A/N: Okay, so I literally (no joke) gasped out loud in the middle of math class today when I was writing the date down on my assignment and realized I'd missed 4/11. I spent the rest of the class silently beating myself up in my mind. So this little songfic that has been growing itself in my mind is my contribution to Marly and Vexen's shared day, hope ya'll like it!
All You Wanted
Vexen's life had always been structured, scheduled, and predictable. There was not much that threw him off his balance, even back when he was a Somebody working in a lab with a quiet little genius to look after. To be honest, his life as a Nobody in the Organization and his life as a Somebody were no different in his mind as each day passed routinely. Everything in Vexen's life was going as usual, until the day Number XI joined the Organization.
Now Vexen, being the hard core scientist through and through, spent most of his time in his lab and hardly any time out in the field unless it was something that absolutely required his expertise. As such, Vexen never knew who the heck the new Nobodies were unless they were sent to his lab battered and bruised from their first mission against the heartless that created them.
Actually, it had only really been Number IX, Number VI's new puppy, who ever really needed any serious medical attention. That was how Vexen met the bubbly blonde whom he could stand even less than the pyromaniac who had so rudely invaded his lab first day in. Number VII was kind of hard not to know, seeing as how he'd latched himself onto their superior in a scarily possessive fashion days after he joined the Organization, both in and out of meetings. After the first three members after the original six had joined the Organization, Vexen really didn't care to meet any others.
Then, of course, in came Marluxia.
I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
So I tried to be like you
And I got swept away
Marluxia, the pink haired freak who instantly took a disliking to Vexen the first day they met, was the one to shake up Vexen's calm, predictable world, as strange as it may seem. Vexen had, oddly enough, been out of his lab at the time, walking down the icy blue halls of the Castle that Never Was with Number VI at his side comparing notes on known worlds, when their path was suddenly blocked by a solid pink barrier.
Looking up to see who stood in their path with icy emerald eyes, Vexen's quick mind instantly took in the porcelain pale skin and baby pink hair that was just a tad longer than Vexen's blonde. But most of all, Vexen was drawn to the aqueous blue eyes that looked back at him with contempt.
"So, you're the infamous Vexen I've heard about." A light, devious sounding voice emitted from between rose petal pink lips, instantly causing Vexen's hackles to raise in warning.
"Number XI, The Graceful Assassin, joined two days ago while you were out on a mission." Zexion informed the glaring academic in his ever calm and even voice, causing Number XI's eyes to turn to him with a cold sneer.
"And it looks like he comes with a lapdog too, how cute."
Although half his face was hidden by his rogue bangs, the visible part of Zexion's face hardened as he stepped forward to place a hand on the newcomer's chest. "It would be unwise, Number XI, for you to forget your place in this organization." Zexion's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, but as he slammed the taller Nobody flat against the wall with his single hand his point was made loud and clear. "I shall see you later to continue our discussion." Zexion said to Vexen, rigid back facing the older Nobody as he walked off into a dark portal.
"Although you have not been here long, I would have thought anybody with common sense would have the decency to respect their superiors." Vexen spoke to this newcomer for the first time, his voice its usual chilly coldness as he watched Number XI massage his chest.
"You expect me to respect the likes of him? Or you for that matter?" Number XI scoffed derisively before turning steely eyes to Vexen. "Just because you're one of the original six makes you think yourself superior. Well then, Number IV, we'll just see how long that lasts." And with those words the newest Organization member stepped into a dark portal and was gone.
I didn't know that is was so cold
And you needed someone
To show you the way
So I took your hand and
we figured out that
When the time comes
I'd take you away
For the past few months nothing had been the same.
Ever since that first meeting with Number XI, Vexen was constantly being challenged both during meetings and during the odd missions he took that, by some cruel humor of Number VII's, were shared with Number XI. Marluxia, as Vexen had learned Number XI's new name was, never missed a single opportunity to slide in a snide remark questioning Vexen's authority, research, capabilities, and the like.
Although the comments became increasingly cruel and derogatory and Vexen found it harder and harder to keep his icy barrier from shattering, he somehow managed it. The only respite from Marluxia's taunting was when he attempted to pick on Zexion again for being, as everyone knew, one of the closest to Vexen. Those encounters usually helped to ease the heaviness that had started to form in Vexen's gut that only increased in weight every time he saw that pink haired demon.
Marluxia, for his part, was quiet enjoying himself. When he was first found by Saix and brought into the Organization, he'd had hope for recovering his stolen heart and becoming a somebody (pardon the pun) in this little group of Nobodies. However, upon hearing about the immovable places the original six held, he started to become bitter and resentful. How did they get the right? He decided to himself that he'd just have to work hard to surpass them.
In the first day of being an Organization member, Marluxia was already eyeing up the competition. Number V, big, strong, silent…big. Not much of a threat there really unless someone decided to sic him on Marluxia. Number VI seemed to be a worthy opponent, when provoked that is. Otherwise, the shortest Nobody seemed perfectly content with his books and silence, broken occasionally by the buffoon of a Nobody, as Marluxia liked to refer to Number IX. Numbers III and II, while part of the original six, did not seem to wear that title as the others did, so Marluxia was not too worried about them. The Superior…well, even Marluxia was not dumb enough to challenge the superior.
So that left Number IV.
Honestly, Marluxia did not know why he had chosen Number IV as his primary target, but on the second day of his being in the castle and running into the older Nobody, he instantly homed in on his target and locked on. Number IV was going down by any means necessary.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
Marluxia had taken his sweet old time, humming to himself as he meandered his way down the halls to the depths of the castle where Vexen's labs were. It'd been four months since he'd started his verbal assault on Vexen, and though the Chilly Academic fought hard to hide it, the assassin could see that his walls were cracking. It wouldn't be long now and Number IV would be broken.
When Marluxia came upon the blank white door with the silver Nobody symbol embossed on it with IV underneath he stopped walking. Gently nudging the door open and peeking in, Marluxia's blue eyes instantly fell upon Vexen's figure bent over a large writing desk weighted down with numerous papers and charts and whatnot.
Having not been noticed yet, Marluxia took this opportunity to take in his superior's slim figure hugged by the Organization's regulation cloak. Moving upwards, longs strands of blonde hair gently framed a tired looking face as green eyes stared off into nothing, not even glancing down at the papers his hands were holding. Marluxia, despite himself, had been watching his target very closely in the last four months and noticed that quite often Number IV would space out like this right in the middle of something. Although Marluxia had not known Vexen before, he was pretty sure this was unusual for the studious Nobody to do.
Still standing hidden in the doorway, Marluxia noticed the slight trembling in Vexen's gloved hands and found himself frowning. Sure, it was cold down in the bowels of the already cold castle, making the air around them practically frigid, but Vexen's element was ice. Surely he, of all people, wasn't cold in his own environment. That's when Marluxia noticed the tiny rips and gashes that marred the black cloak of the academic, the fabric soaked with dried blood as more slowly leaked its way out of the wounds that were probably deeper than the eye could see.
I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
"Last mission not go very well for you old man?" Marluxia's voice was its usual taunt as he swung the door fully open and entered Number IV's domain.
Vexen snapped his eyes towards the door and narrowed them warningly. "Number XI, I have no time for you today, so if you would kindly leave me be." He stood up from his chair and stared pointedly at the papers in his hand as he shuffled them and laid them on some random pile on his desk.
"And when have I ever let you be before? What kind of Nobody would I be if I just let my target have a free day?" Marluxia could see that Vexen's breathing was now labored as he unwittingly backed away from Marluxia's advancing.
"Don't take another step forward." Vexen growled like a cornered animal as he summoned his shield, causing Marluxia to take pause.
"You know, I've never noticed until just now how symbolic that weapon of yours is, Number IV. While the rest of us, even that little lackey of yours, have weapons used for attacks, you're the only one whose weapon's main purpose is defense. Ironic no? I guess a weaker Nobody like yourself would need something extra to shield him-" Marluxia hadn't even finished his sentence when Vexen suddenly ran at him with all intents of putting an end to his pink haired misery.
If it hadn't been for Marluxia's quick reflexes he'd have been impaled on the pointy thingys atop Vexen's shield, but luckily for him he sidestepped just in time to turn and grab Vexen's shoulders in a very secure grip. That momentary surprise caused Vexen's shield to drop to the floor and disappear as he found himself caught in his worst enemy's hold.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
"Let go of me." Vexen hissed, dropping his entire body's temperature to try and burn the assassin off him but he just wouldn't budge.
"No, I won't." Marluxia's voice, for the very first time since Vexen had the misfortune to meet him, was soft and held none of its accustomed malice. Those softly spoken words, more than every single harsh word put together, caused Vexen to finally crack.
"Marluxia, just let go of me." The strain of his last mission, the lack of sleep thanks to a certain Nobody, and the daytime taunting of said certain Nobody all seemed to finally crash down on Vexen, causing his strength to suddenly desert him as he collapsed on the stone floor of his lab.
"No, I'm not letting go Vexen."
All you wanted was somebody who cares
If you need me you know I'll be there
Marluxia had never been the caring type. Even as Lumaria, he really didn't give much of a damn about anyone else. But somehow, in the course of bringing Vexen down, Marluxia had seen the fragileness hidden behind sheet after sheet of inch thick ice, and somewhere along the line Marluxia found himself having another reason to break through that ice than to simply break it. As much as he would have laughed at himself before for even thinking it, Marluxia found himself wanting to break through that ice that so securely ensconced Vexen so that he himself could be the protection the other Nobody needed.
As Vexen sat there on the floor with his knees drawn up and shoulders shaking as he silently let his barriers break, Marluxia sat behind him and waited for the storm to pass, never letting go of the body that didn't seem so coldly distant anymore.
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares
"You're…the only one who could have possibly done this to me." Vexen quietly admitted once he'd finally stopped shaking but had yet to lift his head off his knees.
"You sound resentful." Marluxia lightly teased, still not loosening his grip on Vexen.
"More than you'll ever know Number XI." Vexen wryly replied, using Marluxia's Organization number with something akin to affection for the very first time. "You've been haunting me day and night and I just can't take it anymore. Nothing, nothing we've ever researched on hearts said anything about being haunted by someone like this." Vexen's voice sounded annoyed as he finally lifted his head up, eyes dry and not even the slightest bit red rimmed.
"Maybe you guys just never researched enough on love." Marluxia suggested as he pressed a light kiss to the tip of Vexen's ear.
"I doubt this is love Number XI." Vexen snorted, seemingly ignoring the fact that Marluxia's perfect lips had just touched him.
"Oh no? I suppose I'll just have to convince you then."
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
A/N: Er…so…this totally did not turn out the way I expected. Like, at all……um, yeah. I think they took on a life of their own somewhere in the middle there. This is why I do not do songfics people! Anyways, loved it? Hated it? Want to hunt me down and pelt me with ice-cubes?
