Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all related characters are property of Square Enix and Disney.

Note(s): I still don't like the ending of this, bleh. It's basically a little oneshot that I whipped up when there was a debate about the "Zemyx" pairing over on LJ. (I think I involuntarily started this pairing when I posted "Smile", oops?) Anyways, people were complaining that the pairing made no sense, that the characters had nothing in common, and so on. 'Course, they - along with a good majority of the people who ship this pairing - forgot one thing: both Demyx and Zexion are horrendously manipulative in their own way...

The Deliberations of Bromine Azide
by The Eleventh End

'The product formed by mixing these chemical reactants together can be utilized for...'

Zexion paused, glancing between the two containers placed in front of him. One was a beaker filled with a red-brown liquid concentration of bromine. The other, a test tube, held a small quantity of sodium azide. Tapping the pen against the clipboard in his left hand, he looked back to his notes, a puzzled frown forming on his visage.

'...a purpose that has yet to be determined.'

The frown quickly became a rather devious smirk as Zexion set the pen and clipboard aside. He turned to the lab equipment he had set up, adjusting his safety goggles and air filter before reaching for a pair of tongs. He was relatively sure that this was a haphazard way of combining the chemicals and would no doubt result in some sort of disaster, but the notion failed to bother him at the moment.

Taking a reserved breath (he dared not to take a deep one, as the odor of the bromine was overpowering to his sensitive nose even with the filter on), Zexion used the tongs to lift up the beaker containing the bromine from the stand that it had rested on. He took a few seconds to still his hands before positioning it over the test tube of sodium azide, preparing to pour the contents of the beaker into the other receptacle.

It was a process that took extreme care and dexterity. One simple error could cause mass destruction. The pressure was immense; Zexion could feel a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead, slipping beneath the goggles. He blinked as it came dangerously close to his right eye, squinting with concentration. He couldn't afford to make a mistake. If he were to do so, the unthinkable could-

"Hey, Zexion!"

A startled gasp left him, and before he could stop himself, his fingers had slackened their hold on the tongs. He managed to leap back just as the beaker shattered on the tile flooring, splashing the bromine in every direction.

Scowling, Zexion rounded on the intruder, his expression not diminishing in the slightest when he saw that it was IX. In fact, his look became much more nastier. "Demyx, what have I told you about teleporting into the laboratory when there is a notice on the door which clearly states that there are dangerous chemicals being handled inside?"

The blond crossed his arms, though he coughed as the smell of the chemical reached him. "Well, if I'm teleporting here, I can't exactly read the sign on the door, can I?" he answered with a grin.

Zexion chose not to reply, instead gesturing towards the exit. His patience was waning thin; he just wasn't in the mood to deal with the boisterous Nobody. "I advise that you leave now so that I can clean this up."

"I don't think so!" Demyx chirped, stifling another cough, "I have a... a proposition for you!"

Zexion's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the other man. Upon realizing that Demyx had no intention of obeying, he exhaled heavily and walked over to one of the many cabinets in the room. After searching around for a minute or two, he extracted another air filter, which he handed to Demyx. "Put this on so that you do not inhale the vapors," he instructed, "They're quite toxic."

For once, IX did as he was told, having to fumble with the filter before he secured it correctly. Having done so, he looked back at Zexion. "Does the Superior know that you're down here playing with your chemistry set?"

"I am hardly playing," Zexion hissed, glaring at the taller Nobody, "I am attempting to mix extremely potent chemicals together. I would have succeeded, too, had you not barged in and caused this mess."

Demyx waved a hand dismissively, leaning against one of the lab tables. "And how is this helping us get our hearts back?" he quipped innocently.

Zexion's scowl reappeared, and he quickly turned away from the other. "I believe you mentioned a proposition," he said, changing the subject, "Why don't you explain it to me so that you can be on your way?"

"Fine, fine," the blond replied, "How would you like to go on a wonderful, exciting mission instead of having to play around in the labs?"

VI paused in the act of opening a cupboard of cleaning supplies. This wasn't the first time the most recent addition to the Organization had tried to worm his way out of his duties by pawning them off to someone else. It was only logical that he would eventually be the target. "I cannot say that I would enjoy it in the slightest," he responded, not bothering to face Demyx, "Why is it that you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Demyx said airily, "I've just been assigned a mission to this amazing place called Notre Dame, and for some reason, it struck me as somewhere that you'd have a lot of fun. Why send me when you could go instead, hm?"

Zexion resisted the urge to roll his eyes, though the name of the world certainly piqued his interest. "If the Superior has elected to send you there, he has a reason behind such actions. I'm afraid that I have no desire to venture to another world at the moment."

IX pouted, walking over to where Zexion was. "Oh, c'mon! Why wouldn't you want to go somewhere else and use your crazy mind powers to wreck havoc? Isn't that what you guys do?"

Sensing the blond behind him, Zexion ceased his search for the proper cleaning supplies. "You truly have no concept of this Organization if that is what our methods are to you. We do not simply 'wreck havoc,' though certainly Numbers II, VII, and VIII are talented in that area. Our goal is not to destroy, but to manipulate," Zexion explained without looking at the other. His forbearance with the neophytes' attitudes was gradually diminishing, and Demyx wasn't helping to reaffirm anything positive about them.

"Manipulate, right," the taller Nobody echoed, "Well, as I was saying, this mission is perfect for you. It'll, um... utilize your powers to the fullest, and... er..."

"Here's a proposition for you," Zexion interrupted while he tilted his head so that he could see Demyx's face. Once he was sure he had his companion's attention, he continued. "Amuse yourself by dipping your bare finger in the bromine, just to see what happens."

Demyx frowned down at him, feigning a look of hurt. "How stupid do you think I am? It'll probably give me warts or something."

"Actually, bromine is corrosive to human flesh," Zexion replied with another smirk, "While we may not be human, we have retained a human form, and therefore our flesh is just as susceptible to chemical corrosion as theirs."

The lab was silent as Demyx pondered that; only the dull buzzing from the electric current in the lights above could be heard. Zexion sighed and returned to the cabinet, shuffling through mops, brooms and bottles of ammonia without finding what he was looking for. 'Where did Vexen put the-?'

Without warning, a hand suddenly placed itself on the small of his back, and then Demyx was leaning over him, his other hand braced on the cupboard door. Zexion froze, fingers closed around a broom handle. IX was all but pressing against his side, a mischievous grin gracing his lips.

Zexion shifted slightly, mostly due to the change of attitude that Demyx displayed rather than any sort of discomfort. Nonetheless, he glowered at the blond. "Have you completely lost your-?"

"And what else is our 'flesh' susceptible to?"

Neither of them said anything for a minute, each trying to stare down the other. Demyx's gaze was amused, and from what the shorter of the two could tell, he was extremely pleased with himself for doing something that surprised a 'superior' member.

"What exactly are you implying?" Zexion eventually questioned in a mistrustful tone, regarding the other as neutrally as he could. His fingers tightened minimally on the broom; as to why, he was unsure.

"Nothing at all," Demyx drawled, lingering against him before stepping away. He went to lean against the lab table again, acting as if nothing had happened. "So, the mission. You want it or not?"

Zexion straightened back up, ignoring the loss of warmth and pressure as he turned to Demyx with wary eyes. He had never seen the pacifistic Nobody be so... assertive. "I will have to decline, unfortunately," he stated, letting his fingers relax around the broom handle, "Perhaps another time." Of course, he doubted it.

Demyx seemed to doubt it as well, but he nevertheless shrugged. "Yeah, another time," he said with a huff, "Maybe... you'll tag along with me?"

Zexion watched as the other stretched, deciding that the inquiry did not require an answer. The thought was ridiculous; Demyx was frustrating enough on a day-to-day basis. The idea of working with him to complete a mission was unthinkable.

"Well, I'd better head out," the blond spoke up, striding over to the door, "If... what's his name? Saïx, right? If he finds out I'm still here, he'll skin me alive."

"I would not be surprised if he did just that," Zexion replied mildly. He refrained from returning Demyx's cheerful wave, simply nodding to IX as he left the laboratory (thankfully using the door this time).

Once he was alone, Zexion shook his head, turning his attention to the spilled bromine that had yet to be attended to. Readjusting his goggles, he went back to the cabinet and prepared to dig through it once more, all the while replaying the encounter in his head. Amidst a struggle against a tangle of mops and miscellaneous chemical cleansers, he dwelled briefly on Demyx's display of coquerty, and once again, the smirk appeared on his lips.

'...I believe he knows more about what our flesh is susceptible to than he lets on.'