Light tingled against Vexen's eyes and he scrunched them up. He wasn't ready to wake yet, he had only just fallen asleep! However, he knew that he had a job, and with a loud, over-dramatic sigh, the scientist pulled himself into a sitting position and allowed his vision to return.
And who was standing right there in his room, staring him straight in the face with a look of sheer alacrity and preparation, but Zexion.
Vexen almost fell out of his bed. How had the boy gotten in? How long had he been there? Surely not long...right?
"Good morning, Sir!" he said in an uncharacteristically chipper voice. His face shone with innocent pleasure, and Vexen let out the breath he had been holding.
"Good morning, Zexion. What are you...?" he began to pull himself out of the bed, not breaking eye contact with his newly appointed student. The silver haired boy smiled slightly, and then his gazed dropped, his jaw went slack, and his face became tinged pink.
Vexen was puzzled by this odd behavior, and followed his gaze.
Then he realized.
He was in his underwear.
Zexion covered his eyes and ran out of the room, obviously very shaken. Vexen quickly dressed himself and followed, worried that Zexion might have been scarred for life. Wouldn't that just be something he would do? Scare off his student the first day on the job.
The silver haired boy was sitting in the shop, behind the counter. He had a very stoic expression plastered on his face, but when Vexen walked in it flushed red again.
"Look, Zexion I—"
"I'm sorry sir! I-I promise I won't do something like that again...!" Zexion cried suddenly, before Vexen could speak. His face was radiant in guilt, and he looked scared. Did he think Vexen would change his mind about taking him on as a student?
The blonde put a hand on Zexion's shoulder and smiled. He was so cute, it had been a while since Vexen had seen such a cute kid. However, on contact the scientist's eyes grew wide and his heart skipped a beat.
Luckily, Zexion didn't notice Vexen's expression, as he had his head bowed shamefully.
What in the world...Vexen thought, was that sensation...? It felt like a rush of emptiness had surged through his body all at once and siphoned every bit of feeling he had. And it had come from touching Zexion. What in the world was going on?
Zexion finally raised his head, giving Vexen an odd look. The scientist shook away the thoughts and smiled slightly.
"It's no big deal, if anything it shows me how enthusiastic you are to begin," then he added with a stern look, "however, don't let it happen again." Zexion nodded, obviously relieved that he haven't made a huge mistake after all.
"Now," Vexen changed his voice to serious mode, "are you ready to begin your first day as my apprentice?" Zexion's eyes widened to the size of quarters, and he nodded so furiously it wouldn't have been surprising if his head had gone flying. Vexen smiled and turned to something on his desk that had obviously been set out the night before.
"Let's start...by playing a game."
On the desk were three cards that looked like ordinary playing-cards. They were all face down, and Zexion couldn't contain his curiosity.
"What kind of game?" he asked. Vexen smiled knowingly, and put a hand on the table.
"You see, Zexion, on each of these cards, I have described myself in a very simple way. These three things are the three most important things you need to know about me, and so I have decided to tell you right of the bat," he paused, narrowing his eyes and looking his student right in the face, "however...there is a catch."
The silver haired boy's heart was racing now as he waited intently for Vexen to continue. What could the cards contain? Secrets? Things that he would be the only one to know about?
After a pause that lasted longer than Zexion could stand, Vexen spoke again. "They are just normal cards." All at once, the scientist flipped the cards over to reveal their contents.
Zexion scanned them over and over before letting out a fritrated sign. What did it mean?
"Four of Diamonds...King of Spades...Ace of Hearts...all of these cards symbolize my secrets. My three darkest, most well-kept secrets. Zexion," his expression was stony, and Zexion didn't dare to even breath, "you are the first and last person that I will ever tell these things to."
Zexion took a step back, feeling slightly light-headed. Secrets...
Then Vexen broke his serious act and smirked loudly, "now here's the game: it's your job to figure out what these mean. I trust that during your apprenticeship under me, they will become evident..." He took a dark glance at the desk, and Zexion followed his gaze to the Ace of Hearts. He seemed to hate that card in particular...why?
But as soon as the scientist saw Zexion looking at the card, his eyes flitted away and he let out a small breath. "You have two months to figure out everything. This is your first test: too see how observant you are." Zexion nodded dutifully, and blushed as Vexen handed him the cards to keep with a small smile.
Just as Zexion put the cards in his pocket, the first customer of the day entered the store.
Vexen's eye twinkled as he spoke, "ready to begin?"
Zexion smiled brilliantly and nodded. He had been born ready.
Vexen had to admit, Zexion was sharper than a knife. As customers asked for remedies, Zexion would always volunteer to be the one to retrieve it. Of course, Vexen checked to make sure that he always got the right one, and of course, he always did. But it wasn't only his intelligence, the simple presence of a small, innocent boy instantly made all of the consumers less tense, and much more relaxed. Vexen couldn't suppress a proud smile.
How odd it felt to smile so much. Genuine smiles, that is. His signature smirks were almost second nature, but the grins that having Zexion around caused made his face feel twitchy and unusual.
It was around noon when Vexen decided they should break for lunch. Zexion said sadly that he had promised Marluxia to come home for lunch, and Vexen nodded. The silver haired boy paused for a few seconds.
"What?" the scientist asked.
Zexion looked up at him with longing in his gaze, "I just...would you...come eat with me?"
Vexen was taken aback. He had never been into town without a disguise, except for his "burnings". It might now be the safest idea... "Please, Sir?"
The scientist closed his eyes and shook his head, "No, Zexion. I can't. Just go enjoy your lunch, and be back in an hour, alright?" Zexion's face fell, but be bit his lip and nodded. He remembered that he had promised to do everything that Vexen said. The blonde smiled softly, and put a hand on the silver haired boy's shoulder, "hey, don't look down like that. You could lose your heart." And with that, Zexion was shoved gently out the door, and he began home.
He had written Vexen's comment off as an unusual idiom that he had just never heard, but his disappointment wasn't as easy to shove aside. It lingered all the way home, and even through lunch.
"Zexion, stop slouching," Larxene snapped, and Zexion sat up with a sigh.
Marluxia laughed kindly, "you seem so depressed, what's wrong?"
Zexion mustered a small smile, "nothing...don't worry about it." Marluxia and Larxene exchanged a glance, but shrugged and went back to eating.
If only they knew...
***** Oh this chapter :3
Okay, well, um...
*poker face is on*
I like this chappy, cuz its the start of some legitimate plotlines :D YESSSSS
The cards represent three things about vexen. Two of them should be fairly easy to guess, the third...well...youll have to wait to find that one out :D
Anyway, heres chaptr four of this sexy story! R&R OR ILL EACHU :D
