"Where are you going, Demyx?" I froze in my footsteps. The heartless had already long been dispatched by the playing cards, and I had no escape. I considered just running, or using a portal, but there'd be no excuse later.
"I asked you where you were going, Demyx."
"I know. I was deciding how best to answer."
Luxord was looking me up and down, and had sussed my non-Organization based activity.
"Well?"
"I'm going to meet someone." I tried to summon a portal before he got a chance to respond, but he got another set of questions in before I had time to answer.
"Who are you going to meet? Where? Why?"
"That's private," I said slowly. Until he had proof of my having another relationship, he couldn't report me to The Superior. But, as the portal sprang from the ground, I saw the look in his eyes that meant he was going to do all in his power to get the sufficient evidence. The two pairs of blue eyes glowered at the other, as mine faded into the blackness.
I returned to the boutique, the third night running. I took my usual seat on the bed, and admired my new clothes as I sat, my ankle resting on my thigh, my shoe glinting in the light. I'd turned the dimmer switch on full, but ensured the blinds were drawn. It was important that Luxord didn't find Mr Slater. If he did, all was lost.
It was eight o'clock, all too slowly, and Mr Slater arrived, right on time. This time, he didn't bother with the chair, but sat right next to me, and wrapped his arm around me as he sat, and I returned the gesture. He plucked at my blazer and smiled, pointing also at my shoes.
"You approve, then?"
I nodded, enthusiastically, and kissed his cheek. Tonight, he was dressed in a plain skinny blazer, and black trousers, plus the shoes, and a white T-shirt with a scarf he'd left on the dressing table.
"Sooo…" He swirled the word around his mouth, and I was more than eager to hear the rest of the sentence. "How's my favourite little Demyx, then?" he asked, beaming at me, and ruffling my fluffy hair. I grinned back, and let him have his blond fun.
"Mr Slater?" I asked, tentatively.
"Yes…?" He responded, impassive.
"You know lots about me…" His expression was not encouraging. "But I don't know anything about you…" His reply was quick and sharp, and I instantly regretted having said anything.
"And this matters?"
"Well… I want to know something, sir. What made us who we are, rather than nobodies?"
"It's complicated." He sounded patronizing, and this only spurned me on to push things further.
"And what about you? I don't know anything about you beyond your appearance!" I could see his tongue rolling around inside his thin mouth. I couldn't look at the stony turmoil that was his eyes, and I had to resort to slipping my vision to his shoes once more, as the vicious hiss that was his voice filled all eight corners of the room. I felt unprotected, as his arm returned to his own side, rather than around me, and I had no choice to do but the same.
"Don't you know my heart? Don't you know my feelings for you? Look at me, Demyx!" I couldn't.
"Yes, sir. I know your heart, and your feelings…" I think I'd said the right thing. I could feel the eyes relenting in their stare slightly, but I still didn't look up. I didn't want to see the full fury of Mr Slater.
"And what are they?" The voice was now his normal one, just slightly colder.
"For me, Mr Slater."
"Of course my feelings are for you, Demyx! So what else matters?" I considered. Part of my reason was just to keep him calm, but most of it was sheer truth.
"Nothing." I looked up at him, at last, as the whispered words left my lips, and fluttered to the floor. "Nothing, sir. And nobody." His eyes had softened again, and he smiled once more. I felt happy again, and not knowing anything about him counted for naught.
"Correct." He kissed me on the lips, but it wasn't quite the passionate events of last night: simple affection, and worth every cell on both of our lips.
