Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Mission for Two! ❯ "I'm going to make him Smile!" ( Chapter 1 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. SquareEnix does, and they say Demyx and Zexion should never be BFFs. I say they need to shut up and let me take a crack at it. Also, I have no idea what color hair Zexion actually has, since it seems to range from gray to blue, so if there are inconsistencies with that… forgive me. Blame it all on SquareEnix.

 

It always felt like everything was the same. Every morning, Zexion would wake up - never by his own choice, of course - and discover that he had yet another mission to do. Another mission from a seemingly never-ending pile of missions that Zexion sometimes wondered if he was cursed into performing. And every evening, he'd return to the castle, wanting to just fall asleep and never wake up. Sometimes, it felt as if time blurred together and entire years passed before Zexion's tired eyes. And other times, it felt as if the clock stopped indefinitely, trapping the young man in the constant routine that became his life. And he hated it all. Many times, he considered just running away, never returning to the castle and simply failing to submit his reports. Who'd be around to stop him? But in the end, he never could do it. Part of him, a small part, wondered if maybe there was something worth living for. If maybe there was a different way to be 'complete,' instead of doing all of those terrible, often boring, missions.

 

On this particular day, however, Zexion managed to finish his own mission early. It was nothing spectacular. He was simply sent to check on a small problem in Twilight Town. For him, that was kid stuff. That was a job even Roxas should've been able to perform. But he certainly didn't complain. Now that it was done, he had some time to relax, some few precious hours to let himself do what he wanted to do most. And on that afternoon, just reading seemed to be a good idea. Zexion loved to read; hell, his entire room was nothing more than a bed, a chair, and three walls lined to the brim with books. It was just such a shame, he had so many books and yet so little time to read any of them. If he ever had so much as a chance to speak with Saix, he'd make sure to hint at a complaint about that.

 

As Zexion walked through the dark corridor, toward the light and warmth of the common room beyond, he was disgruntled to find that he wasn't the only one who'd been served particularly easy missions that day. As he walked in, ignoring the moogle that seemed to constantly want to pester every living thing that moved through the door, he saw that Larxene, Axel, and Marluxia were already sitting on the three couches that made the 'living' area of the large chamber. His eye twitched. Even though there was more than enough room for all of them to sit on one couch, they all decided to just be obnoxious and each take a couch for themselves. That left Zexion with only three alternatives: he could read while standing, he could sit at the table near the staircase, or he could just sit on the floor. And he didn't want to do any of that. He hated standing, he didn't want to listen to Luxord and Xigbar argue about poker, and he hated the floor, too. So he opted for a different idea. He walked over to Marluxia, who was sitting, polishing his scythe.

 

"Move," Zexion said. At first, Marluxia just blinked and looked up at him. Then he arched a brow. Did this little pipsqueak honestly just tell him to move?

 

"I'm sorry. I could've sworn you were speaking to me," Marluxia said kindly, honestly thinking that was a mistake. Zexion's already annoyed expression went flat. If Marluxia wasn't so sincere, he'd have his head spinning off his shoulders by now.

 

"I was," Zexion pointed out, and tapped his foot, "You're sitting on the couch."

 

"...it's a couch. We're allowed to sit on them," Axel said, staring at Zexion suspiciously, "Besides, there's enough room for you. I mean, yeah, Larxene's kinda hogging that one, and I'm lounging around, but Marluxia's scythe only takes up half the space! Sure, you might have to sit in his lap or something, but there's room." Zexion just blinked. That was one reason he hated everyone in this castle; they had a tendency to never take him seriously and treat him like a boy. He crossed his arms.

 

"You could always get up," the young man suggested. Axel's stare became more profound. To him, Zexion was just being a spoiled brat. So what if he had to sit on the ground? Many people did it; it wasn't his fault that Xemnas didn't have more couches for everyone to sit on. To Axel, he was just sitting there innocently before Zexion barged in like an ogre and just started pestering them. Larxene seemed to share that opinion, for she actually sat up and gave the young man an incredulous look.

 

"And you can stop being a baby," she retorted, and smirked, "What's wrong, Zexi-poo? Afraid of a little dirt?" Zexion felt his eye twitch again. If only he had chosen a better weapon! Then Larxene wouldn't be teasing him. She'd be dead, because his weapon would've been a sword, or a gun, or anything that wasn't a stupid book. And at that point, she was actually laughing at him.

 

"I am not afraid of dirt!" he said defensively, but that just made Larxene laugh harder. Now he was getting mad. Before, he could've handled any of their jokes. But today just wasn't a good day for him. Why be modest? No day was ever a good day for Zexion. Mainly because he had to deal with jackasses like these people.

 

"Come on, guys, stop pestering him," Xigbar said, from across the room. Zexion let himself smile a little bit; finally, there was someone on his side! But his hopes crashed when Xigbar continued, "It's not his fault he's a prissy, little sissy boy." This earned an eruption of laughter from Larxene and Luxord. Even Marluxia, calm, gentle, fair Marluxia, seemed to grin a bit from that shot. Zexion was practically shaking in outrage. If he were more like Saix, all of these ungrateful sons of bitches would be slaughtered. But no. He wasn't like Saix at all. He was just the nobody of a lab assistant, just a nobody that no one cared about.

 

"I'm going to my room," he grumbled, though he doubted any of them heard him over Larxene's hyena howl. If they did, their response was to continue laughing. Angrily, he stormed toward the staircase, stomping up each and every step, completely ignoring Saix as the older man came down the stairs, wondering just why everyone downstairs was making such a ruckus. Fine. Let them get punished for being such assholes. Zexion just didn't care anymore.

 

The hallway on the fourth floor was completely empty. That suited Zexion just fine, and as he came up, he was happy that the distance diminished the laughter of his would-be housemates below. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself. Though the third and fourth floors were considered the 'living quarters' of everyone within the organization, Zexion considered heading up to the fifth floor. It was always silent up there; hardly anyone ever went into the Observatory, and the Superior's room was beyond even that. He stopped, looking down the long hallway. If he truly wanted, he could go and file a complaint right then. Saix wasn't up there to stop him. He could just march right into the sixth floor, and demand to be removed.

 

He could almost see it. Zexion almost imagined himself kicking the doors to Xemnas's chambers, storming in like a raging typhoon, knocking everything clear off the man's desk, and then staring into the Superior's cold, heartless eyes. He could almost imagine himself yelling, at the top of his lungs, how much he despised the others and his plans to kill them all, and how he would find his own heart, separate from them and their pitiful schemes. He could almost see himself strangling Xemnas, taking his weapon, and then going and destroying everyone else. Larxene, Axel, Xaldin, all of them! Even kind-hearted Marluxia, who showed him just an ounce of relent, would fall to his hatred. He almost smiled at the thought of it. Then, of course, something interrupted him.

 

"Zexion!" Hearing his name called snapped Zexion out of his inner daydream. He turned, and found himself face to face with Demyx. And he stared blankly. Demyx was number nine in the Organization, one of the laziest of them all in terms of power. As a result, Zexion neither spent much time, nor had any respect, for the man. Why should he? Demyx barely did any of his missions, and when he did, they always came back half-assed. But all of this seemed beyond Demyx's scope, for he smiled and said, "What's up?"

 

"...hello," Zexion replied. In all honesty, he wasn't quite sure what to even say. He really just wanted to get into his room. But there was a look of serenity on Demyx's face, as if there were no such things as missions, or orders, or whatever it was they had to do all day. It actually sort of intrigued Zexion, now that he stopped long enough to notice. Demyx wasn't even aware of the other man's hesitancy to speak.

 

"You're looking kind of mad there, buddy," Demyx observed cheerfully, "Want to hang out with me for a while?" Demyx's straightforward question shocked Zexion. Never, in his entire life in the organization, did he ever just hang out with anyone. He barely tolerated their existence. Demyx obviously had no idea who he even was.

 

"Hang out?" Zexion repeated, and scoffed, "I'd rather not, Demyx. I'm busy." He had hoped that'd throw the blonde off guard, but to his dismay, it didn't work. Demyx just blinked, and then his grin grew a bit wider. He'd have been absolutely adorable, if he weren't so damn annoying.

 

"With what?" the older man asked. Zexion felt his eye twitch, and was worried he might blow a blood vessel soon. He was three ranks higher than this guy, and yet Demyx felt a need to question his every little word. At least he was a step ahead of Axel, who just pestered Zexion simply because he thought it was fun. But only one step; a baby's step.

 

"...work," Zexion replied, and pushed past, "Stuff that you wouldn't care about." Demyx just watched Zexion storm down the hall, scratching his head. He couldn't understand what could've pissed the little guy off so much. Being in the castle was amazing, or so Demyx assumed. Then he shrugged. He knew following Zexion around would be as effective as trying to talk to anyone else about sitars. No one would ever understand an ounce of dribble coming out of his mouth, and he wisely guessed that Zexion was of the same make. So he did what he did best. He went downstairs to ask Larxene about it.

 

Zexion didn't stop until he reached his door. It was as he left it, locked and bolted. He was glad for that; it meant no one else tried to get into his room and just trash the place again. Taking a breath to try and relax, Zexion took out a tiny key and slipped it into the lock. It clicked open, and the door swung in silently. Zexion looked around before walking in and closing the door, latching it shut. Then he turned on the light and looked around. His room was exactly as he left it, and he relaxed further. Not even Xigbar managed to break in today. That was a plus. Zexion walked over to the window and opened it. As much as he preferred to keep the room dark and quiet, he knew fresh air might clear his head.

 

Zexion then sat down at his little table and opened up the large tome sitting atop it. And silently, he began to read. Poetry had always been his favorite thing when he was trying to relax, and though he could never write it - Nobodies had no ability to craft anything that portrayed their feelings or that could move anyone else to tears - he enjoyed reading the best. Be it Poe, Shakespeare, or someone newer than that, Zexion found himself happy to spend hours just sitting in his room, reading of them. And though he could never cry, he had to admit that he felt things more clearly through his books than through anything else.

 

He was beginning to enjoy a particularly dark piece of work when something outside broke his concentration. Zexion's dark scowl returned, and he walked to the window. What he heard was an instrument blaring very loud, very obnoxious music from the castle's courtyard. And he knew immediately who it was; only Demyx could play something so unbelievably nerve-racking. Unless, of course, Axel managed to join him, but that was rare. Axel was too busy hanging around Roxas these days. Zexion let out a growl. Was it too much to ask for some peace and quiet around there? He certainly didn't think it was, and he had no problems doing so.

 

"HEY!" he yelled down, but he couldn't cut through the noise Demyx was making. Demyx was simply too busy enjoying himself as he jumped around and strummed his sitar, not caring how many of his fellow members he was pissing off. Zexion, however, wasn't going to be ignored. He had an alternate plan, and though he didn't like the idea of injuring his book, he'd much rather be able to read in peace. So, taking out a large encyclopedia that Xemnas had given him three years ago, Zexion aimed and threw it. Right at Demyx's head. It collided with a loud crack, and Demyx fell over in one second, crashing right onto his sitar. Fortunately, he didn't die. He sat up and stared straight up at Zexion.

 

"Owwww! What was that for, you big jerk!?" the older man whined, rubbing his head, "What, you don't like my awesome rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!?"

 

"I'm trying to read up here!" Zexion yelled back angrily, as he saw Xigbar and Xaldin run out, weapons drawn at the sound of the commotion, "Next time, I'll drop an entire bookshelf on you!" Demyx just stared at him for a long moment, and both Xigbar and Xaldin sheathed their weapons when they saw that Zexion was the cause of it. Obviously, none of them believed he would. And that wasn't exactly a lie; he'd just get Lexaeus to throw it for him. But it was clear that not even the thought of his little henchman scared them. Xigbar actually snorted as he stared up at the smaller man.

 

"Really? 'Cause last time you threatened me, I broke your arm," he reminded the frustrated youth, and Zexion promptly slammed his window shut. Xigbar just laughed, walking away with Xaldin as Demyx continued to sit there and stare at the empty window. He stared for a long time, not quite sure what he was feeling, or if he felt anything at all. Why was Zexion so mad at him? To him, he was just playing his sitar and being happy. He even offered to let the little guy hang with him, and only Larxene was mean enough to ever refuse such an offer. Something must've been bothering Zexion to make him so grouchy.

 

At that moment, after that earth shattering revelation, Demyx did something he had never done before. Something that, before then, he hated to even think about, mainly because it normally took too much effort on his part. He made a decision. He decided that, instead of completely ignoring Zexion and blaming his unwarranted bad mood on what Demyx was sure was 'his time,' he was going to cheer the little guy up! He'd make sure Zexion had so much fun that he would never want to throw his books on anyone ever again! The only problem was that Demyx didn't know what Zexion liked to do. He wasn't called the Cloaked Schemer for nothing; no one ever really knew what it was he did with his time. And the last time anyone ever asked, it resulted in a similar situation: they found themselves impaled with one of his many ancient tomes. But that was a problem for a different day. Demyx had work to do. He picked up the broken remains of his sitar and strode inside, his brows creased as he realized just how important this mission was. Nothing could stop him! Not even Saix and his missions!

 

With renewed vigor, Demyx stormed into the elevator on the ground floor, riding it up to the castle's living quarters. He was already formulating a way to ensure that Zexion enjoyed himself, though he learned quickly that formulating made his head hurt. He now understood why Vexen was so grumpy, too. If the senior members thought all day, they must've dealt with a lot of headaches. Demyx found he felt for them. But right then wasn't the time for a pity party for anyone. Right then, Demyx had a self-imposed mission, and he'd fulfill it. Even if it got him beamed with another book or two. When the elevator finally stopped and opened up into the third floor, Demyx stormed out, his brows still creased. He didn't notice that Larxene was watching him. For once, she looked particularly confused. When did Demyx get so grim, she wondered.

 

"Hey, if it isn't Music Man," she called, and he stopped, looking over at her, "Why so grim? Did Xaldin smash your instrument again?" Demyx's frown worsened. Technically, Zexion was the one who destroyed his beloved weapon. Larxene must've noticed that it'd been snapped apart.

 

"Nah, that was Zexion," he answered easily, and turned away, "I have to go. I have a mission." As if his expression hadn't shocked the blonde woman enough, now his tone did it. Since when did Demyx take anything seriously!? She blinked profusely. Surely, Larxene had heard wrong!

 

"W-what mission!?" she demanded, leaping from her couch to stand in front of Demyx, "What're you up to, Dem?" Demyx stopped again, unable to decide if he should be afraid or just flat out run away. Larxene was downright scary when she didn't get her way, and she knew something was up. But if he ran, she might actually come after him. And then he might be dead. Besides, what did it hurt for her to know? As scary as she was, Larxene always more or less listened to Demyx's problems. And this was a huge problem.

 

"I'm going to write a song and make Zexion listen to it until he smiles!" Demyx declared, his normal bout of energy restored, his smile returning, "I mean, the guy's a grouch. But I think he just needs to have fun." For a moment, no one said a damn thing. Larxene's expression seemed to freeze into a terrified grin. Was Demyx actually serious? She had no idea; Demyx was Demyx and he always did whatever the hell he wanted. Stiffly, she turned to look at Axel, who seemed similarly bewildered. Then, he just laughed heartily. Surely, this was a joke.

 

"You're going to try and make Zexion smile?" Axel repeated, and shook his head, his chest still heaving with laughter, "Okay, seriously, what's this mission you're babbling about?"

 

"That's it! That's the mission!" Demyx told him, and when he didn't stop, Demyx frowned and said, "You don't think I can do it?" Axel stopped laughing and thought about that question. In all honesty, he wasn't quite sure anything could've made Zexion smile. But if Demyx wanted to commit suicide, who were they to try and stop him? It'd rid them of one useless member, and someone somewhere would get a promotion. It was win-win for everyone, except Demyx and possibly Zexion.

 

"You know what? I think you really can," Axel said, and Demyx didn't even notice his mild sarcasm with that statement, "I think you should go up there right now and do whatever it takes to fulfill your goal." Demyx's smile returned ten-fold. His assumption about Axel was totally wrong: he was so sure that Axel would slam his wonderful idea right into the dirt. But instead, this miracle worker of an organization member was encouraging him! He couldn't help it! Why couldn't Xaldin be more like that?

 

"I'll do it!" Demyx said, and before anyone could even stop him, he was running right up the stairs, dragging his broken sitar behind him as he shouted, "I won't let any of you down!" Saix, who had come down to see what was causing another bout of ruckus, just stared in utter confusion as Demyx passed him. That was two members who completely ignored his presence. He turned to Axel.

 

"What the hell was that about?" he asked, though with Demyx, he usually found he didn't want to know. Axel just sighed, shaking his head.

 

"Demyx seems to have it in his crazy head that Zexion needs a buddy to be with," the red-head replied, sounding almost tired. Saix blinked for a long, long time, trying his best to digest that. Demyx? Demyx, who normally pissed everyone off to the point of getting a restraining order, Demyx was going to cheer Zexion up? As intelligent as he was, such a crazy thought blew Saix's mind away.

 

"Do you think he could do it?" Saix asked, brow arched. Axel just snorted, taking the magazine off the coffee table and stretching out on the couch.

 

"Nope," was the simple reply. Saix and Larxene exchanged glances. They didn't really feel the need to argue with that opinion.

 

Demyx didn't stop his running until he was five doors past Zexion's room and realized he had overshot his destination. He skidded to a long halt, and crashed into the wall just before the stairs leading to the fifth floor. And he skidded right onto the ground, knowing that there was a chance Zexion actually heard him. There was a chance everyone in the castle heard him, and he no sooner got off the ground when Zexion opened his door and glared at Demyx. He looked mad before; now, he looked ready to murder something.

 

"Keep... it... DOWN!" Zexion screamed, and slammed the door again. Demyx blinked, knowing that if he had any other capacity for emotion, he'd probably be pretty depressed right then. But he had a mission and in his mind, he was half-way to completing it! All he had to do was go inside of Zexion's room.

 

But as he neared the door and reached out for the knob, Demyx stopped, realizing how bad this situation could get. Zexion was already angry enough. If his presence in any way pissed the little guy off even more, Zexion would probably kill one of them, if not, then both. Demyx had to keep that in mind. But just how could one cheer another up without being close to them? Then, another idea hit Demyx. He didn't have to be close to help! That's what letters were for, and quickly, he took out his notebook and a crayon, scribbling a quick note. Then he tore out the page and slipped it under the door. Unfortunately, Zexion wasn't exactly in the mood to play, for the note was returned three seconds later with an additional message on the front. Demyx, thinking his plan had worked, picked up the note and read it.

 

"Go... away... or... die," he read slowly, and it took him a long moment to realize Zexion had just threatened him. His brows creased and he stuffed the note in his pocket. No more Mr. Nice Guy, he thought, and without warning, he banged on the door as hard as he could, yelling, "Zexion, open up!"

 

"Leave me alone," came a growl from behind the door. Demyx sighed. The smart thing to do was to heed the little guy and just leave. But Demyx wasn't smart, and he didn't want to do that. He backed away, and then took a deep breath. He wasn't as strong as Lexaeus, but he had a good idea of how to break down a door. Pumping himself up, Demyx charged right for the door, slamming into it with all his weight. The door flew open, and Demyx landed with a crash right inside. He didn't need to look up to understand Zexion was pissed as all hell right then.

 

"What the hell do you want!?" Zexion demanded harshly, opening his book to find some spell to fix his now-broken door, "I said to leave me alone!" Demyx slowly stood, and shook his head to clear it. That definitely was a bad idea, but there was no going back now. He was already inside the Cloaked Schemer's room! He gave a grin and a thumbs-up.

 

"Yeah, we all say things we don't mean," Demyx commented, and pretended to ignore the twitch Zexion had as he strode to the table, "So, what's happening?" Zexion was sure his blood pressure would explode. He slammed his book on the floor and pointed stiffly to the open doorway, his eye still twitching. All he wanted was to be alone, read, and not murder anyone that night. But Demyx wasn't getting the message.

 

"OUT!" Zexion roared, when Demyx didn't move. Demyx stared for a very long moment, studying Zexion. The man was absolutely tense; any more, and he'd probably be as hard as a rock. Perhaps it was best to leave and let Zexion have his little hissy-fit. But then Demyx shook his head. The Superior said it was best to do missions, and he was ass-backwards wrong with that one. Demyx leaned forward, propping an elbow on the table and grinning further. Zexion didn't like that grin.

 

"Why're you so mad at me?" Demyx asked calmly, almost amused. Zexion's brows creased and he opened his mouth to scream again, but suddenly, he froze. He didn't actually have a reason as to why he was mad at Demyx. Technically, the man hadn't done anything to him. Except to interrupt his reading, but everyone else did that, too. He frowned, looking at Demyx squarely. The latter's eyes seemed to soften, knowing he hit the spot.

 

"...not at you," Zexion finally said, and Demyx offered him a seat to sit in, "...I am tired of being laughed at all of the time."

 

"I don't laugh at you!" Demyx exclaimed, and Zexion stared, "I mean, you are kind of funny, 'cause you're so small, but I don't laugh!" Zexion's frown worsened. Whatever Demyx was hoping to do, he was failing at it, as usual. Zexion shook his head.

 

"I suppose no one takes me seriously. But I'm one of the hardest-working ones here," Zexion said, and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, "I do everything I can to make sure this place runs, but no matter what, someone somewhere is making jokes behind my back or trying to ensure I fail. It's tiresome." Demyx frowned softly, not knowing if he could feel sympathy or not. He was pretty sure he was close, because he gave Zexion a pat on the back.

 

"That's life in the castle," Demyx reasoned, and Zexion glanced at him, "Look, Zex, I'm not the best one to ask for help, because everyone laughs at me, too. But you can't let them get you down! I mean, you're awesome! You can absorb the Heartless with a book! I sure can't do that. All I can do is annoy them with the latest hit singles." Zexion's look went flat as he considered those words. Demyx was just trying to be nice, but his sentiments actually made the smaller man feel better. If only because Demyx sort of understood his frustration. He almost managed a smile.

 

"But your sort of funny and mine are different," the young man told him calmly, and Demyx snorted, "You want to make everyone laugh. I don't." Demyx's grin returned as he took apart all of Zexion's words. Once again, it was that very grin that worried Zexion.

 

"You want to know what I think your problem is?" Demyx asked him, and before Zexion answered, he said, "It's that you won't let yourself have any fun at all." Zexion's smile faded very rapidly and his brow arched as Demyx spoke. To him, books were hours of fun.

 

"What are you saying?" Zexion asked him quietly.

 

"You're so wrapped up in working and missions, that you're forgetting how to even have fun anymore," Demyx replied simply, and rephrased his point, "When was the last time you laughed? What about when you smiled? When was the last time you relaxed so much that you forgot you had to work the next day?" Zexion hummed, considering the answers. Now he began to see Demyx's point; he hadn't really done any of those since he'd become a Nobody. But Nobodies couldn't have those sorts of feelings... could they? When he asked, Demyx laughed and said, "I don't know, but you can't focus on work forever."

 

"So you want me to goof off instead," Zexion concluded flatly, and at that, Demyx grinned again. He hadn't said that, but seeing someone as serious as Zexion doing nothing would be pretty damn amusing. Demyx just stood up and walked toward the doorway without answering. Just as he reached the threshold, however, he turned to face Zexion again. There was a look to him that suggested what he was implying was deeper than just having some fun. To be honest, there was an actual fire in the man's eyes for once. Whatever he had meant to do, it was obvious he felt he succeeded. Zexion could only blink.

 

"I'm just saying that there's more to life than this castle," Demyx replied cryptically, and his eyes gleamed in the single, burning candle in the room, "You're a genius, Zex. You'll understand... soon." Then, just like that, Demyx left the room. Zexion's face blanched; in what world did Demyx think that'd make any sense whatsoever? He couldn't even begin to understand what the man had said, and shaking his head, he picked up his fallen book and began reading it again.

 

No sooner than he started, however, Zexion couldn't concentrate. Demyx had thoroughly confused him, and now he wanted to know just what the blonde was trying to tell him. Zexion sighed in frustration, put down his book, and then slowly walked to the doorway, stepping over the remains of his door. He peeked out, looking down both sides of the hallway. Demyx was nowhere to be seen, and he couldn't even hear music coming from any of the other rooms. Walking out just a bit farther, Zexion called his name softly, barely audible to anyone who might've been near. Again, there was no response. Was it possible he just went downstairs? Zexion didn't want to have to deal with Axel, Larxene, or anyone else down there, but he did want to speak with Demyx again.

 

Unfortunately, Demyx wasn't downstairs, nor had anyone else seen him for the afternoon. It was as if he'd vanished, as if he'd been there only to talk to Zexion. The poor guy looked everywhere - even in the library, where Demyx hated to go! - but found no trace of the other member in question. By the time dinner was over, and Demyx still hadn't surfaced, Zexion gave up. Wherever the blonde went, he'd show up eventually. But there was a small part of Zexion that worried that perhaps he wouldn't show up. He had to force that fear away.

 

The next day, Zexion woke up to Saix giving him a different kind of mission. He was used to having to study things, having to gather samples, having to maybe beat up a pack of Heartless, but what he had to do that day was to find and kill a particularly big Heartless that decided to just up and live in the city outside of the castle. He simply blinked and listened as Saix told him how important this was, and how he'd need help to defeat it. But in a small part of his mind, he wondered just why no one else could do this job. He hated fighting; if he could, he'd want to summon hordes of illusions just so he could sit back and read a bit longer. But he had a feeling, with a partner in tow, that such a tactic would be frowned upon. And he sighed. Sometimes, he really did question Xemnas's idea of 'handing out missions.'

 

And so, after getting his book ready and buying a few potions, Zexion departed for the City that Never Was, wanting to know just what Heartless was stupid enough to want to live so close to them. Shadows were a nice culprit; those things bred like rabbits. But any others were more than intelligent enough to leave the Nobodies alone. Except for this one. And what made it worse was that, when Zexion finally reached the site of where the beast was seen, Demyx was standing there. Demyx, who was usually the first to die in a mission, was standing there to help him. Zexion already knew this mission would probably be a failed attempt. He shook his head. Xemnas obviously thought this was a joke.

 

"Those idiots have got to be kidding me..." Zexion mumbled, walking over as Demyx jammed on his newly-duct-taped sitar, "You're my partner!?" Demyx grinned three miles wide when he saw his partner, and nodded.

 

"Yup. It's just you and I, Zex," he replied, again with that mischievous tone that Zexion didn't trust, "You ready to have some fun?" Zexion's eyes widened at the last word. Fun!? How could they possibly have fun looking for a Heartless that might possibly kill them!? Xemnas must've been laughing in his office right then to choose Demyx as a candidate for this.

 

"How are we going to have fun when we're fighting?" the grey-haired man asked slowly, brow arched. But Demyx, so secure in his own agendas and ideas, said nothing at all. He just grinned and beckoned for Zexion to follow him. And though Zexion did not appreciate being told what to do, he did as Demyx bade him. They walked quietly through the silent, dark streets, eyes peeled for anything suspicious at all. And yet, nothing was out of place. No buildings had been ransacked, no bodies left in the street, Nobodies around period. It was all just a little too perfect. Demyx looked around as they stopped in the middle of a main street, unable to find whatever it was that distracted him.

 

"What are we supposed to be looking for again?" he asked, scratching his head. Zexion had the same silent thought, and looked at the card he was given.

 

"A Heartless that's recently taken residence within the City that Never Was," Zexion told him, though his tone sounded just as skeptical, "But who knows what that even is."

 

"Yeah, I'm not really seeing anything out here," Demyx stated, shrugging, "Think this is some kind of joke?" Zexion didn't say that such a thought also occurred to him. But that was so unlikely; Xemnas was above jokes. He was above all emotion. But something wasn't right here. If the Heartless was big, and undoubtedly aggressive, they should've seen some sign of it. All they saw so far was an empty maze of streets, the constant flashes of lights from the neon signs hurting their eyes as they tried to look. Zexion was more than just a little concerned.

 

Demyx took the lead and they continued onward. But in the dark, and with no one around, every place looked exactly the same. The signs were the only proof that they had gone anywhere different at all, and Zexion made note of each sign they passed. And yet they still heard nothing. He closed his eyes. Maybe they couldn't see the monster, but he could certainly try finding a scent to go on. But all he smelled was Demyx, and a lot of garbage. His face contorted for a moment. That wasn't the best combination to have to deal with right then.

 

"You okay?" Demyx asked, noticing the foul expression on the younger man's face. Zexion nodded, shivering as he opened his eyes. This was, in his mind, a very strange occurrence. Why was there no sign of anything?

 

"I can't smell a thing," he replied worriedly, and Demyx's lips thinned. He looked around again, and then returned his gaze to Zexion.

 

"Did the card say where it was?" the blonde asked, but Zexion shrugged helplessly. In all truth, neither the mission card nor Saix hadn't said much of anything. He gave the mission and explained only how it'd benefit the Organization. The rest was up to them.

 

"...let's continue looking, and if five hours pass, we'll report back," Zexion decided. Demyx agreed. And he found it was a good decision; the City that Never Was was a vast place, and the streets seemed to stretch forever as they twisted and turned, sometimes vanishing into darkness itself. He was glad Zexion was with him. He had no idea where they were going, but the other was confident in his ability to find their way. But even with a senior member, it took the better of two hours, and several wrong turns, before they wound up in the central square of the city, nearly seven miles from the castle. And it was here that Zexion finally stopped. Here, that bad feeling was the strongest. And here, it was just big enough for a powerful Heartless to be.

 

"You feel it too?" Demyx whispered, and Zexion stared, dumbfounded. Being able to perceive darkness was a rather rare gift, and yet Demyx also felt that ominous tremble in the air. Zexion nodded, swallowing hard as he looked away. He felt Demyx back up against him, both of them watching, waiting, looking in different directions. And for once, Zexion felt safe enough to rely on Demyx. Demyx wasn't strong, but he was loyal, and he understood the man would make sure they weren't ambushed. But by what, Zexion didn't know.

 

He didn't need to wait long to find out. They heard a rumble from an alley to the side, and both looked toward there. A trash can was thrown across the square, and it ripped a hole into the nearest building when it hit. There were only a few things with so much power: Larxene, and a particularly huge Heartless. And Larxene, as far as they knew, was safe and sound at the castle. Zexion opened his book, and Demyx gripped his sitar. Soon enough, that Heartless came lumbering out of the alley. And when it saw the two Nobodies, it roared its hatred for them. Demyx stared. And he nearly fainted. They weren't going to just be fighting a Heartless; they were in the presence of a Behemoth.

 

"Z-Zexion!!" he screamed, and then they both ducked as the hulking beast charged, spraying dirt and debris all around them. They dove just as it lunged, and though it missed them, they barely had time to turn before it recovered. Zexion understood immediately that he'd have to unleash a barrage of spells quickly for them to even have a chance in hell at winning. He wasted no time, summoning a comet before Demyx even understood what was happening. It came crashing and slammed straight into the Heartless, sending an earth shattering roar across the large city.

 

"Nice shot!" Demyx cheered, grinning as chunks of the meteorite split apart and went flying in all directions, "Did you get it?" Zexion, however, knew he hadn't. Behemoths were incredibly powerful, and though he himself was a decent member of the Organization, even he had difficulty with Behemoths. He kept his grim visage even as the smoke cleared. And to Demyx's dismay, the Behemoth still stood. And now it was intent on shredding Zexion to ribbons. Demyx frowned and yelled, "You have got to be kidding!!"

 

"Demyx!" Zexion shouted, snapping Demyx out of his frustration. He yelped and leapt away just as a giant tail slammed the spot he was standing at. The force of the blow sent him flying backwards, nearly colliding with a wall, but he rolled and landed on his feet. And this time, he had his sitar ready. He turned quickly and strummed as hard as possible, sending four musical notes out in rapid succession. They hit their mark with no trouble, though he only managed to annoy the beast, not actually hurt it. But he didn't have to hurt it; he gave Zexion another opening, and the latter was quick to take it.

 

Lightning streaked across the square, sparks dancing all around the flustered Heartless before finally erupting on the creature's horn. It sent another powerful roar, and then staggered, slamming into the ground. Demyx caught Zexion's smile, and knew that the battle must've gotten much easier. He knew his place in it, too. He ran up to the beast and, as it was low enough to the ground, he smacked it over the head with his sitar. Zexion winced as the instrument creaked and squealed in protest, but he had to admit Demyx was effective. Unfortunately, the sitar was still only held together with duct tape. And as soon as the beast had a few good whacks, the poor instrument broke apart. It took Demyx an agonizingly long moment to realize he had stopped doing damage, and he looked down to see why.

 

"W-what?" he asked, and saw his beloved instrument was broken again, "NO WAY!! Zexion!! Zexion, my weapon!" Zexion growled, shaking his head. So much for being backed up. He ran over as fast as he could, knowing that the Behemoth wouldn't be down for much longer. He prepared his book again, and growled as Demyx whimpered when he ran past. He glanced back only once.

 

"Fix it!" the blue-haired man said, and then turned to bash the Behemoth with his book. Demyx watched for a moment, and then shrugged, taking out the roll of tape Axel had given him. Glue would've been better, but he figured an improvised method would suit for the time being. He set to work, hoping Zexion could hold out long enough.

 

Zexion couldn't hold out very long at all. Demyx had taken too much time lamenting his broken sitar, and the beast was up again before even two minutes passed by. But what truly alerted Demyx was the scream emitted from his comrade. He turned, and looked up just in time to see that Zexion had been lifted right into the air and was grasping at the Behemoth's horn for dear life. And the Behemoth didn't like that at all. He bucked and shook his head wildly, threatening to smash or impale the young Nobody. Demyx knew he had to do something. But his weapon was broken... no! Demyx couldn't let that stop him! His friend needed him right then, and he remembered the mission he set himself to. He couldn't let Zexion down! He grabbed the bottom of his sitar and plucked the strings for a moment. They still worked.

 

"Hey! Hey, you big, stupid, ugly piece of crap!" Demyx yelled, and the Behemoth stopped trying to kill Zexion long enough to look down, "Put my buddy down and feed on this!" But instead of playing his sitar, which Zexion thought he'd do, he threw it right at the monster's face, nearly hitting the dangling man in the process. Zexion was thrown downward, partially from the impact, and partially from letting go of the horn. He crashed into the ground, and Demyx was at his side in three seconds, asking, "Are you okay!?" Zexion wasn't quite sure what to say. The truth was, he just fell off a Behemoth, and probably should've been happy he wasn't dead. But for right now, he was annoyed. Demyx should've focused on killing the big, mean heartless in front of them, instead of asking Zexion if he was 'okay.'

 

"Demyx..." Zexion growled, standing up and dusting his arms, "Fight... the damned creature now!" Demyx normally didn't jump at the chance to do orders, but Zexion sounded angry as hell. He still remembered getting hit with a book, last time that happened, so he went right to work. Sad thing was, he didn't even have his sitar anymore. He looked around quickly, and found a big stick on the ground. And he shrugged. Xaldin had taught him right off the bat that anything could be a weapon, and that when it came to living and dying, you don't want to be picky. Demyx would make do with what he had. He grabbed the stick and charged.

 

That left Zexion to find the Lexicon. During his near-death dance with the Heartless, he managed to drop his beloved book, and now he knew he'd have to find it before Demyx was killed. He severely doubted the blonde could win singlehandedly. So, he looked around for his book; it happened to be right underneath the damn Heartless. Zexion just growled, shaking his head. Of course the stupid thing would decide to land there, when he needed it the most. He took a breath. Somehow, he'd have to either let Demyx know where it was so the blonde could act accordingly, or he'd have to dive underneath the Behemoth's front legs and make a grab. The first one would just alert the Behemoth, and Zexion still wouldn't be sure Demyx would listen, and the second was just... well, moronic. He'd be crushed. And so would Demyx.

 

Not that Demyx was doing much better. Zexion decided that he'd have to wait for the monster to get off his book, first and foremost. And while he did, he had to see just what Demyx was doing to eliminate their target. The answer nearly blew his mind. Demyx was charging head-on with nothing more than a stick to his name and a song on his lips. Zexion stared like a deer in the headlights, and his mouth dropped when Demyx leapt high into the air, aiming right for the horn. Whether it was an act of Ansem himself, or whether it was Demyx being really good at jumping, the man managed to jump high enough to strike the Behemoth. The stick came crashing down right onto the poor beast's head, and Zexion winced when he heard a loud crack. The stick was surely destroyed with such a blow, but it also sent the Behemoth staggering, crashing onto the ground. Yet Demyx didn't stop the assault. He grabbed whatever was left of his poor sitar and started slamming the crap out of the Behemoth's horn, causing little stars and hearts to be released as a result. More and more splinters broke off from the handle, but if anything, that made Demyx hit three times as hard, as if he blamed the Heartless for ruining his beloved instrument.

 

Finally, Zexion had to stop Demyx. Not because he was in any danger, but because he was hitting nothing again. The Behemoth disappeared. And Zexion saw why. When the beast finally fell, his back leg kicked at the Lexicon, opening it up. And as soon as its toe touched the book, without Zexion there to command its movement, the book acted of its own accord and absorbed the massive beast. The good news was, Zexion would get some lovely new power to play with when he opened the book next. The bad news was, every monster he absorbed didn't release a heart. Xemnas was going to be pissed.

 

"Demyx, stop!" Zexion exclaimed, grabbing the older man's arm and halting his movement, "The Behemoth's gone. We won." Demyx realized then what he was doing, and that the Heartless was nowhere to be seen. And he grinned. They won! They actually won! He knew they made a kickass team.

 

"So we did, eh?" he asked mischievously, in that tone Zexion hated, "Where'd it go? Did my stick really kill it?"

 

"The Lexicon absorbed it," Zexion replied, bending down to pick up the book, and opened it to the page where the beast was trapped, for eternity, "It won't bother anyone in this world again." He gave a weak smile as he looked down at the page. Not even he knew where his book sent the beast, but at least their job was done. He felt Demyx put a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped. He never expected anyone to ever touch him, and it almost scared him how easily Demyx had done it. He looked behind and saw the man smiling.

 

"See? You're awesome, Zex," Demyx told him gently, "You saved a lot of Nobodies from that thing." Zexion wanted to remind him that he technically did most of the work, but Demyx seemed more than happy to give the smaller man all the credit. So, instead, he smiled back. For once, it actually felt pretty genuine. Maybe what Demyx said was right, after all.

 

"Should we return?" Zexion asked, and knew instantly the answer was 'no.' Demyx's grin widened, and his eyes gleamed again, despite the fact that there was no light whatsoever. He looked at the castle, so far from where they were right then. Xemnas wouldn't mind if they took the evening off. They did just kill a Behemoth, after all. Besides, it didn't release its heart, anyway. If Xemnas was angry, Demyx didn't want to be there to see why. And he sure as hell didn't want Zexion there, either. He shook his head.

 

"Nah. I say we head to Twilight Town and pull an Axel," Demyx suggested, and then frowned, "Well, he might be pissed if we take his normal spot. But I hear there's an awesome coffee place there! We can totally jam there." Zexion considered it. There really wasn't much reason not to. Besides, it was a nice place to just sit and read, assuming Demyx didn't make too much of a racket. Considering he didn't have a working sitar, Zexion didn't think he'd be too much of a problem. He nodded, opening a portal for them to walk through.

 

"All right then. After you," he said, and Demyx grinned. Yet he didn't step through. Zexion watched, brow arched, but Demyx didn't move.

 

"No, I have to insist, buddy. You go first," Demyx replied. Zexion couldn't quite tell what was up, but he just shrugged. This was just Demyx being Demyx. So, he stepped through, and Demyx watched as he disappeared into the darkness. His grin widened, and he looked back at the square for a moment. They had managed the mission together, and now they were finally going to spend some time together. Zexion would finally have some fun. And then he'd finally smile. It all went according to Demyx's plan. It was complicated, but it worked. Saix didn't even realize the missions had been switched, and Xaldin would never know that he was never meant to go to Wonderland. It was all just too beautiful. He just felt bad; Xemnas would blame Xaldin for the Behemoth not releasing a heart, and the poor guy wouldn't know what the hell was wrong. But that was a different problem for a different day.

 

Now all he had to do was never tell Zexion any of this. That wouldn't be hard. And it'd give him a new challenge. Demyx was up for that. As he walked to the portal, he looked at the three shadows that had come to see what the ruckus was about. And gently, he put a finger to his lips and walked through the portal. Then he disappeared, and so did any evidence that he tampered with Saix's job.

 

----------------------------------------(End Story)

 

And so, Demyx succeeded in his mission. Now he and Zexion can enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and the only one to suffer will be Xaldin. When I first started this, I wanted to make it a Demyx/Zexion story, but in the end, I decided they'd do better as just good friends than anything else. Mainly because I don't think Zex would put up with Demyx for very long before slamming his head with the Lexicon. I also wanted the others to play more important roles, but decided against it because their ideas of 'help' would have probably made things worse for Zexion. In the end, I think the story came out well. I just feel bad for Xaldin. He doesn't deserve Xemnas's wrath for Demyx's amusement. Then again, he's Xaldin and he's an ass. So it couldn't really be helped. Hopefully, you liked reading the story. Thanks for reading, and click that Review button!