Vexen wandered round his white lab looking in all his drawers for an ingredient for his latest experiment. He was lucky in the fact that his lab was white today, and not any other colour some failed experiment had stained it, and also in the fact that although he'd misplaced this ingredient, he knew it hadn't been in the desk he'd blown up last week… or the cabinet melted the week before that… Finally he found it, in the inner pocket of his cloak. No matter how organised he tried to seem in front of the others, he never went a day without misplacing something, but so far nothing overly important. He sat down at his new desk, graciously bought for him by Saix, though he knew this was only so he didn't start trying to do his tests anywhere else in castle oblivion. Relocating the beaker he'd began his experiment in, he began to ever so slowly into the fizzing liquid.
All of a sudden Demyx materialised, a little clumsily, in the middle of Vexen's lab. Vexen looked up from his very careful measurements, dropping the whole vial into the beaker, which promptly exploded in his face the instant he was distracted. He gave a cough and waved his hands about, clearing away the purple smoke, hoping he hadn't accidentally created something toxic (it wouldn't be the first time), and glared at Demyx. He got up, stormed round his now blackened desk and towards Demyx.
"I don't care what you want or what you've done, can't you see I'm busy Demyx, Get out!"
He stuck out both hands and shoved Demyx towards the door, hoping to get on with his work in peace and quiet (if he could find more ingredients). Unknowingly he shoved Demyx on his burned arm and Demyx cried out, stumbling forwards a little as the numb wound stuck to the inside of his cloak. Instantly Vexen stopped, a little surprised at such a painful reaction and let his hands drop back to his sides. His stern face softened a little, knowing deep down that Demyx wouldn't have bothered him if he hadn't thought it absolutely necessary or important and he indicated to a chair beside his desk.
"Sit down, let me have a look, what is it you've done this time?"
Demyx opened his mouth to explain, but then thought it best just to show him, he didn't like Axel much, but he didn't want to get him turned into a Dusk either. He unzipped his cloak and slowly took his bad arm out of the sleeve, pealing it slowly from the slightly blooded leather. Now that the tears weren't clouding his vision as much, Demyx could see how bad it really was. The red, blooded, uneven mess ran down the side of his arm, from his elbow to just below his shoulder. Closing his eyes so he didn't have to look, Demyx turned his head to one side. He never had liked blood or wounds (even in the cheap horror movies Xigbar seemed to like watching) Vexen leaned closer and took a hissing intake of breath. That couldn't be good. Demyx opened one eye to see Vexen shake his head, almost to himself.
"This was one of Axel's fires, wasn't it?"
Demyx nodded solemnly, trying not to wince as Vexen prodded at the tender flesh around the wound. Vexen sighed and stood straight again.
"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do for it, Axel's fires don't burn like most fires, you can't just leave it in your water to heal, you'll have to wait for it to heal itself and until that happens you may not be able to do much without some pain. Do you want me to tell Xemnas about this? We can get Axel out of your room before he does you any more harm."
Demyx shook his head again, a little more vigorously than when he'd nodded.
"No, I couldn't do that. I can put up with Axel's bad moods, even his fire, but any of the others could turn it into a war zone. I don't want anything else ruined… or anyone else to get hurt."
Vexen scratched the back of his head, a little bemused at Demyx's theory and how he was always worrying for those who worked him like a dog when they couldn't be bothered to do their chores. Vexen couldn't remember a time when Demyx hadn't been told to make the organisation's breakfast, clean up after then do their laundry. He was tempted to ask why, but then again, he liked not having to do any of his work and since Demyx would be doing it anyway… Vexen looked Demyx in the eye.
"You're definitely sure?" Demyx nodded "Fair enough, I suggest you get back to your room and get some sleep, never mind Axel, but you'll have to hide your arm for a few weeks and hope no missions come up."
Demyx smiled weakly and, summoning a dark portal, returned the way he'd arrived, rolling his sleeve back down, wincing as he went. Vexen turned back to his failed experiment and, after considering starting it all over again, finding a new beaker and cleaning up his desk, relocating the ingredients he could never bother to file and risk being disturbed again, decided to call it a night. He turned out the lights and took the long route to his room, walking, hoping to get all this unnecessary bother off his mind.
Demyx reappeared in his room by his bed, wanting so much just to collapse onto it and cuddle up into his pillow. The lights were out but even in the dark he could tell Axel had finished his bath, gotten himself comfy in the bed and gone to sleep. No warm pillow tonight then, unless he wanted to teleport to Axel's room and search for the remains of his (if there were any). Demyx walked into the bathroom, retrieving the deodorant that had started all this trouble and hid it with the rest of his things. Demyx then quietly tiptoed around the bed, hoping not to wake Axel (he was always grumpy if someone woke him up… no wait, he was always that grouchy) and sat down in the corner of the room. He held his back and good arm propped against the wall, laid his head to one side and, knowing all to well he'd wake up with some form of stiff neck or pins and needles, fell into a restless sleep.