Favors
~When Vayne stumbles upon Roxis in the Workshop one afternoon, the result leaves Roxis in Vayne's debt.
Author's Note: This category could use some fleshing out, so I've decided I'll throw up some drabbles here and there to help out. ^^

The summer at Al-Revis was stifling as always. With little else to do, Vayne Aurelius decided to abandon his dorm room and head to the Workshop. Knowing this was asking for trouble, he silently hoped to himself that maybe his friends had decided to cause mayhem somewhere else in the Academy--and that he could lay shirtless on the extra floor of their Workshop without needing to feel self-conscious. The trip there was remarkably boring and yet he hesitated at the door, mentally preparing himself for some form of shenanigans or another.

He opened the door shyly, peeking inside before cautiously shuffling inside. Sulpher meowed at his ankles, causing him to jump and look down in alarm. "Don't scare me like that," he said weakly, smiling. "And I know, but when this place is empty, it's peaceful and nice."

For a whole moment, Vayne wondered if he could possibly be in the clear. Maybe he could spend this afternoon by himself for the first time in much too long. This was quickly spoiled, for soon, a voice rang out from the loft.

"Vayne?"

Vayne moved toward the loft to see who it was, nervously tugging at the side of his uniform. His reply was hesitant, "uh…er…Yeah, yeah, it's me." There was a moment of nervous shuffling in the loft, a pause, and then a heavy sigh.

"Come up here, would you? I could…I suppose…Well, I could use an extra set of hands…"

The cautious way of speaking reminded Vayne of only one person. "Roxis, is that you? You sound…ah…awfully guilty."

"Either come up here or leave," was the sharp reply. Vayne obediently climbed the ladder up into the loft, apologizing absently all the way, but was silenced as he crawled out onto the top. Much to his surprise, sitting on the floor in dismay and looking away with a furious blush, was Roxis Rosenkrantz. Long strands of blonde hair were haloed about him, free from its usual restraint of a ponytail. The other male was in the midst of attempting to comb his hair.

Vayne stared for a moment, then realized himself and looked away in shame. He didn't like making Roxis upset or uncomfortable. It usually meant he'd have to dual the other or let the other show him up in battle in order to even the playing field again. Vayne felt Roxis' eyes on him and he glanced up, not sure if he was supposed to comment or stay respectfully silence. The latter seemed to be the best option for now.

Roxis looked stubbornly at the floor, sighing gently. "I…I could use a hand in…"

"Okay," Vayne said simply, moving over and behind the other gingerly. He got to his knees and looked at the other cautiously, reaching for the other's brush. "I don't really know how to comb out anything, Roxis, but I'll try."

"I'd rather you did not speak. It gives me a headache," Roxis muttered. Vayne simply thought it was because Roxis didn't want to thank him or even acknowledge his presence more than he had to. Vayne deliberated on how to brush for a moment, then forfeited and just began to carefully run it down the other's golden hair.

He worked for a while, wincing and murmuring apologies whenever he made Roxis flinch, but otherwise tried his best to stay silent. Roxis' hair was so long and so naturally smooth that Vayne tried not to feel too jealous. As much as he enjoyed his own mess of hair, it was far from being impressive or handsome like Roxis' was.

Vayne continued to brush, even after most of the tangles were gone, simply because the action was relaxing. Roxis was quiet, which Vayne took as a good sign, and he was careful not to upset that pleasant balance. Being this near to him, being allowed to even touch him--let alone groom him--was such a unique experience, it'd simply be awful to ruin it. The heat made things uncomfortable, but the two boys were in such a trance that it didn't seem to bother either of them.

Vayne's words slipped past his lips before he could fully stop himself, "your hair is so long, Roxis." He mentally kicked himself, and he shamefully ducked his head while he brushed. Much to his surprise, Roxis merely grunted quietly in return, and said nothing more. Unsure whether it was a negative or positive reply, Vayne dared to continue. He kept his voice as low as possible, hoping to not upset the blonde other.

"Is it hard, maintaining it by yourself?" he asked softly.

"Sometimes." Roxis' voice sounded a bit hoarse, the words coming out in a croak. The other was really zoned out, wasn't he? Vayne knew his weakness! He kept his excitement quieted and continued to ask questions.

"Has it even been short?"

"I can never recall a time it was. It's always been long."

"Have you ever wanted to cut it shorter?"

Roxis hesitated, as though the question needed mulling over. "Only in battle and not very often. I like it as it is. I'd like to think it makes me look more impressive."

"Like how Flay carries the biggest sword I've ever seen?" Vayne quipped, smiling. Roxis glanced partially over his shoulder, eyes half-lidded and drowsy and a faint twist to his lips.

"You remind me so much of a child sometimes," Roxis mused. "It makes you much more bearable to be around. In answer to your statement; yes., just like how Flay carries an obscenely large weapon."

Vayne smiled, a little humbled, and then carefully returned to brushing the other's hair. With the utmost of caution, he secured the long hair back into its typical ponytail, and then he sat back like an obedient puppy, watching Roxis come back to himself a bit more. When Roxis stood, the gentleness faded spontaneously and a harsh gaze of irritation took hold. Vayne flinched and stood carefully himself.

"Now I owe you," Roxis ground out. "Why did I…" There was a heavy sigh, and Roxis crossed his arms elegantly. "Whenever you like, I will grant you some form of pleasure." A pause, and then an explosion of red across his face destroyed any dignity he had. "N-not like…You know…I mean, like…"

Vayne cocked his head, having completely missed the unintentional innuendo, and he just nodded carefully. "Ah…um, thanks. I'm…If you need help brushing any time, you can ask me. I won't ask for anything in retur--"

"Just go away," Roxis sighed. "I want to read. You may stay in the Workshop, just be silent and pretend I am not here, but if you are desperate to drag me into something, I will vanquish you completely. Do you understand, Vayne?"

Vayne nodded quickly, deciding it was best to just head back to his Dorm and swelter in the heat. There was little point to remain here otherwise. He'd just annoy Roxis. As he descended the ladder, he made a single, quiet comment, "I'm holding you to your end of the deal." Then he was gone from the Workshop, Sulpher at his heels, and Vayne smiled to himself happily.

"He doesn't hate me that much after all!"

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

It was a few days after Vayne had brushed his hair, and Roxis was still annoyed. He was currently sitting up in the loft of the Workshop, trying to escape the summer heat and finish the interesting book he was reading. The warmth was distracting and prevented him from staying in one position too long, and he was half-tempted to pull off his shirt, but the random appearances of the girls occurred much too frequently, not to mention Vayne's own inconvenient arrivals. Roxis grit his teeth in annoyance just at the thought of that moment. Vayne had gotten the better of him! He'd find some way to get Aurelius…And his moment came none too soon.

Sulpher's signature meow cause Roxis to peak from the loft to see who entered the Workshop. It was none other than the subject of his anger, Vayne himself. The boy looked as though he'd been out on a job or perhaps a gathering mission. Beaten and raw, he was bruised and his clothes were torn here and there. As he staggered into the Workshop, Roxis heard the other mumbling about needing to make replacement uniforms for himself. Roxis was quiet, deciding not to let himself be known, and he moved back to his seat on the floor as he heard Vayne make his way toward the loft.

Roxis panicked for a moment, then decided that maybe…this was the moment to take advantage of the other…It all depended on how Vayne would react, and knowing the other's predictability, this wouldn't be a hard gamble.

Vayne climbed up the ladder and was soon stepping up onto the loft floor when he noticed Roxis reading nonchalantly.

"Oh," Vayne said hoarsely. "Roxis. I'm…I'm sorry." He turned to leave, and Roxis glanced up ever so slightly, watching him. Vayne paused, looking back to Roxis, and then he turned back to the blonde. "Roxis…Can I use up my favor?"

Roxis rolled his eyes, even though this was exactly what he wanted. "I suppose. What do you want?"

"A massage," Vayne voiced, like the statement had been on the tip of his tongue. "Please. I…I'd really like one." Roxis tried not to smile. Vayne was easier to see through than Pamela could be. Roxis kept a straight face and nodded, and Vayne's lips curled in a pleasant smile. "You wouldn't mind if I took my shirt off, would you? I…I'm really kind of hot." He was blushing, as though he was uncomfortable with the concept, but Roxis decided to not make him feel any more self-conscious than he already was. Roxis simply nodded once more.

Vayne tugged off his ruined uniform top and laid down slowly on the floor, resting on his stomach. Roxis had no idea how to give anyone a massage, but he decided to just suck it up and give it a shot. Once he had Vayne's senses dulled, he'd drag out what he could to try and embarrass the other. It was a foolproof plan. Roxis shifted closer, but once he was close enough to see even the beads of sweat on Vayne, he realized just how beaten the other was.

Roxis used the other's shirt to wipe away the sweat, pulling a face at the thought of touching Vayne's slick back, but from there his hands hesitated. There were bruises and cuts every which way. How was it that Vayne could easily pretend he was fine as always, even when he was as sore as he was now? Roxis deliberated, then slowly began to use the heels of his hands to rub between Vayne's shoulder blades.

Sensing his lack of ability at the art, Vayne mumbled Roxis through it, eyes shut and head tilted to the side. His arms were at his sides, limp. Roxis kept his mouth shut for a while, unsure whether it was truly fair to take advantage of the other in a state like this, but eventually his questions got the better of him.

"What in the world were you doing to get this way?"

"Flay," Vayne mumbled. "I'm his sidekick. And then…I took some jobs…alone…"

"Alone?" Roxis repeated. "You fought alone?" Vayne nodded. Roxis bit his cheek and cursed himself for being unable to do the same himself. "That…would explain your state, I suppose."

After a few moments of silence, Roxis spoke again. "Why did you help me before?"

"I like you," Vayne said softly, without even a moment of hesitation. His eyes didn't even crack open. "I want you to like me too." Roxis was taken off guard, and he paused, looking down at the other's bruised back. Vayne peeked his eye open and looked up at the blonde, smiling vaguely. "I'll do whatever I can to make you seem less sad."

Roxis shifted his gaze away and he pushed his glasses up a bit, jaw tight.

"I am not sad," he said dully. Vayne looked up at him drowsily, as though prompting an excuse. Roxis returned to massaging, rubbing the other's lower back instead of responding. Vayne continued to stare, and Roxis sighed, sitting back a little. "I hate you. Why do you try so hard to get me to think otherwise?"

Vayne smiled. "I don't like being hated for reasons I don't even know," he said quietly. "And…I…I want you to know how much I admire you." Roxis was finally full taken aback, and he gawked at Vayne, thoroughly startled. Roxis chose to not respond. He returned to massaging until Vayne had drifted to sleep, and then he left the Workshop without looking back.

This…This would prove to make things more difficult than they had to be. Roxis sighed, and he pushed his glasses up a bit. But as he disappeared up into his room, he couldn't hide his smirk of happiness. Vayne thought he was worthy of admiration?

That was a pleasant twist--the most pleasant he'd run into since Vayne had stumbled in on him attempting to brush his hair.