Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all related characters are property of Square Enix. I claim no ownership to them.

Warning(s): shonen-ai, fluff

Note(s): Eh. Not my best, but it's my first time writing Lexaeus. (In a serious fic, that is.) I've gotten totally hooked on this pairing. It's so adorable!

Lapis Lazuli
By Oblivion Sky

"Zexion?"

The lilac-haired Nobody looked up from the sink, hands currently submerged in the scalding, soapy water. Dishwashing was his chore this month, and frankly, he hadn't noticed how many plates the three of them used in a day until he had to clean them all. His hands were wrinkled from the water, and the apron he was wearing had managed to be drenched within a few minutes of starting.

But the sight of Lexaeus standing in the doorway made it a bit more tolerable, and Zexion allowed a small smile to grace his lips before turning back to the dishes. "Yes, Lexaeus? Is there something you need?"

He heard footsteps, and a moment later, strong arms wrapped around him from behind, encircling his small form protectively. Unconsciously, he found himself leaning into the embrace, meanwhile scrubbing at the pan Vexen had used to make lasagna in.

"You've been working very hard," Lexaeus replied, bending down to press his lips atop the shorter Nobody's head.

Zexion blinked and glanced up at him. "Not exactly. This isn't difficult; it just takes a while."

"But Vexen's also been assigning you extra lab work," the taller man murmured. He shifted slightly, tightening his arms around Zexion as he did so. "Why don't you take a break?"

"I'm almost done. There isn't much of a point in stopping," he answered, rinsing the pan off and setting it on the drying rack. Contrary to what he had said, there was another stack of dishes to go through, as well as a grease-filled tray left over from breakfast.

Lexaeus chuckled softly, placing another kiss to the other's head. "I have something to give to you."

Zexion lifted a brow, curiosity obviously piqued. Not that it wasn't already; Lexaeus rarely spoke this much, even to him. He was silent for a minute or two before he took his hands out of the water and washed off the suds, having to free himself from Lexaeus in order to take off the apron. As soon as he had hung the apron on its hook, the taller man had drawn him back into his arms, and they were off down the hall.

When they reached Lexaeus' room, Zexion was released while Lexaeus walked over to the dresser and began rummaging through it. Zexion awkwardly took a seat on the large bed, trying to stop from panicking. Of course, he wasn't worried about whatever his partner was planning. (If anything, he was looking forward to it.) No, he was worrying about Vexen's reaction.

'If Vexen discovers that I abandoned my chores to have sex, he'll throw a fit--!'

His thoughts were interrupted by something suddenly dropping in front of his face. Reflexively, he jerked backwards, blinking in an attempt to register what it was. When he did, he let out a gasp, more so out of awe than anything else.

It was a necklace. Nothing particularly extravagant, just a simple chain with a pendent attached. But it wasn't just any pendent; it was a polished lapis lazuli set in a carved piece of silver. The stone was absolutely stunning, reflecting the light from the lamp to add an extra sheen to it.

Yes, it was simple, but it was oh-so-elegant at the same time.

"I found a small mine of it during one of my world patrols," Lexaeus spoke, startling Zexion out of his trance-like state. "I decided to make this for you."

The shorter Nobody look at him with something akin to shock. "...For me?"

Lexaeus laughed softly, and Zexion suddenly found that the necklace had been placed in his hands. "Do you like it?"

He nodded slowly, holding the necklace up again. "It's... wonderful, Lexaeus... But, why...?"

"You deserve it," the brown-haired male said, carefully leaning forward to kiss Zexion on the forehead. The younger of the two absentmindedly tucked a lock of hair behind one ear, a light dusting of red coloring his cheeks. Personally, he didn't think he deserved anything as beautiful as this, and he failed to see the other's logic in the matter, but he wasn't going to object. He couldn't, not when Lexaeus was looking at him with such a warm look on his face.

Swallowing, Zexion unhooked the chain and placed it around his neck, letting the pendent dangle down against his chest. Hesitantly, he glanced back up at Lexaeus, testing the unfamiliar words out in his mind before speaking them. "T... Thank you."

Lexaeus stifled another laugh, and Zexion couldn't help but jump when he felt a hand ruffle his hair. "You're very welcome. Just know that you owe me for this, even though it's a gift."

Zexion frowned but thought better than to argue. It couldn't be too bad, right? "Well, er... What do you want me to do?"

He all but gulped when he saw the stern expression on the taller man's face, fidgeting with the necklace as Lexaeus leaned over him, arms braced on either side of his body, effectively trapping him.

"Oh, I believe you know exactly what I want you to do."

Oddly enough, Zexion did.


- fin.