Hmm... so... I couldn't help it. Someone presented me with the theory that Zell is Demyx's somebody, and a whole lot of people speculate that Axel and Reno have that... well, Carie says she wants to use Zell and Demyx as brothers... don't they fit kind of well? Anyway, yeah, that's how it is.

There was supposed to be a little cliffhanger here... but I might not be able to repress the urge to post the next part tonight... Heh.

Thanks to FunnyItsNotMe, GROTESQUEpanda, HappyCrabMearii, Kiaru-Mitosai, Lavender341, and keitii-chan for adding this story to your favorites! You guys totally rock my socks off!!!

And finally, to xXInu-SamaXx, WhiteWolfShaera, HappyCrabMearii, Water-gem, Miyo Yukimora, Metal Chocobo, FunnyItsNotMe, and lemon-sprinkles, my reviewers as of right now... you guys make my day. I'm writing for you, so don't hesitate to beat me over the head with a stick when I get distracted.

EDIT!

This reminds me that I need to go back through and thank you all again.

As you well know, this was beta'd by the ever amazing Mousewolf! You know what you gotta do, friends!

::: Everything's Eventual :::

"Did you tell them?"

"Who?" Zell sighed, sipping his tea civilly.

Demyx was tense, every part of him twitchy, ready to be hit, or hit, or run again.

"You know of whom I speak," he grated. He always took a heavily formal tone when he was pissed, and right now he was royally pissed.

"Mom and Dad?" Zell asked stupidly. He'd always been kind of an idiot. "Why the hell would I tell them? They think you died in a fucking car wreck."

"Wh-what?" he croaked, suddenly shocked out of his anger.

"Yeah. You're legally dead, you know. You've got a death certificate, a tombstone, the whole nine yards. They found your car in the canal and sent in dive teams. They told mom and dad that you probably drowned and got carried away in the current. So they think you're dead and they just never found your body."

It was almost too much to take in.

"You really did crash, didn't you?"

"Yeah… but I was able to get out."

"Champ swimmer," Zell laughed, "It figures. They thought I was insane looking for you like this… but I figured since I've got more money than I could ever spend that I would keep up the search. And here you are, living with a famous artist of all people… I kind of want to bring you home with me."

"I can't, Zell, I'm not what they want me to be…never will, or can be." he sighed. Now he just felt like shit.

"I didn't want to tell you this so soon - but your girlfriend…"

"What about Rose?" he cried, grabbing his brother's hands desperately. The older blond stared back unflinchingly, brows furrowed, wrinkling the tattoo on the side of his face.

"Rose committed suicide after she thought you died. She said it was her fault for telling you to run in her suicide note." Zell paused, "If you came home… you could bring some light into people's hearts."

"No…" Demyx whispered. He'd heard nothing past 'committed suicide'. "I killed her, Zell… I killed her."

"No you didn't!" Zell barked, standing up and pulling his brother up with him by the collar. "You didn't kill her! She did it on her own! I told her to wait and see but she didn't listen to me!"

Demyx was a cry-baby. He always had been. He clung to the other desperately, bitter tears soaking into his brother's jacket. Zell held his younger brother; this was so terribly familiar. It was like the time when Seifer Almasy, the boy down the street, had thrown a rock and hit poor little Demyx in the head. He'd cried like mad.

"Shh…" Zell soothed, "It's not your fault - you had to go."

"I killed her and I broke mom's heart. I-I disappointed dad…" Demyx sobbed, "Why couldn't I just be normal like you?"

"They shouldn't have done that to you."

"Why am I such a fuck-up?" the younger blond sobbed pathetically, "I'm nothing but a useless fag, just like dad said…"

"Dad was wrong, Dem. You need to move on. You've been hiding it for all these years… if you come home, maybe we can fix some of this…"

"I need to talk to Axel…" Demyx choked, pulling away from his brother, "He's the only one I have now…"

"That's alright," Zell said softly, "And I have a Christmas gift for you."

He pressed a set of car keys into Demyx's numb hands with a smile.

"I hope you like it."

--- ---

Demyx looked tired, haggard even, when he got home. He said nothing. He only stripped off his coat and tossed everything on the floor with his boots, stumbled to the bed where Axel was quietly reading and collapsed, crawled into the redhead's arms.

"Hey, you okay?" Axel asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"We have a car," Demyx answered, and instantly broke into choking sobs.

"Excusemewhat?" Axel blurted all at once.

Demyx tugged him off the bed and dragged the redhead to the window, pulled back the drapes and pointed to a beautiful, sleek black Corvette z06 sitting right in the parking spot where Larxene's car always used to be.

"Seriously, Dem. That's not funny," Axel sighed, slightly upset that someone would park in his spot—even if he didn't have a car—and also that Demyx was acting like it was theirs.

Demyx laughed. It was a weird combination, seeing as he was still in tears. He didn't say anything, just reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He pressed a button and the car started with a deep bass purr.

Axel let out a cry somewhere between shock and joy and promptly fainted.

--- ---

After the gratuitous cruise and the thorough inspection, the two finally came home, Demyx still somewhat leaky, and Axel still ready to faint at a moment's notice. Demyx led the way back to the apartment, bade Axel sit down with him on the bed, and that was when he finally decided to give Axel the harder half of the news.

"Axel… I have something really important that I need to ask you."

"Yeah?" Axel replied hesitantly. He knew serious Demyx could mean something bad.

"Will you come home with me, t-to Florida? I have some unfinished business there…"

"Well sure. That's not bad at all," Axel laughed, "Why are you all solemn about it?"

Demyx faltered for a moment, ran his hands through his hair, tried for a matter-of-fact tone. "Well, my parents think I'm dead."

Awkward silence filled the room, and Demyx lowered his head.

Finally, Axel said, "Oh… Why?"

"I ran from home after… after my parents found out I was gay. My dad didn't take it that well, and I just decided to cut and run because he was threatening to make my life a living hell." Demyx gave a shaky little sigh, but smiled softly when Axel slipped his hands into his.

"It's alright… We'll go. I don't mind at all," Axel murmured, tipping Demyx's chin up gently, kissed him softly, then laughed. "I needed a break from all this snow anyway."