Follow Your Nose

By Snare-chan

Pairings: Zexion/Demyx
Ratings: K
Category(ies): Romance
Warning(s): For Chain of Memories
Status: One-shot, complete
Summary: To his surprise, he caught something along the air currents passing through the castle, a smell…quite peculiar, but familiar…

Notes: You can completely blame this one on and Cassandra Cassidy for this little baby, Cassandra in particular. Though she claims corrupted her into following this pairing, I still say it's her fault I'm slowly falling into this couple as well. And why Kingdom Hearts Ultimania? Because I was exploring around on there when I got hit with the plot bunny – so there.

Disclaimer: I dun own Kingdom Hearts; wish I did like everyone else. They should put KH in stock, then I'd buy it all!

Absently, Zexion scratched at his nose. The movement was the first he'd made in several hours, his mind having been hard set on more important matters than a simple itch - namely the unfinished crossword puzzle that has been haunting him for the past two or three days.

He was just getting around to contemplating the phrase 'memorable time' when his nose wriggled at the end of his face, as if ready to let out a sneeze. Though his expression never faltered from its glass-cut disposition, displeasure of sorts seemed to come off him in waves when nothing happened. Once again he reached up his gloved hand, intending to remedy the irritation with the scratch of his finger.

This time he waited to make sure the organ would behave before lifting his graphite pencil towards the page in front of him, beginning the markings of three certain letters in precise and neat capital letters. E-R-

Something twitched at the edge of his vision that interrupted his train of thought, his eyes barely crossing to pick up what exactly was doing the strange ritualistic dance in the center of his head. If he was surprised that it was his nose twitching again, he didn't show it, though realistically speaking, he probably wouldn't have changed expressions had he been surprised.

Sighing inaudibly, he gave in and set aside his work in a nearby drawer where hopefully no one would discover and attempt to finish it. Without further delay he closed his eyes, tilting his chin marginally to lift his nose higher. To his surprise he caught something along the air currents passing through the castle, a smell…quite peculiar, but familiar.

Opening his eyes once more, he rose languidly to his feet, his head still upturned slightly to try and get a sense of where the scent was coming from. Not here in the commons, that was for certain since he was and had been alone in there for several chimes of the clock. Fully aware of this, he vanished to an area somewhere at the end of the hall outside the room, surprising Luxord enough with his sudden appearance for the gambler to lose a couple of the cards he'd been handling.

Zexion ignored him and turned his head from right to left, still in search of that strange aroma. It wasn't close by, but he was getting closer to it. Coming to some decision, he bowed his head slightly, taking a sharp right.

"What's up with him? He never leaves a spot till the next meal time, even if the place is burning down," Axel asked Luxord, walking up beside him from where he'd been watching from his bedroom door, purely curious as he watched after the shorter man disappearing down the flight of stairs leading down to the kitchen.

"Don't know," Luxord scoffed, kneeling down to pick up the select few playing cards he'd dropped. "With the likes of 'im, one can never tell."

"Too true," the redhead drawled, knowing all too well the meaning of such things.

Zexion continued to act as if no one but him and the trail existed. He could still hear the two, but what the fire wielder and the card player had to say was insubstantial. He continued on his journey till he came to the double doors of the cooking area, the fragrance coming from somewhere in there – he was positive. It was as if the smell was pooling here in an invisible cloud, overpowering but still pleasant.

Gently, he pushed in both swinging doors to reveal the spotless cooking appliances, counters and shelving units. The reason for the essence was not apparent right away, his one visible eye trailing across the expanse until he spotted some movement in the back by the stoves, the sounds of booted feet tapping along with the swinging black form past the long line of hanging pots and pans.

Not bothering to announce his presence, he merely strolled on in. He was utmost careful not to disturb any of the stools or other objects about the place. When he got close enough, he saw it was Demyx holding one large ceramic bowl in the crook of his left arm, the other beating some batter into submission as he hummed some random tune to himself. Zexion assumed, if what he recalled from the castle's chore wheel to be correct, that he was most likely making dinner for everyone.

As discretely as possible he gave the surrounding air a whiff to double-check if he was correct in finding the source of the odor, but he found himself still lost. Whatever was in the bowl was not worth getting up for, plus it was just bread dough – a food he's become accustomed to. So then what was producing that scent? He knew it was here, just not what yet.

Letting his nose lead him further, he came closer to Demyx, the other Nobody now noticing him due to him drawing closer.

"Oh, heya Zexion! I didn't think I'd be seeing you around for quite awhile. Are you hungry? I wish I could say dinner is almost done, but I've only just…what are you doing?" he asked in confusion, eyes blinking owlishly at the dark-haired man as he walked right into his personal space.

For a moment, Zexion stood there, staring up at him with a half-lidded stare as if determining whether he was man or mouse. Then slowly, so as to perhaps not startle the sitar player through the ceiling, he leaned up and rested his nose dangerously close to Demyx's neck. He got near enough that the blonde could sense him deeply inhaling, but not so that he could feel his lopsided hair or his skin touch. All the same, the action had him yelping in surprise and jumping back nonetheless, half the contents of his concoction spilling over onto his left sleeve despite Zexion's earlier precaution.

"W-what was that for?" he asked meekly, claustrophobia gripping him as his back hit against the wall and Zexion-but-can't-possibly-be-Zexion remained rooted to his spot. He knew it was rather silly to be so scared of him of all people with his no-violence policy, but he'd come out of nowhere with that act of non…Zexion-ness that just went against everything Demyx had come to recognize as the schemer. So his fright was a bit justified at the moment.

"You smell nice," was all Zexion said after an awkward moment of silence, wherein Demyx could only stare wordlessly after him as he turned tightly on his heels and returned to finish what he'd started back in the commons.

Or at least Zexion tried.

-Fin-