A/N: Here we go again! No double update extravaganzas this time around, but please have some meaty bonding time with our favourite bloodsuckers and would-be sorcerer!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing the last two chapters! A thanks to Ray for the anon review! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Reviews will be very much appreciated!

- love from, Rosa xx

It was still all a bit of a blur for Zexion if he was honest. One minute he and the book were, for once, working together rather than the book just taking over completely. The next he was letting Demyx 'clean' the really rather big cut he received in all the commotion. Now they were surrounded by all sorts of people – and he uses the word quite loosely given there were still fully transformed werewolves skulking about irritably – and they're all trying to get to the bottom of just how on earth did a lone sorcerer manage to force their way into a heavily guarded site. Demyx is hovering, pestering a young blonde woman who was trying her best to heal Zexion's wound while being patient with the vampire. Leon and Axel aren't far away either, but it's clear to Zexion that it's disturbed them both how close they had been to losing their charge. Axel's not full of jokes, and Leon's looking even grimmer than Zexion's ever seen him.

In the meantime, between winces when the magic is stinging his arm and being told that while healing magic is brilliant for speeding up the process its not going to get rid of the scarring where the cut had been the deepest, he's watching the group of women and one or two men moving about, making gentle gestures. He can see the gossamer threads being gathered, weaved together, broken ones repaired carefully while others are pulled, forcing the gardens to go back to their previous splendour. It's strange... to see the world like this. Like it's just a living, breathing tapestry and the ethereal strands can be so easily pulled and slacked... knotted and snapped. He sometimes tries to catch Demyx's eye without him noticing, wondering if he could see it too, but he's not sure what sort of expression he's looking for.

"There," the woman in her soft-spoken voice murmured, carefully laying Zexion's arm back into his lap. "I managed to repair most of it, but I'm afraid you'll have that scar down the inside of your arm for life."

Zexion's thoughts are broken as he looks down at the jagged, bright white scar that crackles down from the inside of his wrist to half way down his forearm. It's still a lot to process... but this, he decided, would serve as a reminder of what he's going to be dealing with now. That sorcerer... there were going to be others like them. He looks up as feet come into view; they're his uncles's. "Zexion..."

"...you can't protect me from this," he murmured. It's a lot calmer than how he actually feels right now, but he knew there was no point in being angry. He looked up. "Uncle Lament... you need to tell me what you know. No more secrets."

It comes as a bit of a relief when his uncle does nod his head in understanding, but his hesitancy is obvious when he casts a glance over at Demyx. Zexion nods his head in wordless acknowledgement, looking over to the vampire who was still hovering about like a mother hen. "Demyx... could you give us a moment."

"Are you-"

"Demyx. This is private."

It's almost comical how much Demyx doesn't even try to hide his reluctance, but he gives up without a fight. He just simply pats Zexion's shoulder and says, "I'll be with Leon and Axel." He left, still reluctant to, but he joined up with his blood brothers a short distance away.

It's just him and his uncle now. He turned to face him. "Alright... start from the beginning."

It's not a nice feeling he's getting as he watches Zexion and his uncle sitting next to each other and talking, his curiosity straining against self-imposed restraints to overhear what they're saying. However, he had his own problems to deal with. Mostly the problem that Leon was starting to pace. He hasn't seen Leon pace in years, but when it happens it normally means that there's a lot on his mind. He wondered if the Patriarch said something to him... or if what happened here has raised up even more questions and concerns that they have no answers for. He looked over to Axel, pursing his lips tightly. "We... we're fucked, aren't we?" he asks quietly.

"No shit," Axel muttered darkly. The dhampir was flicking his lighter irritably, creating fire and extinguishing it within seconds of life. "Just when you think we're sorted, this shit happens." He looked over to Demyx. "...it's a good thing you held your own out there though. We'd really be in the shitter if you were wiped out."

Demyx nodded his head. He couldn't argue with that sentiment, but it wasn't really all him. Not really. Zexion and the book had been the ones to get him out of his entanglement with the possessed ivy. His lips formed a tight frown at the thought... and at the memory of him nearly losing it when Zexion got hurt.

He's normally slow to anger, but he's aware of it when it does happen. His eyes normally glow anyway when he's the middle of using his hydrokinesis, but when they burn to the point it almost hurts, he knows he's losing control; not just of his powers but of himself too. It's happened only a few times before... and he's not sure he likes the person he becomes when he does get angry. "I don't... what will... what will happen to Zexion now?"

"...not sure," Leon muttered, having passed the pair in his pacing. "We could be looking at him spending an indefinite amount of time with that guy until we can make anywhere safe for Zexion."

Demyx looked at Leon, feeling his chest clench at the thought of being separated from the short human. Not just that though... looking at Leon reminded Demyx that Leon had drank from Zexion before. An emergency, yes, but still... the little gremlins of jealousy were doing bad things to his heart and mind. After all, if Leon had been there, Zexion wouldn't have got hurt. Zexion wouldn't have that scar on his arm. Zexion might even not have had to resort to using the book.

Sometimes he really hated how practically perfect his maker was. He'd even put Mary Poppins to shame. "We'll still be protecting him though, right?"

"Well... I can say that the Council still believes that we're his best chance," Leon revealed, stopping his pacing for a moment. "Even though Zexion did get injured, you held your own against a sorcerer. That has to count for something." He then turned to his two blood brothers. "On top of that, between the three of us, we have two talented elemental kinesis users and someone who has two Esper Marks. Granted it won't always be easy, but we'll be getting stronger all the time."

"Yeah... no offence Leon, but I'm pretty sure the Council is probably going to be putting bigger guns on this." Axel shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Three incredibly talented vampires might be good against one sorcerer, but what are we gonna do if the numbers are against us?"

"Actually, that happens to be why I've come to you three," Joshua's voice broke through the heavy atmosphere. Even Leon jolted at the youthful looking daemon appearing in their group so suddenly. Joshua's dark eyes smiled at Demyx; he shied away meekly. "I must say, I'm impressed that your childe managed to fend off a sorcerer. You've obviously raised him right."

"...what do want Joshua?" Leon asked evenly.

"I just wanted to tell you that the Coucil believes that a bigger guard might be necessary."

"So we'll take in more of our clan members. I have plenty of potential candidates." Demyx already had an idea of who Leon meant: Seifer and his two cronies, Yuffie, Aerith at a push, and then if they were really struggling there was always Tifa, even if she was only an honorary clan member.

"Oh no, that won't do. We believe you'll need a wider variety of skills to your rather already impressive selection." Joshua started to inspect his nails. "The Organisation have proven that they will use any means necessary now, even sending out their members rather than Nobodies. That means you'll be up against a variety of magic."

Demyx and Axel both looked at Leon. The Noblesse was not looking best pleased about having to extend out of their clan, but he wasn't resisting the notion. "...you have anyone in mind?"

"Well, to give Lament and the Overseers a little piece of mind, I did suggest the cousin and his partner." Sora and Riku. Alright. That was a given. Plus Demyx had seen their teamwork in action. Fine. Good. They could work with that. "We also have a werewolf in mind."

"What...?" Axel aked the question lowly. Demyx could feel him bristling with tension. He'd have to ask Axel what his problem with lycanthropes was.

"A member of Beast's pack?" Leon asked.

"No. A lone wolf. Works as a delivery boy during the day, but Beast's pack has been keeping an eye on him for a while now. He's not ordinary... and extraordinary is what we need right now."

Leon looked very perplexed about that, but he waved it off dismissively. "So a group of six?"

"With potential to grow." Joshua smiled lightly. "For now though, we're going to be working on getting Zexion safe passage to Yen Sid's place. That might mean a visit to the Fae Realm but... we'll see if there's a more convenient way of getting him there."

Leon only nodded his head. Demyx was letting this all sink in, inwardly glad that it seemed that there wouldn't be anymore vampires getting involved with their group. He was still trying to adjust to his growing attractions and knee jerk reactions to anything concerning Zexion. He didn't need another vampire who might feel cocky trying to muscle in on a seemingly claimed X-class. Oh no... that would bring up just more issues.

Maybe he should talk to Leon privately about this. Even if he was jealous of Leon's potential of being a better protector for Zexion, he was still his maker.

"Alright. Fine." Leon answered when it became clear Joshua wanted a spoken answer and not a gestured one. "You know what we're dealing with better than most so... so I'll trust your judgement on this."

"Trusting mine over your own grandfather's?"

"...we're having a disagreement," Leon grumbled. That normally meant that there was friction between the pair, running deeper than either would ever let on. Not always a good thing as dissent amongst Noblesses usually meant changes within the clan could be imminent. "At least you're a third party in all this rather than connected so intrinsically."

"Ahh, the benefits of being the bystander," Joshua chuckled. He then turned on his heel. "You'll hear about the werewolf in due course. For now, just concentrate on making your new friend comfortable. It looks like he just had a very difficult conversation with his uncle."

Demyx's head snapped around, looking over to where uncle and nephew were sitting. Zexion was already pretty pale, but he nearly looked completely white in this moment. Lament's head was being cradled by his hands, as if ashamed of some horrible secret he had been keeping. Well, he did keep Zexion forcibly unaware for years... He made to go but he felt Axel's bony hand grab his wrist. He turned to the redhead, seeing him shake his head. "Let him come to us. They might still be talking."

"But-!"

"Dem... I get how you're feeling, but don't." Axel sighed, letting go of Demyx and running his long fingers through his hair. "Shit... this is so fucked up... having to work with a werewolf... and a lone one at that..."

Joshua had since left them now, meaning that Leon could return to their side. He put a hand on Axel's shoulder, looking at him with a meaningful look. "...I know about your... distrust for werewolves but our hands are tied if the Council's decided on this."

"...I know..." Axel muttered. "...I know..." He then took a deep breath. "Guess I'll have to figure out my best doggy insults, right?"

"Axel..."

"Oh give me that at least! Humour's my coping mechanism!"

"Did something bad happen to you involving a werewolf?" The question had been out faster than Demyx had time to stop himself, causing the blond to slap a hand over his mouth. Axel just stared at him, bright emerald eyes looking like he had just seen a ghost... and then suddenly they were back to normal, yet there was a false cheerfulness, a smile that seemed forced, inside them.

"Ah you know the usual. Vampires and werewolves not mixing. I mean maaaaan you weren't even a twinkle in your Pa's eye Dem! I hadn't even met Leon! Dude, course werewolves and vampires were out for each other's throats. History for ya!"

Demyx knew Axel was purposely avoiding answering the question. Curiosity piqued, he opened his mouth to ask more, but Leon stopped the conversation dead in it's tracks. "Zexion's coming over to us."

At the mere mention of his name, Demyx had swiftly turned himself towards the smaller human, giving him one of his reassuring smiles. Zexion was still pale, eyes locked firmly on the ground, hidden away by his bangs. "Hey... everything o...kaaaaaaaaay?"

Zexion's head thumped against his shoulder; Demyx looked down with a confused expression, though deep down... his stomach was doing backflips of happiness that Zexion had chosen him over anyone else to be like this. "...wanna talk about it?" Zexion shook his head in response, shoulders slumping. Demyx looked over to Leon, his hands subconsciously moving around Zexion's waist. The poor boy looked like he could do with a hug. "Maybe we should get him out of here."

"Clan grounds?" Leon asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I could do with a stiff drink," Axel grumbled. "So could he."

"We're not taking Zexion to a bar," Demyx said flatly. "That'll be for later."

"Actually... a drink sounds good right now..." Zexion mumbled into his shoulder. Demyx blinked at that, but he decided that he was going to be firm on this.

"No bars. Just home. And whatever we've got there."

"When did you get so bossy?" Axel hummed, raising one short eyebrow in amusement.

Demyx spluttered at that. "I-! I'm not!"

Leon sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Let's just get home."

It took a while. Leon had to talk his way into getting permission for them to leave the castle, with promises of heading straight to DiZ Corp and putting the clan on high alert for the rest of the night. They also had to keep a low profile which, once again, meant the underground only with enough warding charms on them to even cause fae folk to avoid them. Though it was difficult to keep a low profile when three out of four of them were alert for anything suspicious, and the underground would become the night time domain of the supernatural.

Demyx kept his arms firmly clamped around Zexion, purposely parking his chin on the top of the human's head as he glared at anyone that even glanced at them funny. His stance was firm, legs spread apart and his body easily tilting along with the movement of the train while they leant against the cushioned lean-to spots. Leon and Axel were sticking close as well, protective sunglasses hiding away their own paranoid glares, ignoring how pompous they probably looked wearing sunglasses at night. In short, he wasn't really sure they were at all inconspicuous.

Zexion had been quiet the entire time, practically ragdoll-like as he was guided carefully. Whatever it was that his uncle had told him, it obviously had been difficult to swallow. Demyx knew that he couldn't force him to talk if he didn't want to... but he was worried.

He sighed as the train slowed at their stop, removing his chin from its perch while sliding one arm away, the other moving to rest on the small of Zexion's back lightly; enough that Zexion wouldn't feel claustrophobic but also have the assurances that they wouldn't be separated. In his head though, he was thinking of ways that he'd hope would cheer the human up, especially since he doubted they'd be going out much until they heard confirmation of a more 'convenient' way to that safe haven.

He could understand why the reluctance to use the normal way of going through the Fae Realm. In order to get into the Fae Realm itself, one had to go to Disneyland Theme Park just outside of the city. Plus there was no guarantee that the fae folk living and working there would let them through; if they felt that their property and lands were in danger, they'd reject Zexion outright. Added to that that the Organisation might have someone tail them... yeah, there were too many possibilities for things to go tits up.

Still, he had thought, it might have been fun to take Zexion there. Maybe another time. If there was going to be another time.

"Demyx. Step."

"Oh!" Demyx lifted his foot in time, giving Zexion's side a small squeeze to get him to focus. Not that he really needed to because Zexion's eyes had been transfixed to the floor, meaning that his feet were a bit more coordinated. Demyx glanced up and gave a small, grateful smile to Axel who just waved it off dismissively.

Unfortunately, their otherwise unremarkable trip from Courtyard to Postern was about to get a bit of delay. Demyx thoroughly blamed himself for getting lost in his thoughts for this one while they were moving through Postern station, but Zexion pulled away for a moment. Demyx had stopped to watch where Zexion was going, realising he was going to the public restrooms. He had, for the briefest of seconds, considered following him in but he did wonder if maybe Zexion needed some space. Besides... it'd be a bit weird for him to follow, wouldn't it? Even if they did look like boyfriends to the rest of the world... And once again you're getting hung up on the 'boyfriend' thing. Suck it up Demyx. He's not interested and in no position to be-

He's shocked back to reality when he hears a yell coming from within the restrooms. A yell that he's become very familiar with. Leon and Axel had only just realised that they were short of two people in their group, but they had barely seen a blur of Demyx rushing into the men's restrooms.

What he sees solidifies in Demyx's mind that Zexion just could not be left alone. A hulking, muscly man with jet black hair tied back in a low ponytail had Zexion cornered. Demyx could see that Zexion was trying to make himself as small as possible, could hear the whispered sweet nothings being used as a seduction technique... and Demyx saw red.

The man might have been the bigger and stronger one here, but Demyx was definitely the faster and more agile one. He was pushing the man away from Zexion and putting himself firmly in between them, teal eyes glowering. As expected, the man had taken offence, revealing sharp vampire fangs with a hiss. "Back off," Demyx warned lowly, revealing his own fangs with a snarl. He could feel his eyes burning, which he had hoped that the sight of a pair of glowing eyes would tell this vampire to stay away.

He was not so lucky. The vampire stalked over, looking ready to throw Demyx to the side as if he were nothing. If this guy thought he was some run of the mill, low-ranked Cavaliere, he had another thing coming. As soon as the vampire's hand lifted up to swat him away, Demyx's hand immediately caught the fist, his glare intensifying. "Back. Off," he warned again.

"What you going to do? You're in my hunting grounds. That means I get the pick of the best."

"Oh is that how it works now?" Leon's cold voice echoed in the room. It wasn't just his voice that was cold; Demyx could feel the drop in temperature. Leon was using Shiva in tandem with his own built-in ability to subdue vampires lower than him. Not a skill he used very often, but Demyx was so glad to see him using it now. The vampire turned, eyes wide in shock. "Let me guess... Clan Beaumont? And you saying you're the best must mean that you're its leader." Leon was stalking over to him; Axel wasn't in the room but Demyx gathered he was probably guarding the entry point to stop people from getting inside. "A small time vampire clan that only survives because of the ego of its leader. Pitiful. You only barely make the mark of a Lorde."

It had happened faster than Demyx could blink, but the offending vampire was pinned by his throat on the floor, Leon's booted foot pressing against where the windpipes were. It wouldn't kill the vampire, but passing out from asphyxiation was definitely a threat. "If I ever smell or hear you come within fifty feet of the boy, I will personally take your fangs and make them into necklace pendants. Then I'll see to it that you won't be able to walk again let alone hunt. Got that?" Demyx felt a shiver go down his spine; he'd only seen Leon threaten violence a few times, but the promise of making good on his frosty words always permeated the air when he said them.

Noblesses never made empty threats. And this vampire Lorde clearly understood that as he enthusiastically nodded his head and gestured wildly for Leon to get off his throat. Leon's lips curled up into a cruel smirk, slowly releasing the pressure off the vampire's throat before stepping away. The atmosphere did not warm up though; Demyx swore there was frost starting to form on the mirrors. "Good. Get lost."

The vampire didn't need any second bidding, a blur of red shirt and black hair as he scuttled away. Demyx heard Axel singing in a breathy tone despite no one but the trained ears of a vampire being able to hear. "Noooo... oneeeeee... runs like Gaston~ Cries in tongues like Gaston~ No one could have possibly sweat tons like Gaston~"* Leon sighed heavily, the atmosphere warming up as quickly as it had frozen, rolling his eyes as Axel strolled in, still singing mild insults about the vampire Lorde. "As a specimen he's quite pathetic really~ My, what a guy, that Gaston~"

"Any excuse?" Leon queried.

"Any excuse," Axel grinned. Demyx held back a weak smile, turning around to check up on Zexion... and seeing that he was shaking.

"Zexion...?"

"...that... that was terrifying..." Zexion looked up at Demyx, yet there was something in his eyes that wasn't... it wasn't exactly fear. Okay, yes, he obviously had been taken by surprise by Gaston but... but was that a brief moment of amusement? "Does... does Axel always sing like that about people he doesn't like?"

Demyx's face brightened up. Thank you Axel for being such a jerky dork! "Sometimes for the people he does like," he beamed. "...are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?"

"Ah... no. Just surprised me." Zexion took a deep shuddering sigh. "Thanks... for helping me." He looked over to Leon and Axel. The brunet just gave him a rare smile in return while Axel shrugged, "Always happy to help bruise a few creepy, jerky egos."

"Well... now that that's over with, we really should get going," Leon stated. "The longer we stay out, the more we're just asking for trouble."

Demyx nodded his head but he was more concerned about Zexion. They definitely needed to get to DiZ Corp, and soon. "I'm not... being too much with the arm around you, am I?"

"Huh? Oh... no. It's not that." Zexion's left hand unconsciously raised up to hold his right forearm. "I've had a lot on my mind so I... I just needed a moment to think. I forgot about the whole... you know... X-class thing."

Ah, I guess that makes sense... he has been through a lot in three days. "If you need a moment alone, just let one of us know, okay? We need to make sure you're gonna be safe." Demyx smiled a little... though really, in his heart of undead hearts, he would have preferred it if Zexion just relied on him. Annnnnnnd there's the possessive thoughts coming through again. This was then followed by another worrying thought: I wonder if Leon gets these feelings too...

Zexion thought he would have been more bothered by being accosted by another vampire that had openly called him an X-class, but in reality, he wasn't. Considering everything that he'd been told and experienced... getting approached like that seemed no more surprising than getting harassed by a normal person. Hell, being harassed for his blood seemed as bad if not worse than being publicly molested in a restroom.

Which he supposed, in human terms, that was probably what it would have looked like.

It really wasn't any surprise that Demyx was getting overprotective again either after the event. Not that he really minded he realised. The vampire was very sweet after all – not at all like the typical bad boy, brooding and mysterious stereotypes that were so prevalent (that seemed more like Leon) – and Zexion had to admit that he felt safe around him. He might not be the strongest, or the smartest, and he definitely couldn't hold a candle to Leon, yet... yet Demyx had been there from the beginning, doing his best and reassuring him whenever something difficult came up. Yes, okay, maybe basing this off the past three days of knowing someone was a bit hasty, but Zexion just had a strong feeling that he'd be fine so long as Demyx was nearby.

An odd thought to have, when logistically he had a better rate of survival by relying on Leon given all of his talents and status in vampire society.

"Hey, we're here," Demyx's voice broke through the fog of his thoughts.

Zexion blinked rapidly, realising they were standing in front of DiZ Corp. A sense of relief washed over him, though he remembered that even these clan grounds were attacked only just yesterday. "So we are... now what?"

"It'd be best that you rest up," Leon answered before Demyx got the chance to. "You did well withstanding the book's power, but it doesn't hurt to be well rested."

"Meanwhile... me and Leon are going to grab some stuff," Axel added, throwing an arm around Leon's shoulder. The Noblesse jumped slightly from the suddenness of the move, turning to him with a frown and a questioning, "We are?"

"Wait, what?" Demyx blinked.

"Come on Leon. Let's leave the boyfriends to some quality time after such a traumatic experience for them," Axel grinned.

Zexion quickly cast his eyes down and he could feel Demyx was shuffling lightly on his feet while purposefully not looking at him. He could feel Leon's eyes on them.

"Boy... friends?"

"Axel... did you have to bring that up..." Demyx muttered.

"When did...?"

"Come on Leon. Let's leave the lovebirds to it~" Axel was already starting to herd Leon away from DiZ Corp, ignoring the protests coming from the brunet. Most of which followed along the lines of 'when the hell did that happen?!'

"...geez...the big jerk..." Demyx murmured, pulling Zexion along inside. Zexion's gaze remained firmly on the ground, marvelling at the fact that the marble flooring of DiZ Corp's main entrance hall looked impeccable despite the battle that took place on it. He didn't even acknowledge the triplets greeting them, Demyx instead mumbling embarrassed greetings to them as they got into the elevator. "Um... so... I guess we'll be going to our floor... um... do you want to sleep? I'll keep watch... oh but maybe we should get you something to eat... I mean, you haven't eaten in a while and..." He just kept rambling.

"...Demyx, can I ask you something?"

"Huh! Yeah! Sure! Anything you want! Within reason!"

"Did it really bother you when Marluxia... thought you were my boyfriend? Because you only needed to correct him if you're not-"

"Oh no no! It's nothing like that! I've had two hundred plus years to figure that sort of thing out after all..." He then sighed and shuffled. "I sorta went with it because it'd be kinda weird if I told a normie that I'm a vampire that's protecting you from some group of rogue sorcerers."

"You could have said you were an old friend of mine."

"Ah... well, guess I could have." Demyx looked over to Zexion. "...did it bother you?"

"Marluxia's well aware of my sexual preferences. He wouldn't have asked otherwise." Demyx blinked at that answer, as if it only just dawned on him why Marluxia would ask that. Zexion merely shrugged.

"Ohhhhhhh..." Demyx scratched the back of his neck. "Well... um... I guess that means neither of us have a reason to feel uncomfortable about it then... though Axel's going to be a jerk about it for weeks."

"I'm not too worried about that," Zexion replied. "I mean... there are more important things to be concerned with than our love lives, or lack thereof in this case."

He caught Demyx stiffen slightly... then he relaxed and gave him an easy smile. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." The elevator dinged, the doors opening on the second penthouse floor. They both walked out, but this time Demyx didn't put a hand on him to guide him about. "Um, so I'm gonna see if we've got anything edible for you. I... I really think you ought to eat something."

"But I'm not-"

"Please Zex..." The tone of voice Demyx used took Zexion off guard; not so much a plea per se, but there is the plea mixed in with the command. It's nothing like his aunt's pleading with him to eat when he was much younger... because at least with his aunt, he could resist it. Demyx's voice though... he just... can't.

"...fine..." He's defeated. "You win."

"Great~" Demyx beamed, his hand swooping down to take Zexion's. He nearly dragged him all the way to the penthouse's kitchen – a modern affair with clean cut lines and high-end kitchen equipment, all in black with pristine marble white counter tops. Very swanky, Zexion thought. "Let's see..." Demyx mused, head disappearing into a tall fridge. Zexion had since managed to escape from Demyx's grasp and had himself seated at one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. "O class blood... no good... healthy crap that Leon insists on eating... Axel's stash of chilli peppers... avoid because probably going to burn head off... aha! This'll do!"

Zexion could only blink when Demyx comes over to him, bringing over a pizza box. "Leftover pizza? Really?"

"Yeah. Margherita though, which I know is like the vanilla flavour of the pizza world, but you'd be hard pressed to find many people who don't like it." Demyx placed it down. "I can heat it up if you prefer."

"How long has that box been in there for?"

"Oh, since last night. Sora and Riku were really hungry after what happened, and Axel had pretty much made Leon eat something with loads of carbs for once since he was recovering." Demyx started when Zexion reached over and flipped the box open. He considered the choices – four slices, two of which were bigger, one was average size, and one which had clearly been cut into a small piece. He picked the last one, hesitantly bringing it to his mouth before forcing himself to bite down.

He had to admit that Demyx's description of it being the 'vanilla flavour of the pizza world' was actually pretty apt. It tasted even more bland when cold... but he was okay with that. He chewed slowly. He couldn't help but notice the bright smile forming on Demyx's face at seeing him eat. It's not that big of a deal... Though his stomach was already protesting at getting too little food and far too slowly for its liking, his mind was adept at ignoring it. "...are Axel and Leon together?"

"Together? What do you mean? Like... together together?"

"Dating, yes."

"Oh geezus no! Could you imagine that?!" Demyx was howling with laughter. "Axel's way too much of a player that I'm pretty sure he's lost count of how many people he's been with, and I've never seen Leon even entertain the thought of a romantic relationship. Heck, I don't know if he's gay, straight, bi or anything!" His eyes widened and his hands suddenly slapped against his cheeks, lips open. "Oh...! He could be a demi... or an ace... maybe a pan?"

"You've never asked?"

"It's not something you ask your maker!" Demyx whined. "I mean... that's like asking your parents what kinda kinky stuff they get up to when they get their freak on!"

"...I think I understand what you're trying to say, but I think you've also slightly exaggerated the explanation," Zexion hummed. If anything, trying to find out if one's parents were into sexual deviances of a sort was surely more mortifying than trying to find out a preference, right? "But they aren't? I just thought that since Axel seems to care a lot about Leon..."

"Ah, that's normal for them. Leon's good at taking care of others, but he's not brilliant at taking care of himself sometimes. Plus... well, the details about how Leon and Axel met in the first place are a little sketchy, but I get the feeling that Axel owes a lot to Leon." Demyx shrugged. "Axel doesn't talk a lot about his past to anyone. I think Leon's really the only one who knows. Well... knows more than others that is." He nudged Zexion lightly. "C'mon, keep eating. At least finish that slice."

"Hey don't rush me! I'm just... trying to enjoy it," Zexion frowned heavily. He then narrowed his eyes. "How about you eat as well. I thought you loved food."

Demyx blinked. "Well I do but... you need this more than I do."

"Demyx... at least drink the blood you've got in your fridge or something." Zexion looked away a little; two could play the pleading-but-not-really card. "I might... feel a bit more comfortable if you're doing it rather than just watching me..." He wondered if he sounded coy enough.

Turned out that he did because Demyx was immediately reaching for one of the bigger slices. "A-Alright then. If it's gonna help..." His mouth opened wide violently, revealing his set of eight fangs, as he took a gigantic bite, nearly tearing it apart. Zexion nearly dropped his own slice in shock at the savagery. Demyx started chewing thoughtfully. "Mmm... yeah, definitely the 'vanilla' of pizza," he mused. "...I think I prefer pineapple. With bacon. Ham. Lots of cheese... and A-class blood. Yeah. Perfect pizza right there."

"...I think I'd pass on that," Zexion replied, the thought of such a concoction, with or without the blood, making him feel sick. He thought he might gag right now if it weren't for the fact that his stomach didn't have much to push up anyway.

"The blood thing? Or you against pineapple?"

"The whole thing just makes my stomach turn anyway." He grimaced as the rather morbid image continued to bounce around in his mind. "You... you really like sweet things, don't you."

"Yeah. A-class was the first blood I ever drank from a human back in the day... and well, it sorta went from there."

"Wait... A type... I mean... A-class blood tastes sweet?"

"To vampires, yeah. Our taste buds act differently to everyone else's. We can tell the difference easily."

"What... what does my blood taste like?" Zexion asked, almost too scared to know.

The smile he got from Demyx was one of his bright, reassuring ones that was starting to have a distinct calming effect on Zexion already. "Brothy, rich, but sweet. It's really comforting." He leaned over and patted Zexion's shoulder. "It's like... hmm... it's like getting a homecooked dinner."

He didn't know how he felt about that... but he guessed, judging by the warmth in Demyx's words, it was meant as a compliment.

It took at least two hours for Zexion to eat and fall asleep, exhaustion finally catching up with him. Demyx had to admit it was catching up to him as well, but he stayed up a little longer, taking the time to move Zexion from their living room into... well, initially he was going to leave him in a guest bedroom, but given the circumstances... and the fact that the Organisation had a thus far proven track record of getting into places they really shouldn't be getting into... yeah, that was how a slumbering Zexion was now tucked up in his bed. Demyx was just lying next to him, his body on top of the covers.

He knew he should be fine. He had drank the O-class in the fridge just to keep himself topped up, so Zexion wasn't in danger of being very poorly seduced or suggested into being fed from. In his mind, he was sure that Leon and Axel would be back soon – Axel probably got his way about getting something strong if he pestered Leon enough. So... a bit of sleep would be fine, right? He hadn't had a lot of it after all...

He turned onto his side, looking at Zexion and finding himself studying him in greater detail again... yeah, looking at an awake Zexion was better, but a sleeping Zexion looking so at peace despite everything was rewarding in its own way too. It just meant that he had managed to keep Zexion's mind off of things, if only for a while.

He dared to reach out and stroke the soft angle of his cheek, revelling in how warm it felt against his cooled fingertips. Was it really possible that... Zexion wasn't at all offended by the whole 'boyfriend' thing? He had been sure he had been... hell, he was pretty sure if Zexion was going to be involved with anyone in that way, it'd surely be Leon. So... maybe there is a chance? He recoiled, mostly from the thought, but also because Zexion had moved for a moment before settling again.

You're getting ahead of yourself again Demyx... besides, just because he didn't mind it doesn't mean he's going to open to it. He sighed, turning onto his back to stare at the ceiling. He might only like you as a friend... so don't rock the boat. Don't let those weird 'mine' thoughts get to you.

He tilted his head back towards Zexion, but he was looking past him and over to the book that was lying innocently on the bedside table. "...I still don't trust you," he glowered at it. "You may have helped Zexion, but there's no way I'm going to trust you."

The book said nothing back. Not that it could anyway.

*I couldn't resist... sorry-not-sorry haha (its fun adapting lyrics!) Also! Fun Fact! Beaumont is a reference to French author Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, who is the one responsible for adapting Beauty and the Beast from Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot du Villeneuve's original version. (That should do us for Beauty and the Beast references for now)