Mighty Lord, when will you learn? His eyes will freeze you 'til you burn.
*bows* I'm dreadfully sorry if anyone's been waiting to claim this, I'm not even sure if I've had it for two months.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Pairing:411 MarluxiaxVexen
Set: Delta
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, kissing, implied sex, naughty vines, misuse of Shakespeare
I. Air: Hot air rises and cold air sinks, and that's why Marluxia kept his greenhouse on the thirteenth floor and Vexen lurked in the twelfth basement...not because they hated each other (or wanted to anyway).
II. Apples: Vexen could not eat in peace with Marluxia watching him from across the room in a steady, calculated stare, but even after taking a final bite and throwing the rest away, Marluxia was still watching, with not so much a smirk as a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
III. Beginning: The first words that passed between them were, “Out of my way, neophyte”- if Vexen knew that this man would later kill him, what would he have done instead?
IV. Bugs: Vexen dully observed Marluxia wage war against certain plant-eating insects, a bit fascinated by the methods XI employed, but also peeved that there was, in fact, another vermin in the room simply too powerful to kill.
V. Coffee: “Marluxia, I don't ask for much, and when I do you pretend not to hear me or force me into bribing you with this, that, or the other, but I am at my wit's end...would it kill you to put a goddamn cappuccino machine in the basement?!”
VI. Dark: For a plant-wielder, he didn't seem to care much for photosynthesis- Vexen noted the peculiar lack of light in Marluxia's gardens, and eagerly jumped to the conclusion that like their master, the flora were of a bloodthirsty variety.
VII. Despair: “I have no tears to shed for you” Marluxia commented to the empty room, hoping that it would still be true if he had a heart to grieve with.
VIII. Doors: “I didn't do anything to deserve this, nothingness and heartlessness and you- all I did was open the door...” “What door?” “...the one that let the Darkness out.”
IX. Drink: They only had sex when they were sober; a drunken evening for numbers IV and XI involved lots of very unmanly giggling from behind Marluxia's closed door...and waking with not only the standard hangover but painted nails and Vexen's hair in a flower-adorned braid, both swearing they don't remember what happened and will never, EVER speak of it again.
X. Duty: “It was easier being a prince” he remarked, “you were a prince?” asked the other, “yes,” he responded, annoyed, “ I got involved with the wrong crowd, a few things went horribly awry, and now I'm number IV of the Organization.”
XI. Earth: Vexen would never tell the Superior that he was a damn fool for giving Marluxia complete control over Oblivion but he could certainly think it: a weed with endless ground to cover and no powers capable of stopping it will spread until it simply dominates everything.
XII. End: It was beautiful while it lasted and the almost feelings were almost mutual, but despite all motives, plans, and hopes, 'bad guys' have a notoriously short life expectancy.
XIII. Fall: Marluxia said that Graceful Assassin suited him, but wasn't the title he would have picked- when Vexen asked what he preferred, Marluxia made an obscure gesture to the dark sky and responded, “Morning Star”.
XIV. Fire: The funny thing was, they might have both survived if they had spent less time pretending to hate each other and more time realizing they had a common enemy in their midst.
XV. Flexible: Marluxia's adaption made him valuable, the ability to cope and plan under any and all circumstances, his ability to bend without breaking and continuing to flourish, unlike...he watches Vexen hurry off in long, measured, angry strides, expression taut, dropping temperatures with every step...unlike some Nobodies with elements that did not so much break as shatter.
XVI. Flying: “That doesn't look stable at all” “Stop being uncooperative Vexen, you'll like it” “I'm not getting on that floating scrap of cloth with you!” “You will or else-” “You wouldn't” “'I can show you the world'” “No! No! Stop that this instant!” “Take you wonder by wonder...”
XVII. Food: Among many talents, Marluxia had the ability to create lucid dreams-mostly involving himself as an emperor of a mighty land with gold adorned palaces and splendid gardens and Vexen dressed in translucent white robes, eagerly feeding his lord sweet grapes while brushing his hand against Marluxia's face, his leg against his master's, inserting a finger with the grape for Marluxia to tease and suck...though when he awoke with Vexen's finger in his mouth, the academic didn't seem quite as pleased.
XVIII. Foot: “Marluxia, your tentacular has my ankle...and now my leg...and my wrist...and my other wrist... Marluxia this isn't funny!”
XIX. Grave: "Rosemary for remembrance, pansies for thoughts, fennel for you and here's some for me...ah, how did the rest of that go...oh well, my lovely, that shall be my parting gift to you, for the memories..." he stops and looks at the flower adorned gate, "right...violets...but alas, I have none to give you, so take this final token," a single rose the color of blood, "and may we meet no more."
XX. Green- His eyes were bitter and cruel and pleasing to look at, in short, everything Marluxia adored about his own element.
XXI. Head: Ordering Vexen to give a few of his unnecessary projects a rest and take up a hobby like the rest of them was seen as one of Marluxia's few good ideas in Oblivion, but when Vexen apparently gave serious thought to Larxene's snide remarks about 'video games' there were...problems (though he did not come across anything eerily paralleling their situation, he did try his hand at rearranging the laws of physics in a way only Xigbar would be proud with an attempt to create a device called a 'portal gun'; he was also in the kitchens more often, having mysteriously acquired a taste for chocolate cake) .
XXII. Hollow: Marluxia closed his eyes, resting his head against Vexen's bare chest- Vexen opened one eye and wondered if Marluxia was hoping for a human pulse or just enjoyed the sound of silence.
XXIII. Honor: “If you swear loyalty to me, I can promise to protect you from everything that's about to happen” “if I know one thing about you, it's that promises mean nothing, as does my life.”
XXIV. Hope: They spent one evening asleep and feeling nothing, sickened with their state of being until they opened their eyes and realized regaining their hearts was still a possibility.
XXV. Light: The pale yellow of his hair and the iridescence of his skin showed best in the darkness while he slept- Marluxia idly wondered if Vexen even knew that he gave the term 'afterglow' an entirely literal meaning.
XXVI. Lost: They hadn't made any promises for the future, but as Marluxia aimlessly wandered through the darkness he wondered if he'd ever see that frostbitten, arrogant, bitchy scientist of his again in what Axel vaguely referred to as 'the next life'.
XXVII. Metal: Something about scythe against shield explained how they would always be: with one knocking back the onslaught and searching for an opening, the other slicing away with fury to break down defenses.
XXVIII. New: Neophyte- (n): 1) a beginner or novice He's a neophyte at chess 2) a person newly converted to a belief 3) Degrading term given to numbers seven through thirteen in the Thirteenth Order to put those bloody n00bs in their place For the last time Neophyte, get out of my lab and leave me the hell alone!
XXIX. Old: Elder- (n) 1) of greater age; older 2) of higher rank; senior an elder officer 3) A term within Organization Thirteen with the intended meaning of showing respect to the founding six members, turned into an insult by more pretentious neophytes So, Elder, when you've realized that removing the stick in your ass can make room for more pleasant things, by all means, seek me out.
XXX. Peace: When they started meeting for not-entirely-all-business on a regular basis, there was a quiet in Oblivion that sent everyone on edge...until they got their acts together and hated each other again.
XXXI. Poison: Every kiss was met with hesitation from Vexen- he liked Marluxia's cruel, bittersweet lips on his, but Marluxia knew and exploited it mercilessly which made it hazardous, dangerous... thrilling.
XXXII. Pretty: In all honesty, Vexen mistook Marluxia for a girl the first time they met; when he told him this in the form of an insult, Marluxia remarked that he'd made the same mistake with the blond, so no harm, no foul.
XXXIII. Rain: Before the departure to the new headquarters they stood in full uniform with eyes raised to the storm and the obscure fragment of what would be a god; they didn't have to speak at all, the tension was too thick as it was.
XXXIV. Regret: “Oh yes,” Vexen mocked, “your plans have worked out so nicely, haven't they, O leader, O superior, O miserable failure?” Marluxia reached out through the petals and the shadow to touch him, to grab onto him, to strangle him, but faded with the apparition the next moment.
XXXV. Roses: Upon hearing a bitter comment regarding how good Marluxia had it compared to some Nobodies,“Vexen, if my life was a bed of roses, I wouldn't be sharing it with you now would I?”
XXXVI. Secret: “I don't feel anything for you... but I ...occasionally wish I could.”
XXXVII. Snakes: It was the way his eyes seemed slit, how he would sensually wrap his arms around his lover in a gentle stranglehold, the venom in his words and in his kisses that reminded Vexen of a story of a serpent in a garden.
XXXVIII. Snow: Though his mind belonged to science and progress, his spirit seemed drawn to something ancient, or so Marluxia thought as he watched Vexen exercise mastery of his element- somehow just watching him, black cloak and yellow hair against the white world, felt like an enlightening experience of its own.
XXXIX. Solid: The turmoil of nothingness lies with a distinct lack of substance- not existing but still being, not feeling but...well, still 'feeling' in a half-remembered, spontaneous physical reaction to certain circumstances way; but the only thing that really saves them from the void is holding onto the cruelty of their lives and thinking, “at least I know the pain is real.”
XL. Spring: “I swear,” Marluxia hissed as he dangled from and was stripped by his own vines, a new breed that loved to shower him with strong, if not slightly amorous, affections, “if you tell anyone I was raped by my own plants I will deliver cruelties unto you that Xemnas himself could not conceive; you will suffer beyond measure, you will rue the day you defied me, you will...oh gods...”
XLI. Stable: Their's is not the sort of bond formed from compromise, meeting in the middle, holding each other up, and the rest of that nonsense; they seemed to work best walking on the razor's edge and had an infuriating ability to hold each other up best when they were trying to push each other down.
XLII. Strange: “You talk like a self-righteous virgin and fuck like a harlot, how is that supposed to make any sense to me whatsoever?”
XLIII. Summer: As an ice-elemental, it seemed peculiar that Vexen preferred the hottest season, but after the AC broke down, everyone (including a certain climate-sensitive assassin) began subtly sucking up to the Chilly Academic for weeks, and by the end of it he wished to never see a day under 80 degrees.
XLIV. Taboo: The Nobodies of Castle Oblivion were more than accustomed to Marluxia's outlandish orders and frequent power trips, but at the very notion that the others walk five steps behind him like he was a fucking king there was a rare moment of camaraderie for all: Nymph, Flurry, Schemer, Hero, and especially Academic against one floral pink-haired prick who had really crossed the line this time.
XLV. Ugly: One odd conversation found Axel and Marluxia exchanging brags about their male blond lovers: while VIII exalted the beauty of his beloved Roxas, Marluxia only smirked and gave Axel a superior look: his was the treasure no one thought to steal, and his was truly the diamond in the rough.
XLVI. War: “It's a step in the waltz,” Marluxia commented, “following Revolution and preceding Peace” when Vexen asked what that had to do with anything, Marluxia held a fist of Vexen's hair, inspected it tenderly, and said, “I'm just a fan of foreshadowing.”
XLVII. Water: “Melted ice becomes water to feed the plants” “What do you mean?” “I mean that there's no way in Hell I'll ever trust you.”
XLVIII. Welcome: When Vexen pushed their lips together, shoving his tongue deep in XI's throat, grabbing hold of his wrists and binding them with frigid constriction, Marluxia knew he no longer had to take what now he could simply receive.
XLIX. Winter: He resisted pulling his cloak tighter as he watched his breath leave him, ice was coating the floor and would soon consume the walls; perhaps he'd taken the step too far at long last, but it was almost worth seeing the ethereal beauty of Vexen's wrath.
L. Wood: “...and in the forests of ice, the young Summer Prince met the mighty Winter King, and the king said to the prince, 'what foolishness brings you from the realm of life into my domain where death reigns supreme?' and the prince responded, 'though ice and snow may kill the crops and starve the people, death has many harbingers- that is why they call me Prince Poison...” “stop,” said the young boy to his storyteller, who merely smiled at him and asked, “what is the matter, Prince Even?” Even glanced at the girl and stated, “it's foolish to think they'd get along, frost and flowers don't go well together” “But,” she responded slyly, “that doesn't mean they can't try anyway.”
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Pairing:411 MarluxiaxVexen
Set: Delta
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, kissing, implied sex, naughty vines, misuse of Shakespeare
I. Air: Hot air rises and cold air sinks, and that's why Marluxia kept his greenhouse on the thirteenth floor and Vexen lurked in the twelfth basement...not because they hated each other (or wanted to anyway).
II. Apples: Vexen could not eat in peace with Marluxia watching him from across the room in a steady, calculated stare, but even after taking a final bite and throwing the rest away, Marluxia was still watching, with not so much a smirk as a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
III. Beginning: The first words that passed between them were, “Out of my way, neophyte”- if Vexen knew that this man would later kill him, what would he have done instead?
IV. Bugs: Vexen dully observed Marluxia wage war against certain plant-eating insects, a bit fascinated by the methods XI employed, but also peeved that there was, in fact, another vermin in the room simply too powerful to kill.
V. Coffee: “Marluxia, I don't ask for much, and when I do you pretend not to hear me or force me into bribing you with this, that, or the other, but I am at my wit's end...would it kill you to put a goddamn cappuccino machine in the basement?!”
VI. Dark: For a plant-wielder, he didn't seem to care much for photosynthesis- Vexen noted the peculiar lack of light in Marluxia's gardens, and eagerly jumped to the conclusion that like their master, the flora were of a bloodthirsty variety.
VII. Despair: “I have no tears to shed for you” Marluxia commented to the empty room, hoping that it would still be true if he had a heart to grieve with.
VIII. Doors: “I didn't do anything to deserve this, nothingness and heartlessness and you- all I did was open the door...” “What door?” “...the one that let the Darkness out.”
IX. Drink: They only had sex when they were sober; a drunken evening for numbers IV and XI involved lots of very unmanly giggling from behind Marluxia's closed door...and waking with not only the standard hangover but painted nails and Vexen's hair in a flower-adorned braid, both swearing they don't remember what happened and will never, EVER speak of it again.
X. Duty: “It was easier being a prince” he remarked, “you were a prince?” asked the other, “yes,” he responded, annoyed, “ I got involved with the wrong crowd, a few things went horribly awry, and now I'm number IV of the Organization.”
XI. Earth: Vexen would never tell the Superior that he was a damn fool for giving Marluxia complete control over Oblivion but he could certainly think it: a weed with endless ground to cover and no powers capable of stopping it will spread until it simply dominates everything.
XII. End: It was beautiful while it lasted and the almost feelings were almost mutual, but despite all motives, plans, and hopes, 'bad guys' have a notoriously short life expectancy.
XIII. Fall: Marluxia said that Graceful Assassin suited him, but wasn't the title he would have picked- when Vexen asked what he preferred, Marluxia made an obscure gesture to the dark sky and responded, “Morning Star”.
XIV. Fire: The funny thing was, they might have both survived if they had spent less time pretending to hate each other and more time realizing they had a common enemy in their midst.
XV. Flexible: Marluxia's adaption made him valuable, the ability to cope and plan under any and all circumstances, his ability to bend without breaking and continuing to flourish, unlike...he watches Vexen hurry off in long, measured, angry strides, expression taut, dropping temperatures with every step...unlike some Nobodies with elements that did not so much break as shatter.
XVI. Flying: “That doesn't look stable at all” “Stop being uncooperative Vexen, you'll like it” “I'm not getting on that floating scrap of cloth with you!” “You will or else-” “You wouldn't” “'I can show you the world'” “No! No! Stop that this instant!” “Take you wonder by wonder...”
XVII. Food: Among many talents, Marluxia had the ability to create lucid dreams-mostly involving himself as an emperor of a mighty land with gold adorned palaces and splendid gardens and Vexen dressed in translucent white robes, eagerly feeding his lord sweet grapes while brushing his hand against Marluxia's face, his leg against his master's, inserting a finger with the grape for Marluxia to tease and suck...though when he awoke with Vexen's finger in his mouth, the academic didn't seem quite as pleased.
XVIII. Foot: “Marluxia, your tentacular has my ankle...and now my leg...and my wrist...and my other wrist... Marluxia this isn't funny!”
XIX. Grave: "Rosemary for remembrance, pansies for thoughts, fennel for you and here's some for me...ah, how did the rest of that go...oh well, my lovely, that shall be my parting gift to you, for the memories..." he stops and looks at the flower adorned gate, "right...violets...but alas, I have none to give you, so take this final token," a single rose the color of blood, "and may we meet no more."
XX. Green- His eyes were bitter and cruel and pleasing to look at, in short, everything Marluxia adored about his own element.
XXI. Head: Ordering Vexen to give a few of his unnecessary projects a rest and take up a hobby like the rest of them was seen as one of Marluxia's few good ideas in Oblivion, but when Vexen apparently gave serious thought to Larxene's snide remarks about 'video games' there were...problems (though he did not come across anything eerily paralleling their situation, he did try his hand at rearranging the laws of physics in a way only Xigbar would be proud with an attempt to create a device called a 'portal gun'; he was also in the kitchens more often, having mysteriously acquired a taste for chocolate cake) .
XXII. Hollow: Marluxia closed his eyes, resting his head against Vexen's bare chest- Vexen opened one eye and wondered if Marluxia was hoping for a human pulse or just enjoyed the sound of silence.
XXIII. Honor: “If you swear loyalty to me, I can promise to protect you from everything that's about to happen” “if I know one thing about you, it's that promises mean nothing, as does my life.”
XXIV. Hope: They spent one evening asleep and feeling nothing, sickened with their state of being until they opened their eyes and realized regaining their hearts was still a possibility.
XXV. Light: The pale yellow of his hair and the iridescence of his skin showed best in the darkness while he slept- Marluxia idly wondered if Vexen even knew that he gave the term 'afterglow' an entirely literal meaning.
XXVI. Lost: They hadn't made any promises for the future, but as Marluxia aimlessly wandered through the darkness he wondered if he'd ever see that frostbitten, arrogant, bitchy scientist of his again in what Axel vaguely referred to as 'the next life'.
XXVII. Metal: Something about scythe against shield explained how they would always be: with one knocking back the onslaught and searching for an opening, the other slicing away with fury to break down defenses.
XXVIII. New: Neophyte- (n): 1) a beginner or novice He's a neophyte at chess 2) a person newly converted to a belief 3) Degrading term given to numbers seven through thirteen in the Thirteenth Order to put those bloody n00bs in their place For the last time Neophyte, get out of my lab and leave me the hell alone!
XXIX. Old: Elder- (n) 1) of greater age; older 2) of higher rank; senior an elder officer 3) A term within Organization Thirteen with the intended meaning of showing respect to the founding six members, turned into an insult by more pretentious neophytes So, Elder, when you've realized that removing the stick in your ass can make room for more pleasant things, by all means, seek me out.
XXX. Peace: When they started meeting for not-entirely-all-business on a regular basis, there was a quiet in Oblivion that sent everyone on edge...until they got their acts together and hated each other again.
XXXI. Poison: Every kiss was met with hesitation from Vexen- he liked Marluxia's cruel, bittersweet lips on his, but Marluxia knew and exploited it mercilessly which made it hazardous, dangerous... thrilling.
XXXII. Pretty: In all honesty, Vexen mistook Marluxia for a girl the first time they met; when he told him this in the form of an insult, Marluxia remarked that he'd made the same mistake with the blond, so no harm, no foul.
XXXIII. Rain: Before the departure to the new headquarters they stood in full uniform with eyes raised to the storm and the obscure fragment of what would be a god; they didn't have to speak at all, the tension was too thick as it was.
XXXIV. Regret: “Oh yes,” Vexen mocked, “your plans have worked out so nicely, haven't they, O leader, O superior, O miserable failure?” Marluxia reached out through the petals and the shadow to touch him, to grab onto him, to strangle him, but faded with the apparition the next moment.
XXXV. Roses: Upon hearing a bitter comment regarding how good Marluxia had it compared to some Nobodies,“Vexen, if my life was a bed of roses, I wouldn't be sharing it with you now would I?”
XXXVI. Secret: “I don't feel anything for you... but I ...occasionally wish I could.”
XXXVII. Snakes: It was the way his eyes seemed slit, how he would sensually wrap his arms around his lover in a gentle stranglehold, the venom in his words and in his kisses that reminded Vexen of a story of a serpent in a garden.
XXXVIII. Snow: Though his mind belonged to science and progress, his spirit seemed drawn to something ancient, or so Marluxia thought as he watched Vexen exercise mastery of his element- somehow just watching him, black cloak and yellow hair against the white world, felt like an enlightening experience of its own.
XXXIX. Solid: The turmoil of nothingness lies with a distinct lack of substance- not existing but still being, not feeling but...well, still 'feeling' in a half-remembered, spontaneous physical reaction to certain circumstances way; but the only thing that really saves them from the void is holding onto the cruelty of their lives and thinking, “at least I know the pain is real.”
XL. Spring: “I swear,” Marluxia hissed as he dangled from and was stripped by his own vines, a new breed that loved to shower him with strong, if not slightly amorous, affections, “if you tell anyone I was raped by my own plants I will deliver cruelties unto you that Xemnas himself could not conceive; you will suffer beyond measure, you will rue the day you defied me, you will...oh gods...”
XLI. Stable: Their's is not the sort of bond formed from compromise, meeting in the middle, holding each other up, and the rest of that nonsense; they seemed to work best walking on the razor's edge and had an infuriating ability to hold each other up best when they were trying to push each other down.
XLII. Strange: “You talk like a self-righteous virgin and fuck like a harlot, how is that supposed to make any sense to me whatsoever?”
XLIII. Summer: As an ice-elemental, it seemed peculiar that Vexen preferred the hottest season, but after the AC broke down, everyone (including a certain climate-sensitive assassin) began subtly sucking up to the Chilly Academic for weeks, and by the end of it he wished to never see a day under 80 degrees.
XLIV. Taboo: The Nobodies of Castle Oblivion were more than accustomed to Marluxia's outlandish orders and frequent power trips, but at the very notion that the others walk five steps behind him like he was a fucking king there was a rare moment of camaraderie for all: Nymph, Flurry, Schemer, Hero, and especially Academic against one floral pink-haired prick who had really crossed the line this time.
XLV. Ugly: One odd conversation found Axel and Marluxia exchanging brags about their male blond lovers: while VIII exalted the beauty of his beloved Roxas, Marluxia only smirked and gave Axel a superior look: his was the treasure no one thought to steal, and his was truly the diamond in the rough.
XLVI. War: “It's a step in the waltz,” Marluxia commented, “following Revolution and preceding Peace” when Vexen asked what that had to do with anything, Marluxia held a fist of Vexen's hair, inspected it tenderly, and said, “I'm just a fan of foreshadowing.”
XLVII. Water: “Melted ice becomes water to feed the plants” “What do you mean?” “I mean that there's no way in Hell I'll ever trust you.”
XLVIII. Welcome: When Vexen pushed their lips together, shoving his tongue deep in XI's throat, grabbing hold of his wrists and binding them with frigid constriction, Marluxia knew he no longer had to take what now he could simply receive.
XLIX. Winter: He resisted pulling his cloak tighter as he watched his breath leave him, ice was coating the floor and would soon consume the walls; perhaps he'd taken the step too far at long last, but it was almost worth seeing the ethereal beauty of Vexen's wrath.
L. Wood: “...and in the forests of ice, the young Summer Prince met the mighty Winter King, and the king said to the prince, 'what foolishness brings you from the realm of life into my domain where death reigns supreme?' and the prince responded, 'though ice and snow may kill the crops and starve the people, death has many harbingers- that is why they call me Prince Poison...” “stop,” said the young boy to his storyteller, who merely smiled at him and asked, “what is the matter, Prince Even?” Even glanced at the girl and stated, “it's foolish to think they'd get along, frost and flowers don't go well together” “But,” she responded slyly, “that doesn't mean they can't try anyway.”