Woo! Hello again! Hah, this is the second fic I've put up, and this wasn't even listed in the Planning sect. of my profile! Heheh, anyways, it's another one-shot, and its obviously in Kingdom Hearts. This focuses on Zexion, and is really...random? It's a little weird and the style is different than what I'm used to, so it's a little strange. And repetitive. Sorry if that bothers you.

This also doesn't have a pairing; it's completely Zexion centric. So uhm, yeah, hope you like.

(nervous wave),
Shadow-Walking-Tactician-VI

A Similar Beat

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Zexion tapped his pen against the wood of his desk thoughtfully. His mind was wandering now that he was in the safety of his room. His room was his…sanctuary, in a sense. He was rarely bothered when he was in his room, and his books kept him busy.

But today…the silence wasn't nearly as relaxing as it usually was.

His mind slowly drifted away from the journal he was writing in. Zexion gazed at the journal in front of him with narrowed eyes, the constant tap of his pen synchronizing with his breathing.

Tap, tap. Tap, tap. He breathed quietly.

If he was a complete human, it'd probably be his heartbeat that would synchronize with the tapping. Maybe.

He softened his breathing until he couldn't hear it.

Tap, tap. Tap, tap.

He quietly turned the page with his left hand, his right momentarily faltering when the scratchy sound of the page turning interrupted its beat. He accidentally missed one.

Tap. Tap, tap.

He mused if his hand would ever get tired of constantly tapping the pen…like his body got tired of his constantly beating heart. But it was him, Zexion, who became tired, wasn't it?

Tap, tap. Tap, tap.

Would his hand miss holding the pen? Probably not, but his ears might. It was a soothing sound…

Tap, tap. Tap, tap.

Just like how his soul misses his heart…But do nobodies have souls? A heart has a physical form, but a soul doesn't.

Do souls even exist?

Tap, tap. Tap, tap.

His eyes flickered towards the window. A small sprinkle was starting, and the soft patter on his window…did it irritate him? It interrupted his beat…

Tap, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tap. Tink, tink.

Zexion frowned, he didn't really like it, but…it certainly added a nice ring to his taps.

Tap, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tap. Tink, tink.

It didn't rain a lot in The World That Never Was. Rain would make it seem all the more real and nobodies…they weren't real.

Tap, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tap. Tink, tink.

He stared at the window, watching as small droplets slipped down the fragile glass. It was raining harder.

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

The rain…It was drowning out his tapping. Zexion's frown became more pronounced; he didn't want his beat to be hidden away.

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

The sound echoed around the room, giving it an almost eerie edge. A storm was brewing, and the room was darkened.

There was never daylight in The World That Never Was. But if there was never any daylight, then didn't that mean there was no evening as well?

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

Well, his mind was certainly wandering. Not a particularly healthy habit when you're not even supposed to exist, but…

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

Zexion's eyes almost seemed fascinated as he watched lightning strike. It was strange; lightning? In The World That Never Was? Maybe Larxene was throwing a tantrum.

BOOM, tap. Tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink. Tap, BOOM. Tink, tink.

Hmm…from what he could tell, it was quite a ways away.

At that realization, he felt odd. Was he…disappointed? He pushed the thought away, and went ahead with the task of fixing his beat.

Ta-tap, tink, tink. Tap, tink. Tap, tink, tink.

After a few more tries, it evened out.

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

He felt slightly calmer as he listened to the continuous tap. It didn't seem monotonous at all to him. It almost felt as if he found something he had been lacking, but what?

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

He wondered if there would be a dent in his desk when this was all over.

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

He quietly gazed at his neat, organized room, shifting his hand slightly so it wouldn't get uncomfortable. There wasn't a single thing misplaced in his room; he was what Axel would call 'a neat freak'. He just didn't see any use in laying all his things around, when it clearly impeded upon his movement and accessibility.

Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink. Tap, tink, tap. Tink, tink.

Zexion carefully stood up and, without breaking his beat, moved his pen to the wardrobe next to him. The steady tap he had become familiar with changed to a low, hollow 'dun'.

Dun, tink, dun. Tink, tink. Dun, tink, dun. Tink, tink.

He cautiously moved across the room, his eyes trained on his black pen. It certainly stood out against the blank white walls. So empty…

Bump, tink, bump. Tink, tink. Bump, tink, bump. Tink, tink.

He continued until he reached the lucid, glass window that looked over Dark City. The name said plenty.

Almost distantly, he tapped his pen against the window.

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink.

Heavy rain slapped down upon the ground while heartless scurried under and out of buildings. Some seemed to loathe the rain, while others didn't seem to even notice it. Strange. Did even the heartless have what they didn't? Emotions?

He'd inform Vexen later.

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink.

One could say that the heartless were no better off than we were. After all, Axel certainly hated the rain, while Demyx reveled in it. But then again, perhaps it was just in their nature; their element.

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink.

He turned his stare upwards, and gazed intently at the moon above him. Kingdom Hearts. Their goal. His goal.

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink.

To get a heart again…his heart. But no…not his, Ienzo's. It was Ienzo's heart that was stolen. But was it Zexion's fault, or Ienzo's?

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink.

Listening to his firm beat, he didn't care. But it wasn't in the bad way; he just didn't think it mattered whose fault it was…Everything was fine, and nothing needed…fixing. He was fine.

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink.

His hand paused imperceptibly. Lifting his head slightly, Zexion smelled…earth.

Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Ping, tink, ping. Tink, tink. Knock. Knock.

The pen slowly stilled.

Ping, tink, tink. Knock. Tink, tink, ping. Tink, tink, knock.

It dropped noisily to the floor. The rain let up. He answered the door.

…silence…

Giving an almost bitter smile, Zexion looked up at Lexaeus.

"Superior called for a meeting. I was sent to get you."

Zexion gave a nod, and walked out. The door swung shut quietly.

That constant beat…was soothing, but that was it. Soothing. He was still Zexion, not Ienzo. He was still Number VI of Organization XIII, not the 6th apprentice of Ansem. He was still a nobody, not a somebody. And hearts…

Thump, thump.

…They were things nobodies could only imagine.

Heh...I think I rushed the ending a little bit. The last part may change in the future, cuz I just finished writing it and cuz i was too impatient, I haven't really revised it yet.

Well, feel free to review and give me advice and constructive criticism or whatever. I really need it.

So...I think the next thing I'll post is a Naruto one-shot, the one about deidara that I typed about in my profile, but no promises.

Hope you liked,
Shadown-Walking-Tactician-VI