Chocolate Hearts
A/N: Temporary freedom for now. This is so erratic. I get to keep my netbook, but it's strictly off-limits for now. I'm using my laptop to type, and that has no internet or Word/Libreoffice. I'm using Wordpad D: Anyway. Thanks to everyone who's still sticking around.
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Warnings: Possibly disturbing material ahead and a story starting in media res. Use of your imagination is recommended.
They should have been dead.
Had everything gone according to plan, his enemies should have been destroyed; but for a slight miscaluclation and a stroke of foul luck, their lungs continued to inhale and expel air, and their hearts continued to beat rhythmically. Zexion Evenson sighed as he fiddled with the thin, silver, dagger-shaped letter opener on his desk, bored and frustrated. The schemes in his head would only work if all of the obstacles were cleared, and there were still five pawns, one bishop, one rook, and the white king on the stone chessboard before him.
A soft knock on the door to his study caused him to look up. "Enter," he said softly. The cherry-wood lacquered door opened silently, and an enormous man with rust-hued hair and thick muscles stepped through. The schemer nodded. "Lexaeus."
The giant returned the gesture silently. "They've begun their assault." Zexion cast an amused glance up at the other's face.
"Don't I even warrant a 'hello'?" he asked, his serious tone laced with playful undertones. Lexaeus's stoic expression remained impassive, and he blinked once before hmph-ing.
"Shall we spring the trap?" The question was cut off by another one; it was a little game they played sometimes, with the young mastermind chiding his giant for allowing his silence to swallow up even his greetings, and the other ignoring his words. Zexion tilted his head to the side, his long slate bangs swinging slightly to reveal his right eye, as bright and sinister as its aquamarine twin. Thin, pale fingers reached out to idly tap the five ivory pawns standing upon the frigid board, and Zexion's nearly colourless lips twisted into a smirk.
"Yes..." He nodded. "Yes, we shall," he repeated more definitely. As Lexaeus stiffly bowed his head and turned to leave, Zexion spoke again, his soft but clear voice cleanly cutting through the moment of silence. "Oh, and Lexaeus... I feel a bit hungry. Would you mind bringing me something sweet after your mission? Perhaps some dark chocolate..." The slate-haired youth trailed off in thoughtful silence, and the giant nodded once more.
"As you wish," Lexaeus's deep voice rumbled; he turned around and left the room without another word, quietly shutting the modest door behind him.
Once the youth was alone in his study once more, he picked up the silver letter opener and drove the tip into the head of the white king. Youthful and cold face showing the subtle signs of determined concentration, he wormed the blade deeper in as petty revenge for the leader's actions. For daring to question him, daring to attempt to undermine his authority, having the foolishness to firmly plant himself right in the schemer's way, he had to be punished.
But Zexion did not have his victim there with him; and by the time Lexaeus hunted him down and brought him back, it was likely that the rebel would not be able to take much torture, so beaten and wounded he would he be. The Evenson heir sighed deeply, and turned his chair so that he faced the large windows behind him. Sunlight streamed in, warming his skin and casting elongated shadows behind him. The grandfather clock standing against a wall chimed eleven times; it was an hour until lunch. Briefly, the schemer wondered if his loyal servant would be done by then.
A passing thought flitted through his head; before it could disappear entirely, he held on to it and considered his idea, weighing pros and cons before nodding to himself and fishing out a sleek, silver cell phone from his pocket. Pressing 5 on the keypad, Zexion waited as the call connected to Lexaeus's phone. He smirked as his servant answered.
"Lexaeus... Take care of him there. I've no inclination to have him burned like the others, strung up like his followers, or eaten by the dogs like his brother." He smirked. "Also... I'm still hungry, Lexaeus; dark chocolate, if you don't mind. Oh... And don't forget to cut out his heart as well. I still want it."
He flipped his phone closed as soon as Lexaeus gave him his one word confirmation of his orders, and slipped it back into his pocket. Done with work and having nothing else better to do, Zexion slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep, promising to only take a short nap.
He was too paranoid to risk any longer.
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"Zexion."
The schemer's eyelids snapped open as he heard Lexaeus's quiet, rumbling voice, one that reflected his strength of both mind and body. Slowly swiveling his chair around to face the door, Zexion craned his neck upwards to look at Lexaeus, who was holding a tray of sweets with fresh gloves - most likely, his last pair was stained with the rebel's blood. Blinking once, his lips quirked upwards in a slight smile as the aroma of dark chocolate and... something else reached his nose.
"Was he alone?"
Lexaeus shook his head.
"I take it you've taken care of the others then?"
His bodyguard nodded. Zexion looked down thoughtfully, and quickly scanned the room - as usual, they were alone. Smiling just a little bit more, the Evenson heir allowed himself to yawn and stretch. A glance at the grandfather clock told him that he had been asleep for about fifty-two minutes.
It was an improvement from the twenty-six he'd had that morning. He looked back up at Lexaeus.
"The dissenters... they are all gone?"
There was another nod, before Lexaeus lowered the platter of heart-shaped chocolates down onto the desk. Zexion stared at the invitingly sweet treats for a moment before idly reaching over to the chess board and flicking off all of the white pieces, and forcing the silver dagger, still embedded within the king's head, down through the marble piece, cracking and shattering it into fifteen or so shards.
"Checkmate." Lexaeus gave an amused grunt at Zexion's actions.
"That was a waste," he commented. The schemer looked back up at him, aquamarine eyes meeting blue ones.
"Of space? So was he."
His rust-haired servant allowed a tiny smile to play at his lips.
"Your chocolates are better eaten fresh," he said. "Lunch will be brought up in a few minutes."
Zexion shrugged his shoulders as Lexaeus turned and left, and thoughtfully picked up one of the chocolate hearts, examining it. The dark chocolate coating had a dull sheen to it as the sunlight from behind him hit it, and was cool to the touch. The schemer, satisfied with how it looked, bit into the thimble-sized sweet. The cardiac muscle that made up the center inside was slightly chewy, and was so thin, it melted right on his tongue.
Hmm, he thought. Still warm.
A/N: I think this is the first story I've written in which there are only two characters named... Wow. Oh, and also, I don't know if this constitutes as cannibalism, even though Zexion is depicted eating the rebel leader's heart... but zexion12! Hope you enjoyed :)