Rey actually stayed outside until he felt a chill set into his muscles, thinking and looking up at the pale winter sun. He was a bit more clear-headed, now that the potion was wearing off, but he still didn't understand why Eiryu had reacted the way he had.

"Eiryu?" he called when he didn't see his boyfriend upon walking inside. "Where are you?"

He didn't hear a response. That wasn't good.

"Eiryu?" he tried again, brushing snow off of himself and onto the kitchen tile. He tried to think of where Eiryu would be, but he wasn't sure. He could be sulking in his room, he could be in the basement lab, or he could just be gone.

Rey decided to check the basement first. Eiryu would probably mind an interruption there less than one in his bedroom. And it might explain why he wasn't answering; if he was distracting himself.

The main part of the basement was empty. It always seemed empty; Rey wasn't sure what Eiryu actually used it for. It was carpeted and had a sofa and a couple of chairs, but he never actually saw Eiryu there.

He opened the door to the lab. Eiryu wasn't there, either. His room, then. Probably. Rey didn't linger in the room and locked the door behind him as he headed back up the stairs. He did, however, pause in the kitchen when he heard his stomach grumble.

Had Eiryu eaten? He didn't know. He hadn't eaten. Maybe he should bring a sweet treat as a sort of peace offering? Even if he didn't know what he did wrong, Eiryu had seemed upset by his actions.

Rey sighed when he realized it wasn't exactly romantic to bring a guy his own food. He gave up and headed down the hall. If a sincere apology and request to know what he did wrong so he wouldn't do it again wouldn't work, then it was Eiryu's problem.

Eiryu's bedroom door was closed, so Rey knocked.

And waited.

After a few minutes, he knocked harder and opened the door. "Eiryu…?"

Eiryu wasn't there, either.

What the hell? Who got into a fight with someone, then left them alone in their house?

At least that meant Eiryu probably wasn't really mad at him. He still trusted Rey, and he hadn't sent Rey away.

Still, where could he be? And why wouldn't he at least tell Rey where he was going?

Rey sat down on Eiryu's bed and looked around briefly. He hadn't seen a note on the kitchen table or anything. Eiryu had a cell phone, but he couldn't remember the number offhand, so that was out.

Okay, so that didn't matter, necessarily. Eiryu probably had lots of ways to be contacted without a phone. He used magic. The only problem was, Rey didn't.

But other people did. Master Fleon…but Rey didn't know how to get a hold of him, either. Eiryu had a few friends back in his hometown, but if Rey could get there, he wouldn't be having this problem. He didn't even know where Eiryu's hometown was.

He really should have asked about that.

Eva. He knew how to get a hold of Eva, and she was a familiar, too. She would have information. Maybe. Or at least she might have a better idea of who to ask.

He picked up Eiryu's house phone and called her.

"Hello?" she asked, obviously not recognizing the unfamiliar number.

"Eva. It's Rey. I need your help."

"With what?"

"Eiryu's missing. I don't know how to find him."

There was silence for a long moment. "Do you remember where Ayasaz's house is?"

"Um…vaguely."

"I'll be waiting outside so you won't miss it when you get in the area," Eva said. "Come over. We can ask him for help."

"Uh, okay."

Rey hung up, scribbled a quick note for Eiryu telling him where he would be if he came home while he was gone, put on his winter clothes, and headed out the door. He never would have thought to ask Ayasaz for help. Why would he want to help find him?

He didn't bother to question it, though. If that was the help he was offered, he was going to take it.

Eva was waiting outside like she promised and waved when she saw Rey.

"There's a problem," she said.

"What?" Rey gasped, bending over to catch his breath. Maybe Eiryu had a purpose in going running. Rey should probably join him.

A head topped with blond hair poked out of the doorway. "Yeah," Ayasaz replied. "I don't want to help you. Why should I care if Eiryu's missing?"

While he was sure Eiryu would have some kind of comment at the ready to respond to that with, Rey didn't bother. It wasn't going to help him out. "I guess it doesn't matter to you at all. But I'd like it if you'd help me."

Ayasaz considered that. "Beg."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I want to see that."

"Aya!" Eva protested. "Stop being so mean! I want you to help him, too. Do it for me."

Ayasaz sighed. "Oh, fine. Come inside. What happened? Why did he go missing?"

"I'm…not quite sure," Rey admitted. "He gave me some potion and it made me act…weird. Very cuddly and…other things. He got upset and walked off. I haven't been able to find him since."

"Cuddly?"

"He said it was the heat potion or something. That it…increased things like that."

Ayasaz started laughing. "So you tried to get in his pants and he got mad."

"Not exactly. I mean, maybe, but he wasn't even there long enough for me to do anything!"

Ayasaz only laughed harder. "And you don't know why he got upset? You really don't know anything about him at all, do you?"

Rey felt his face heat up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ayasaz shook his head and grinned manically. "I changed my mind. I will help. This will be hysterical when you find out what's wrong." He held out his hand. "I need something of Eiryu's. Hair, preferably, something like that."

"I don't have anything like that on me."

Ayasaz sighed. "That will make things a lot harder, and I'm sure he has his home warded against me." He quieted in thought as his finger tapped against his chin. Rey gave Eva a look, but she just shrugged. "All right. I've got it. I'll use you."

"What?" Rey demanded as Ayasaz grabbed his wrist and dragged him down a set of stairs.

"Mom, I'm using the lab!"

"Clean up after yourself!" a female voice called.

"I will!"

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Oh, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to tap into the bond you have with him to locate him. I'd do the same thing with his hair, or fingernail clippings, or even blood. Though I'm sure he'd do his best to make sure I never get my hands on any of his blood. It shouldn't hurt. I've never done it to a person before, but I can guess the theory."

Rey glanced at Eva. "This is going to be painful, isn't it?"

Eva giggled. "Aya likes to tease, and he's mean sometimes, but he doesn't lie."

Ayasaz positioned Rey in the middle of a copper ring embedded in the concrete. "Stand there. I need some things." He started rummaging around in series of boxes that reminded him vaguely of Eiryu's own organizational system. He pulled several handful of powder in various colors and scents before tossing them into the circle with Rey and pulling out a knife.

Oh, this was going to be painful.

Ayasaz started laughing again when he saw Rey's expression. "Relax. I don't care what Eiryu told you. I do know what I'm doing." He smiled and looked almost kind for a moment. "I might have to thank him just for the opportunity to experiment with something like this."

After that, he shut his eyes started mouthing words to himself while making some bizarre gestures with the knife. The knife didn't come anywhere near Rey, though, so Rey was willing to play along.

After several long moments, Ayasaz opened his eyes again. "All right, I have a good estimate on his location."

"Where is he?" Rey asked anxiously.

Ayasaz bit his lip and opened his mouth before closing it again and shaking his head. "No, I can't. He's an ass, but even he doesn't deserve that. Look, he'll probably come home sometime this evening. So stop worrying.

"You know that just from the spell?"

"No, I know that because I know where he is, and I have a good idea of why he's there."

"So you aren't going to tell me anything more?" Rey asked incredulously.

"Nope. He's fine. Now get out of my house."

"But what if he doesn't come home this evening?"

"Then maybe I'll consider doing it again tomorrow. Get out of my house."

Eva shook her head and took Rey's hand to lead him out.

To Rey's surprise, Ayasaz's prediction was actually accurate. Eiryu appeared in his living room that evening, just after sunset.

"Eiryu!" Rey cried, rushing over to him and pulling Eiryu into his arms. "Where were you? I was worried!"

Eiryu pulled away. "I had some things I need to do."

"Like what?" Rey asked, tilting Eiryu's face up to meet him.

Eiryu shook his head. "I'll tell you some other time."

"But—"

Eiryu leaned closer and gave Rey a quick kiss before pulling away again and cupping one of his hands around Rey's face. "Some other time."

Rey sighed and collapsed to the couch. "Whatever."

A/N: Hey, look, Ayasaz showed up again! Take the inspiration, and go vote on my poll if you haven't already.

On an almost completely unrelated note, is there anyone out there that wants to chat and kick ideas around with me? I need someone to bounce ideas off of and such. I don't have many writer friends.