9.

New Friends, Old Enemy

As Ienzo went home, he marveled over the strangeness he felt. His senses still were raw, almost painfully so; the noise of the crowded streetcar gave him a headache. He wondered if he were somewhat in shock. He didn't believe in virginity, but this was definitely a life-before and a life-after situation. Then again, it had been ever since he'd met Demyx here.

He went home. It was still a decent hour, so Even did not accost him as he was wont to do. He showered and noted that beneath his sweater Demyx had left him with some decently-violet hickies. Ienzo sighed and healed them away. He did some homework, some light reading of his own. When he finally slept, it was like the dead.

Ienzo dreamt.

He dreamt of water and drowning and the feeling of being saved. He dreamt of his father and Braig and Even, of bittersweet memories before he knew they were bittersweet. Despite it all… Ienzo missed them.

When he woke, he blinked the requisite tears out of his eyes. Demyx had texted him a few times.

Good morning [eyes emoji] happy Friday. Say, a bunch of us were going to go out later, want to come?

He smiled a little. I would, but I'm only twenty.

No need to worry. Drinking age here is only 18. You're not getting out of this one. [wink] Besides, what if I want to show you off?

What is there to show off?

Har har. Anyway, you in?

He wondered if Even would be pleased he had made friends, or worried for his safety if alcohol was involved. And crowds… he felt a surge of nerves despite himself. I'll try. Why not? The alternative was spending another evening reading by himself, alone. Demyx would magically protect him, and he could handle the rest.

Ienzo got ready for his day and went to get some breakfast. "You're alright?" Even asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He shook his head a little. He looked somewhat frazzled; his hair was unbrushed, his shirt wrinkled. "I suppose you're right. I… you ran out the other night, child. We haven't spoken since."

"You were never one for small talk," Ienzo muttered, pouring himself some coffee. "If you must know. I'm angry. What else are you keeping from me, Even?"

He leaned against the counter. "Nothing of any significance. That was… it."

"When were you going to tell me?"

"I was going to wait until you were fully of age. Fate had other plans."

"What would you have done if we had run into him before?"

He shut his eyes for a moment. "Eaten my table of crow."

Ienzo looked into his bowl of cereal. "When will you realize I'm not a child?"

Even reached over and took his hand; the touch startled him. "You are… right . But I've… we've been doing this for so long. I've seen you grow up, raised you, and yet… I worry for you, Ienzo. This is a tempestuous world enough to be in even were you not… a prince. I wanted you to have a good life… but when that was not possible, keeping you alive was good enough."

"But you understand why I am so frustrated? You wax poetic about my brilliance, yet you will hardly let me make my own decisions… limited as they are."

"I… understand."

"I hope you do." He exhaled. "I will be going out with friends this evening. Just so you know."

Ienzo could see the amount of restraint it took for Even to merely say, "Alright. He will be with you… the boy?"

"Yes."

"I… see. How do you feel about that?"

Ienzo dropped his eyes. He hoped Even didn't have some way to sense what had happened between them yesterday. "It is very strange," he admitted. "We're strangers… yet I feel so compelled. On the one hand, I wished we could've met organically. On the other… the magic tells me this is right, so who am I if I do not listen to it? I feel… safe. Which I suppose is the point."

"Let me meet him," Even said. "All this time… and I've no idea who he is."

"Perhaps after tonight."

"Right. I see." Even leaned against one palm.

"Are you alright? When was the last time you left this house?"

"There are… affairs I am dealing with," Even said. "Nothing to worry about." Off Ienzo's expression, "I will tell you if there's anything of major import."

"Please get some sleep… and some fresh air," Ienzo said. "You can't fret over me if you're unwell yourself."

A small smile. "Very well, Ienzo."

After this, class was uneventful. Ienzo was amazed at how little effort it took for him to get an excellent grade. He desired more of a challenge. This wasn't one of the days where he had Demyx's class, so he merely kept himself occupied until the morning was over.

Waiting for him outside of the lecture hall was Riku, of all people. Ienzo frowned. "Have you been following me?"

"I asked for your schedule from Demyx. He's been moping around like a lovesick puppy." He ruffled his long silver hair. "Hungry?"

They got sandwiches and sat in a small booth in one of the campus eateries. "You do strike me as a motley pair," Ienzo admitted.

"So do you," Riku pointed out. "Soulmate bullshit, right?"

Ienzo tensed.

"It's alright. I'm muffling what we're saying."

He sighed. "...Quite," he said. "It's been… odd, to say the least."

"I bet."

There was a moment of silence. Riku crossed his arms. Finally, Ienzo said quietly, "I plan on going to the resistance myself. I have… a contact. If you wish to go with me, that's your choice."

A wry smile. "That's what I'm talking about."

"Who are you, Riku?"

"A person of no importance. Not really. I was just lucky enough to end up with the genes that caused this ." He touched a strand of his hair.

Ienzo blinked. A magic user born to non-magic parents was very rare indeed; the other way around was much more common. He chuckled a little. "Lucky."

"...Besides. Demyx was taken in by my aunt. It's kind of… personal."

"You're family? That's not what he told me."

Riku shrugged. "There was a falling out between our parents a few years ago. And we were never close. But we… have to stick together. He acts like camouflage."

"...Yes." He swallowed. "Did he tell you… who bound us? And who I am?"

"...I have my suspicions," Riku admitted. "You're powerful, and if you were bound you have to be important." He waved a hand vaguely. "But I can also see that you don't trust me, and I can't blame you for that."

Ienzo nodded slowly.

"Look, I may come off as… ambivalent, towards Demyx, but if he ends up hurt-"

Ienzo locked eyes with him. "I do not want that either."

Riku bobbed his head once. "Is it weird? Falling in love instantly?"

"I suppose I wouldn't know the difference," Ienzo admitted. "But yes, it is strange. On one level we are strangers. On another… we're not. I could not tell you his favorite color, or his ambitions, or his philosophy on life… yet I feel as though I do know him. It's all… very aqueous."

Riku laughed a little; it had almost no sound to it. "It's a trip and a half. You know, I… helped him find out who he is."

"You mean that he's a seeker?"

"We were both kind of going through it. The second I hit puberty I was bleeding magic and attracting bad guys, and when we were together, it… stopped. So we did our own research."

"I presume it wasn't that easy."

"Well no, of course not. We ended up breaking into the mayor's library-that's a story for another day. Ever since the seekers were hunted… it was all hush-hush, like they never were in the first place."

"Oh, propaganda. I know it well." He stabbed the last few remaining leaves of his salad absently. "Believe me."

Riku's lip quirked. "I can't just lay back anymore and let this happen."

"Me, either. Besides, I think the resistance can take as many warm bodies as are willing."

"Then it's a good thing I know a few people." A mischievous smile.

"...Oh?"

"Let's just say you'll meet them tonight." He picked up his empty clamshell container. "Be seeing you. Though I gotta say-you don't seem the clubbing type."

Ienzo thought the same, but he added, "I'm full of surprises."

"I'm sure you are," Riku said, without turning back, and Ienzo felt the ward he'd put dissipating, sound returning to normal volume.

Later that evening, Ienzo got ready. He'd been told by Demyx that they were going to a blacklight party at the local club-aptly titled Seventh Heaven-and bright colors or white would work best. He thought he would feel more nervous, but knowing Demyx would be there soothed him. Surprising-yet not-how quickly he'd become accustomed to their link. He chose a white pullover. As he picked up yesterday's pants to throw in the hamper, the pendant thumped loudly onto the floor. He took it into his hand.

At this point there was no denying it.

It was small, but felt weighty around his throat. It had a chain, and a clasp, unlike Demyx's, perhaps put there after the fact. Twine was not fit for a prince. Ienzo tucked it into his shirt, and stared at it for a moment, trying to see if it were visible from the outside.

He took the streetcar over to Demyx's, where they were going to "pregame". Ienzo did not intend on drinking much, if at all; he'd never had much of a taste for it, whenever Even allowed him to have wine with dinner. But partying like this was supposedly normal.

The door was open before he could even knock. "Zo! Hey!" A set of string lights had been hung, and some pop music played idly. Demyx leaned in to kiss him once on the lips. He was wearing a bright green T-shirt that physically hurt to look at.

"Oh, that is lurid ," Ienzo muttered.

"Ugh, Riku said the same thing." He pulled at the hem. "Should I change?"

"Do you have anything a little less obnoxious?"

"That is a… good question. Help me pick?"

Ienzo could do little more than wave at the other people in the apartment before he was led back. But Demyx didn't do anything other than open his dresser and start pulling out shirts. In the weeks Ienzo had known him, he hadn't really worn anything out of the ordinary-plaid, simple graphic Ts, jeans. But these shirts were a little more… extravagant; Hawaiian prints, checkers, all sorts of colors, a button-down with pineapples. "Were you being conservative for little old me?" he asked innocently.

Demyx flushed. "Hey! I'm a TA, I have to look the part!"

"With that hair?"

He laughed. "Quit razzing me."

Ienzo smirked. He realized they'd never actually gotten a chance to flirt; it felt good. "If you're going for color, I'd say that one." He gestured to the pineapple shirt.

Quite unembarrassed, Demyx pulled off the shirt he was wearing. Ienzo realized he hadn't actually gotten a good look at him before; he felt the blood rush to his face. "Ta da," Demyx said, with a flourish.

"Yellow is a good color on you," Ienzo said lamely.

"Yeah, I've been told." Demyx turned to the mirror and gave his hair one more fluff. "Alright. Let's have some drinks. But first-"

Ienzo leaned in to kiss him; for a moment they were lost in each other before he found the willpower to pull away. "I'd hate for people to get the wrong impression of me," he said. "Right. Let's get drunk."

"Now we're talking!"

The people in the apartment's small living room were more or less the same ones Ienzo had met that afternoon at lunch; along with two others, a boy and girl he did not recognize. The girl leapt up. She was petite, thin, her red hair curled around her small face. "You must be Ienzo," she said. "Hi. I'm Kairi. This is my boyfriend Sora." They both had painfully blue eyes, such a distinct blue that Ienzo felt a spark of recognition. Not of either of them, but of what that color meant. He smiled pleasantly, shook their hands. He locked eyes with Riku, preparing a drink on the counter; the man nodded once. "I love your hair," she added, as if this were not hint enough.

"I know, right?" Yuffie said cheerfully. "He says it was an accident, but come on." To his shock, she came up and lifted a strand of his bangs. " Look at this."

"Please do not touch me," Ienzo said.

She stuck her tongue out. "Alright, relax."

"Ienzo. You having?" Riku asked, gesturing to the concoction he was mixing.

He exhaled. Maybe it would be good to lose some of this edge. "Please."

He found himself getting pleasantly buzzed with them. He'd never had hard alcohol before, and to his surprise he found he liked the harsh taste of it. It did strange things to his magic, which Demyx was thankfully able to pacify; Ienzo felt as though the world were quite loud. He was on the verge of peeking into everyone's thoughts. He decided he would pry more about Sora and Kairi's origins when he was sober again, and instead found himself chatting. Ienzo was surprised at the amount of words he was holding in, his intense and unrealized desire for human contact. Around ten, they headed out to the club.

Demyx slid an arm around his waist. "You okay?" he asked, whisper close. "I know this is all new to you."

"Oh-yes," Ienzo said. Everything was a bit distant, a bit foggy, a bit heavy , and he realized that "I think I may be drunk."

Demyx smiled. "I think so too. But do you feel… okay? Would you rather go back?"

Ienzo considered. He squinted. "I feel good," he said, barely conscious of the words.

"Good. That's what matters." There was already a line of partygoers waiting outside, but they were waived in by the bouncer. "Riku knows the bartender," Demyx explained.

"Riku is awfully well connected."

"He makes it work."

Inside, the blacklights made everything glow. Demyx touched Ienzo's hair. "It's just the UV," Ienzo said. "You have it too."

The music was loud, almost painfully so, playing some kind of techno. The others sought out drinks, but Demyx took Ienzo and led him to the dance floor.

"I don't dance," Ienzo said quickly.

"Come on, Zo. Try for me?"

And it was definitely the alcohol, but he said, "alright."

How odd this all was.

It took him a few minutes to fully succumb to the music, but it helped to have Demyx's hands on his waist. He found he was having fun , drunk in this place with awful music and glowing people. Ienzo pulled him into a kiss, one that tasted like the whiskey gingers they'd had, and for a moment everything seemed to stop. Too soon, Demyx pulled away. "I like your style, but we are in public," he said into Ienzo's ear.

They kept dancing for what seemed to be a long time, until Ienzo was gasping for breath and sweaty and laughing. He felt like he'd never had fun before, not like this. Maybe he was a clubbing person. "I'm so thirsty," he said. "Let's get another drink." They waded over to the bar. Blurrily, he saw that according to the clock it was midnight. "The witching hour."

Demyx pecked his cheek. "Water, for you, before you drink more."

Ienzo took it without complaint, even though it tasted vaguely of chlorine.

"New… friend, of yours, Demyx?" The bartender asked. He had a shorn blond scalp and a goatee, and a strange accent.

"Oh! Right. Luxord, this is my boyfriend, Ienzo. Ienzo, Luxord."

"This is the friend of Riku's?" Ienzo asked.

"Correct." With an impeccably graceful motion, he poured out two drinks which only glowed further under the light. When Ienzo reached for his wallet, he just said, "on the house. Don't worry about it." With a wink.

Ienzo did not know what to read into this gesture-was it friendliness, flirting, or something else? But the thought was shaken quickly. The drink was delicious-sweet and tart, yet bringing out the flavor of whatever alcohol was in it. Moreover, it was strong enough to make Ienzo shudder, and he wondered if he should sober himself with his power.

Demyx made a face. "Yeah, I should've warned you. Luxord's drinks can knock you flat."

Already Ienzo felt things getting less distinct, and he couldn't finish it. Instead, he asked for more water. They returned to the dance floor, finding Riku and the others at last; Lea and Roxas were jokingly engaged in some sort of tango, and Riku had Sora in his arms like he had no care in the world. Kairi did not seem to care; in fact, she was smiling. When she saw Ienzo, she offered her hands. "Dance with me?"

He looked towards Demyx, who just shrugged. So he took her hands. It was very clearly platonic. "So the three of you are a thing, then?" He asked, drunk enough to lose tact.

"Oh, yeah. I thought you knew that." They swayed together for a moment. "Demyx has been so happy since he met you."

Because it was magically predetermined, Ienzo nearly said. "Oh?"

An eager nod. "He was always, like, complaining nothing he ever had was genuine." She smiled, the light doing weird things to her teeth. "I'm so glad to see you again, Ienzo. You have no idea."

Ienzo felt dizzy. "...Again?"

She leaned in a little. "Oh, come on. I know you were just pretending to meet me at the apartment, for the others' sake." Then, at his baffled expression. "You do remember, don't you?"

The dizziness was worsening. Through his drunk haze, he thought he did, when she was smaller, just a girl-for some reason, Ienzo looked up into the crowd, and saw a man with distinctly blue hair darting out one of the exits. "Excuse me," he said, and left her without a word. He pushed through the throng of dancers, his anxiety inflating unchecked, making it at last. But when he faced the open courtyard, all he saw were ordinary people, smoking and talking where it was quieter.

"Hey! Zo, what's up?" Demyx was breathless.

"I saw him," Ienzo murmured.

"Saw who? "

"He was here, I swear."

Demyx put a hand on his shoulder. "I think you just drank a little too much. Why don't you sit down?"

He was nauseous now. "I think instead I… need a restroom."

"There's one right over there." Demyx gestured to a door at the corner of the courtyard. "I'll wait right here."

Thankfully, there was no line, and though he felt horrible doing so, he crouched on the dirty floor and threw up. He took a deep breath, pulled at his magic, and made himself sick again, all his drunkenness washing away. Suddenly sober, this whole experience was much less appealing.

He was positive he'd seen Saïx. How had the man found him? Ienzo splashed water on his face. Even with Demyx's protection? Had the man's enhancements allowed him to poke through that? Else one of Demyx's friends or anyone at the university had figured it out-

A knock at the door. "I gotta pee," someone slurred.

"Just a moment." He splashed cold water on his face, masked his glowing hair with an illusion. He walked back to Demyx wearily.

"You alright?" He asked. Ienzo could see now that he was wrecked.

"Got a bit overheated," he said. "I know it isn't that late… but can we go home?"

Demyx blinked disjointedly. "Too late for you to go home on your own," he mumbled. "Stay over."

He had a point-if Saïx were around, heading their separate ways was a bad idea. "...Alright."

After the heat of the club, the streets were mercifully cool. They took one of the last streetcars of the evening back towards Demyx's apartment; blearily, Demyx gave him the keys, too drunk to do it himself. Ienzo eased him into his bed; he fell asleep instantly. Ienzo slid off his sweaty clothing, and pulled on one of Demyx's shirts-he doubted he would care. Besides, his scent helped ease the fear that had overtaken him. He lay down on the double bed; Demyx mumbled something incoherent and looped an arm around his waist, pulling him close.

Between Demyx and his own exhaustion, Ienzo was surprised to find himself drifting off.