don't think you'd let me forget.

Zexion: Well, I heard him in the park on the way home.

demyx: no way!

Zexion: I know! And guess what he was singing this time?

demyx: dancing queen?

demyx: beside me?

demyx: the teenage mutant ninja turtles theme?

Zexion: Demyx! -.- Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffes!

demyx: ...what song?

Zexion: You know, the one by that band I was telling you about at lunch?

Zexion: Anyways, I was walking home and I heard it and something compelled me to sing the next phrase. Then he sang. And then I did. And then he did. And then me. And the it was silent.

Zexion: Demyx?

demyx: humm? you're done talking now?

Zexion: Be excited with me.

demyx: like omg zexy! some mystery guy was singing your favorite song by some no name band! you should hunt him down from the no name band fansite and totally get with him!

Zexion: Really, Demyx? Really?

demyx: oh, don't forget the girlish squeal at the end and the flailing.

demyx: couldn't it have just been a coincidence?

Zexion: Unlikely. As you said, they're a relatively no name band, at least in this area, and the only person who knows they're my favorite is you.

Zexion: Was it you?

demyx: pssh. it was taco night.

Zexion: Take that as a no.

Zexion: Then they must have overheard us at lunch.

demyx: you're hot on the trail holmes. i gotta hit the sack, so don't go killing my dog again.

Zexion: Elementary, my dear Watson. I shall try my best.

Zexion: Night.

demyx: night.

I shut the computer down, changed into my pyjamas, and crawled tiredly into bed. Downstairs in the kitchen, I could hear Riku already complaining about college and mum tiredly arguing the joys of the situation. I rolled over and gazed out the window and into the night with its glowing moonlight and glittering snowflakes. Somewhere out there was the mystery voice, and I knew I would eventually find him. Eventually, I knew.