The city was full of life in spite of the terrible storm, thunder crashing and crackling loudly with a blinding flash of lightning, cascades of rain falling upon the town. The wind was strong and anyone who was out in the storm had umbrellas that were flying away from them, going inside out and proving to be useless. It was dark, obviously, as it was around one in the morning and, despite all of the flashing disco lights in bars and clubs, the only light was a street lamp, towering above a bus stop bench.
One lone figure sat on that bus stop bench. He wasn't too sure why he was there, seeing as the buses had been cancelled and his bus route blocked off due to the massive amounts of rain anyway, so taxis were out of the question.
The solitary figure was completely and utterly soaked, their long dirty-blond hair so wet that it was clinging to his pale face. His clothes weren't in much of a better state; what you could see of his white blouse was so drenched that it was see-through, and his black blazer that covered that was dripping constantly, and his trousers felt extremely uncomfortable, clinging to him tightly. The man sighed remorsefully and shook his head. "Even though I got fired," he said lowly, "I'm... glad I saved that Sora kid. He didn't deserve to lose more than he already had." Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and leant back against the bench, blocking out the karaoke and shouting from all of the bars around him.
Eyes panicked and almost anguished, Vexen clenched his fists and shouted, "W-what I have done... my failures... I cannot make up for them. But, Sora, you can. Marluxia, he... he's going to--!" "Telling more lies, Vexen?" drawled an amused but somehow sombre voice, and Vexen tensed slightly when an overly-warm hand was slammed down upon his shoulder. The blond hastily glanced down at the slightly shorter man. "Axel! You know I am not lying," he said shortly, green eyes glinting icily, desparate. "Marluxia, he plans to--" "Quiet, Vexen," whispered the redhead as he removed a semi-automatic pistol from his blazer and pressed it against Vexen's back, making the man jolt and freeze. "Marluxia won't be happy with you..."
Vexen grimaced at the memories. That time... he wasn't supposed to live. He still had the scar from that, and he felt slightly disgusted and nervous thinking about it. However, his pessimistic thoughts were interrupted.
"Vex?"
"It's Vexen," he corrected automatically in a snappish tone of voice, folding his arms. "What do you want?" he hissed irately before he opened his eyes and stilled, appearing fearful for a moment before covering it behind a mask of displeasure and annoyance. "Marluxia," he muttered.
The pink-haired man appeared as uncaring as ever, in spite of the assassination attempt. "Why are you here?" he enquired tonelessly, tucking his hands in his pockets as he threw Vexen a smirk. "Not found another job yet?"
"Actually, yes, I have," Vexen replied, clenching his almost numb with cold fists as he gritted his teeth and seethed. "I've found another agency willing to employ a scientist with my impressive resumé."
Marluxia's smirk broadened slightly and he let out a sound that could be considered a snort. "Really," he said, more of a statement than a question. "Well, you do look rather washed up at the moment, so I thought..."
"You're hilarious, Marluxia," drawled the chilly scientist. "But do stick to your day job." His brows drew together and his eyes closed as a headache began forming, but he didn't rub his head in fear of amusing Marluxia all the more. He opened his eyes but had to blink a few times before the blurriness faded and sent a weak glare at the blue-eyed botany-obsessor.
"You don't look so hot." In an instant, Marluxia was right in front of Vexen with a hand on the man's forehead. The blond leant into the touch on impulse because it felt so wonderfully cool. He didn't fully comprehend why his body was freezing and yet his face felt so annoyingly hot, but the pink-haired man seemed to. "You're sick," he grumbled. "This is what you get for staying out in the rain, you fool."
Vexen bristled and felt an odd ache when Marluxia pulled his hand away. "It isn't my fault I can't get home," he snapped, agitated. "And I didn't feel like walking eight and a half miles in the rain."
"So you just decided to sit in the rain," Marluxia said, quirking a brow, and smirking in amusement when Vexen sputtered. "Come on," he murmured, "I might as well help you home."
Vexen eyed him with mistrust. "As if I'd accept your 'help'," he grumbled.
"It's either that or stay outside in the rain all night, get even sicker, and faint at your new job and get fired from that. So," he said with a nod. "What's it going to be?" he asked, and waiting impatiently when the blond man didn't reply, just kept his head down. "Vexen." Again, no reply. "Vexen?" He leant down one knee and tilted his head until he saw that Vexen's eyes were closed. He shook the blond man, frowning. "Vexen. Vexen, wake up." But he received no response. Cursing, he lifted the man into his arms and dashed to the parking lot up the road, surprised that Vexen was so light.
With surprising gentleness, he placed Vexen in the passenger seat and slid over the bonnet before hopping in himself, shoving the key in the ignition slot and pushing down on the accelerator peddal.
O-o-O-o-O
"Nngh..." he groaned as he awoke and furrowed his brow as more uncomfortable feelings rose once more as he regained consciousness. He shifted and turned, nuzzling the soft but firm breathing pillow beneath him.
Wait.
He was on a bench before.
...
And pillows didn't breathe.
...
"Gah! What on Earth--?" he began, but was yanked down by a strong force--namely Marluxia's arm--back onto the pink-haired man's chest. Vexen flared bright red and spouted curses at the man.
"Ssh," the stronger man hushed, voice husky from sleep. "I only woke up a few minutes ago."
"A-a few minutes?" Vexen spluttered. "I just woke up now to find a-a man in my bed! And why didn't you get out when you woke up?" he demanded.
"One, this isn't your bed. I brought you to my house. And two, I was watching you," he answered easily, smirking down at the blond who blushed and scowled in response.
"Th-that is very impolite! And why am I at your house anyway?" he muttered, eye twitching.
"My house was closer," the other man answered with a nonchalant shrug. "You should get some more sleep," he then advised, tightning his grip on Vexen. "You're sick." He turned to the side to grab some kind of bottle and took a swig.
"I'm fine. Besides, I have to get home--"
He was cut off when a strong pair of lips crashed against his and he let out a muffled squawk of astonishment and horror, only to moan slightly when a tongue probed at his lips. He couldn't help but oblige to the persuasive organ and parted his lips... only to gag on some fowl-tasting thing. He coughed and stuck his tongue out. "What was--?" he began to shout, only to see Marluxia placing a bottle of medicine back down on the table. "...You sneaky bastard..." he mumbled moodily, embarrassed that he was fooled.
Marluxia hugged Vexen closer. "Indeed," he agreed, his smirk transforming into a smile for a brief second, but it was gone soon after so the blond thought he had imagined it. "Now get some sleep."
"...Will you stay?" Vexen muttered quietly, averting his gaze and glaring at the blankets. His chin was grabbed and another chaste but sweet kiss was placed on his lips.
"Always."
O-o-O-o-O
Characters belong to Square Enix.
I wrote this quite a while ago for Natsuki Eien-sama, and just randomly decided to post it here as well as on dA. I hope it's satisfactory and that you enjoyed it. (: