. : : The Cookie Cake Incident : : .

-PART ONE-

Demyx's mother had always told his sister, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Then she would proceed to drag his unwilling flesh and blood into the kitchen where she taught her how to make some of the most delicious masterpieces Demyx had ever tasted. He on the other hand, was forbidden from entering the kitchen. That was the woman's area. His place was in the forest, hunting with his father. So Demyx had resigned himself to getting as close as possible to the kitchen without actually entering it. If he were ever to show an interest in something 'girly' he would get an earful and most likely a beating from his dad. As his only son, Demyx was required to be a man, and the kitchen is not where the man belongs. The man is supposed to put the meat on the table. Yeah, his family was old fashioned like that, and as soon as he was old enough, Demyx would be forced to hunt alongside his dad.

At the young age of six Demyx, in an attempt to get closer to the kitchen, sat at the family's piano, which was located right next to the kitchen door. He figured out that as long as it looked and sounded like he was playing the large instrument, he could smell the smells, and see the sights behind that door without being reprimanded for being interested in cooking. At some point, while Demyx was pretending to play piano, he began recognizing different chords and notes, though he had no idea that was what they were called, he just knew he like the way it sounded. Eventually he no longer pretended to play, and sounded rather good while still listening to the instructions his mom gave his sister on the proper techniques of cooking. Then one day, after Demyx had been teaching himself piano for about a year, Grandpa Strife came over to visit. As was a custom for his family his mother immediately went to the kitchen with his sisters Larxene and Naminé to cook, although Naminé just watched since she was still too young to help, while the men watched TV. Demyx quickly grew bored of watching the pictures on the box move, and trotted over to the piano so he could watch his mom and sisters.

At first everything happened like it usually did. His mom and sisters went on cooking, not knowing they had an audience, his dad and Grandpa continued to watch TV, barely noticing the piano music being played a mere ten feet away from them, and Demyx continued to move his small fingers across the keyboard playing a random melody he had recently written. And then it all changed, his Grandpa finally picked up the extra noise in the room and his interest was immediately peeked. It was not amazing, no not even close, but when he saw that the person playing was his seven year old grandson he couldn't help but be amazed. He hadn't heard live piano music since his own father had died, and to know his son was having his grandson take piano lessons made his heart soar. Even with Demyx's unrefined talent he could hear his father in every note. "How long has he been getting lessons, John?" Grandpa Strife asked his son.

"Mmm, he's not getting lesson Pa, we don't have that kind of money." John answered.

"You mean this is him playing, without any sort of teaching? He's just figured this out on his own?"

"Yeah, he spends all his time on that damn piano. Larxene and Naminé watch TV at least, but that kid, he's always at the keys. I don't know what's wrong with him."

"He's got a calling John. This is not something you waste; you feed this and let it grow. He's got so much potential. Let me teach him boy. I'll do it for free. Just let me come over twice, no three times a week and let me teach him the basics, and show him what the notes he's playing look like. He could be so amazing John."

"Alright Dad, if it makes you happy go ahead."

At first Demyx didn't care for these lessons, he hardly paid attention to them. All he could think about was the fact that his grandpa was standing directly in front of the kitchen door and he could no longer see his mama cooking. Also, his grandpa had one of those loud booming voices that would be heard throughout the house, and made it impossible for Demyx to hear anything his mom was saying to Larxene. However, after he finally gave up on being able to spy on the kitchen activities, Demyx actually started listening and he learned that he really liked it. He began looking forward to these lessons, and even begged Grandpa Strife to come over more often, he had so little to learn in so much time…wait scratch that, he had so much to learn in so little time, and he wanted to know everything.

His grandpa not only taught him how to read and play but he taught him about all the great piano composers and Demyx was always eager to learn more. Before long, Demyx found he didn't care about the kitchen so much, he just wanted to play, and he wanted to make beautiful noise in his ugly life. Sure, he still thought about being able to cook with his mom, but playing piano with his grandpa was a perfect substitute in his opinion. When he had a bad day, all he had to do was pound those keys and everything was significantly better. When he had an incredibly wonderful day he fluidly ran his fingers over the keys in a cheerful tone letting the whole world know exactly how he felt. He'd never known something as wonderful as music and he would always be grateful that his grandpa honed his skills and believed in him every step of the way.

When Demyx's grandpa died he was only ten and that piano was all he had left of the man. He'd loved him more than anything but he knew he couldn't cry for him. His father didn't allow such an emotion to be shown that way. It was okay to hit your wife a little, yell at your annoying son, and chop the hell out of a tree, but crying was unacceptable. So Demyx did all he could do. He played that piano that held so many memories, and he played it for days without end. His favorite person in the world was gone and he wasn't coming back. With his mom always in the kitchen with his sisters he never saw her, and his dad, he was afraid of him and didn't want to be near him. His only comfort, the only love he'd ever received was from the man he'd just seen buried and he felt lost.

After three days of constant piano playing, and no sleep or food, only a few glasses of water, Demyx finally went to bed, collapsing in complete exhaustion. With any luck he'd wake up and find it was all a dream. Unfortunately Demyx didn't have such luck. He was woken up at three in the morning by his father, who grabbed his shoulder and forced him into a standing position. Demyx nearly fell over seeing as his foggy brain had just been completely disoriented but he caught himself, "Mmmup, whyyiam up?"

"Get dressed boy, I'm taking you hunting." His father spoke much too loud for this time of the morning.

"Why?"

"It'll cheer you up. Get dressed."

That was the day John found out his boy was a complete disappointment. When Demyx pulled the trigger it was all over. All hope that he had for that kid was lost. "Oh my God! I killed Bambi! You made me shoot Bambi! That poor fluffy little Bambi, he was just eating then…BAM" Demyx clapped his hands together loudly, "He's not eating any more. I'm so sorry, how could I do that. I'm…I'm, I'm a murderer, a murderer. How could you let me do that Dad, he was just eating, innocently going about life, and, and…" John couldn't take it anymore; with great force he backhanded his son, who shook it off admirably.

"We have to eat too, Demyx."

Demyx's eyes went wide as he clapped his gun free hand over his heart, "We're gonna eat him! Oh my God!" And then it truly started. Demyx cried the entire way home. John debated pulling over and beating the shit out of him, but he had a strong feeling that wouldn't help anything. Demyx just wasn't the son he wanted, and because of that, and the fact that his father was dead, he'd be hunting alone from now on.

As soon as they arrived home Demyx ran to the old Joanna and wrote a dark, brooding song that could give Rachmaninov a run for his money. He put all of his grief, all of his guilt from pulling that trigger into the song as he pounded away at the black and whites. The piano became the only thing in his life that cared about him, and before long, Demyx forgot about his desire to be in the kitchen, and focused only on playing the piano and learning any other instrument he came across. The kitchen had left his life; at least, it had until recently.

He'd been living with his cousins for a few months now. Why you might ask? Well, after John figured out he couldn't beat the gay out of Demyx he kicked him out of the house. He gave his only son, one duffel bag and said, "Whatever you can fit in that, is yours. You leave the rest and never come back boy. You're no longer welcome here."

So Demyx packed a few items of clothing and as much food as possible and started walking. It was the dead of winter and he'd piled as much clothing on himself as he could manage while keeping the ability to walk, but he was still cold. The only pair of shoes he had was a ragged pair of converse sneakers and they were soaking through in the snow. But even the chill in his feet was not the coldest thing he was feeling. His heart felt frozen. He knew he was a disappointment, but how could his father do that to him. How could he just throw him into the negative degree weather and forget about him. He understood why his mom didn't fight to keep him in the house, she would've been beaten for that, but it still hurt him that she wasn't willing to try. He'd seen a mama bear risk her life for her cubs on the discovery channel, but his own mother wasn't willing to get a bruise or two.

Then Demyx realized how selfish that sounded and immediately scolded himself for thinking his mother should risk her life for him. "I'm a horrible son. Only an awful person would want his mama to get hurt to protect him. I should be able to protect myself; she shouldn't need to be there for me…My feet hurt." He said to the cold air around him, knowing no one would ever hear him in the middle of nowhere but hating the silence.

After walking for about an hour with the frozen air eating at his exposed skin, while the sun kissed the earth goodnight, Demyx finally saw headlights in the distance. As the car neared him, Demyx through his thumb out, praying that his grandpa was watching over him and sent this car his way. Those thoughts were soon diminished when the car kept going. He let a single tear fall down his cheek before throwing his duffel to the ground, ready to give up and just die. He had no chance of getting anywhere warm on foot and knew he'd be dead soon anyway. Just as he was about to collapse in the snow next to his bag, the car stopped, then it jerked a bit and began moving towards Demyx in reverse. "Thank you Grandpa, thank you." He picked up his bag and rushed toward the black Pontiac.

"Were you headed kid?" The driver called through the open window.

"Somewhere warm?" Demyx responded. The driver chuckled in such a way that Demyx was immediately warmed and somewhat giddy at its sultry sound.

"Throw your shit in the trunk; I'm heading to Twilight Town, you heard of it?" The man asked.

"Um, yeah actually," Demyx walked around and placed his bag in the trunk of the car before climbing into the passenger's seat, "My cousins live th- wow." Demyx stopped as his eyes found his company. The man looked like he'd be incredibly tall if allowed to stand and if his extravagant red hair and intense green eyes weren't enough to catch your attention the inverted triangle tattoos under his eyes would do the trick. Oh, and that smirk that just screamed 'yeah I'm sexy, I know it, what are you gonna do about it' made Demyx completely speechless.

"You okay there cuttie?"

"Oh, um yeah, sorry. Um I have heard of Twilight Town, my cousins live there so this will be good. I'll probably be able to convince them to let me stay for a little while. It's pretty awesome that you just happen to be going to a nowhere town that my family just happens to live in." Demyx silently thanked his grandfather again.

"Eh, small world."

Almost immediately after the redhead began driving, Demyx felt his eyes getting heavy and before long he passed out. Several hours later Demyx woke up to find his head in the redhead's lap and jumped up in his seat.

"Morning sunshine." He greeted Demyx.

"Demyx."

"What?"

"My name is Demyx, you called me sunshine. Sunshine makes me think of happy things, and I'm not really happy, so I'm more like sundown. But I think it's probably just better that you call me my real name."

"Alright then, I can do that Sundown. My name is Axel, A-X-E-L, got it memorized?"

"I doubt it. The only thing I seem to be able to memorize is music; I don't have room for anything else."

"Okay, I guess I can accept that, music is more useful than my name anyway. So Sundown, where do these cousins of yours live?" Demyx rattled off the address, "Hmm, I know where that is. We should be there soon."

"You keep calling me Sundown."

"And."

"Nothing, I've just, I've never had a real nickname before."

"How does that happen?" Axel asked.

"I don't know? I just never had one." Demyx tried to think back to high school. He'd never really had any friends. Larxene called him twerp, Naminé called him Demyx, his mom called him…hmm, he wasn't even sure he'd ever heard her say his name. She never had a reason to talk to him. And his dad, his dad had many names for him, the most common and nicest one was boy. "I guess, boy, was a nickname I had."

"Boy, that's the best your friends could do?"

"I didn't have friends. That's just one of the names my dad called me."

"One of them? Can I assume the other ones weren't quite as kind?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry Sundown, that's awful. My pops ran out on me, my brother and my mom so I never had to deal with a father figure."

"I'm sorry too. Wasn't that hard for you?" Demyx asked.

"No, not at all. See my mom; she's the greatest woman in the world. She did everything for my brother and me. We never really had time to miss a father figure 'cause she filled both spaces."

"You mom sounds cool."

"She's the best."

"Do you live around here?" Demyx asked curiously, he was kind of interested in meeting this amazing woman who played both mother and father to the two children she raised on her own.

"Nah, I'm from Traverse Town. I came here to meet my father, and maybe to kick his ass, if all goes well."

"That's going well?"

"Yep."

Demyx quirked and eyebrow at Axel, waiting for further explanation, but it never came. "Okay then. Oh, this is it!" Demyx threw himself across Axel's lap as he enthusiastically began pointing at his cousins' house, nearly causing Axel to lose control of the vehicle. "That's it, that's them. This one, this house."

"Okay, okay, I got it Sundown. I'm turning see." Axel pulled into the driveway of the small blue house, and parked the car. "You're cute Demyx. I'm gonna wait here until you I know they're going to let you stay alright. If they say its okay, wave to me. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you around A-…umm A-ah-ac, oh, I got it, Axel! See you around Axel!" Axel shook his head at Demyx and smiled as he stepped out of the passenger side door.

"Hey, can I get a picture?"

"Of me?"

"Yeah, who else?"

"Umm, alright then, can I ask why?" Demyx asked as he climbed back into the car and leaned his back against Axel's chest so he could get a picture of them together.

"I like to photograph good memories. You never know when a person won't be around anymore." CLICK. "Good luck, and be safe Sundown"

"Um, you too, Axel." Demyx pulled himself out of the car again, still slightly stunned by Axel's words, but completely understanding them. He didn't have any pictures of his grandpa, not one. And now he didn't even have the piano they'd shared.

After grabbing his duffel bag out of the trunk, Demyx carefully made his way through the snow and up to the front door. Then he raised a fist and knocked on the hard wood.

xXxXxXx

At the sound of a knock on the front door, Roxas was woken from his peaceful rest and violently jumped off the couch when he realized he was sleeping on top of his twin. Then he smiled as he looked down upon his slumbering brother. Sora always did have an amazing ability to sleep through everything. As he was about to lean down and brush some hair from the brunettes face, another knock sounded at the door. "Shit." Abandoning his brother on the couch, Roxas moved forward and made his way to the door.

xXxXxXx

When the door finally opened Demyx gave his cousin the biggest smile he could muster up in his depression. With an over exaggerated wave Demyx greeted his cousin, "Hi Roxas! Haven't seen you since, well…um, last Christmas?"

"Yeah, something like that." Roxas said in his casually irritated voice. "Why are you here?"

"Well, you see…you look like you were sleeping?" Demyx began and soon lost track of what he was saying when he spotted the dark circles under Roxas' eyes, the tired expression, and the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, only a pair of blue flannel pajama pants.

"Demyx, focus, why hell are you standing in front of my door with a duffel bag and way too many layers of clothes that happen to be making you look like a fatty."

"Don't be hatin'." Demyx said in an offended tone as he glanced over his haggard appearance. He hadn't been thinking about how he looked in several layers of clothes, he'd been thinking about warmth, and a way to fit more in his duffel bag.

"Demyx, get to the question! Why are you here?" Roxas was raising his voice now, frustrated with his cousin's inability to focus on one topic for very long.

"Oh, I um…My dad kicked me out, and I was cold, and the guy was coming here, and you and Sora sort of like me, but no one else does, and I'm still cold, and lonely, and sad, and cold, and homeless, and confused, and sad, and, and, and I just thought maybe, but you don't seem happy to see me, so maybe I should just go…" Demyx turned around slowly and started walking away. He had no idea what he was going to do. He had nowhere else to go. Roxas and Sora tolerated him, but he was like the black sheep of the family, no one seemed to care for him too much.

"Wait Demyx." When Roxas sighed those two glorious words Demyx immediately turned around with a hopeful smile on his face. "First, who is this guy you're talking about, who just happened to be coming here? And what do you mean I'm not happy to see you?"

"Axel, the guy," Demyx pointed to the car sitting in the driveway, "And you just look kinda pissed to see me here."

"What're you talking about, this is my happy face." Roxas said without changing the sour expression on his face.

"I'd hate to see your angry face."

"Oh, everyone does. You know the expression, 'if looks could kill', mine can kill, beware."

"You're a little scary."

"So I've been told. Now get your ass in here and out of the cold. You're annoying as hell but I don't want you freezing. And we just happen to have an extra room."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you Roxas!" Demyx exclaimed with great passion and relief just before pouncing on his much smaller cousin, and wrapping his arms and legs around him in a giant hug. "You're my savior!" Roxas wasn't even bothering to help Demyx stay up and prevent him from cracking his skull open, when Demyx suddenly grabbed both sides of his face and proceeded to leave a sloppy closed mouth kiss on his cheek.

"Okay, okay, get off of me." Roxas said as he wiped Demyx spit from his face and then pulled Demyx's legs apart making him fall to the ground.

"Oww, that was mean." Demyx whined and pulled himself off the ground while Roxas started to close the door. "WAIT!"

Roxas nearly jumped out of his shoes at Demyx's yelling, "God, what?"

"I need to wave, I almost forgot."

"Wave to whom?"

"Achel. Wait that's not right…" A finger went to Demyx's mouth as he tried to remember the stranger's name. And he'd just said it a few minutes ago. "Alex! Nope, Akel? I got it, Axel. The beautiful stranger who drove me here, I got to wave to him so he knows you're letting me stay." With that settled Demyx stuck his head through the partially opened door and waved at the red head, who waved back before pulling out of the driveway. "He's really pretty."

"He's a guy." Roxas said in confusion. He'd always assumed that Demyx was straight. "So why were you kicked out?"

Roxas asked as he and Demyx walked through the living room, pass the sleeping Sora, and into the kitchen. "Oh, I'm a…I was a bad son. They'd finally had enough of me. But I'm twenty, so it was time to leave anyway. When you're as worthless as me, there's really no reason for your parents to keep you."

"That's horrible Demyx. I know I say you're annoying but you're not worthless."

"That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me."

"You've got to be kidding."

"Well, yeah I guess you're right. It's just the nicest thing I've been told since Grandpa died."

"Hmm, well, let me show you your room."

"Oh, yay! Do I get to decorate it? Can I paint it blue? Dad always made me keep my room gray, but I feel it's too dull, I like blue. And, and, and, can I have a…" Demyx inched closer to Roxas and whispered, "A door?"

"Yeah, it's already got a door Demyx." Roxas laughed lightly at his cousin's odd question. Who would think they weren't allowed to have a door?

"Really?" Demyx's eyes filled with hope.

"Dem, look at me." Roxas stopped in the hallway and faced his cousin, "Do I look like the type who jokes. You have a door; I'm not taking it away." Demyx beamed at Roxas and got ready to pounce but just before he could Roxas placed his hands on his cousins shoulders, "Don't you dare jump on me again, I'm not afraid to kick you."

"Aww, but I just want to show you my appreciation." Demyx whined.

"You can show me your appreciation by getting your bag out of my foyer, putting it in your room, and shutting up, 'cause I'm tired and want to sleep."

"Okay, is that one my room, that one right there, with the door" Demyx asked pointing to a room at the end of the hallway.

"Demyx, they all have doors, and yes, that one's yours." Demyx let out an almost squeal before running back to the foyer for his bag. Roxas didn't even have time to turn his head and watch him leave before the ecstatic blonde was back, bag in tow. "One more thing Dem?"

"Yeah?" Demyx asked before opening his own door for the first time.

"Are you gay?" Roxas asked with mild curiosity. It didn't really matter to him one way or the other; he just wanted to get some things straight.

"Um…would it matter?"

"Not in the least. I'm just curious because you were saying how good looking that guy Axel was."

"Who's Axel?"

"The guy in the car, who drove you here."

"Oh, oh yeah, he was sexy; just oozing with it. Like imagine a chocolate fountain, but the chocolate is actually sexiness, and the fountain is actually Axel. Yeah, that's how it is. Axel oozes chocolaty sexiness from every poor, and I do think he knows it."

"So you are gay."

"I'm sorry." Demyx's head dropped and his hand left the doorknob, fearing that he was about to get kicked out again, and this time Axel wouldn't be around.

"For what?"

"For being gay. I didn't try…I really didn't. If I could I would try to fall in love with a girl, but I just can't. They don't interest me." Demyx apologized as he began to walk away from Roxas, planning on leaving.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not."

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Not leaving." Roxas stated as he jumped in front of Demyx and blocked the door. "Demyx, I don't care that you're gay. Were you stick dick is none of my business. Now you're staying here, because I want you to stay here. Got it?"

"Yes Mr. Cranky."

"Good…What?" Roxas' normally sour face turned to a surprised mortification, "Don't call me that again, yes I'm a crab, but no names."

"Okay."

"Go unpack." That was the beginning of Demyx's new, and greatly improved life. Though he annoyed them daily they tolerated him. Their only rule for the unruly blond was that he was not allowed, under any circumstance, to go in the basement.

"Okay Demyx, understand this," Sora spoke clearly and very slowly to Demyx a few days after he first moved in, "The basement," He pointed to the door directly behind his back, "Is a Demyx free zone. Understand?"

"So you can go anywhere, anywhere at all in the house, except the basement." Roxas reiterated.

"So as long as it's not the basement…" Demyx began.

"You are free to enter." Roxas finished.

"But the basement…" Demyx started once again.

"Is a Demyx free zone." Sora concluded.

"Okay, I got it. I'm not allowed anywhere 'cept the basement." Demyx grinned widely as he teased his cousins while they glared at him, ready to end his life right there. "Relax, I was just joking. Basement equals off limits to me, I understand. Don't be hatin'."

"You sure you understand…" Roxas began with his serious face glued to Demyx's amused one.

"That the basement is completely off limits to me. Under no circumstances am I allowed to go down there. It's a Demyx free zone. Even if there were a tornado, I am not allowed down there, I'll have to wait it out in the bathroom. I get it, I really do." Demyx finished for his cousin.

Demyx didn't mind this rule. He was quite happy to have one 'off limits' place, when he had so many other freedoms he'd never before had. This was his first time ever having a door, and therefore privacy, the first time he wasn't woken up in the morning by his parents yelling either at him or each other, and the first time he wasn't afraid to just be himself, without the threat of a long lecture about what a man should be. On occasion he'd thought about opening that door, sneaking down the steps of the stairs, and finding out what they were hiding, but he had too much respect for them. They were keeping a roof over his head, not even requiring him to pay rent, they fed him, kept him warm, and socialized with him every once in a while. They only asked one thing of him, and that was to not go in the basement. So he kept himself away from it. He was too grateful to do that to his generous cousins. Whatever they were keeping from him, he'd respect their wishes.

He had no idea what they did down there for hours, but it wasn't his place to know. He'd suspected they hid all the cool game systems and games down there, or maybe a huge giant screen TV, but then he thought of the actually logistics of that. They were the same age as him, going to college and had minimum wage jobs. There was no way they could afford all that stuff, and this house, and college. So that idea was quickly wiped from Demyx's mind. That didn't mean he'd stopped coming up with weird schemes they may be up to down there. After all, Roxas and Sora seemed to spend most of their free time down there. Whatever they did in the basement had to be good right? Oh well, Demyx figured he'd never know the truth, and his guesses were more than likely way off.

Today happened to be one of those days in which Sora and Roxas had retired to the basement, almost as soon as they woke up, and left Demyx alone upstairs. They did this quite often, even though the repercussions of it were almost always devastating. Demyx had a horrible tendency to get in trouble when he was alone. He didn't try to, the trouble just found him, and it prefers him while he's alone. So whenever Roxas and Sora are in the basement, they come up to find some sort of horrible disaster in their house. On one particular occasion they hadn't come upstairs until about ten at night, and they opened the door to hear a screaming Demyx and some other unrecognizable screeching. They walked into their front room and quickly found the source of the commotion, Demyx…and a raccoon.

With his sitar in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other, Demyx was slightly crouched and yelling at the raccoon, which appeared to have run under one of the end tables for protection. "Out damned raccoon! Out I say! What! Will you ne'er leave this house? Is this how you repay my charity?!" Demyx yelled reminiscent of Lady Macbeth. "I gave you a piece of cheese that does mean you live here. Out raccoon, out!"

"I don't think that's working Demyx." Zexion, their neighbor, said from his spot a few feet away from Demyx and the raccoon.

"Roxas and Sora are gonna be mad if he's in here when they come back upstairs Zexion."

"Damn right we are? Why the hell is there a raccoon in our house?!" Roxas yelled at his cousin.

"It was an accident. He was on the porch and I thought he looked hungry, so I grabbed a piece of cheese. After I gave the cheese to him he ran inside and I've been trying to get him out ever since. When Zexion pulled into his driveway he heard my yelling so he decided to try to help, but he's not doing much better than me."

"Seriously, you have no ideas Zexion? You have to help us? There's a raccoon in our house!" Sora insisted as he stared down the fuzzy gray hissing ball of fluff under the table

"Um excuse me, but I don't have to do anything for you. And no, I don't know what to do; I'm not an animal whisperer. I suggested leaving a trail of food out the door, but the damn beast doesn't seem to want to leave. He just ate the cheese and went back to his hiding place. I also suggested leading him to that crate," Zexion pointed at an animal carrier near Roxas and Sora, "But the bastard was too smart to go in it. And I have things to do, so good luck to you all." With that said Zexion turned on his heel and walked out the still open door.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Sora asked no one in particular.

So the three boys took the 'X' out of Zexion's name and named the raccoon Ienzo, to spite the blue haired man. Ienzo now sleeps in Demyx's room and likes to cuddle, only listens to Demyx, and even then its only on occasion, and his new favorite past time is knocking Christmas trees over. Though, not everything Demyx did resulted in a new pet. Sometime it just meant they needed to do some remodeling or take a trip to the hospital. Despite these unfortunate events, Roxas and Sora had not ended their trips to the basement; they just prepared themselves for anything when they emerged. One would think they had learned, but no, they left him alone, and now Demyx had run out of things to do. When Demyx runs out of ideas, he begins to think, and that's often worse than just leaving him alone. His father had always said, "You're too stupid to think for yourself, it's best to let others do it for you."

But no one was here to think for Demyx. As he was lying across his bed, gently strumming his sitar, he couldn't help where his thoughts went. It was the same place they always went. And that place was him; the brilliant slate haired next door neighbor. Demyx had fallen for him the first day he saw him.

It was only a few days after he'd moved in and his cousins had set the ground rule. Roxas and Sora were at school and Demyx was playing their upright piano, which just happened to be their great grandpa's piano. Demyx had been ecstatic to find out that his cousins had a piece of his grandpa. He thought he'd never have anything to remind him of that man, but here he was, sitting and his grandpa's father's piano. The piano his grandpa had learned to play on. He couldn't get enough of the instrument and played it every chance he had.

While pounding away at the keys Demyx was too distracted to hear the front door open. And he didn't notice the footsteps behind him, nor did he see the man that would change his life, until he finally finished playing his song with a flourish of his hands and a spin, which was stopped halfway through when he spotted the gorgeous man. And he had thought Axel was sexy. Though this man didn't ooze it so much as he silently held it within himself, only letting a select few glance at it, giving him a very mysterious presence. His long blue bangs covered the entire right side of his perfectly shaped face, and covered one of his gorgeous sparking dark blue eyes. Demyx just stood completely still as he stared open mouthed at the man standing only two feet away from him. When he finally composed himself, he picked his mouth off the floor, raised a hand and waved it before saying, in a slightly high voice, "Hi?"

The blue haired man smirked at Demyx before letting a small laugh leave his beautifully shaped lips. Demyx's stomach immediately did flips. Axel who? This man was, he was…he just couldn't describe it. This man had everything. He was the most gorgeous man Demyx had ever seen and the only man Demyx had ever considered breaking his rule for. His rule was that he'd never allow anyone to get close to him. It was a rule that resulted from years of his father telling him, "No one will ever love a piece of shit like you." Even if Demyx told his father there was a chance someone would love him one day, his dad would come back with, "Even if someone does fall in love with you, despite your clear lack of intelligence and homosexuality, you will never be good enough for them." And Demyx had always been scared that was true, that he wasn't good enough.

But this man, this man made him question it, this man made him want to believe that wasn't true, that he had just as much of a chance as anyone to make someone fall in love with him, and that he was good enough for them. "Hello, Demyx." The slate haired man greeted, in a voice that held the most melodious note in it that Demyx had ever heard. It was such an inspiring voice that he immediately had an idea for a song, 'Melodious Nocturne'. It would mimic this man's voice in its every note, every line, every cadence, this song would capture everything that this man was, and it was filling Demyx's head to the point of hurting. He had to get it out; he had to play it, to write it. But he didn't want to be rude, so he waited for the man to continue until he realized the man had said his name.

"How do you know my name?"

"Your cousin told me there was a musical blond named Demyx staying in his house. He wanted me to come check on you and make sure you hadn't burned the house down. Honestly, with the way he was talking about you, I thought you'd be much younger."

"I'm twenty, but I'm a child at heart. I can't fathom the reason why someone would want to give up their childlike view of the world just because they're getting older. I like seeing the world for everything it isn't, and everything I wish it was. I don't want to know about war, and politics. I'd rather keep that knowledge in the back of my head, stored for when I need it, but not polluting the happiness I could be experiencing."

"So if I understand correctly," Zexion crossed his arms and placed a hand near his mouth, "You are up to date on the goings on in the world; you just choose not to dwell in the drama of it?"

"Precisely."

"Well, that's certainly a…peaceful way to live. Maybe even smart."

"Smart? Did you just call me smart?"

"It would seem I have, yes."

"No one's ever told me I was smart."

"Then no one has talked to you for more than two seconds have they?"

"They talk to me; I just don't think they listen." Demyx frowned at the floor beneath his feet. "I don't think they feel I have any intelligent input so they drown me out."

"That's an unfortunate loss for them."

"You think so?"

"I know so. My life has been enriched just by spending ten minutes with you."

Demyx's eyes were beginning to tear up. He'd never heard so many kind words about himself in such a short amount of time. "I think someone needs a hug." He struggled to say through the lump that had grown in his throat, "and that someone is me." Without thinking twice Demyx hopped forward and wrapped his arms around the nameless and unbelievably kind stranger. He was sure he'd be kicked or shoved away, it's what everyone did to him, but he needed the contact. He needed the feeling of someone else's body against his own, supporting him, accepting him, believing in him, and he felt this was the only man that could do any of that. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was impossible for this man to do all of that for him, this fast, but Demyx never did anything slow. He held onto the man as tight as he could and prepared himself for some form of punishment. But it never came. Instead of a knee to the groin, a fist in the side, or a hard shove in the chest, Demyx was surprised to feel arms gently wrap around him, hugging him back. He couldn't hold them back anymore, the tears fell freely now. "Why are you hugging me?" He asked.

"You need it." Was the simple response. They stayed there for several minutes the blue haired man's arms gently wrapped around Demyx, supporting him and accepting him, while Demyx continued to let his tears silently fall. Then the front door opened again to reveal Roxas and Sora.

"What the hell are you doing to Zexion?!" Sora exclaimed.

"Yeah, Zexion doesn't like to be touched." Roxas supported his brother's outburst.

Demyx dropped his arms from the blue haired man like he was doing something wrong and had just been scolded. "It's true, I don't like to be touched, but this man is clearly in need of human contact. I could not bring myself to deny him something that it would appear he's been missing from his life."

A truly, kind man, Demyx decided. He knew he'd never get over this one. He'd be in love with this man for the rest of his life, whether the feelings were mutual or not. Sure, he'd be in for a lifetime of pain seeing as this man probably wasn't even gay, and if he was he probably had no interest in Demyx, but he couldn't help it. He was in love with him, and nothing could change that. "So, your name's Zexion?"

"Yes, Demyx, that is my name."

Part two coming soon~

So this is the beginning of "The Cookie Cake Incident". I realize there was no cookie cake, but it's coming I swear. It just seems that this story keeps getting longer and longer so I had to split it up. There will be either two or three parts to this. And there may also be a spinoff, depending on how this does.

I hope you enjoyed, I wrote this as a sort of comic relief from my other story "Details".

Thanks for any and all reviews, favs, and alerts.