Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square-Enix. Please, if you want to, go and sue someone else. I don't have much money, but munny? The story idea is mine, so no using without asking!

A/N: First and foremost; Xaldin is so freaking OOC it is not funny. Not at all (Lexaeus may be slightly OOC too). I've tried my best to portray him as well as I could, but since I leant my Days out to my friend (who is now obsessed with KH 8D), I haven't got much to go on, save for his Data Battle (which, if you haven't already seen it, I demand you do. He's epic).

Next; this plot bunny was born from a mixture of watching Data Battles, the 13th Reflection, the 13th Dilemma, and remembering that I read somewhere that Xaldin was Axel's mentor in the Organization, much like Axel was to Roxas. So, alas and behold, this story was born.

It's wrote in a completely different style from what I'm used to, and it's inspired by Mirae-no-Sekai . Even though I never review her stuff (lazy butt here), she's an excellent author with an unique sense of writing. Go check her out! :)

Hope you all enjoy!

Timeline: Xaldin is twenty-five in this. Axel is fifteen.

.: long – day :.

Today is going to be a very long day.

For some reason completely beyond him, Xaldin has been stuck with essentially baby-sitting their newest member, Axel. Something about the two of them both being close-combat fighters while using multiple weapons at the same time.

Xaldin doesn't like to be compared to rookies. He's had the spear taught to him for his whole life; even before he lost his heart.

Axel lazily studies his glove, perhaps idly wondering about what material it is made from (Xaldin knows that it is ninety percentage leather, but the Superior was 'kind' enough to weave the inside with soft cotton to rest their battle-weary hands). After a few seconds, hours, minutes; it's all the same to Xaldin, the youth looks up, eyes sparkling with a furious whirlwind of emotions that shouldn't be there. It'll be gone before next week; Xaldin will be certain of it.

"So, say..." he drawls out the word, which makes Xaldin clench the inside of his palm bitterly (so much for not having any emotions). "...You control wind, right?"

He just knows what unbelievably corny joke will be told next; Xigbar, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion and Saïx have all pulled it on him already. Apparently the Organization has more of a mischievous streak in it than Xemnas would like to admit.

"So what if I do?"

"Do your farts smell?"

Without missing a heartbeat (but he doesn't miss the irony in that), he snorts. Loudly. "All farts smell."

He can't believe he's having this conversation for, what, the sixth time?

Axel frowns at the news. "Yeah, but... do your's, like, smell smell?"

Blink. Blink. He hadn't gotten this response from the others; Xigbar had swung an arm around his neck jokingly. Vexen had gone off into a huff muttering something that sounded eerily like a failed experiment. Lexaeus had just stood there silently, but given Xaldin a broken nose when his back was turned (never underestimate the power to move the ground itself). Zexion had done nothing but sink back into his giant book, while Saïx had poked at him a little more before Xaldin swiped him off. "Is 'smell smell'-" He lances the words heavy with sarcasm, sneering. "-A term, Number VIII?"

Suddenly, he breaks out into a wide grin. "Well, now it is."

The next day, Axel stumbles into the Grey Area while attempting to pull his cloak (that boy is far too skinny; Xaldin can count all of his ribs with surprising ease), boots, gloves, and shirt on. All at the same time.

Needless to say, it only ends up with a flurry of dancing limbs making a date with the floor. Xaldin is suddenly stuck with his (Dilan's) mother's voice chiming inside his head, claiming that men couldn't multi-task. That, dear child, should be left to the women.

He ignores the strange tight tug on his chest, right where his heart should be (but isn't it can't be it won't be it isn't it's gone along with everything Dilan loved), and strides over to the fallen teenager. Without a word, he forces the cloak off and then yanks on his tight shirt over his head and wild, untameable bed hair. Axel's clearly still in the land of dreams (looks like he either set fire to the alarm or forgot to put it on. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the former), too tired to protest as Xaldin shoves him down to the white chair and pulls on his boots for him. He can't help the tiny, tiny smile that he hides as a smirk when he sees Axel's socks; brightly splashed with rainbows and a smiling face, such a strong and outrageous contrast against the dull, heavy colours of home.

This is the moment that Xaldin knows that Axel will be different from the rest of them; sure, they're all different, but Axel will be... different different.

If that's a term, of course.

It turns out that all of the cloak and boot pulling has been for naught, since they end up in Agrabah with a mission to eliminate a giant Heartless. Xaldin can sense it's Axel's first 'proper' time out on the field; he already has his weapons out, chakrams twirling gracefully on his fingers in an almost gleeful matter. He excitedly looks around, and it takes a firm grasp on the boy's shoulder to stop him from running off full-stop into the wild blue (or should that be red?).

"You'll scare off the locals," he says firmly. He doesn't hide the surprise on his face (that he shouldn't even be feeling!) when Axel merely shrugs off his trousers and shirt, stripped down to nothing more than his boxers. He ties the cloak around his neck, and it flies off him in the desert breeze like one of the cheesy capes that the superheroes that Xa-Dilan used to watch all of the time when he was young.

"Aww, live life a little!" He punches him on the shoulder, as if Xaldin isn't one of the stronger members that could easily wipe out the carefree youth with a flip of his finger (the middle one, ideally). But, for some strange, confusing reason, the idea never crosses Xaldin's mind. If it had been anyone else, than sure, bye bye Xigbar, hoped you liked that other eye, because it'll be gone before the morning comes (but Xemnas had forbid it, claiming that the last thing that needed was disabled members. Personally, Xaldin finds the image of Xigbar with a guide dog amusing).

"We don't have a life. We don't exist." Even as he says this, he's already stripping off his gloves. The idea is very tempting... (why is he feeling all of this why why why it makes no sense he shouldn't be excited he shouldn't be feeling ANYTHING!) not to mention; he's never done anything like this before, and Lexaeus has teased him recently that he couldn't have any fun on missions, always Mister Strictface. Despite his hard exterior, Lexaeus was a mischievous man at heart (if he had one, of course and why did he say that it made no sense).

Axel smirks as he takes Xaldin's gloves and stuffs them into his cloak. Then he takes off his boxers, and Xaldin is very, very grateful that the two of them are hiding inside an abandoned building. "See, I told you~"

"Only because you need someone to prevent you from causing a riot." He pulls off his cloak and it's such a relief to feel all of the heat literally wash off him in waves ("What?" Axel laughs. "A riot over my beautiful body? I'm touched."). He rings out some stray sand into the sandy sand below (not having a heart tended to make one awful at detailed details. Like just there) and then slowly takes off his sweaty shirt, which refuses to move. After a few more tugs, and some help from his pupil, he manages to get it off and discards it on the ground below. Taking off his shoes and socks, he ignores the sudden leap right there in his chest as his feet touch against the harsh and burning sands. He very nearly stops and attempts to pull his boots back on (it burns it burns it burns so bad like when he lost his heart), but then Axel does something that Xaldin had never, ever expected.

He pulls down Xaldin's boxers, so hard that it knocks the older man to the ground, and when he looks up, Axel is laughing his head off as he runs out of the store and into the busy streets of Agrabah. Before he even knew what he was doing, Xaldin had given chase after him, naked, ignoring the stares (that weren't all horrified) as he chased the younger boy.

No, he isn't smiling.

He isn't laughing.

And he certainly isn't feeling.

Xemnas gives them both double missions for half a year when he finds out from Xigbar that Numbers III and VIII had been gleefully running through the middle of Agrabah nude.

Xaldin will always remember that as one of the best days of his non-existent life.

"You actually did it."

Xaldin's not certain if the look on Zexion's face is one of calm surprise, or sheer horror. The boy's always been able to mystify him like that.

He crosses his arms, face stony. "So what if I did?"

Vexen cuts in with his icy (how very creative) voice, glaring daggers at Xaldin. "Don't you understand the perils!? What if the Princess of Heart (there had been a Princess of Heart in that world? Her bad) had seen you two..." Vexen shakes his head, refusing to finish. For someone who didn't feel, he certainly seemed disgusted enough with him... but then again, all of them always had been able to put up perfect facades. "We could have been caught! Then what?" he hisses the last part as Xigbar wanders all, all swag and casual and 'Hey, what's up, dude?' and plonks himself down into a chair nearby.

"Zexion," Lexaeus' quiet yet booming voice sounds from over the chair that Zexion's sitting on. He's holding out one massive hand, a small, tiny smile on his hard face. "I do believe that I won the bet?"

Zexion grumbles something to himself about unpredictable odds before he pulls out a small amount of munny from his pocket, about three hundred, nothing major, and hands it over to the older man. "Yes. Well done, 'The Silent Hero'."

Vexen cocks an eyebrow, looking every part the mad stereotypical scientist. "What bet?"

Lexaeus shrugs. "That Xaldin would be brave, or reckless, enough to defy the Superior's orders. With that last mission with Axel, he outperformed our expectations."

"How was I to know that Xaldin would attempt nudity in front of the population of Agrabah?" Zexion covers his face with his hand, sighing.

Axel finishes the last part for them, coming in with a cocky smirk as he yanks the book straight out of Zexion's hands. "You weren't."

"I believe that we do have feelings."

"I believe that you adore rattling on about feeble nonsense."

The other man in the room stabs his weapon into the ground, sending a heavy shockwave through the room. A pillar of firm earth suddenly shoots up in Xaldin's passive face. "Listen."

That trick got boring after the tenth or so time. "Very well, then."

The earth crumbles back down as if it had never been there. Xaldin stops stabbing the practice target with his spears (they need a good clean) and turns to face Lexaeus. The younger brunet brushes off the plaster and dust on his cloak, swings his huge sword axe – well, whatever it can be called – onto his shoulder and looks at Xaldin.

"Why?"

Lexaeus shrugs (somehow) and peels off his sweaty gloves, throwing them to the side. He fixes Xaldin with a stony glare before the other Nobody can move. "Think about it. Sometimes, we all act without thinking. Normally, don't you think; 'Oh, such and such stole my food, I've got to be angry at him.' You have to think about that. But yesterday; I was happy that I won the bet. I didn't need to think about it, I just... was."

"Hump. We don't have emotions. Why would the Superior lie to us?" Xaldin asks. He sits down on the white (everything is white) bench and takes off his own gloves, relishing the fresh air that attacks his sk-wait. Did he just feel again?

Lexaeus sits down beside him, looking up through the glass roof. It's dark outside, like always. "If we don't have emotions, then explain the rather, ah, rash antics of Numbers VII and VIII. Saïx has been on a rush of adrenaline for the past week."

"That is due to his powers. He has not yet learnt how to fully control the moon's light."

Lexaeus smirks as a loud bang echoes through the castle, followed by Xigbar's scream of horror. Saïx must have been given free rein in his room. It wouldn't be the first time. "I never knew Xigbar could scream like that."

A snort. "What, like a female?"

Lexaeus summons away his weapon in a flash of darkness so that he can cross his arms. Xaldin does the same. "What would happen if we did have a female along our ranks?"

Xaldin shrugs. "I would imagine it to be difficult; not that us Nobodies can imagine too well in the first place."

"...Did you have a girlfriend before you lost your heart?"

"...Pardon?"

Lexaeus rolls his eyes. "Someone who your Somebody would have loved."

"And what's wrong with a man?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just, with eight men running about here-"

"-Seven. I have failed to see the Superior do anything remotely relating to exercise." That man would be happy sitting in Where Nothing Gathers all day, gloating to himself. Xaldin has watched him do it.

"Very well then, seven men running about all day, every day, with no hearts, I would rather not imagine what would happen if Axel got any 'bright' ideas in bed."

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Exactly."

"He's in his bed almost all day. And when he does eventually stumble to the Grey Area, his appearance is... unforgivable."

Lexaeus looks as if he's trying very, very hard not to laugh.

Why is he... oh.

There are just some things better left unsaid.

It's a month later since the first day. Today is Xaldin's last mission with Axel.

He doesn't dwell on the thought too much. Today they have to eliminate another giant Heartless; this time, a greedy Leechgrave that has been harvesting the corpses of the smaller, weaker Heartless that populate Halloween Town. If they allow the Leechgrave to continue on the way it is, then the Heartless will vanish. That will not do for when they (eventually) get a Keyblade wielder into their ranks. Because they have to. There is no other way. Although Xaldin isn't too keen on the idea of a working, beating, heart, it would still be pleasant. Pleasant to feel something underneath his skin and bones that isn't hollow emptiness and so, so cold.

"This time, we must destroy the Heartless," is the first thing that Axel is told upon the two of them exiting the Corridor of Darkness. It looks to be either spring or summer at the moment; no snow on the ground, tiny, tiny rays of dull sunlight peering through the black clouds, like claws attempting to invade the world.

Axel only salutes and gives a goofy grin. "Yes, sir!"

"Don't call me sir. As your superior-" He ignores Axel's loud snort. "-You will address me as either Xaldin, or Number III. None of that 'sir' nonsense."

"Yes, sir!"

"What did I just-"

"-Too slow!" He laughs as he runs down the narrow path, straight into the centre of town... which was where the Leechgrave had apparently first shown up, eating everything that it could in sight.

"Get back here!"

When Xaldin turns the corner with speed (because he does control wind, at the end of the day. Or night. Doesn't matter), he's honestly not fazed in the slightest to find Axel desperately pulling at a smooth, massive black claw that sprouted out of the ground.

Another identical claw thuds out of the claw with a sickly noise (like a neck snapping in half), speeding straight towards him. He blocks the attack with ease and then slices through it's thin body with another spear. Tumbling to the ground, it twitches before vanishing into darkness. Another spear pins the claw holding the younger boy to the ground, while the rest of his spears fly out and defeat the rest of the claws with ease.

Honestly, did Vexen truly struggle with this mission? It's laughingly- oh.

Xaldin really has been losing his touch.

Massive thorns sprout out of the ground, four of them altogether, and then the small fountain in the centre is completely shattered as a coffin raises itself up with rusting chains. The thing (which is the largest object in the plaza by far), hisses. The coffin lid suddenly whips open, and Xaldin barely has any time to block the furious barrage of claws. Axel's already charging in, yelling something about giant butterfly cookies (he really didn't get enough sleep; the thought of him in bed reminds him of his conversation with Lexaeus, and he's thankful that his sudden wince is hidden) and jellybabies.

Which is all for naught, as the Leechgrave simply swings the coffin at him and sends him crashing into the wall. He doesn't move.

That idiot.

Xaldin throws his last Elixir at the fallen teenager before charging in, all lances glowing furiously as the wind whips up around him.

He doesn't know how long he's doing that, attacking it relentlessly with a barrage of assaults, but it falls just as Axel's picking himself back up from the ground.

Needless to say, he's impressed.

"Whoa!"

"Hump." That wasn't so difficult. Xaldin summons a Dark Corridor, ignoring the fact that the Heartless is eroding into tiny pieces behind him. It will come back; all Heartless do, unless they are slain by the Keyblade. That Leechgrave will be back before long. "Are you coming?"

"That was epic!"

"That was not a suitable answer. Are you coming, Axel?"

He waves a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, sure, in a – wait a sec."

He doesn't like waiting, he hates it (shouldn't he feel nothing towards it?), but he stays standing there. "What?"

"You called me Axel. You call everyone else by their numbers! I'm special!"

He is special, but Xaldin is not about going to go and confess that. "Would you rather I called you a pathetic failure instead?"

"That was harsh, man."

Snort. "But true. And do not refer to me as 'man'; I am either Xaldin or Number III."

Axel grins. "Yes, sir! Hey, hey, I wanna show you this-"

"-No." The last time Axel showed him something, Xaldin had ended up ill for a week.

"-It's called ice cream!"

...Oh.

Axel patters on and on and on. "I mean, geez, are you allergic to it or something? I mean, Isa-"

"-Saïx."

"-Isa was pretty bad with it; if he ate too much, he'd go all giddy, and let me tell you, the last thing that anyone wants is a giddy Isa, 'cause he just ran about all goofy and acted like a real idiot. I had to go and calm him down, and then afterwards we would get more ice-cream and-"

"-Axel."

He practically coos the next word. "Yessss~"

"If I go with you to have some of this... ice-cream-" Such childish words sound foreign when he speaks them. "-Will you be silent?"

Axel's face lights up like the Christmas decorations in Halloween Town (when they aren't broken). "Oh yes, YES! I LOVE you man!"

"...Please don't love me."

"Let's go let's go let's go!"

Today is going to be a very long day.

But Xaldin honestly doesn't mind.