#*xemnas

Marluxia looked bored. Which everyone was from listening to Saix, but most had enough self preservation to hide it. But Marluxia's gaze was not attentive like it usually was.

He'd have to talk to him about that later. Work some manners and respect into him.

But more than that was how he was sitting. Marluxia's posture was off. His hands were curled on his knees and he was bent forward slightly.

The next moment felt like slow motion and then was all too quick. Vexen hadn't registered he had moved until someone whistled. Xigbar probably.

It had been easy to see Marluxia fall. Vexen was the lowest seat. He could work that.

What he could not work in his favor was the fact he was hovering. Was the fact he had moved at all to catch the Assassin.

He lowered down to the floor and swallowed. He could feel Saix's anger and Xemnas's curiosity.

He tried to work his mouth in some kind of defense.

He expected Marluxia too. For the slip to jog him back awake.

Instead Vexen stared down at him and realized how pale his face was. How shallow his breathing. He was not tired he was /exhausted/.

He was- Vexen settled onto the floor slowly, shifted Marluxia in his hold, and frowned deeply. He was bleeding.

"Number Seven what was Number Eleven's mission today?" Marluxia had not visited him after it and Vexen had taken it to mean it had been dull. Not that Marluxia was hiding a wound.

Saix glared at him. Still annoyed that his speech had been broken by the two of them. He still recalled the journal entry. Vexen was having no difficulty being near Marluxia now. "Number Eleven specializes in extermination. I give him a World and he takes care of the rest."

"And he did not report anything out of the ordinary?"

"No." Saix's voice was sharp.

"If you have reason to take him away do so." Xemnas stated. He balanced his cheek against his hand. "I'll brief you on this meeting later."

"Sir?" Saix nearly stuttered. There was no need for Xemnas to do that himself.

Which meant his weekly report was on Marluxia's desk where he had left it before the meeting.

It would be so easy to get if he was not petrified over the fact Saix was the one reading it as Xemnas could not read his handwriting. He had tried to write nicely. Flourish it in the way Marluxia did. He'd nearly dotted an I with a heart for irony's sake.

"May I compare you to a summer's day?" Saix read aloud because Xemnas told him to. "Insufferable but necessary. As one needs the vitamin D the sun gives so freely."

Vexen felt himself pale as much as he felt his face go red over bad innuendo. 

“You are more autumn and spring, full of death and life. You cut down Heartless just as easily as you bring forth life.” 

Vexen did his best to block out Saix’s voice but it was his own words he spoke. His own hopeless thoughts. He had never been good at romance. And without a heart the words rang hollow. He was only thankful he had not made mention of winter. 

Marluxia did that plenty. The purr on his lips when he called him ‘snowflake’ rang heavy on his mind. 

He wanted to wake up to that. He wanted to wake up to Marluxia making little jokes about winter and ice and frost and flowers and sleep. 

He risked focusing his gaze on Marluxia. He had to look up no matter what. 

Marluxia’s face was at least turned towards Saix, but he couldn’t figure out more. 

“You are the one bit of color in this place that is tolerable. One of the small parts of you that is. The smell of roses drives me crazy, I cant take it anymore."

Vexen swallowed when Marluxia portaled out. It was glaringly obvious that it was about him. He was paralyzed by his own embarrassment and anger. He wanted to snatch it back from Saix. To tear the letter apart.

There was no way he was getting laid at this rate.

"I'm going to take that." Marluxia's words may have been towards Saix but he was looking at Xemnas. It was odd to see him float. Hover. They all could, but Marluxia did not do so often.

"Sir?" Saix questioned.

"Truth be told I expected you to stop." Xemnas responded, cheek balanced on his hand. "I was clearly given something from Vexen's more personal journal. Do you have his actual report, Marluxia?"

"Yes." Marluxia tried to keep bitterness out of his tone. Vexen had been so incapable of asking him directly that he had resorted to this. He'd have to ignore the man for a solid week to get his frustration across.