A/N: Alright, before you freak out or whatever, I had a friend pick two random numbers. That's what's up with the pairing. So, uh… just go with it.

Dancing with the Devil

Zexion/Saïx

6/7

Hallways painted white. A desolate castle that harbored people with no hearts. But, oh, were these people special. They didn't have hearts, no, but they weren't monsters by any means. These people with no hearts, they remembered. They knew what it felt like to have hearts.

In this castle there were thirteen of these people, with the exception of the last, Roxas, as he'd gone missing to supposedly "find himself," whatever that meant.

Saïx however, scoffed at this. Roxas thought he was special because he still had an other. He smirked, the boy was stupid; didn't he know that if he found his other, he'd disappear forever? He snapped the book he was reading shut and glowered at the bookcase. All about hearts. They didn't have hearts. Didn't Zexion know that? To be a nobody, you couldn't have a heart. Zexion was smart, too. He should know that. In fact, Saïx was rather sure Zexion knew that. So why would he have so many books on hearts?

Saïx glanced to the corner, where Demyx was quietly playing the sitar, small water clones dancing around him at his command. Saïx had always envied the beautiful water-beasts. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. Still, they were beautiful. Beautifully crafted into obedient, swirling, monsters. All Saïx had was his berserk mode, which, while effective, was neither beautiful nor enviable. Slowly, he sauntered out into the hallway, surprised to run into a shorter male.

"Watch it," Zexion hissed, but Saïx simply stared.

"You watch it." He cocked an eyebrow, "You're not that much higher up than I am."

"But I am," Zexion growled, hugging the book close to his chest, "So you're the one who should watch it." He glowered through the one visible dark eye, simply waiting for Saïx to retort.

"Why do you have so many books on hearts? Don't you realize we have none?"

"Of course I do," the other male snapped, "That doesn't mean I can't read about them."

"No?"

Zexion rolled his eyes in disdain, "If I learn enough, then I can get mine back. As for you, all you can do is flail that bulky weapon of yours and follow useless orders. I'm making an attempt to regain my own heart." He started to walk away, only to have Saïx quickly grab his arm, causing him to drop the heavy book he'd been holding so close to his thin body.

"You… if you find our hearts… will you tell me?"

"Why should I?"

Saïx stared at the glaring male in front of him, "Please?" He was begging and entirely uncertain as to why. He wanted his heart back, just as much as all the others did. It was an impulse, an instinct to retrieve what he had lost. To retrieve what had been taken from him.

Zexion's eyes softened, if only for a moment, when he pulled away and leaned down to pick up the book Saïx had forced him to drop, "Yes. I'll tell you."

"Will you…find all of our hearts?"

For a long moment, Zexion was silent, simply gazing blankly into Saïx's amber eyes, until finally, he spoke, softly, almost inaudible, "I'll find our hearts."

Saïx allowed a small, nearly unnoticeable, smile to cross his features, and simply watched as Zexion calmly walked back into the library, "Thank you…"

And finally, Saïx wandered back to his dark room, and quickly drifted into sleep, lulled by dreams of hearts that could be his.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- - -- -- -- ---- -- -- -- ---

"Twinkle small clones, dance in the moonlight,

Dance, my water, dance, for the night…"

Saïx opened his eyes, what was that…? Who was singing at this hour? Well, who was obvious, but why? Slowly, he rose, and drifted to the roof to watch the small performance the Nocturne was giving. He hung back, watching from behind, so as not to frighten the delicate blonde boy.

"The night is yours, there's no time to sleep,

Dance my water, there's no time to weep…"

Saïx could see the slow, graceful movements of the water clones; he could sense Demyx's tears. But the boy's voice, it was so clear in the night, the gentle moonlight above an almost eerie glow adding to the devilish dance and quiet singing.

"Forever, my loves, tell me you'll dance,

Alone in the dark, hearts taken by chance…

It isn't fair, is it? To be trapped here alone?

But the moon, my clones, for you it has shone…"

The blue-haired male stared openly at the pitiful Nocturne, nearly wanting to console the boy. He took a single step forward, only to be grabbed loosely by a small hooded figure behind him, "Don't…" It whispered, tearful, "Just listen…"

And Saïx did as he was told, despite the growing tug that pulled when he listened to Demyx sing.

"This is for you, my water, my dear,

To dance in the moonlight to all you can hear,

I sing for you, my demons, my rain,

It's all I can do, to lessen the pain…"

The small, hooded figure beside Saïx gently tugged on his sleeve and beckoned him back inside, down to the dark library, "Don't bother him, please, it's all he has…"

Saïx stared, but nodded, "Zexion?"

"Yes."

"Why won't you―" he reached to lower the other's hood, only to have his hand quickly slapped away.

"Don't. Don't touch me. And don't bother Demyx. Just don't." Zexion turned away, frantically searching the shelves for a familiar book.

The blue-haired man just waited, until finally, the other turned back to him, his black hood falling to his shoulders. Zexion had tears rolling down his pale cheeks, his slate-shaded hair mussed from sleep and the askew hood, "We have no hearts."

"No. We don't."

"Then why does this hurt? Why does this hurt? Demyx, he hurts. And the Superior, he hurts too. And Axel, and Roxas. I hurt. But what about you? You don't feel anything, do you?" Zexion narrowed his eyes and turned back to the bookcase, his shoulders shaking with anger and tears, "You're a nobody who doesn't feel our pain."

"You're wrong," Saïx murmured. He waited, until finally, Zexion violently kicked the bookshelf, the books and wood crashing down in front of him.

"You don't feel anything, do you?!" Zexion spun around, his violet eyes furious, "So why do you want your heart back?! Why did you tell me to find it?!"

"You're wrong." Saïx said again, reaching a hand out to calm Zexion once more.

The small male simply let out a small growl of frustration, "I could smell Demyx's tears! I could taste my own!! And you! You just―"

"That's enough," Saïx said shortly, gripping Zexion's arms, "Be quiet. We have no hearts. There's no reason to feel pain. No reason to cry."

"Then why?!" Zexion hissed, "Why do all of us feel it? Everyone but you?"

Saïx stared blankly, and then finally shook his head in disbelief, "You think I don't feel pain? I don't feel pain? 'Schemer,' you're not as smart as you're made out to be. I feel pain. I feel sadness. I'm simply not weak enough to show it. You and the Nocturne, both of you are weak, simple creatures with no control of emotion."

"You have to have a heart to show emotion!!" Zexion snapped, "To feel anything!!"

"Do we have hearts, Zexion?"

To this, the slate-haired male was silent.

"Do we?"

Saïx waited, until finally, Zexion closed his eyes and covered his pale, tear streaked face with his leather gloves, "I don't know."

"The Superior says we don't."

"He's lying to us," the other whispered, sinking to his knees, "It wouldn't hurt if we didn't have hearts…"

Saïx knelt, and in an odd show of kindness, reached out to touch Zexion's tousled hair, "Do we have hearts, Zexion?"

"I think we do…"

The blue-haired male was silent for several moments, until finally, he pulled the sobbing Zexion into his arms, his gloved hand stroking the tangled slate hair, "I trust you."

"He's lying to us, Saïx…"

"We have hearts, Zexion…?"

"Yes…"

Saïx held the small male close, his eyes closed, "Thank you, Zexion…"

"It's all I can do, my clones, to sing in the night,

It's all I can do, to hide from the light…

I'll keep you safe, my rain, hidden in dark,

But we have no hearts, my loves, the nobody's mark…"

"No, Demyx," Zexion murmured through Saïx's hold, "We do, we all do… We all have the hearts we deserve…"

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A/N: Well, how was that? I've sort of never done that pairing before, but it made me very happy. And I've never done a mentally unstable Zexion either. Heh. Well, it was fun to write, so hopefully, somebody reads it.

P.S. The song Demyx sang? I made it all up, pulled it from nowhere, so please don't steal it or anything. That would make me rather sad… I'm sort of proud of how well it turned out. Heh.

Anyway, loves and stuff from Shiro.Kokoro!