Exactly one thousand pieces. Yes, he could almost sense it as his leg hit the table with a heart-wrenching thunk (if he had the heart to feel it with). He had not thought of himself as that clumsy. No, for all of his dopey antics and crazy 'work avoidance' schemes, he would never have classified himself as a clutz. He was careful to keep himself out of danger's way, for self preservation was an art-form for Demyx. Really, all that the nobodies had left was their physical form (despite the water-wielder's protests in insisting that he had a heart), and it was their responsibility to keep that for safe.
Demyx had knocked it over. He had knocked the entire table over and now he lay, splayed in the middle of a mass of one thousand jigsaw pieces, wishing he could sink into the floor or dissipate into the air like his water-clones. Lexaeus looked down at him from his seat on the couch, still poised with his massive hand in midair and a single small puzzle piece held suspended above. He looked down, Demyx looked up, a few very long moments passed in which the nocturne was sure he must have aged years, but there was only one thing which he could be sure of.
He was so dead.
Xigbar had warned him time and time again not to mess with Lexaeus, to stay away from the large warrior at all costs. 'He's a dangerous man.' He had warned in hushed undertones after meetings, taking careful note of the worried glances which Demyx was already casting the man's hulking frame. 'A barbarian, little dude. He's not afraid to crack some skulls, and I even heard that he came from a tribe of warriors built just like him.' He paused for dramatic effect, watching as Demyx's eyes widened apprehensively, 'a cannibalistic tribe.'
It didn't take much else to convince Demyx to avoid Lexaeus at all costs, and truly it had not been hard thus far. The man was quiet, reserved (and obviously plotting something, Demyx reflected with rather easily instilled fear), and he rarely ever made a fuss about anything ever. It was unnerving how much such a large man could sink into the background without a second glance.
Demyx had been careful so far today just as every day, and frankly, he would have been just fine making his way out of the room, but perhaps he had simply gotten sloppy, or someone had changed the position of the table, or maybe a portal really did open right underneath his feet in which a hand popped up and grabbed him by the ankle, sending him splaying out on to the table, completely and entirely ruining the silent man's efforts to complete his massive jigsaw puzzle.
The pause between them had lasted just a note too long, but Demyx was finally knocked from his reverie when Lexaeus shifted out of his seat and moved to reach out to the young man. His reaction was absolutely involuntary as he batted the hand away with a flail and a shout. "OH SWEET DARKNESS, PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!" His yells pierced the quiet, subtle thrum of conversation which was running through the meeting room of Never Was, and if the crash of his ruining the puzzle hadn't silenced everyone around them before, that accusation certainly had. All eyes were locked on to the pair, but Demyx could not be bothered with that while his life was on the line. Or was it?
One look at Lexaeus and even Demyx could tell that he was shocked and taken aback. He had not quite been expecting that reaction, but something about the hard edge of his expression softened. "I was going to help you up." He replied evenly, lowly, but not with any note of malice which Demyx would have clearly expected, having heard such threatening tones from Xaldin before, and learning that pushing any subject with him would immediately result in pain. Clearly, it seemed that Lexaeus wasn't one to threaten or harm. He offered his hand, perhaps a touch tentatively, seemingly not wanting to be too forceful. Demyx blinked several times from his lowly vantage point on the floor before accepting his help. He was set rather gingerly on his feet and Lexaeus patted the dust from his shoulders, sending a few puzzle pieces rather unceremoniously flying in all directions although he seemed unconcerned. There was a paternal worry to the way he sighed as he set his hands on his hips.
"Are you alright?" He rumbled, his voice even if not a touch concerned.
Demyx paused, his aqua blue eyes wide in amazement. "Yeah." He answered, marveling at his own lack of his usual loquaciousness. His counterpart quirked a brow, seeming confused by the fact that Demyx still seemed absolutely flabbergasted.
"You're not mad about the table?" He asked with halting hesitation, seeming to consider the question before continuing. "And the puzzle?"
Lexaeus shrugged one massive shoulder, casting his royal blue eyes downward to the splay of bright colored pieces, painting a typically dull scene with a rainbow of variations and patterns. "It can be redone. It's fine."
"And you're not going to bludgeon me to death andtheneatme?"
"Ugh, no." Lexaeus shuddered in disgust at the mere thought, his brow knitting in dismay. "That's repulsive."
Demyx seemed to look up at the massive man with a new glint to his rather innocent gaze. "You're really a nice guy, Lexaeus." He marveled, a small hopeful smile gracing his youthful face. "You're probably one of the nicest ones out of our little Organization. That's pretty awesome, Lex. Do you mind if I call you Lex?" His counterpart's eyes widened as though he were about to interject and correct him, looking for a gap in the water-wielder's words, but that gap never came: he plowed straight through. "Cool. Cool. Can I hang out with you? Yeah, I bet no one will mess with me as long as I do puzzles and all that kinda boring stuff with you."
Yet again, a different sort of concern spread across the silent goliath's face, as if searching desperately for words which simply would not come, caught between the need to be polite and the need to be earnest.
"That's an awesome idea! I'll just stick around you from no one will ever dare to bother me again!" He chirped, not quite noticing that the man in question was already trying to back away slowly. Lexaeus gulped heavily as he was caught in the act by another wave of words.
"Do you like music?" Lexaeus preferred silence, "Man, have I got the song for you! Lemmie go get my guitar!" but he couldn't bring himself to disregard the boy, "You'll love this new one I wrote. It's about playing tic-tac-toe. You like mind games and really boring crap like that, right?" because he would never forgive himself for breaking the boy's spirit.
And thus, Lexaeus would have to accept this new friendship and the migraine that came with it. It seemed as though Demyx had unwittingly needed him after all, and unbeknownst to him, he needed an appreciative friend just as badly.
In between tuning his guitar for performing another catchy tune as Lexaeus rubbed his temples, Demyx looked up at his companion with genuine curiosity. "What kind of puzzle was that supposed to be anyway?" He questioned with a tilt of his head. Lexaeus held up the front of the box, displaying the picture.
Those kittens were absolutely adorable.