"Demyx, I honestly can't believe you were foolish enough to use your water power in The Land of Dragons. In the mountains of all places!" Vexen huffed as he busted around Demyx's cluttered room, stepping over piles of clothes and sheet music. Under a thick blanket, over the soft whooshing sounds of the waterbed, Demyx moaned and tugged the blankets higher over his head.
"Vexen," The younger man whined, his voice nasal and congested. "Don't yell at me. I'm sick."
"I'm not yelling!" The scientist snapped, scooping up a pile of pants off the floor and dropping them into an already full laundry hamper in the corner of the room. "I'm reprimanding you for trying to show off to Axel by making an ice sculpture out of a water clone and getting soaked in the process. Now you're sick and I don't trust most of the idiots in this place to take care of you properly."
"But he dared me to!" Demyx argued, his pale hand sliding out from under the warmth of his blanket. He groped for the box of tissues that had been on the floor. The cold chemist rolled his eyes and nudged the overturned box toward the bed with his foot. Demyx snatched up a tissue and his hand retreated back under the covers. "Thank you." He blew his nose loudly.
"You could have ignored him." Vexen grumbled. He picked up a discarded cloak off the floor, sighing as he slung it over his arm. "And I really don't see why I'm picking up this pigsty you call a bedroom. I'm not your mother."
"Because you take good care of me when I'm being pitiful?"
It was at that moment Lexaeus and Zexion entered the Nocturne's bedroom. The Silent Hero was carrying a tray that looked miniature held in his large hands. On the tray was the typical sick day lunch package: bowl of steaming soup, saltine crackers and ginger ale. Beside Lexaeus, Zexion stood with a thick book under his arm, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose.
"Xaldin made him something to eat." Lexaeus said to Vexen, nodding to the hidden Nobody on the bed. "It's best for him to keep his strength up."
A small bit of dirty blond hair poked out from under the blanket. "Thanks, Lex." Demyx muttered tiredly. Lexaeus nodded and stepped toward the bed, balancing the tray in one hand while he tried to tidy up the bed stand. With a slight sigh, Zexion hurried up to him and took the tray from him.
"I don't want you to accidentally drop it." Zexion huffed, waiting impatiently for Lexaeus to finish. Holding a stack of music books in his hands, the older man smiled down at him.
"Thank you, Zexion." The schemer nodded and put down the tray, tossing the book onto Demyx's bed.
"I thought you might want something to do besides count the tiles on the ceiling." The short young man shrugged. "I found that wedged under the table and I thought of you." The title of the book was 'Hearts in Atlantis'.
The blankets shifted and retreated downward, revealing a pale forehead and a pair of tired aqua eyes. "Wow, Zexion, I didn't know you cared." By the tone of his voice it was apparent Demyx was teasing.
"I can't and I don't." Zexion snapped and folded his arms across his petite chest stubbornly. Lexaeus's large hand came to rest on the bookworm's shoulder.
"Let's go see if Xaldin needs any help in the kitchen." He cast a glance back at Vexen, who was still busily picking up Demyx's messy room and grumbling to himself. "We hope you feel better, Number IX." The Melodious Nocturne, who had retreated back under his blankets, slipped his hand out and waved slightly.
Once they were gone, Vexen picked up the book Zexion had left. "Humph. I honestly don't know where Zexion finds these." He squinted slightly at the author's name. "'Stephen King'. I don't believe I've ever heard of him before."
Demyx's limp hair once again snuck out from under the comforter. "Will you read it to me?"
"Demyx, you can read it yourself just fine."
The blanket slid down further and the young man poked his head up completely. His normally vibrant skin looked sickly and sallow and he had deep purple bags under his aqua eyes from a lack of sleep the night before. "Please…?"
Whether it was the softness in his tone, the sweet little whine or the simple fact that it was Demyx, Vexen gave in with a sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed to read.
Demyx was asleep by chapter five, his breathing deep an even. With a ghost of a smile, Vexen closed the book and set it on his lap as he reached out to stroke a few stray hairs from the younger man's hot forehead. Sighing faintly, he flattened his hand against Demyx's forehead and let his ice power gently cool the fever.
The sitar player shifted and sighed in his sleep, a soft smile forming on his lips. The normally aloof scientist couldn't help but smile as he removed his hand and leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss to the sleeping Nobody's cooler forehead.
"Sleep well, Demyx." Vexen murmured against his forehead. "And don't ever do something so stupid again."
God I love writing VexDem.
Organization XIII belongs to Square Enix/Disney. Not me.