I like to sit and write in one sitting, so these past couple chapters have been shorter than the first few. I hope they're still acceptable. And I'll probably go back to working on prompts for a few days now since I've updated twice. Haha.

Anyway, there was something I was going to say here, but now I can't remember... Hm, well, just a fact then: This fic was based off a few song lyrics I came across on a photo. The song itself goes by the same name as the fic, so you should be able to find it. You'll find a few similarities in words if you read and listen at the same time. Haha.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine.

Warnings: Implied yaoi. Swearing.

It wasn't until he'd slipped into a fresh pair of pants that Zexion realized just how much he'd missed wearing them. The denim was cold and snug, tightly threaded and just the right shade of blue to look new, but at the same time, well worn; everything a good pair should be. He piled three pairs into the cheap plastic basket he had cradled in the crook of his arm and made his way to one of the dressing rooms, where he now stood before one of the shoddy old mirrors, analyzing himself. Turning from side to side, frowning at the girlish daintiness of his hips, Zexion decided that, no matter how hard he tried, he'd always be a frightfully skinny little thing. He sighed, undoing the button on the Levi's he'd been modeling, and pulled them off, chucking them into his 'To Keep' pile. The next pair was slightly too big, and terribly baggy, but he decided to keep them anyway, deciding that, honestly, he didn't care. Outside the tiny room, Lexaeus was leaning against the flimsy plastic door, eying anyone that came too close for comfort. Or, well, just anyone who looked suspicious. It was a habit that came with the job, and he couldn't help himself. Zexion let out a grunt as he tried on another pair, one that sounded like they were an effort to get on.

"Say," Lexaeus said, rapping the back of his knuckles on the door, "Why is that you have three boxes full of books, but no clothes to wear? Professional nudism your career choice? Or are you just a bit more conservative than the normal person should be?"

"Neither." Zexion growled, shoving the man out of the way as he opened the door. Three pairs of jeans were slung over his arm, the basket in his other hand. He'd reacquainted himself with the tracking device on his ankle when he'd had to bend over and put his converse back on, and sight of it alone had put him in a considerably bad mood. "I live off pocket lint and whatever I can scrape out of the back of Demyx' couch." Or, he had, at least. "It's hard to find a job when you're someone like me."

At that, Lexaeus stopped asking questions, choosing instead to follow Zexion in plaintive quietness. He didn't feel that, at this point, it was okay for him to pry any further. He wanted to gain Zexion's trust, after all, not force it. They filed down the aisles of the small store to rifle through a small shirt display. Zexion wasn't picky when it came to shirts, seeing as how he always wore a coat over whatever he had on. So instead of sifting through every individual hanger, he reached for any solid color that caught his eye: Black, blue, red, some greens, and slipped them into the basket as well. As he sidled through another pair of aisles though, he couldn't help but snatch up a long-sleeved shirt embellished with a pair of eagles. He could be a little different for once.

After that, he decided that, for the time being, he was set. As long as laundry was done somewhat frequently, a couple pairs of pants and a few shirts would do him well. It also didn't help that Lexaeus had confiscated his wallet, and deemed himself the one who would be paying. Zexion didn't want to owe him, nor did he feel inclined to simply ignore it, either. Knowing that he was living off another mans money was going to nag at constantly. Not that the situation with Demyx had been all that different, but at least then they had been working together.

As they made his way over to the register, the store bell rang and a couple teenagers ambled in, laughing and relaxed and ignorant to the world. Zexion glared at them, furious that he was stuck under the wing of a cop of all things while they chuckled and threw shoes at one another over at the footwear department.

It wasn't until he realized that his anger stemmed from jealousy that he turned away from them, simply glad that he didn't recognize their faces.

Lexaeus gave him an odd look as he took the clothes from his arms and slid them over the counter into the waiting hands of the clerk. She smiled prettily and peeked up at him from beneath her lashes, hazel eyes sparkling, obviously trying to catch and hold his attention while he rifled through the loose bills in his wallet.

"Will this be all for you?" She asked him politely, batting her eyelashes and biting her lip cutely. Lexaeus promptly shoved a few twenties towards her, turning his attention completely away to ask Zexion if he would be okay with them going to the local Italian place for lunch. Humphing, she took the money and slipped it into the register, bagging their purchase and handing him both the change and the plastic with one hand.

"Thank you." He said kindly, giving her a small smile. And, regardless of the fact that her pride as a woman had been slightly damaged, she couldn't help but stare in earnest as he walked away.

xXxXx

When they finally got back home, Zexion retreated immediately to the room Lexaeus had designated as his own, shopping bags in hand and belly full. He threw them down on the bed and sighed, turning and sitting on the sheets. The sound of silence was permeable, the light green walls pushing in on him. Zexion cradled his skull in his hand and slumped, carding his fingers through his lilac hair.

The device on his leg was a burden, a weight that, with every second he stayed still, seemed to grow. With the constant reminder, he couldn't help but feel trapped, like a fish in a bowl. There seemed, at this point, no hope for him. That this place would crush him day after day until, like a fish, there was nothing left to do but dispose of him.

Or, at the very least, kick him right back out onto the street.

Demyx surely, by then, wouldn't have forgiven him after all. It would be too much to change, and would require too much effort. He just wanted things to be easy for once. Anxiety rising, he stood and began to pace, trying to bite back the whine that wanted to slip out his throat.

He wanted to pretend that things had never been this hard. That he'd never stolen anything. That Demyx was still the one who would cradle him at night and press tender butterfly kisses to his eyelids, cheeks, the edge of his lips...

Zexion wanted to pretend that, on the way out of the store, he hadn't pick-pocketed one of the teens he'd been glaring at while Lexaeus checked them out.

Sure, it had only produced a few bills, but when he'd gotten out to the parking lot and found them clenched in his hand, unaware of how they'd come to be there, he couldn't help but berate himself, hating the very fiber of his being.

Lexaeus was blissfully unaware, his attention focused more so on the keys in his hand as he tried to find the correct one to his cruiser.

A knock on the door was all the warning he got before Lexaeus himself barged in, two heavy cardboard boxes balanced precariously in his arms. "I had to get your books out of my car, just in case I get a call sometime tonight. Wouldn't want someone messing with them when I take them in."

"Just, ah, sit them anywhere." It wasn't his house at all, he couldn't impress authority over this man.

Lexaeus did so, setting them down extra carefully near the bed where, Zexion noticed, he could reach them if he so wanted to. He seemed like he was about to say something after that, but the high-pitched keening cry of the phone interrupted him, "I'll get the rest in just a moment, hold on."

xXxXx

"Lexaeus speaking.

"Oi! Asshole! What was with you today? Thanks to what you said, Sora refuses to talk to me now."

A sigh, then, "I'm just saving the both of you a lot of pain, alright? You know how you are. We all know how you are. And what happened to Larxene?"

The line stayed silent, he could hear the tapping of nervous fingers on what he presumed was a counter. Finally, after a heavy exhalation, "A falling out. She caught on to my more... risque desires. You know, contrary to popular belief, equal loving doesn't really appeal to everyone."

Oh, but did he know. Lexaeus sighed, nursed his temple and said, gently, "I'm sorry, Axel. But really, that kid didn't even look like your type. Too..." He trailed off, trying to insinuate in his tone that the boy was too sweet, too innocent. And Axel was anything but. "Look, where are you?"

"Reno's place. And he's used to this by now, so you don't have to offer me a place to sleep if that's what you're building up to."

"You'll come over for breakfast though, right? Just as always?"

"Just as always."

"Alright, good night, Axel."

"Night, Lex. Oh, and tell the new roomie that I'm sorry. I can only imagine how many kinds of awkward this afternoon was for him."

Holding back a chuckle, he replied, "Will do. See you tomorrow."

With the dial tone buzzing in his ear, he set the phone back down on the cradle and went back out to the car, the issues of late pressing on his mind. He had a Kleptomaniac living in his home, a Pyromaniac that needed almost constant supervision, and himself, a man who, until recently, had been living with no company other than a feline for the last three years.

Outside, the air was cold and crisp, stinging his eyes as the wind assailed him. He ignored it as he sauntered down the sidewalk and popped the car handle, reaching inside to grab what was left of Zexion's things. He was worried about the fact that there was so little there, but the boy was a student, so it shouldn't have surprised him. Yet, at the same time it did. Demyx had a house of his own, but Zexion didn't even had a weeks worth of clothes? What had happened to his own home? His parents? His family? Zexion hadn't just been born alone.

Somewhere out in the distance, a coyote howled, yipping three staccato notes immediately afterward. Lexaeus hurried back to the safety of his home, ashamed that, for the briefest of seconds, it was because he feared leaving Zexion alone.

xXxXx

Zexion had already tucked himself into bed by the time Lexaeus had returned. When he poked his head through the door, the light was still on, the ceiling fan set on low, and the small television was advertising an ad for a video game about light and darkness and some sort of creature named the heartless. Aqua eyes stared back at him as he smiled sheepishly, letting himself into the room. The boxes in his arms joined the others, creating a small little haven, familiar and loved, to the lilac-haired boy. With that done and Zexion finally ready to begin living somewhat comfortably in his home, Lexaeus sat himself down on the bed, the mattress dipping somewhat under his weight.

"That was Axel on the phone, said he'd be here in the morning. We usually eat breakfast together before work." Feeling suddenly awkward when the boy in the bed scooted up and away from him, he continued on, feigning guilelessness. " He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for the spectacle."

Zexion shook his head, smiling in amusement, "Trust me, I have seen far worse. It was nothing to be sorry over. At the very least, it was a very... unique... way of breaking the ice."

"Indeed. Such is his specialty." They both took a moment to laugh at that, the sound of the television a dull murmur in the background.

"I would like to sleep now. If that is alright with you?" Something in his eyes told Lexaeus that he really didn't care whether or not he told him he could sleep.

"Feel free. I'll wake you up in the morning. And, as for the tracker, you can take that off. I think you behaved quite well today. Save for that incident with the pick-pocketing."

Zexion blushed, turning his head away to hide his eyes with the loose sheaf of hair he refused to brush back. So... he had seen. The incriminating bills themselves were still tucked messily into his pocket, burning just as the Lexicon had against his skin. But, instead of registering it, he said, "Don't speak to me like I'm some pet or child. I did not behave well, I behave as any human my age should, or would."

Lexaeus raised an eyebrow at him, smirking, but said nothing. Slowly, he stood and stretched, reaching for the overhead light and switching it off. "Good night, Zexion. Pleasant dreams."

"To you as well. If you so wish it."

In the same breath that towering giant left his room, Zexion all but tore the tracker from his ankle.

xXxXx

That night, he found it nearly impossible to sleep, no matter how tired he became. His eyelids were heavy, his heart beating passively behind the arch of his ribs, his body cool and comfortable in his soft new bed. But still, something seemed off about this large house and its inhabitants. Lexaeus was a kind man, sure. But why was he leading such a lonely life? Breakfast with a co-worker? One that wasn't even female?

There was only logical reason he could find to that, and it made his heart twist painfully. The last thing he wanted on his mind was the matters of his containers sexuality.

Yet, even as he tried not to think about it, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. What if, despite the obvious differences between then, ones that ultimately made them umcompatible, Lexaeus soon began to see him differently? What if a certain point came and he couldn't defend himself?

Zexion wanted to ruin, to flee, to save himself. The tracker was somewhere in the floor, tossed carelessly away, and if he escaped it would not hinder him. Lexaeus had no way of finding him, either. He could make due, find a new home, some new friends, a home willing to take him in.

Or... or maybe... he could just end it all and live on the streets? In the woods? On a mountain? He nearly laughed at how absurd it all sounded, and promptly rolled over to face the door and the sliver of light creeping under it.

Yes... he could run...

But he'd have to leave all his precious books and belongings behind to do so.

That alone kept him rooted in bed, snug under the covers and the warmth he'd found in them. Sleep, despite all odds, finally came to him. The last thing he thought of was the shadow that passed under the door.

One that, for a moment, paused.

xXxXx

"Well, he certainly is pretty, I'll give him that."

"Oh, get off the bed you fool. If he wakes up and sees you, I can't tell you what his reaction will be."

"Probably bite. He looks like a biter. Or a screamer. Say, mind if I-"

"Axel. Off the damn bed. Now."

"Yes, before I castrate you, preferably."

Zexion, wide awake, glared viciously as he sat up. Axel had a very cat-like expression on his face, one not too dissimilar to that of a predators. It made him uneasy, and thankful when he realized that Lexaeus had a hand around the mans collar, pulling him away.

"Sorry about that, Zexion. I took my eye off him for all of two seconds and he slipped away."

"Perhaps he's the one that should be wearing the tracker?"

Axel batted the hand on his shirt away, straightening it lazily as he pouted. "Hey, hey, hey now! I'm cool, no worries. I just wanted to see what you looked like, is all. Didn't have much of a chance yesterday." His tone conveyed grief, but the look in his eyes was one of finality. Obviously the man didn't hold much value in people for very long, which made Zexion wonder how such a person could get along with the seemingly kind Lexaeus.

"I made breakfast." Said man proclaimed. "Eggs, bacon and toast. A meal made for kings."

From here he could smell the aforementioned food, saliva pooling under his tongue as his stomach growled in anticipation.

"Axel and I already ate, so help yourself to whatever you'd like. Then we're heading out to the station."

Zexion, halfway out of bed, stopped to stare curiously, "You're still on the job? Even with me around?"

"Not exactly." Axel punched him in the side, a hint of jealousy in his tone as he said, "Lexaeus got a three day leave so he could take care of you for awhile, 'yanno, get you used to the way things are going to be. Lucky bastard."

"I'm sure he'd rather spend it doing something else." Haughtily, he padded out of the room, unaware of the smirk on Axel's face. His mind had a way of slipping off into the gutter, "I'm sure you don't mind taking care of such a cute little fellow, hm? Maybe you'll even become friends... with benefits?"

Even from the kitchen Zexion could hear the thump and the shout of pain that followed.

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