The Absence of Wisdom

By F. W. Bourdillon

Vexen, a scholar who has the key to change the foundation of science. Marluxia, a hired assassin sent to kill Vexen. Between these very different people, can love flourish? Or will the bitter truth of reality force it to wither away.

Warning: Shonen-ai / Yaoi / AU

Word Count: 1,314

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts

A/n: Just something that's been floating around in my head for a bit since Marluxia is called the "Graceful Assassin", I personally think with hair like that he wouldn't be much of an assassin but whatever (shrugs)

Intro

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Vexen was a respected scholar amongst his peers as well as others, and he had quite a reputation of being quite unsympathetic and unsociable, so with that said, he was quite irritated with his current situation; social gatherings was not something that he enjoyed.

If it hadn't of been for his instructor, Xemnas, he wouldn't have even been caught dead in his current location surrounded with all sorts of intellects and old stringy men who thought that they were far superior than others that were not in the highest of academies and universities.

Vexen was annoyed to say the least.

The large area was a ball room, the high ceiling in a dome-shape, delicate and intricate paintings covering the upper half of the dome with splashes of gold, blue, and white. The large windows surrounding the walls on every end except towards the exit and the stage that stood at the far back of the ball room, red drapes hanging down over the windows. The stage itself was rather large though only five people occupied it, a blonde haired woman singing chorus, a man with long pink hair playing the piano, though the skill of the pianist was something even Vexen had to admire (Vexen also felt a bit uneasy about the pianist, he assumed it was his imagination but the pink-haired man seemed to be watching him out of the corner of his eye), a red-head holding a flute and to his side a piccolo rest on a music stand, a blonde haired boy seemingly younger compared to his other fellow musicians playing the violin, and the final, a young man, in his hand a sitar (and though Vexen tried to ignore it, it seemed as though his associate, Xigbar, was watching the young blonde with extreme fascination in an almost perverse manner).

People walked flamboyantly around the ball room with arrogance and a "high and mighty" sort of personality, Vexen, however, was to the far back of the ball, sitting in an overly decorated (tacky, in Vexen's opinion) chair.

Really, he was only there to be shown off like some sort of antique or whatever it was that old scholars enjoyed looking at. Vexen had made a recent discovery that "could very well shake the foundation of science" as Xemnas had put it.

Vexen had been proud of this discovery up until Xemnas had decided to show him off to other scholars in attempt to make this new unearthing known across the world, much to Vexen's dismay, this meant going to pointless social gatherings with the elder where as he would rather sit in his study and research.

Vexen stared at the watch on his wrist, it read "9:00" a small frown formed on his lips, he was irritated and tired, he simply wanted to go back to the hotel that Xemnas had rented out for the six of them (the six consisting of Zexion, Xigbar, Xaldin, Luxaeus, Xemnas, and himself).

Green eyes darted to his professor, the silver haired man seemed to be engrossed in a conversation with a blue haired man with a peculiar "X" shaped scar across his face; most likely another from a different university.

He saw looked over to see Luxaeus, Zexion, and Xaldin chatting idly.

Vexen's gaze finally fell to Xigbar, his face twisting in disgust, he only watched for a second in morbid fascination as Xigbar spoke with the blonde haired sitar-ist (the other musicians now taking a break, most of them on the stage other than the blonde haired woman who had been singing, the pianist, and the sitar-ist that Xigbar was so keen on harassing), but it wasn't the fact that Xigbar was conversing with the young man that disturbed him, no, it was the fact that his hand seemed to be going lower with every passing second down the (oblivious) blonde's back, making it's way to his…Vexen shook his head, he couldn't allow himself to be distracted, even if Xigbar had no tact on such matters of "seducing" a young guitarist.

Quietly he stood up and took his coat that had been hanging from the chair he had been sitting on and draped it over his arm not even bothering to put it on.

He quickly darted to the exit, speaking to one of the waiters to inform Xemnas that he was returning to the hotel for the evening. Vexen made it out of the building a blast of cold brushing into his face but he ignored it for the time being, walking through the recently fallen snow that created a light blanket of white upon to cobble-stoned ground.

When he was sure he was far enough not to be pulled back to the ball by Xemnas, he stopped and let out a sigh, his surroundings was nothing but high walls that were at least seven feet tall, turns and alleys here and there, it was almost like a maze.

His gaze following a street lamp towards the sky, a black with a cast of faded pink over it from the cities lights.

He was about to begin walking again but was stopped when he felt a hand cover his mouth, his right arm being twisted behind his back with such speed he could barely understand what was going on until he was pulled into a dark alley, feeling warm breath on the nape of his neck.

His eyes widened in shock and struggled but was stopped when his arm was twisted roughly, he winced his eyes in pain and heard a soft but malicious voice speak in a playful tone in his ear softly, "If you keep struggling, you will only make it harder for yourself."

"The again…" the lowering of the strangers voice made a shiver run down Vexen's spine, but perhaps it was from the cold, he wasn't sure, "It's a lot more fun when one struggles." Lips ghosted across his ear and Vexen wasn't sure how to react, so he merely stood still, "Such beautiful pale skin…Shame I have to kill you."

Vexen's eyes widened in shock, his heart beginning to beat faster; was he going to die, right here? Right now? He tried to struggle again this time attempting to yell, just enough so anyone could hear him, but was unable to, the stranger seemed unfazed as Vexen was unable to move much and there wasn't a soul within a good distance.

No help would come.

"But I won't kill you now, so don't worry."

Vexen let out a gasp when the hand covering his mouth quickly pulled away, "Who are you?" Vexen muttered with a blunt tone now starting to feel an annoyance building inside him now that the shock was gone, he had just wanted to go to the hotel and sleep, but it seemed for whatever reason, fate had decided to play a cruel trick on him to disallow this from happening.

The stranger seemed once again unaffected by Vexen's actions, or words in this case, "Oh my, so…direct." Vexen heard a low chuckle, "I'm shaking." came a sing-song toned reply which Vexen couldn't help but sneer at knowing he was being mocked, "I love how you're so feisty, it's so stunning, in someone like you." Said the stranger, Vexen was really starting to feel impatience.

He was about to make a snappy remark but was cut off by a cloth covering his mouth, and unfortunately, he figured it out at the last minute what was going on after he had inhaled.

He was set gently on the ground, he could feel his body going numb and his vision becoming hazy, he managed to make out to outline of the stranger, ice blue eyes looking down at him with amusement before the world collapsed around him and his vision and consciousness were lost, only hearing the final words of the figure, "Sweet dreams Vexen."

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Next Chapter:

Vexen awakes wondering if last night's events had been nothing but a dream, but reality becomes apparent when a mysterious man named "Marluxia" seems to be wanting to "spend time" with Vexen. And with each day going by, Vexen's scientific discovery is getting closer and closer to it's revealing to the world.

Side Note: Next chapter will have at least 3,000 words, this is just the intro.