A/N: So, apparently being unable to write RP tags ICly does not mean I can't work on fanfiction. That and it's been an alright afternoon for me, as far as being ill goes. Many apologies for the wait. I appear to have been distracted quite thoroughly for a while.

There is an explanation provided in this chapter as to why Demyx is in Traverse Town. It has meant altering a few details from canon!Demyx and the rest of Organisation XIII but as this is AU, I expect I can get away with it. If anyone has any problems, just let me know. Questions you may have may be answered further in the story though and I do not wish to give out spoilers.

A random note – My dictionary tries to replace 'Zexion' with 'Lexicon'. XD

Thanks to everyone who put this on to author alert and a special thanks to The White Raven013 and Shadow of Phantasia for taking the time to leave a review. ...I should totally get around to sending personal messages. And to everyone who put this on alerts and favourite lists.

Disclaimer – The characters? Not mine. The place? ...technically not mine but I've taken liberties with the layout of it. No walls, no sectors and more sunshine. Does anyone mind? More to the point, is anyone going to sue me over it?

Warnings – eventual shounen ai. Can't think of anything relevant to this chapter.

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 2

No Accident?

Demyx stayed close to Zexion as he followed him through the darkening streets. Just how late was it, anyway? Had anyone realised he was missing yet? Probably not. If he failed to phone his mother tonight, she would phone the hotel in the morning and that would be the earliest anyone would know something was wrong. And then what would happen? He liked the idea of his parents starting a huge police search for him...but couldn't stand the thought of their hope dying when they found no trace of him. Of course, it was far more likely that there would maybe be a newspaper article and a segment on the news but that would be the extent of it. People went missing every year and few of those were ever made into a huge deal. Is that what would happen to him? Would he fade into obscurity, forgotten by everyone except for his parents? Because they wouldn't forget him, would they?

"Are you all right?"

Demyx looked up to see Zexion giving him a concerned look. "I'm all right. It's just...sinking in. No one will even know I'm missing yet..."

"Try to see the bright side. How many people go missing every year who turn up dead or get attacked?" the pale young man said. "You have a chance at a new life though you didn't want it and this town isn't bad if you give it a chance."

"I don't want to give it a chance, I want to go home!" Demyx snapped.

Zexion turned away and continued walking down the road. "Give it up. Nobody leaves."

Demyx hurried after him. "And how hard have you tried? There's a way here so there's got to be a way out!"

Zexion shook his head. "I tried for years. I interviewed everyone who came, looking for clues. I interviewed everyone who already lived here to find out what they knew. There is no way out." He turned a corner abruptly and almost left Demyx behind.

"So you just gave up?"

"Yeah, I just gave up. What else can I do?" Zexion snapped. "All I can do now is sit and read. That's my life here." His tone took on a bitter edge and he kicked a stone viciously in front of him.

Demyx regarded him silently for a brief moment. "And here I thought you were trying to be nice by offering me a place to stay tonight. I guess you just want to show me how pointless it is to have hope here. Well, I'm not going to give up. I promise you, Zexion, that I'll find a way out. I don't care if I have to wait a hundred years, I'll do it. I'll get out of Traverse Town. Just you wait and see!"

Zexion chuckled bitterly. "That's what they all say," he muttered. A little louder, he added, "We're here," and opened a gate set into a tall hedge.

Demyx gasped. The house was huge, bigger than anything on Destiny Islands. It was built out of white stone and rose three storeys. The front doors were huge, framed by ornate marble pillars at the top of a wide flight of steps. "Wow...you live in this mansion all by yourself?"

Zexion smiled, the bitterness still evident n his face. He was silent for a few seconds, looking up at his home. "Yes, I live alone."

He led Demyx up the stairs and unlocked the oversized doors. Despite their size, they opened easily when Zexion pushed. The interior was like nothing Demyx had ever seen before. The large foyer was lined from floor to ceiling, wall to wall with bookshelves. A curving staircase led to the next floor and that was also lined with books. At the far end of the foyer was a set of wood panelled doors and it was towards those that Zexion led Demyx. The corridor beyond was book-free but every room the musician peeked into was crowded with them.

"I've heard of people liking books but aren't you taking it a bit too far?" he remarked. "You might as well live in a library."

Zexion chuckled but there seemed to be a lack of humour in it. "It's the town," he replied. "It's...almost alive, I think. It creates what it thinks is the perfect living space for the population but it always seems a little...off. I enjoy reading so I was granted a house full of every book I have ever read, ever wanted to read and ever could want to read." He shrugged. "No one ever has it absolutely perfect. Usually, the results are far too over the top and extravagant but sometimes the town gets it almost right."

"Well, there's no such thing as perfect anyway, is there?" asked Demyx. "I wonder what it created for me…"

"We'll look tomorrow." They reached a wood panelled door about half way down the corridor. "Here we are..."

He unlocked it and ushered Demyx into what turned out to be a cosy living room. The walls were painted crimson red and were hung with a few landscape paintings of places Demyx had never seen. Set into the wall opposite the door was a fireplace surrounded by a black marble mantle piece and hearth. Directly in front of the fireplace was a dark wood coffee table and a three-piece suite in a darker shade of red than the walls. There was a vase with some wilting purple and white flowers on the coffee table. Most notably, there were no bookshelves and no books.

"Nice place, though I didn't figure you for a flowers kind of guy," Demyx commented.

Zexion stepped around him, taking his coat off. "I'm not really but Aerith brings some whenever she borrows a book from me and it would be rude to throw them away."

"Who's Aerith?" Demyx asked, following his host's example and taking his jacket off. He set his sitar down against the back of the red sofa and draped his jacket over it.

"She runs the flower shop in the town with a man named Marluxia. We'll probably meet them tomorrow. Aerith likes to meet all the newcomers and word will get around quickly," Zexion replied. "She's a kind woman. You'll like her."

Demyx smiled. "Everyone here seems nice," he noted. "Well, everyone I've met."

Zexion looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Even me? I wasn't exactly kind to you at Seventh Heaven if you remember."

"Yeah, but you just offered me a place to stay for the night and evened all that out," Demyx replied simply. "Besides, Tifa said you're capable of it."

The slate-haired man snorted and turned away. "Everyone is capable of kindness but that doesn't mean everyone will act on that kindness." He paused and looked at the clock on the mantle piece. "Are you hungry?"

Demyx paused to think. It had been a while since he thought of food. Trying to absorb all this information had pushed it from his head. "Um, yeah."

"Thought you might be." Zexion disappeared through a door to the left.

Demyx paused, wondering if he should follow or not. In the end he decided that since he still had a lot of questions, he would follow Zexion and found himself standing the doorway of a large, well-equipped kitchen. Zexion was currently poking through a large fridge.

"Any thoughts on what you'd like to eat?" he asked, not looking around.

"Uh...I'm not fussy," Demyx replied. "So...uh...Zexion..."

"Yes?" This time Zexion did look around the fridge door. Whatever he was doing, Demyx could not see.

"I'm...really confused about this whole thing," Demyx started. "I mean, how is it possible to have a town that no one can leave? Do you get hunted down or something if you do? And what did you mean about - "

"One question at a time," Zexion interrupted. "It will be easier that way. You cannot leave the town because the town itself will not let you. No matter how far you travel in any direction, you'll find yourself coming back here. You can try it yourself if you don't believe me."

"But...something like that shouldn't be possible!" Demyx gasped.

Zexion gave a humourless laugh. "Nothing about this town should be possible but it is."

Demyx pulled out a chair and slumped down at the kitchen table. "There's got to be some way out..."

"That's what I thought at first. But I tried for years, Demyx, and it never worked." The bitter tone to Zexion's voice was back. He slammed the fridge shut and set about preparing a meal with sharp, quick movements.

"Zexion..?" Demyx began hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. This town just infuriates me," Zexion replies. "It takes everything from you, whether you like it or not, and replaces it with a mockery of perfection!"

"But...why?" Demyx wondered. "Why take people? And why bring them here? And...how? I still don't know how I got here..."

Zexion shrugged. "You were on a journey. Everyone here was once travelling somewhere alone when they found themselves here. Their cars break down or they get lost and then they end up walking here. This is a town full of lost people."

Demyx frowned. "But...why me? Why you? Why anybody?"

Zexion turned around. "Because you've got something that sets you apart from everyone else in this world."

Demyx paled, eyes widening in shock. 'But how can he know? How can anyone know? I've been so careful!'

"There's no use trying to hide it," Zexion continued. "I know, because I'm different. Tifa's different. Everyone in this town is different. That's the only good thing I've found here. You no longer have to hide the part that makes you so unique."

"But..." Demyx began. He was so confused.

Zexion seemed to understand though. "You've been hiding for a long time, haven't you? It's all right. Everyone was, before they came here. Even me. I know what it's like to have to hide such a big secret." He saw the look on Demyx's face as though the blond was about to deny it. "Don't bother lying to me. You wouldn't be here if you were an ordinary boy."

All protests died on Demyx's tongue, unvoiced. "So...it's no accident that I ended up here?"

The slate-haired man shook his head. "Not by a long shot." He turned back to his cooking. "If it's all right, I'd like to see what you can do after we've eaten."

The blond sighed. "Yeah, but I want to see what you can do too."

"Deal," Zexion replied. He finished chopping things up and cooking – Demyx was not really paying too much attention, his thoughts focussed on his new situation.

'I'm stuck here. For now. I have to find a way out. There's no way I'm giving up my life, my dreams so easily,' the blonde decided. 'But...if Zexion's right and everyone here is different...maybe I can finally...fit in?' Demyx barely wanted to hope. For most of his life, he'd hidden what he considered to be one of the most important parts of himself, terrified of what would happen if his secret got out. He could lose his friends, his family...just like he had now, he reminded himself. Was it worth it for a chance not to hide any more? His thoughts turned back to the card his friends had made and the talk with Selphie earlier. He remembered his parents and how proud they had been when he had told them of his audition and how much they loved him. Of course it wasn't. He had been hiding, yes, but he had been happy. Demyx felt his resolve harden in his heart. Nothing would stop him from returning home. Nothing at all.

He blinked suddenly as Zexion set a plate down in front of him. Had he really been thinking for that long? He must have been. He half-smiled to himself, thinking of how his friends reacted every time he spent 'too long' thinking. 'Don't strain yourself, Dem! Wouldn't want your brain to overheat!' True, he was not known for his ability to think but sometimes he could get lost in his own head. Despite appearances, Demyx was far from stupid.

Demyx waited until Zexion was seated opposite him before picking up his fork. It was some kind of pasta dish he had never tried before and he found he really enjoyed it. "Mmm...This is really good," he commented.

"Thank you," came Zexion's quiet reply.

They ate in silence for a few moments until Demyx could not take it any more. He had never liked silence. It always seemed oppressive to him and he had to fill it with something, be it talking or music.

"So...um...What's so different about you? You seem normal enough..." the blond began.

Zexion looked up at him. "Appearances are deceptive. My first impression of you was of a typical air-headed blond."

Demyx pouted. "I come off as an air-head?"

Zexion fixed him with a careful look.

Demyx seemed not to notice, head turned away as he pondered this. "I guess I do, huh..? But you barely know me so how do you know what I'm like?"

The other man shrugged. "I don't, but you said you were on your way to Radiant Garden University. They wouldn't let you try out for a place if you did not have some kind of intelligence."

Demyx flushed happily. "Most people assume I got into the auditions on a fluke. I'm not especially talented on my sitar but I'm still damned good. I've been playing it for almost as long as I can remember." He paused, glancing back towards the living room where his sitar still rested against the sofa. "I guess it's lucky I decided to bring it with me instead of leaving it in the car. I don't know what I'd do without it, especially since I don't know how long I'm going to be here…"

Zexion gave him an irritated glare. "How many times do I have to tell you there is no getting out of here? You. Are. Stuck. Just like me, just like Tifa and Xigbar and Aerith and everyone else in this wretched town!"

Demyx flinched. They'd just started to be getting along when he had gone and put his foot in it with that careless remark. But he was not about to apologise, not while he had every intention of finding his way home again. The sitarist followed Zexion's example and finished his meal in silence, leaving his plate and cutlery in the sink when Zexion did.

"I'll wash up later," the slate-haired man said, walking back towards the living room. "I want to see what you can do."

Demyx was naturally apprehensive about revealing his secret to someone else for the first time in his life. He followed Zexion into the living room and sat down on the sofa, fidgeting.

"Uh…you first?" he requested somewhat meekly.

Zexion seemed to have been expecting this because he did not bother to sit down. Instead, he stood in front of the fireplace. "Very well, then."

He raised his arm out in front of him. Demyx leaned forwards, curious. His eyes widened in amazement when he realised Zexion's shadow was wavering, blurring and then…it stood up. It looked indistinct for a moment and then shifted until there were two Zexions standing before him. The shadow Zexion smiled then blurred again and suddenly…was Demyx.

"Whoa…" Demyx sat back, thoroughly impressed.

"My power is that of illusion," Zexion's voice said, right beside his ear. Demyx jumped but there was no one there. Nor was Zexion beside the fire anymore. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen at all. He heard a low chuckle and then the slate haired man reappeared, sitting at the other end of the sofa. "I can make copies of others and shield myself from view for a short time. Invisibility is more tiring that duplicates though and I do not use it often."

"Man, I know friends who would totally abuse that power," replied Demyx, still completely impressed. "We'd never get them out of the girl's locker room."

Zexion smiled faintly. "I have never felt the urge to do that, actually. In any case, it is your turn. What is your power?"

Feeling more confident, Demyx took his place in front of the fire. He had a moment of hesitation under Zexion's scrutiny before scolding himself.

'What happened to the natural performer? This is no different!' he told himself firmly. Just because he was not playing music and about to reveal his most secret of talents did not make this any less of a performance. Closing his eyes, Demyx concentrated.

Through force of will, he reached out to moisture in the atmosphere, the water in the vase of flowers and formed and perfect sphere of water in the air in front of him. He opened his eyes to check his work and smiled. That part was easy. The next part was trickier but he had often practised in secret, alone in his room or anywhere else he was certain he was not being watched. The water began to take on a different shape. He made simple shapes at first - an oval, a square, a star, a musical note – and gradually getting more complicated. Demyx could make water do anything he wanted – as long as he could keep his concentration.

"So you can control water," Zexion remarked quietly. "Interesting."

Demyx almost lost control. Zexion had been so quiet up until that point and the musician had become so absorbed in his ability that he had almost forgotten the other man was there.

"Yeah. It might not be as cool as becoming invisible but I can't say it isn't awesome in its own right," the blond said with a grin. Then he yawned and finally lost control of the flower shape he had moulded the water into. It fell and splashed all over the carpet before Demyx could regain control. "Oh my God, I'm sorry!" he babbled. "I really, really didn't mean to do that! I'll clean it up; just give me a second…"

"No, no. It is alright. I have been an inconsiderate host, after all. You have had a long day so it is natural you are tired," Zexion interrupted smoothly. "I will show you to a bedroom and then take care of the water myself. It is only water, after all."

Demyx smiled gratefully, though it was obvious he still felt guilty about it. "If you're sure you don't want me to do it…"

"Follow me." Zexion was already leaving the room.

Demyx hurriedly picked up his jacket and sitar and followed him, not wanting to risk getting lost. Zexion took him back to the staircase in the foyer and up to the next floor. The landing at the top was also lined with books, with two corridors leading off to the left and to the right. Zexion led Demyx to the left hand side, past several doors until they were almost to the end. Zexion stopped and opened the door into a spacious room decorated in shades of white and cream.

"You may rest here for the night. The bathroom is across the hall if you need it."

Demyx grinned but could not hide how tired he was. At the prospect of finally being able to fall asleep, that was all it seemed his body wanted to do. "Thanks, Zex. I guess you're not so bad after all."

"Goodnight, Demyx." Zexion returned Demyx's smile faintly and turned to walk back down the corridor.

Demyx entered the room and dropped his jacket and sitar on the bed. He quickly realised he would have to sleep in his underwear, having nothing else to wear and since Zexion was smaller than him, he doubted the man would have anything that would fit. Oh well. It was no matter, really. Destiny Islands had often been to warm for pyjamas in the summer time anyway. Once undressed and put his clothes and sitar to one side, the blond slid beneath the covers.

'I wonder what everyone's up to now…' he thought.

***

Mopping up the water did not take long. Once that was finished, Zexion turned his attention to the neglected washing up. Normally, it was something he would have done straight away but he had wanted to ease the tension after he had snapped at Demyx.

'He is new and still needs time to adjust,' the illusionist told himself as he dried the dishes. 'I can hardly blame him for wanting to leave either. How long did I try to escape this place, despite what everyone told me?'

Chores finished, Zexion decided it was time he went to bed. Treading softly in case he woke Demyx, the slate-haired man climbed the stairs and took the left hand corridor. As he passed Demyx's room, he realised he had no need to fear waking him – not if the muffled sobs were any indication. Zexion paused outside the door for a moment before continuing on to the end of the corridor.

Although it looked like a dead end, Zexion had quickly discovered the secret. After all, if the mansion has been filled with all the books he could ever dream of, then why should it have left out a not so secret fantasy he had had as a child? Ever since he was a young boy, Zexion had wanted a place to hide away with his books. The town had provided that in the form of a bedroom hidden behind a bookcase. Pulling out a certain volume cause the bookcase to swing open and provide access to a room decorated in deep blues and silver. With a final glance back towards Demyx's room, the illusionist let the bookcase swing shut behind him.

A/N: Don't for get to leave a review~