Title: Illogical and Soft
Catagory: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Genres: General, fluff, character exploration and analysis kinda.
Rating: K/K+?
Notes: This is set in the Manga-verse of CoM. I wanted to explore Larxene's character a little more, and Zexion's a little, too. Since his Game counterpart is "older" and slightly different in persona than his manga version. Set a little before Sora arrives and all that happens. I'd also like to add on that the song in this fic is mine that I made up. And yes, Ienzo is Zexion's real name before he became a Nobody. :D Manga!Zexion looks like a teenager, of somewhere between 16-19. He's so cute! Compared with his hot, older game version, who's a bit more of a bastard anyway XD;;
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Larxene climbed the stairs silently, ascenting her way up towards the library. Out of most of the places there were in Castle Oblivion, there was only one place she'd rather be.

She opened the door to the library, before blinking in surprise when she found candlelight in there. She entered curiously, usually no one was up there this late.

Her keen eyes scanned the room, searching for whichever figure it would be. Her eyes widened a small fraction when she finally did find who it was.

Zexion was slumped over in a chair at the table, book laid out open and head resting on it like a pillow.

A small laugh escaped her, but it wasn't loud enough to wake the sleeping person.She tilted her head as she rested her cheek on the palm of her hand.

The not-quite adult figure looked so childish asleep. The youngest of them all, except for number XIII. "Ienzo," She said quietly. The figure didn't stirr.

The woman briefly wondered why the boy would be up so late, but sighed and shook it away. She knew the answer already.

Studying, learning, anything to gain more knowledge. He was too serious. Logic and puzzles, crosswords and search and finds. Everything had to make sense.

She was cruel to most, but even the most heartless person could sometimes be nice and had weaknesses. Zexion happened to be hers.

She held a soft spot inside for the youngest member in the Castle, not that she would ever show it to anyone, even the boy. She was never as cruel, never as mean as she could be to him. He always had his nose stuck in books or was down in the basement experimenting with Vexen, always trying to gain more knowledge.

And yet, he knew nothing of true livelihood. He was too grounded, too logical, everything had to make sense and be in order. He didn't understand what humanity was like. Then again, it wasn't like it came easy for any of them. It wouldn't kill him to socialize a little, a fact she often teased him about.

Yet he always showed impassiveness towards her, if not a bit of annoyance. She kind of admired that about the boy, but sometimes, inside she just wished he'd show a little bit more than just the mechanical movements.

Not that he ever would, or if he did, never to her. She walked silently over to the shelf she always placed her book on, setting it on the arm of the couch, before gliding over to where the boy was slouched over at the table. Traces of a smile danced at her lips and a faint giggle echoed through the silent room. It wasn't everyday you got to see the too-sane person asleep and looking so adorable with their hair all rumpled.

She slid the chair back a little, stopping when the boy would stirr. Then, with the utmost gentleness and precision, she lifted the boy up into her arms. Of course, he was very light, usually spending days without eating, conducting more research to gain more answers and knowledge.

He stirred a little, before pillowing his head a little deeper into the woman's shoulder. Larxene smiled briefly. If only the boy could be like this when he was awake...

She glided back over to the couch and eased his sleeping form onto the couch, before manouvering her body and sat down as well, grabbing one of the pillows there and rested it against her and set the sleeping figure's head on it.

It wouldn't do any good for the boy to throw his back out at such a young age. Not that age really mattered these days... She sighed a little, titlting her head as she gently brushed the boy's long bangs away from his face and off to the side. He really was cute like that.

She picked up her book that was resting on the arm and opened it back up, taking the bookmark out and setting it in the back of the book before resuming her reading. Ah, but she loved being sadistic. Marquis de Sade. Her favorite book of all time.

She started humming, something she subconciously did as she read when no one was around. Forgetting that the boy was below her, her hand went down and she blinked when it rested on something. Looking down, she realized her hand was resting on the boy's hair. With another faint smile, she combed her gloved fingers through it gently, so as not to rouse the figure.

Larxene always wondered how anyone could have hair the colour of silver. Of course, Zexion's hair was not just silver, it had white hues to it, black hues, and even a silvery blue hue in some parts. It all depended on the angle you were looking at him with.

Her eyes went back to her book, starting to hum again as she continued to pet and comb through the boy's hair. It wouldn't really matter, she'd be gone before he woke up, anyway.

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A soft noise that sounded familliar and pleasant drifted through his mind, a gentle; soft sensation washed over him. It was so familliar, something he could almost place... 'Ienzo...' He could hear that voice so clearly. It was so familliar... 'Silently now, through the trees, we gather together, guided by the breeze...'

That song. He couldn't grasp it fully... "Mother?"

No answer. Like always. Just her voice, calling his name, singing softy to him. It always made him feel hollow; empty inside like he knew he was. 'Quietly now, take my hand, we'll fly together to another land...'

His eyes fluttered and he became increasingly aware that the sensation was still there and the sound was still drifting throughout his fogged and hazy mind. That voice was familliar, but different from the one in his dream. The feeling of fingers running through his hair was comforting, calming. It kept his brain from wanting to fully wake up. He felt like drifting back into slumber...

"Gently now, hold me close, love me forever, the truth exposed..."

He blinked. Surely it couldn't be...? He willed his eyes to move and looked upwards, straining his eyes to focus. He was met with the sight of a short haired, blond with two long bangs going out on each side. She was reading a book. One he knew all too well. He knew her all too well.

"Larxene?" He questioned, his voice still husky with sleep.

She startled, her hand immediately pulled away and he found himself missing the sensation. Her eyes were widened and she looked down at him to meet his drowsy eyes.

"Where...did you learn that song?" He asked quietly, his eyes falling shut after a moment, it took too much energy to hold them open. Energy he did not have.

Larxene blinked. She hadn't been expecting him to wake up, it scared her when she heard him. She didn't expect him to ask her where of all places she learned the song, either. It was a moment before she could even process it properly.

"I don't remember," She answered, sighing a little. "I learned it from...my mother, I think. But I don't remember all of the words, but I always catch myself humming it when I'm alone. It just...takes the hollow feeling away for a while."

There was a sigh. "My mother used to sing it," He murmured. "It always makes me feel hollow, because I hear her in my dreams, she calls my name and sings that song. She did what you were doing to put me to sleep..."

Larxene blinked again, before looking away. "Oh... I'm sorry." Zexion's mind could have stopped at those words, because the sadistic woman known as Larxene never apologized. But since he was still tired and everything they were doing know was illogical, he decided to run with it. "It's nothing to be sorry about. Not like you ever say sorry anyway."

She chuckled wryly. "True, but I do have a nice side." She replied. "I've never seen it," He answered honestly. "Well you're seeing it now." She retorted. "Maybe if you stuck around more instead of burying your nose in books, you'd see it more often. I'm cruel, but not totally insensitive."

He made a slight amused sound. "I'll keep that in mind." He answered with a sigh as he found himself in a losing battle against sleep. Whether she did it on purpose or not, he didn't know, but her fingers suddenly returned to pet and run through his hair again.

"You're so sweet like that," She murmured faintly. "If only you'd be like this when you're fully awake..." He barely processed it and didn't even realized he spoke til a few moments after he said it. "I like this side of you better,"

There was a quiet laugh, as she continued to comb through his hair. The motions were so soothing that his mind started to drift back into the land of slumber. He wasn't sure if he had really heard it or not, but he thought he heard her say "only for you" before he fully drifted off.

Larxene watched the boy for a few minutes, smiling just a little again. "Sweet dreams, Ienzo." She murmured, before turning back to her book, beginning to hum once more.

"Slowly now, dance with me, let's paint a picture together, you and me..."

Owari
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Ahh... One of my favorite Organization pairings. VIxXII, yo! I really should get my ass around to writing a XIxIV fic sometime...-puts it on her "To write" list- Anyway...yeah. I just finished reading CoM manga's 1-6 so I got inspired to write this and explore their characters a little more. XD ANYWAY. This is your Mandi-father, signing out! poofs