Handcuffs

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts... well... we'll just say that it's most definitely mine and leave it at that.

A/N: Demyx/Saix... my Kingdom Hearts OTP... so much love. So unloved. ;-;

XxXxXxX

It took a very strange person to consider a day where the morning was as dark as the night and the rain outside was louder than the howling wind and screams of thunder, as a beautiful one. Yet looking out the window, that's exactly what Demyx, Organization XIII's number IX thought. He liked rain, it made sense to him. Of course, he liked being outside in the sunshine too. But rain was... pretty. Sometimes, when he wanted it to rain, and it wasn't raining, he made it rain anyway. In a small area, usually inside. Usually the subsequent wet floors pissed people off too. No heed was paid to this fact however. The gale and thunder were oddly comforting too, especially inside, warm and contented.

It seemed to Demyx to be day of possibilties.

The thought of such possibilites may have stemmed from what Demyx held in his hands, lying patiently in wait. It was early morning, and The Castle That Never Was was mostly quiet. This led Demyx to assume that he was the first one up, except perhaps Vexen. That hardly counted though. Vexen didn't seem to sleep. And the mad scientist barely left his lab at all. And Larxene was up too. Demyx knew this because he's recieved a visit of sorts from her about an hour before. It seemed, she was bored. Thus, she was giving out presents.

Now, 'present' in Larxene-tounge meant either 'bomb' or 'knife to the face', depending on which dialect you were speaking. However Demyx had recieved neither of these. He had been sitting calmly on a space of floor completely devoid of furniture as far as the eye could see, playing his sitar and creating lithe dancers out of water for an audience while the rest of his comrades slumbered. When he spotted Larxene, he grinned happily and made his dancers disappear with an odd sort of gurgling sound.

She had said nothing, but strolled over and deposited what looked like a dog leash in his hands, outstretched for a morning hug. Then giggled, and walked away once more to wherever she came from. Probably to annoy Marluxia or the like of it.

On closer inspection, the dog leash turned out to be a set of handcuffs with a large shiny chain stringing the two cuffs together.

What does she want me to do with these...? Demyx had wondered, swinging the chain back and forth.

Whatever Larxene's intentions had been, it didn't matter. For soon Demyx had thought up a scheme of his own involving the cuffs. And he was most excited about it. It was one of those schemes that you probably had to be Demyx to think up, or even understand just why it was so great whilst not considering any of the consequences at all. Though, Demyx was Demyx... sitting near a window high above the ground below, looking distinctly depressed and grey in the storm, he was excited by his plan.

Now all he needed was the other half... or third of it.

Saix.

Him, Saix... and the cuffs.

No one needed much of an imagination to think up the plan... but Demyx still considered it brilliance.

Saix was due up at minute (not that Demyx had memorized the time Saix usually got up, not at all) and it was all planned out exactly how Demyx was going to catch him unawares.

Grinning so much that his green eyes simply seemed to light up, Demyx looked out the window once more and soon heard the steady footfalls of someone approaching.

It was exactly who Demyx desired it to be. Saix; not showing any sign that he had slept at all in the fact that his skin and hair were perfect, there was no even a trace of a shadow under his eyes.

Wearing the same look that he always did, Saix regarded Demyx. A look of total lack of anything. The nothing look. Betraying nothing about him. Emotionless, of course. The way that Demyx was blatantly staring at him was annoying the beserker... and he looking overly happy about something. Not in a malicious way. He looked happy in a Demyx-y way. Happy happy.

Saix didn't like happiness. Or happy people.

"Mornin' Saix!" The blond greeted chirpily, rushing foward.

Saix nodded slightly, and made to turn around just as he heard a small click and something cold close around his wrist. A feeling of dread surfacing in his blood, he turned back.

"What are you doing Demyx?"

"Chaining me to you," Demyx replied simply.

"Excuse me?"

"All done." Task complete, without further delay, Demyx raised his arm high in the air triumphantly and Saix found that his arm was dragged quite suddenly and painfully onto a common path.

They were indeed chained together.

The sitar-player turned towards Saix, giving his most cheeky grin. Making him look like some sort of blond monkey.

"Heh."

Lost for words momentarily, Saix stared not at the toothy grin, but at his wrist locked tight in a cuff and his eyes followed the long chain - a chain that connected him most certainly to Demyx. He said only one word.

"Key."

Demyx scratched his head, ruffling his hedgehog-esque hairdo in a sickeningly adorable way, once again dragging Saix's hand roughly to the side.

"Key?"

"The key for these. Where is it?"

"Oh!" the blond blinked confusedly. "I never got one of those. Larxene just gave me these." He rattled the chain for effect.

There was a pause, dripping with fury, before Saix announced,

"Larxene."

And with Larxene as their destination, he wrenched Demyx rather painfully to the side.

As it was, by lunchtime they still hadn't found anyone. The only noticeable thing that had happened was the worsening of the rain. Well - it wasn't if Demyx was actually looking for Larxene. He didn't even want to find the Savage Nymph. He was complaining loudly whilst being dragged around by Saix. And Saix was showing off a very determined gleam in his eyes and no signs that he was listening to a single one of the loud rebuttals of his treatment from behind him. Until finally there was an extremely hard tug on the other end of the handcuffs that made him stumble. He turned back, ready to murder.

"Saaaaaaaaaaix..." Demyx whined, nose scrunched up in protest. "I want to go outside and sit on the roof in the rain. Stop dragging me around."

"You go sit on the roof forever as far as I'm concerned. That is, when I'm not chained to you, but I want to get these off. Immediately. And that's what we're doing."

Saix gave a sharp tug of his own, emphasising his point and pulling Demyx towards him.

There was no words in response, just exactly the same movement in retaliation, resulting in a sharp pain in Saix's wrist.

"No." He pulled again.

Demyx pulled again. Smiling. It was a game now.

Not keen to play, Saix pulled with all of his strength.

Demyx was forced to do an ungainly face-plant, but recovered soon enough and pulled Saix right down with him.

In the breathless heap that the pair ended up in, there was a pause that would've been able to stretch forever in seconds. As such, there had been many forevers before Saix finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a while now.

"Why did you handcuff me to you?"

Demyx looked at him, green eyes shining so bright it was almost disgusting.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I wanted to spend more time with you."

"And you found this to be the most effective manner of doing so?"

"Well - if I asked, you'd just say no. You don't like me very much."

"Who said this?"

"You did. You say it lots. But oh well." Demyx clapped a hand onto Saix's shoulder. "You're here aren't you? So... let's have some fun... and lunch! I'm starved."

"We're going to find Larxene."

"She COULD be in the kitchen, dude."

Saix frowned, before attempting to throw his hands in the air, but not getting very far on one side.

"Alright - fine!"

When they got down there, the only two people around were Zexion and Axel. The latter eating soup and solving a Sudoku puzzle, and the former eating a lunch consisting of Cocoa Puffs - smoking slightly.

"Hey Dem-" Axel began to greet, before his eyes registered the chain and who was on the end of it and he burst into spontaneous applause. "AHAHAHA!"

"Hey Axel!"

"... Shut it," Saix growled. "Seen Larxene?"

"She's- ahaha- gone... shoe shopping! AHAHA!"

"Shoe shopping...?" Saix repeated, as Demyx grabbed a spoon and started helping himself to Zexion's soup while he was focussed on the Sudoku.

"That's right. Why... thinking of adding one more to the... chain...?" Axel laughed some more, coughing a little as his cereal went down the wrong pipe. In his eyes, this was almost as funny as the time he locked Roxas out of his room naked. Almost, but not quite. Still, Demyx locked to his long-time target Saix... who self-admittedly wanted to kill him? Axel didn't know how it had come about... all he knew was that it was hilarious.

"If you don't shut-up, I'll put a claymore in your head and force Roxas to watch."

That's it! A new solution had planted itself in Saix's brain. Roxas... the keyblade...

"Where's Roxas!" Saix suddenly exclaimed.

Axel eyed him suspiciously, the tone of the beserker's voice did not promise good things for the young keyblade-wielder. And Axel, was always there to protect Roxas.

"You know, I might opt out of telling you," the chakram-wielder said, looking casually at his gloved fingers.

"We need the keyblade."

From behind Saix, with his mouth full of soup, Demyx shook his head violently and waved one of his arms like a demented chicken, signalling to Axel. He had realised what Saix was trying to do. Such a thing would spoil all his plans.

Axel smirked slightly... knowingly, and gave Demyx a, "you owe me, you idiot" look, before folding his arms and saying,

"He disappeared."

"He disappeared?" Saix repeated, feeling his hope sink through the kitchen floor.

"Yup. Vanished."

"Gone?"

"Yup." Axel looked far too smug.

"No Larxene, no Roxas. I'm stuck like this!"

Demyx smirked. Unfortunately for him, Saix had spun and was already halfway to summoning his weapon. He held it up, a maniacal gleam in his eyes - looking like he was about to strike Demyx right in the mullet-bedecked head. And before Axel or Demyx could react, he brought the claymore down onto the chain suspended between him and Demyx.

There was a loud CHINK and a brief flash of red light. But when that had cleared, Saix's weapon had gone and the cuffs were still very there... and very whole.

Hardly able to contain his happiness, Demyx grinned and put down his spoon with a flourish.

"Okay! Let's go to town Saix!"

"No."

Demyx pouted. "Why... where else are you going to go?"

"To lie down."

"Oooh! I'm coming. Can I sing to you?"

"No - and no."

"Well... I have to come."

"I am THIS CLOSE to chewing off my arm."

"Aww... I love you too."

The pair exited the kitchen, Demyx frogmarching and Saix looking at him with a glare that was the epitome of blood lust.

Zexion stared after them, puzzle completed and soon noticed his empty soup bowl. So clean, it was as if nothing had ever been in it.

"Hey... my soup!"

Axel could only grin as he polished off his Cocoa puffs and summoned a dark portal to find Roxas and tell him all about it... not to mention tell him to stay away for a bit longer. Demyx really was going to owe his two friends for this one.

Soon, Demyx was lead (happily, one might add) to Saix's quarters and the pair stood at the foot of a single bed in partial darkness

There wasn't much to say about the room, and in truth, there wasn't much to the room anyway. Dark walls, bare floors, several pieces of furniture scattered about the place and a framed something hanging on the wall abover the main feature of the room - the bed. Compared to Demyx, who enjoyed the benefits of a super-king bed with all the trimmings, Saix's sleeping place was small and plain. A place for sleeping, that's all.

Despite appearances though, Demyx was extremely happy. He'd never been in Saix's room before - few had, and finally getting to see it was most fulfilling.

With the utmost amount of dread, Saix was trying to figure out a way of lying down without bringing the limpet with him, and also keeping the limpet OUT and OFF of the bed when and if he slept.

It was impossible, no matter what way you looked at it.

Heaving an angry sigh, Saix sat down on his bed, and then layed himself out, back facing Demyx, who with the Lunar Diviner's movements had been pulled into an awkward crouching position, half on, half off the bed.

"Wake me up when it's dinner," Saix ordered, hoping that Demyx would just listen and not question. "And if you touch me... so help me I do not care what the superior says about tolerance, I'll kill you."

"Wait-" Demyx protested. "I'm just supposed to hang here while you sleep?"

"Please do."

There was a pause, which in Saix's mind; was glorious. But it didn't last long. Silences never did last long around Demyx.

"I won't complain on two conditions," he pouted. "One, I can lie down too, and two, when we go to sleep tonight, we sleep in my room. Your bed is tiny!"

Saix's anger-fuse was running very very short, right now he just didn't have the energy to deal with anything more.

"You can lie down as long as you don't touch me. I mean it. And by tonight, we are going to have found Larxene or Roxas, thus you can sleep in your bed, and I will sleep here. Alone."

Deciding not to comment for once, Demyx manouvered himself up onto the bed, keeping to the warning and not making contact with Saix, and smiling to himself all the way.

They were not going to find Larxene and Roxas - if he had anything to do with it.

Then - silence.

Upon waking, a fair while later, the half-awake Saix acknowledged three things; Firstly, the storm had passed, howling winds, thunder and lightning abated... leaving only quiet, gentle rain still falling steadily on the World That Never Was. Secondly, he'd slept a lot longer than he'd anticipated, and now, it was dinner time. Lastly... he was warm... very warm... and very comfortable.

What he didn't want to acknowledge was exactly why he was warm. Because right now, his arms weren't wrapped around Demyx. And the snoring peacefully Demyx's arms weren't in a similar position around him.

THAT would just be silly.

Before his addled mind let himself believe the pair's current state was true, Saix removed himself completely from the sleeping embrace and stood up suddenly, pulling the sitar-player off the bed and with a THUNK onto the hard, cold floor.

Yet - he kept sleeping.

Standing for a few moments in disbelief, Saix nudged Demyx in the ribs with his foot. Once, twice... three times. Over and over, until there was finally stirring from the sleeping idiot.

"Dudewhazzgoinon..."

"Get up. Now." Saix gave a violent tug on the handcuffs which were still exceedingly real... and exceedingly irritating.

He was going to kill Larxene

Demyx yawned lopsidedly, getting slowly to his feet and blinking again and again, before cracking a big grin.

"Heh, I just slept in Saix's bed..."

Saix narrowed his cat-like eyes. Temper fuse still burning.

"We overslept Demyx. If we don't move it, we'll be late to dinner. And we can only hope Larxene is there. Or Roxas. Then I will never have to see you without a good reason, ever again."

Demyx's face was halfway towards a forlorn expression, before transforming right back into a grin.

"Dinner! Great - I'm starved."

Leading the way this time, Demyx left the room triumphantly and expectantly, Saix in toe... hoping that no one would see them exit his room together.

This situation was bad enough without RUMORS starting.

Down numerous flights of stairs, Demyx had begun to sing to himself and Saix was rolling his eyes every few seconds at whatever the lyrics of the moment was, they were almost at the dining room, and from the sounds inside... they were late.

This was a problem. For some reason, Organization XIII always ate dinner together at one big table. These occasions were usually enough of a catastophe... even without disturbances such as one the pair were about to create when they entered.

Demyx didn't mind, he pushed open the double doors without even a hint of hesitation and sauntered in confidently as always, and Saix... unfortunately, had no choice but to accompany him.

There was utter, complete, sickening silence.

It stretched for all of the eternities of forever... and then some. And ten pairs of eyes, rested on them, dinners ignored.

Then, the silence was broken. A dry, gasping, coughing sound... which was unmistakeably a giggle starting up whilst someone had a mouth full of food.

And it just didn't stop.

Then, amongst the giggling, as Demyx sat down enthusiastically, beginning to chow-down and Saix occupied the only other spare seat next to him with as much dignity as possible, that same person started clapping their hands.

"AHAHAHA-Demyx-AHAHAH- I LOVE you-ahaha... ahahaha..."

Larxene, appeared to be amused.

Well, the predominant amount of beings at the table appeared to be sharing the same

feeling... and many were hiding their smiles of contempt by going back to shovelling food into their mouths. All were empathetic enough towards Saix to know his feelings of complete and utter contempt for the situation. Sadly, everyone was too apathetic to find the whole thing anything but amusing.

Saix wouldn't touch his food. He was turning white, while his eyes glowed like candles in the dark.

There was no temper fuse left.

Eventually, from the very head of the table near the still giggling Larxene, the superior spoke.

"How... intriguing..."

At the completion of this very unhelpful comment, Saix lost it. If it wasn't for the chuckling Luxord and Axel's very quick reflexes, he may have been able to throw himself across the table to Larxene. Ruining the dinner that Zexion had worked very hard on to make.

As it was, with Axel, Luxord and Demyx (even though it was unintentional, he was merely anchoring Saix in place by the wrist) holding him back, Saix could only yell.

"GIVE ME THE KEY, LARXENE. GIVE IT TO ME RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

And boy, did he yell.

Larxene covered her consequent giggle with her hand, and then looked up with what she must've thought were innocent eyes.

"What key...?" she pouted... then reaching down the front of her robe into her cleavage she produced a small silver key. "You couldn't possibly mean... this... Saixie...?"

"GIVE ME THAT!" Saix struggled, but even very very very angry, he couldn't fight against the combined strength of Axel, Luxord and now Xaldin pinning him down.

"Hehehe... actually... I think it looks rather tasty, don't you?" Without further ado, Larxene dipped the key into the thick sauce atop her steak on her plate... popped it into her mouth.

...And swallowed...

"Yum." She smiled, nastily.

Now, Saix wasn't just pissed off. He snapped. Now... it would take everyone present to hold him back from the little bitch.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared

Demyx's eyes were wide as he was wrenched painfully from his seat by the wrist, forward onto the table and face first into some broccolli. But Saix didn't care. He was beyond any reason. Freeing his arm, and holding it high in the air, coils of vine-like smoke appeared and then, the claymore was back.

Marluxia had then gone from being indifferent, to leaping onto the large Saix pile.

But it was the unignorable yet calm voice of Xemnas that put a stop to Saix rage.

"No, Saix. No. No weapons at dinner. Understood?"

Breathing like a wounded bull, Saix grudgingly and slowly called back his claymore and retreated back to his seat, everyone staring even more than before.

By now, Demyx had decided that this was far too dangerous a venture. If Saix went beserk, then he'd probably die. Really. Shaken and with pieces of broccolli in his blond spikes, he was unable to find the face he needed in the group gathered.

"Where's Roxas...?" he ventured.

"Out," Axel supplied for him, barely able to conceal his amusement. This was better than he'd ever imagined, he only hoped that it was worth it for Demyx.

"Can somebody send him to us when he's back... please?"

There was a general murmur of compliance, and most people went back to their dinner, with little conversations breaking out once more.

But it wasn't just going to end. Nothing was that easy. Not in this Castle.

Within five minutes, a hunk of creamy mashed potato hurtled it's way towards Saix and landed with a splat directly in the middle of his scar which had apparently been used as a target.

"Bullseye..." Larxene whispered, giggling.

Instead of attempting to attack Larxene or even Demyx as he snickered at Saix's side, as was extremely tempting, Saix wiped the potato calmly off his face and reached for the silver bowl full of carrots. Patiently, he dipped his hand into it... and threw the handfull down the other end of the table, right into Larxene's face.

Immediately, she began to squirm, making angry squealy noises and flapping her arms.

"GAH! One of those just went down my top!"

After safely removing the carrot from the nether regions, Larxene picked up her bowl of mushroom soup and hurled it indiscriminately down to the other end of the table. The bowl missed it's target completely and hit Lexeaus very hard in the side of the head, causing him to fall off his chair and because he was holding onto the table cloth, bring half of the contents of the table crashing onto the floor with him.

It's hard to say what happened next. At some point, someone yelled "FOOD FIGHT!" and as one might expect, a food fight ensued.

And after about half an hour, a disappointed Demyx and relieved Saix escaped the dining room and fled (read: Demyx was dragged to) to one of The Bathrooms That Never Were.

There lay many problems in their current predicament, all of which Saix was trying to work through without getting more angry than he already was. Needless to say... he was failing.

The first and most obvious of these problems was the problem that all the other problems were spawning from: Demyx and Saix were covered in assorted foodstuffs. Broccolli... soup... mashed potatos... a little bit of steak... some pasta... and even ice-cream.

The most immediate dilemma resulting from this was the need to clean it off. And the need to get naked to do so. And the fact that they were still, undeniably, chained together.

But even if getting naked was a plausible option, it was frankly impossible. The only way it would be possible was if they cut off the robes.

"Are we going to have a bath Saixie?" Demyx's grin could not possibly be rivaled by any now.

"Call me that again and I will gut you." Saix pointedly looked away from Demyx into the depths of the bathtub, steaming entincingly... yet unenticingly in the same moment. Said bathtub was less of a tub and more of a halfsize swimming pool made of cloudy marble, set into the floor.

"It's such a cute nickname though"

"Do I look like a cute person!" Saix hissed. "Or a person who appreciates cute things?"
Demyx scratched his head for a second, wondering if Saix was trying to trick him... then aquired his "I got it!" face. "Yes."

Ignoring him even more pointedly, Saix brushed a piece of carrot off of his sleeve and rolled his eyes. "I've decided I'm going to drown myself... and you at the same time."

In that classic puppy-dog way of his, Demyx's face fell and his eyes glittered, making them appear huge... and making him appear like the most innocent thing in the world. He took a step forward, and threw his arms around Saix as well as he could, snuggling himself into his beserker's shoulder and consequently, some silky strands of his hair.

Saix froze, wondering what he should do. After many moments he came up with two options. Kill him, or throw him into the bath. The former seemed appropriate, as they both needed a bath anyway. The only drawback was he'd have to go too.

Oh well. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Carefully, he took a sidestep, and another... then sort of... toppled sideways... taking Demyx with him.

There was a very very big splash as the combined weight of two fully-clothed, fully-grown men hit the the small body of water. Water went everywhere.. and both found out the hard way that the bath wasn't as deep as it looked.

Demyx surfaced after Saix, his eyes looking as watery as the bath they were in. He rubbed his elbow and pouted at his companion.

"Well this is no fun. Baths aren't fun if you're not naked."

"I would jump off the highest tower of Castle Oblivion before getting naked with you."

"Does that mean my chances are good?" Demyx poked out his tongue.

"No, it means I'm going to bludgeon you to death."

"Why does it mean that?"

Sighing, Saix removed his sopping wet gloves and squirted a liberal quantity of shampoo onto his hand, then proceeded to rub it furiously into his long hair.

Demyx sniggered at him, absently picking bits of food off himself and out of his hair. From this movement, Saix noticed how different the blond looked with his hair flattened by the water. He looked... older... and more like he was supposed to... in Saix's opinion anyway.

There was no excuse for his hairstyle. None. With his hair normal... he looked good... good.

Yes... good.

"Why are you staring at me?" If it was possible to have lovehearts hovering over your head, Demyx's head would be surrounded by a swarm of them.

Abrubtly, Saix was shaken out of staring by this comment.

"Why are you staring at me?" He bit back.

"You're hot."

"I hate you."

"I love you."

"You can't love."

"Don't say that."

"Die."

A pause.

"Can I wash your hair, Saixie?"

Another pause.

"No, in fact, you can't touch me. Now hurry up and get all the food off of yourself so we can go look for Roxas again. He has to be around somewhere."

By the time they had finished and were standing dripping on the side of the bath, the water looked like it had an entire banquet floating on the top of it. They would probably pay for it later, but there was no way Saix was making his day any worse by cleaning the mess up.

But, in classic "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong" fashion, another problem had presented itself.

They were wet. Very very very wet. And Organization robes were very hard to dry. However, due to the fact that Demyx and Saix were chained together, the robes were impossible to take off.

So, for the thousandth time that day the pair wandered the hallways... this time depressingly wet and trailing puddles off water wherever they went. Demyx even sneezing occasionally in a way that was disturbingly cute.

Getting nearer to the bowels of the castle... Saix considered visiting Vexen in his lab and seeing if he could melt the chain with one of the various acids number four insisted on possessing. However the Scientist was most disinclined to help people unless he saw something interesting in it for him, and Saix and Demyx probably didn't have anything that fit that catergory.

In fact, out of the whole Thirteenth Order, the only person who could help them... well, help Saix. Demyx saw nothing wrong with being chained to Saix. None at all. The only person that could help was Roxas.

And true to Axel's word Roxas... had disappeared.

Saix had never had anything against number thirteen before. but now he most certainly did. In fact, he had a problem with everything right now.

Most of all his sopping wet robes, the fact that the storm was back in all its fury... and Demyx was singing as loud as he could.

Again.

"I want you to want me! I need you to need me! I'd love you to love me."

Probably the most annoying thing amongst all of it, was that number IX had an unreasonably good voice.

"I'M BEGGIN' YOU TO BEG ME!"

"I'm telling you to shut up." Saix gave the chain a hard tug, and caused Demyx to slip over aided by the soaking state of himself, and the lack of grip on the smooth marble floor of the castle.

Demyx sat rubbing his elbow where he'd hit it, and looking up to Saix with the eyes. Big watery green eyes. Eyes that should've stirred something in anyone... but nothing moved inside of Saix. He knew that it should. He wanted to feel something even. He felt less human in the fact that Demyx made him feel nothing.

Nothing at all.

"I'm tired." Demyx stated then, trying to appeal to the determined diviner. "We're near my room, man. Can we please go to sleep? And find Roxas in the morning? Please?"

Saix's answer was unexpected... even of himself.

"I'll kill you in your sleep."

Well - that wasn't unexpected. The next part was:

"... But okay."

And the next part... even more so. He held out his ungloved, free hand to Demyx on the ground and put his head to one side, in what was for once, a generous and non-threatening gesture.

Demyx hesitated, wondering quite rightly if Saix was playing a trick on him. He looked shocked, but when he didn't see any signs of malice in Saix he smiled warmly, put his hand in Saix's and was hauled to his feet.

And walking down the massive corridor towards his room... he was even more shocked that despite how awkward it was with the handcuffs as well... they remained with their hands clasped comfortably together. Both pairs of gloves lay forgotten in the bathroom.

Saix didn't even acknowledge the touch. The grip. The contact. The awareness of one another. It didn't make sense to him either. But Demyx's hand was warm. He could feel the warmth. That was feeling something wasn't it? Maybe not an emotion. A quality. A fact.

Reality.

There was nothing wrong with it.

Without hardly noticing it, Saix and Demyx were now standing on the threshold of Demyx's room. It was a startling contrast to Saix's room. Painted in many different shades of vivid blue... with two dark blue lava lamps casting water-like shadows everywhere. From the roof hung many many glass baubles that caught the light and shimmered patterns everywhere, and unlike Saix's walls... Demyx's were packed with anything and everything of almost no use.

And then, the bed. It was disgusting really. If it was a truck, it would have been labled "oversize". It boasted a sky-blue mink blanket ten times the size of a normal human. Ten more pillows than anyone would ever need... and twenty more cushions than Saix would ever want.

Then... the centrepiece... a giant seal soft-toy. Demyx's oldest friend; Robert.

Robert was old... almost as old as Demyx, and almost as big. His fur was missing in places, his wide sealish grin was slightly lopsided, and his nose worn. But despite these things, he was tied for first place in Demyx's favourite things, along with his sitar. And was most definitely well-loved.

"What is that monster?"

Demyx gasped and dived forward so suddenly onto the bed that Saix was dragged with him.

"IT'SNOTAMONSTER! IT'S ROBERT!" Demyx hugged his seal to his chest, his hands clasped over its 'ears'.

Saix was more than a little contemptious by now.

"Robert..?"

"Robert."

"That's the most ridiculous item anyone in this Organization possesses. And I count Marluxia's collections in this."

"I wuv him."

Saix slapped his free hand to his forehead.

"Please tell me that thing isn't sleeping with us."

"Of course he is!" Demyx replied brightly. "Robert sleeps with me every night. And he always will."

Saix never thought it was possible, but without violence, malevolance, spite or even anger he had been backed into a corner. What could be done against Demyx's relentless, reckless, innocent, childlike... kindness? What could combat it?

Saix would damn well like to know.

"Well... before we sleep we have to get the robes off."

"How...?" Demyx rattled the cuffs, looking nonplussed.

"Do you have a knife or some scissors?"

"We can't cut the robes! What will daddy say?"

'Daddy'... Demyx's nickname for the Superior. Thankfully even he's not stupid enough to say it to his face. Yet, he has enough gaul to call me Saixie... doesn't he think -I- would kill him?
I would. Anytime.

But I didn't. And I really wouldn't.

"The Superior will understand."

"Oh well then." Demyx grinned brightly and reached into a drawer in his nightstand to retrieve a large pair of scissors and proceeded to hand them to Saix.

Awkwardly, Saix unzipped his robe... removed it on one side, feeling much more comfortable without the sodden material on his skin... and then started hacking indiscriminately at his sleeve until it was off of his arm completely. And he was bare-torsoed. For what should've been more of an embarrassing... or even sensual experience, getting partially naked in front of each other was somewhat of a let-down. But Saix disposed of the destroyed robe on the floor, and handed the scissors to Demyx, taking note of Demyx's gaze. Eyes lingering somewhere near his throat.

Sensual enough.

Of course... the pants were staying.

Whilst Demyx chopped away at his sleeve in a much less efficient way than Saix, Saix removed his boots and threw them on the ground, pouring a good quantity of water out of one... then reached over with one hand and removed Demyx's boots also, without being asked... but just being practical.

Demyx had finished with his robe and threw the robe and scissors somewhere on the otherside of the room when he felt Saix take of his shoes.

It was a simple gesture that meant a lot. Something which Saix had been doing all day. Something though, that would of never been expected of him. Like their nap... Demyx had woken up with the Diviner's arms around him... simple... unconcious... but meaningful.

Hugs were always meaningful to him... and an embrace from Saix... well, that was something that munny couldn't buy.

Postioning Robert on one side, and Saix positioning himself on the other, Demyx pulled the covers over the three of them and turned over to look at his handcuffed comrade.

It was a good plan, he decided as Saix rolled his eyes and pointedly turned his back. A very good plan.

The storm raged outside and Saix and Demyx tried to find a way of getting comfortable enough to sleep without touching each other. This was more Saix's wish than anything. Their hands had long since parted and he had returned to... Saixness.

Lying facing the bauble-bedecked ceiling Demyx was struck with a thought... a curiosity..

"Saix... do you like babies?"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"Even-"

"No. Never."

Thunder cracked overhead... the fathoms of the castle absorbing and magnifying the sound of that and the ever falling rain.

Demyx was struck with another thought. A horrible one. He sat bolt-upright suddenly... wrenching Saix's arm with him.

"I CAN'T PLAY MY SITAR ONE-HANDED!"

Sighing like he was talking to three-year-old Saix yanked the chain and pulled him back down.

"Don't worry, we will find Roxas tomorrow."

"And then?" Demyx settled back into the pillows and asked the semi-darkness.

"You can play your sitar."

"After that?"

"We never trouble each other again."

"Do you really want that, Saixie?"

Saix ignored the nickname this once and turned so he could see Demyx.

"Don't you?"

"No way."

"I don't understand why."

"I like you."

"That makes no sense to me."

"But... it makes sense to me! I know you hate me and threaten me. More than threaten on occasion. But that's why it's fun... danger is fun. And you need the most love in the Organization. Even if you don't know it, even if you don't think we can love."

It was incredible really... how profound Demyx could be using such simple logic. Saix would've commended him, but he had a feeling that it would be lost on both of them. Instead, he shifted over and gave Demyx what he knew he wanted. Gentle arms around him... their

faces close... but not touching.

Not being one to cherish the sanctity of moments or anything like that, Demyx exclaimed,

"Are you... smiling Saix?"

"No."

Am I?

Demyx grinned blissfully himself... and reached up one finger as slow as if he was going in slow-motion. Mutely, he began to trace Saix's scar. Patiently... almost as if he was fascinated with it, again with that child-like expression and demeanour.

Saix's eyes fluttered closed and his breathing slowed. He could feel that. He knew it was there. He knew it felt good.

So for now, that's all that should matter.

They fell asleep like that, Demyx's finger on Saix's scar, clasped close together, warm... almost dry... and comfortable.

By the morning, the storm had lost it's ferocity. The world outside looked in shock under a think layer of mist after a hammering from Mother Nature. Indeed,Marluxia had unhappily discovered his plants out on the balcony had taken a severe beating and were all but dead.

In the now lightened bedroom of Demyx, the pair were motionless... one awake and one still sleeping soundlessly. Demyx lay snuggled into the sleeping Saix's chest, feeling accomplished in every single way it was possible to feel accomplished. And warm. So warm.

Suddenly, the door burst open... and Roxas practically sprinted in... then coloured immediately and half turned away.The expression on his face was like to someone running headalong into a glass door.

"I'm sorry! Axel said-"

Demyx grinned wickedly... moving away from Saix who was stirring, and was almost immediately wide awake.

He acknowleged nothing except Roxas, and sent a steely look to Demyx.

"Get up."

Together, they slid out of one side of the bed and approached the Keyblade-bearer... wrists outstretched like some sort of offering.

"Unlock these, Roxas."

Saix did not question where number thirteen had been, there was one motive on his mind.

And he'd waited long enough.

Roxas frowned slightly... looking closely at the metal handcuffs... and suddenly laughing, despite himself. Forgetting respect and rank.

"What is it?"

No answer... just a small amount of tittering, a little more contained this time at least.

"What!"

"We don't need the keyblade..."

"Of course we do..." Saix protested impatiently. "These cannot even be hewn by the claymore!"

"Did you try the catch... just... here?" Roxas pointed.

He reached forward shyly and pushed the small catch on Saix's side of the handcuffs... and the binding circle of metal... sprang open. He repeated the motion on Demyx's side, and then from the look in Saix's eyes, fled immediately.

Saix stood for many moments after the handcuffs fell innocently to the floor... dumbfounded.

"I could've... unlocked them all along..."

Demyx took a while to reply... in fact, he didn't reply at all. He simply raised his hand, released from its confinements and waved merrily. He knew what this all meant. He could only hope he'd gotten through to Saix. Even a little.

"Bye Saix, it's been fun dude."

Unable to respond, Saix slipped on his boots and gathered his robe from the floor. He didn't look at Demyx's farewell. Not even turning around until he reached the door. When he did, he realised something. Something that Demyx knew. Something that maybe no one else did. Maybe what they were searching for was closer than they could've ever thought.

He dropped his robe, turned back and strode over to Demyx, whose eyes widened in classic 'what the...?'.

Without explanation, Saix put his hand on the back of Demyx's head and yanked him forward, giving his mouth coverance. First gently caressing Demyx's lips and then, with a response, deepening and holding it that way for a long time.

He knew that it felt good. He knew that it felt right. He knew the way he was supposed to feel, and he wasn't going to disregard it this time. Because maybe, just maybe... he felt the right way this time. He felt something.

He broke away from Demyx, as a grin painted itself across the Nocturne's face.

"Even without the handcuffs Saix... I want to be close to you... I guess that's really what they were for."

"I know that. I know what you were trying to tell me."

"You know?"

Inclining his head slightly, Saix whispered,

"Thankyou."

For a reply, Demyx stooped down to the floor and retrieved the handcuffs... spinning them around his finger and looking wicked.

"I think we should keep these though. For another rainy day."

"Promise me something Demyx."

"Depends... what is it?"

"Next time you want to spend time with me... ask."

In a very strange move indeed, Demyx ran his tongue over the tip of Saix's noxe and said,

"I don't think that will be a problem now... sexy Saixie."