"That takes care of this area. I propose we continue this investigation over there, by those trees."

"Whatever, man. Lead the way."

Vexen and Demyx trudged through the deep sands of the desert in silence until they had reached their destination. While Demyx immediately pulled out his sitar, Vexen lowered his hood, squinting into the distance at the massive Heartless crawling along the ground.

"Hmm, now that's odd. It seems to be a ground-based creature. I would have thought it to be a flying Heartless, considering its habit of creating these storms."

"Hm," Demyx grunted with obvious disinterest.

Vexen sighed, crossing his arms and scanning the area. "And then, over there is the storm…" he observed. "Fascinating… it has shifted its trajectory by thirty degrees, if Axel's report was accurate. I think it's going to miss Agrabah entirely."

Demyx was getting pretty tired of being sent to Agrabah, and the sound of Vexen's voice didn't make it any better this time. He plucked at his instrument, trying to drown him out, but Vexen was insistent in his battle for the young musician's attention.

"Demyx, you even listening?"

"Hmm? What? Oh, yeah, the storm. Going a different direction. Right."

Vexen rolled his eyes with a frustrated scoff. "Demyx, do you have any input on this matter? You were one of the last people to see this phenomenon."

"Yeah but I was running for my life!" Demyx argued. "Why couldn't Saïx just send Xigbar or Axel?"

In truth, Vexen wondered that very same thing himself, always loath to share a mission with someone as lethargic as Demyx. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples and inhaling through his nose a few times to maintain his patience. "All right, Demyx. Here's an observation I've made. The creature has command over the ground, yet seems to remain mostly in one place. How it manages to create these sandstorms is quite a mystery."

He waited, handing the floor to Demyx, who struggled to come up with anything to add to his summary. Just how many times are we going to study this damn thing before we finally go in and kill it? Saïx had insisted on sending someone to conduct additional recon nearly every day this week, adamant that the reports be more thorough. He claimed that the extra planning was all in the interest of safety, but since when did Saïx care about safety?

The heat made his head pound and Demyx found it quite difficult to think, especially under pressure, but he eventually offered up the only input he really had, hoping it would suffice. "That cyclone is full of flying Heartless. Maybe big guy here kicks up the sand and then they swirl it around and make the storms."

Vexen turned to face him, for once thrilled to see him participating. "That's an intriguing hypothesis. What, then, would be your suggestion?"

Demyx sighed, resentful of the miniature quiz Vexen was clearly giving him. "We gotta send our biggest tanks to get rid of it. I'm talking Lexaeus and Xaldin. Maybe Saïx, Axel, whoever. That thing doesn't play around."

Vexen smiled, giving Demyx a patronizing pat on the back. "That's much better, Demyx. I knew you had a brain in there somewhere."

"Hardy-har. Can we go back now?"

"Fine, we're finished here. Let's go home."

They walked in silence, pulling their hoods tight and shielding their eyes. When they had reached Agrabah, Vexen paused, resting in the shade of a nearby structure.

"Demyx… Before we go back, I'd like to chat. Man to man."

Demyx felt his stomach drop, unsure of what to expect from such an odd request. Vexen would never volunteer to converse with Demyx even if he were the only other man in existence. "I don't like where this is going…"

"Of course I don't have to explain my relationship to Zexion. I took him in when he was just a child. I raised him like he was my own son, and… I care very deeply for him."

Demyx remained completely speechless, his eyes wide and his jaw dropping with the shock of seeing Vexen soften his eccentric face and emote genuine concern and affection for somebody. As quickly as the change occurred, it shifted right back as Vexen glared menacingly at Demyx. "So, if someone were to hurt him, I'm sure you understand that I would be quite… cross."

Demyx gulped, lacking a response to such a sinister warning. He looked away from Vexen's frightening face, nervously brushing sand off his coat.

"I trust I've made myself clear?"

Demyx, shaking out his hair, racked his brain for an appropriate answer. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words simply wouldn't come to him. He stared back at Vexen with determination, stalling for time as he organized the thoughts in his head. To his absolute surprise, he managed to spit out something coherent.

"We have something in common, Vexen."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"We both care about Zexion, and would unapologetically slit the throat of anyone who dared to hurt him. If you ask me, we're on the same side here."

He could have sworn someone had set a fire inside him. The rush of finally saying something that sounded somewhat intelligent was invigorating. Vexen, dumbstruck, could only gape at him, stunned by his sudden surge of logic and eloquence. After several seconds of tense silence, he slowly began to smile. He patted Demyx warmly on the back again and gestured toward the corridor of darkness.

"Let's go home, boy."

Demyx could have floated off into the sky, so elated by the outcome of their confrontation that he could barely contain himself. He beamed brightly as he marched through the portal and back into the Grey Area, much to the vexation of Saïx, who had been silently staring out the window at the moon.

"Vexen, what did you do to him?"

"I bonded with him. You should try it some time."

"How touching. I think I'll pass."

Even Saïx couldn't get him down this time. Demyx brushed off his insults and cheerfully hurried to the lab where he knew he would find Zexion waiting. His accomplishment had to be celebrated, and he had the best idea for just such an occasion. Zexion greeted him with his usual warm smile. "You're unusually cheerful. Did you have fun in Agrabah?"

"Zexion, tell me you have the night off because I'm taking you out."

Zexion giggled at his enthusiasm, appreciating his thoughtfulness. "Very well. I have the night off."

With a flash of his shimmering smile, Demyx extended a hand to the young apprentice. Zexion hesitated briefly, wary of publicly displaying their affection at first. After a few seconds, he remembered Axel's words, deciding they applied perfectly to this situation. He took Demyx's hand and they walked out into the hall together.

They had no sooner crossed the threshold than Demyx took him by surprise and pinned him to the wall, attacking him with a ferocious kiss. Zexion jumped, startled by the sudden advance, but quickly swooned at his touch, his knees weakening beneath him. The overwhelming heat building between them threatened to burn through the leather of their coats as a powerful current pulsed through their lips. Just when he was certain he might collapse, Demyx broke off the kiss, reluctantly pulling away from Zexion to collect himself.

Zexion stood frozen against the wall, winded and exhilarated. Demyx chuckled at the sight of Zexion's flushed cheeks and yearning eyes. "Heh, sorry. I needed that. Let's go."

He pulled Zexion down the hall by the hand and summoned a corridor of darkness. They passed through and found themselves in an alleyway in Twilight Town. Demyx led the way as they headed to a small bar on the next street. It was deserted, except for the bartender. He was a round, cheerful looking man, and he greeted them warmly as they entered.

Zexion gave Demyx a puzzled look as he guided him to an arched doorway in the back. Demyx knew he didn't drink, and Zexion questioned why he would decide to bring him to a bar. When they had reached the back room, he finally saw why. At the other end of the room, surrounded by a dozen empty tables, was an upright piano.

Demyx, beaming, practically dragged Zexion to the piano in excitement, plunking him down on the bench and pulling up a chair beside him. Its keys were chipped and the wood was worn, but Demyx insisted that it could still play. Zexion stared hesitantly at the keyboard, reluctant to embarrass himself attempting to play an instrument he hadn't touched in a decade.

"Come on, Zexion! Try it!"

"Demyx… I don't remember how to play."

"How can you know if you won't try?"

"I don't even know where to start. It's been too long."

"Then close your eyes and see where your hands go. I think you'll surprise yourself."

Demyx laid his hands over Zexion's eyes, blinding him entirely. With a heavy sigh, Zexion reached toward the instrument and laid his fingers on the keys. He tried to turn off his brain and rely only on muscle memory, hoping music would come out if he didn't think about it. He plucked one key, recognizing the pitch as soon as he heard it. Pleasantly surprised to find it was the key he'd been aiming for, he plunked out a few more notes afterward. Before he realized what was happening, he was playing a song.

As he listened to the melody, one he'd learned as a child, he watched the stream of happy memories projected behind his eyelids. Ansem the Wise had always loved this particular piece, even more so if little Ienzo was playing it. He remembered the many evenings he and Master Ansem spent in front of a lovely grand piano he kept in his castle ballroom. He used to smile so brightly when he received a standing ovation after every song he played, regardless of how well he performed.

Demyx slowly removed his hands from Zexion's face, sinking back into his chair beside the apprentice. He watched with wonder and amazement, as Zexion's fingers seemed to glide up and down the keyboard. Zexion was just as awestruck. He opened his eyes and watched his hands dance over the keys, stunned that they remembered where to go. After a few moments, he reached the end of the piece, and the two sat in silence for several seconds.

"Zexion… that was awesome!"

"I… What…?"

Demyx began clapping enthusiastically. "See? I told you! It's not something you just forget! You still had it in you all this time!"

"But how…?"

"Play it again! I'll play along."

Demyx summoned his sitar and fiddled with the tuning pegs. Zexion closed his eyes and started again at the beginning, letting his fingers carry him through the piece once more. Demyx joined in after listening for a few seconds, picking out the melody with impressive accuracy. As they went on, he began to harmonize with Zexion's playing, then showing off his virtuosity by arpeggiating the chords. Listening to him play was so engaging that Zexion nearly stopped playing himself, but he made it to the end of the song for the second time, wishing it didn't have to be over.

"Yeah, baby! We could totally start a band!"

"Let's not get carried away, Demyx. So far, I can play one song."

"It's a start! Hold on, let me try to start one."

He swapped out his sitar for a regular guitar he found leaning against the wall beside them, shocking Zexion as he tuned it up and strummed a few practice chords.

"A guitar? I didn't know you played the guitar."

"I don't. I'm dumbing myself down for you," he replied with a playful wink, eliciting a laugh from Zexion.

When his instrument was sufficiently tuned, he began to play a single melody, simple enough for Zexion to pick out on the piano after a few refrains. As he played on, he added more layers to the composition. Harmonies, bass tones, chord extensions, and counter-melodies that somehow weaved together into what Zexion could only describe as a masterpiece. He struggled to keep up at first, but Demyx looped the piece endlessly, patiently waiting for Zexion to catch on. Eventually, Zexion managed to play alongside him so that their performances were synchronous.

After several minutes, Zexion was quite comfortable with the piece, and Demyx started improvising. Zexion, thankful for his quick reaction time, followed where Demyx led. Subconsciously analyzing his style and patterns, Zexion could soon anticipate his changes before he made them, and it was not long before he could improvise himself.

Demyx cheered, enjoying the experience of seeing Zexion's personality come out in his playing. Zexion was obviously classically trained, but Demyx soon could tell that his own style had developed, blending a few genres and creating a unique sound that he could call his own. Demyx was baffled over Zexion's insistence that he was not a musician.

Just in time for Zexion to run out of ideas, Demyx led them into the end of the song, finishing with an elaborate cadenza, punctuated by a humorous button. The two laughed for a long while after that, shrugging off their disbelief that they were even capable of genuine laughter and simply enjoying the moment. As their excitement wound down, Zexion stared at the keyboard, still stunned by his performance.

"Demyx, how did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You brought back my playing. I haven't touched a piano since I was a child. How did you get me to remember?"

Demyx giggled to himself. "I didn't do anything. I told you, you had it in you all along."

It was getting harder and harder to look at Demyx. His smile was captivating. Breathtaking, even. It's like he knew he could turn Zexion's bones to jelly with just a look. His chest was rapidly beating, almost painfully so. He rubbed his sternum to quiet the drumming, turning away from the instrument to rest. Demyx offered a hand up, guiding him to a nearby table in a dark corner.

"I'm going to get a drink. You want anything?"

"No, thanks."

Demyx smirked as he disappeared into the next room. As soon as he was out of sight, Zexion let his head fall onto the table in a slump. The constant rush of memories was draining. He could clearly see the face of Ansem the Wise, rising to his feet and clapping with sincerity in his eyes. An unexpected wave of nostalgia washed over the young apprentice and before he could process the emotion, a single tear fell from his eye. He hastily wiped it away, taken aback by its sudden appearance.

Demyx soon returned, carrying two tiny glasses full of deep red liquid. He set one down in front of Zexion, who glanced at him with confusion.

"Demyx, I—"

"Just try it."

Zexion sighed with exasperation, staring at the beverage as if it were a specimen to study. "What is it?"

"It's called the 'Piano Man.' Now drink it."

Defeated, Zexion picked up the glass timidly, prepared to just knock it back and get it over with. Demyx lifted his in turn, clinking the glasses together. Zexion took a breath and, squeezing his eyes shut, swallowed the beverage as quickly as he could. The liquid burned the entire way down his throat and he couldn't help but cough at the clashing flavors of sweet and bitter. Demyx patted his back, chuckling at his broken innocence as he struggled to catch his breath.

"What… was in that…?"

"I honestly have no idea. But it was the weakest drink on the menu. He said women love it."

When his coughing settled down, Zexion returned to his densely tangled thoughts, reaching for more memories in which he could lose himself. He absentmindedly fiddled with the empty glass, unaware that Demyx was staring at him. They relaxed in silence for a time before Demyx decided to start the conversation for which he had planned this entire date. After several seconds of mental coaxing, he reached out and took Zexion's hand in his, gently caressing his skin with his thumb. Zexion lifted his eyes with a tender smile, waiting for Demyx to speak. Demyx cleared his throat, rubbing his neck nervously and stammering.

"Zexion… I, uh…"

Demyx looked away, pressure building in his chest. He did his best to make his confession quickly before he lost his nerve. "Well, I… I want to make it weird."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I want to add some strings to this situation…"

Zexion impatiently raised an eyebrow. "Demyx, I don't speak whatever demonic tongues you're—"

"Okay, okay! I just," he took a long breath. "I feel stuff. I don't know what it is but it's really good stuff. Stuff that I've never felt before, I don't think."

Zexion soon regretted the shot he took as his stomach twisted itself into knots. "Tell me about this 'stuff' that you feel."

"I… well… like, there's this… Uh, sorry, I'm really bad with words."

"May I try?"

"Uh… sure. You try."

Zexion scooted closer to Demyx, soothing him with his practiced gentleness and calm demeanor. He dug deep inside himself, searching for an adequate description of his own feelings, hoping against hope that Demyx shared them. With a deep breath, and the sound of Axel's useful advice ringing in his ears, he dropped his guard and opened himself up to Demyx.

"It's like having a heart again…" he brought a hand to his chest. "Demyx, when I'm with you, I don't feel like half a person anymore."

Vibrating. His entire body was vibrating. There was electricity in him, he was sure of it. He couldn't breathe. Something was choking him. A pair of big, strong hands, squeezing his lungs. It was a sickening feeling, this anticipation. Could this be anxiety?

"When we're together, nothing else matters. All I want is to be with you. That's how I feel."

Demyx paused for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh of relief. "You uh… you hit the nail on the head…"

Zexion lit up, elated to hear Demyx agree. "You feel the same way?"

"Yeah. I can't stop thinking about you. I feel this connection and it's really… powerful." He took Zexion's hands with a look of intense desperation. "I need us to be a thing."

Zexion beamed at him with stars in his eyes. "Then… why not? Let's be a thing. What have we got to lose?"

"You're not worried about what people will think?"

Zexion shook his head. "No. We wouldn't be the only exclusive pair in the Organization. We don't have to make a show of it if you're embarrassed…"

Demyx interrupted him, frantically clarifying his words. "I'm not embarrassed! I just… well, I'd hate to ruin your reputation. You're the smart one, and I'm the dumb one, you know?"

He dropped his hands and turned away, picking at a fragment of wood splintering from the table with a despondent expression. Zexion's face softened, hurting on Demyx's behalf for the years of abuse that had undoubtedly contributed to his low self esteem. "Demyx, you're not dumb. People just told you that you are, and you believed them."

Demyx didn't look up, unconvinced by Zexion's encouraging words. He appreciated what his friend was trying to do, but his stupidity had almost become a part of his identity for how often his fellow comrades pointed it out. Over the years, he grew complacent, then content with, then accustomed to his reputation. Being the stupid one meant that nobody expected anything of him, allowing him to grow lazier and lazier as the years went on. He knew better than to complain.

"So words aren't your forte. That doesn't make you stupid. It takes intelligence to pick up an instrument you've never played and then to do what you just did tonight. You compose music all day and your skill never falters. You can play complicated material while comfortably holding a conversation with someone. That's pretty damned impressive, Demyx. I think you're very smart."

Demyx kept his gaze fixed on the table as something built inside him with mounting pressure. He squeezed his hands into fists as his throat tightened and his eyes began to burn. He bit his lip to stifle his voice as he let himself be overtaken. With no warning, he threw his arms around Zexion and embraced him tightly with his face buried in his shoulder. Zexion had said the magic word — one Demyx was certain he'd never hear applied to him in his life.

Zexion was startled, but held Demyx closely until he finally pulled away, wiping his cheeks and sniffling. "Demyx, what's wrong?"

"Sorry…" Demyx laughed sheepishly, fighting back the rest of the tears. "No one has ever called me 'smart' before."

They cuddled in their shared booth for hours. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they were silent, enjoying each other's company with no need for words. When the bartender announced that he'd be closing up for the night, they made their way back to the castle, hand in hand. They reached Demyx's door in no time, yawning and stretching their joints.

"I'm totally wiped… Tomorrow's gonna suck…"

Zexion kissed his forehead gently. "Hope that doesn't mean you regret tonight."

Demyx smirked, returning the kiss. "Of course not. Come in with me? The Moogle says he misses you."

Zexion grinned and allowed Demyx to lead him inside. He was exhausted, but the excitement from the evening still buzzed inside him. He was certain he'd never be able to sleep if he tried, and for some time, neither of them did. Even as tired as they were, they were out of their clothes in seconds after entering the room.

Sex was at last becoming somewhat familiar to Zexion. It was comfortable and easy now, finding his rhythm and relaxing into Demyx's motions. He knew what he liked and he felt safe to ask for it, and Demyx happily obliged every request. In a way, this night was like the others — fun, exhilarating, and immensely erotic — but there also was something about this encounter that was almost entirely foreign to him. Something about the look in Demyx's eyes. Something about the way he held him in his arms as he approached the end. His grip was tight — desperate, perhaps — as if he feared letting go, lest his lover float away into the abyss.

The pressure was unbearable. The sensations, the atmosphere, the heat — it was all so intense, so potent, so fierce… culminating in a climax like none he'd ever experienced. The pleasure was so profound that he wondered if it should even be possible for a Nobody to feel such euphoria. He clung to Demyx, unwilling to be separated for an instant. The musician was spasming in his grasp, his lips pressed against Zexion's jaw. The warmth of his ragged sighs on his ear was almost too much. He could have sworn he heard the man whisper something, but couldn't make it out.

Later, as Demyx snored beside him, clutching the stuffed Moogle, Zexion couldn't help but watch him, afraid that if he closed his eyes, he'd wake up in the morning to find it had all been a dream. He couldn't bear the thought, but what a dream it would have been. As he pressed himself against the smooth skin of Demyx's back, he was soon lulled to sleep by a familiar sound — echoing inside Demyx's chest was the steady rhythm of a quiet, slow beating.