Roxas groaned and flopped onto his bed. He'd been on heart collection at beast's castle and ran into a bunch of deserters.

Damned heartless…why can't they just stay still? A sigh followed as he closed his eyes and nuzzled into his pillow. Sleep was about to take him, but he heard someone running in the hallway. He stared at his still open door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the commotion.

Unfourtunately, Roxas got more than a glimpse.

Someone ran into his room and dove under his bed. It happened so fast, he didn't even see who it was. The blonde shuffled to the edge of his bed, swinging his head down to look under it. He met eyes with an upside down and fearful looking Zexion. The shorter raised an eyebrow. The bluenette put a finger to his own lips.

"Shhh." He pointed to the doorframe. Roxas, eyebrow still raised in epic confusion, stood up and poked out his head just in time to see Larxene round the corner. She ran to him.

"Hey there, Roxas." She said in a sickly sweet voice that didn't match the sadistic smile on her face. "You seen Zexion around here?" Roxas looked down at her hands. She was holding rope and duct tape in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other. Roxas smiled.

"Yeah. He ran right past here."

"Which way?"

"He went thattaway." Roxas said, pointing down the opposite way that Larxene had come. Her sadistic smile grew.

"Oh did he now?" Larxene walked in the direction Roxas had pointed, chuckling evilly. Roxas shut and locked his door.

"She's gone, you can come out now." Zexion peered out from under the bed before moving so his upper body was out from under the piece of furniture. He sighed.

"Um…XIII?"

"Uh huh?"

"…Stuck…" Roxas's eyebrows shot up. He tried to suppress a laugh, failing horribly.

"How'd you get under it, then?"

"It's easier to get into things than it is to get out of them." Another laugh.

"So you need my help?" Zexion sighed again.

"…Yes, XIII, I need your help." Roxas smile grew a tad bit sadistic.

"And what do I get?" Zexion rolled his eyes.

"Evil, evil child. I'll give you blackmail on any of the Members."

"Any of the Members? Including yourself?"

"…Yes, even myself." The smile became a cocky smirk. He reached down and grabbed Zexion's hands. He yanked on the bluenette's arms. He didn't move. Another few yanks, and the taller was still stuck. Roxas grunted and braced a foot against the backboard of the bed. He pulled hard.

Perhaps a bit too hard.

Zexion popped out from under the bed and landed upside down, head and upper back on the floor, lower back and legs against the wall. Roxas landed the opposite way, upper body against the wall, lower body on the floor. He laughed and stood, offering a hand to Zexion.

"Let's do that again!" Zexion grabbed the hand and pulled himself right side up again, feet now safely on the floor.

"I assure you that was only fun for one of us." He brushed his coat off and Roxas sighed at his superior's usual pole-up-the-ass-ness.

"So why was she chasing you?" At this Zexion shivered, making sure to control it so Roxas didn't see.

"It wasn't just her, it was Xigbar and Marluxia, too."

"Okay, why were they chasing you?" He sighed and sat on the bed.

"They wanted to cut my bangs off." Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'that's it'? I wear my hair like this for a reason, XIII."

"And what reason is that?"

"A reason that is my business, and none of yours." Zexion said, glaring. Roxas groaned before regaining his previous sadistic smile. He walked to his desk drawer and pulled out a small pair of scissors. He opened and closed them menacingly.

"I could always just find out for myself." The bluenette's eyes widened.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"You demented, sadistic, cruel little boy."

"Heh, you're younger than me."

"And obviously more mature!" Roxas walked forward still snipping air with the scissors. Zexion moved back. Eventually he hit the door and fumbled with the knob, only to realize that Roxas had locked it. He internally cursed. He was trapped. Roxas, still smirking, grabbed his superior's forearm and threw him onto the bed. He landed on his wrist, uttering a pain induced yelp before he was being pinned underneath the blonde. He looked up at Roxas, seeing nothing but bad intentions.

"Now, let's see what you're hiding." Zexion's breathing became more shallow. He squirmed in vain under the blonde's weight. The scissors came closer to his face. He tried to turn his head, but Roxas grabbed his chin. The sharp steel caught a few locks in its' clutches and started to close. Then Zexion did the most uncharacteristic thing anyone could thing of.

He cried.

"Roxas, don't! Please, just don't! I don't want anyone to see it!" Roxas heard the pleading. He saw the tears trailing his superior's face. The blonde immediately dropped the scissors to the floor. What the hell was he doing? This was his friend he'd just made cry! He got off of the bluenette, sitting next to the now shaking form.

"I…I'm sorry, VI, I dunno what came over me…Are you okay?" Zexion curled in on himself and shook his head. Roxas felt a twang of pain in his chest. Was that…guilt? He didn't know what to do. His friend was crying. So he did the first thing that came to mind. He hugged him tight. Zexion looked up at him. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean it, I swear. I didn't know you'd freak out like that." The bluenette rubbed at his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"I'm…okay…" Roxas shook his head.

"No you're not." He hugged the Zexion tighter. "You're hurting." Zexion sniffed.

"I'm okay…I swear."

"…Fine, if you're sure." He released the bluenette from his grip. "Why did you freak out, anyway?" Zexion took deep breaths to calm himself.

"Normally I wouldn't care…"

"I know that. What made today different?"

"…I lost my color contacts." Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"Color contacts?" He'd always thought that Zexion's midnight blue eyes were natural. "So your eyes aren't naturally that color?"

"No, they are…sort of." Another sigh. "See for yourself." He lifted his bangs away from his eye. Roxas gasped.

His left eye was the lovely blue he'd gotten used to. But the right one was a silver-ish gray color.

"…Two different colored eyes…" Zexion scoffed.

"Exactly. I'd do anything to be rid of it."

"Why?"

"Remember the picture I showed you?" Roxas thought back to the picture he'd been shown. It was part of the explanation of Zexion's past. In the photo was Ansem the Wise, Braig, Dilan, Aeleus, Even, Xehenort, and Ienzo. Ienzo was the youngest, and much shorter than the other six men.

He was also Zexion's somebody.

They looked alike except for Ienzo's silver hair and… Roxas facepalmed himself for not realizing it sooner. Ienzo had gray eyes. Zexion wiped his eyes on his sleeve and let out a humorless chuckle. "Well, look at that. It seems even Nobodies like us have their fair share of tears to shed." Roxas shook his head.

"But why does it bother you?"

"You of all people should know. You know my past. The two years spent as an apprentice were the best of my short life, but before then…so much pain and suffering…I just want to forget." He covered his left eye with his hand so that only the silver one was visible. "And this prevents me from doing so." Roxas nodded.

"But why hide it?"

"…Shame, I suppose. Or perhaps I didn't want to influence the memories of I through V. I've hid it for a very long time." Zexion's hand fell back into his lap. He stared at them. The blonde patted his shoulder and smiled happily.

"Makes you feel any better, I think that looks badass."

"Badass? Who taught you that word?" He shrugged.

"Axel." Zexion rolled his eyes.

"Of course."

"But still, your eyes look cool like that. And besides, you can't change your past. Hell, at least you can remember your past. I got nothin', good or bad."

"I don't think you are missing much."

"I'm missing my old family and friends. If you had the choice of keeping all of your past or losing it all, which would you choose?" The response was almost instantaneous.

"Keep it."

"And why is that if you hate it so much?"

"…Ansem. And Even and Aeleus."

"They gave you something to live for in the darkness. Just find that again. Before you know it, all the bad memories will be replaced with good ones." Zexion just stared at the blonde.

"…Have you been reading Chicken Soup for the Soul again?"

"Noooo…" He put his hands behind his back and whistled innocently. Zexion chuckled quietly, standing up.

"You are a terrible liar." Roxas laughed.

"Eh, fair enough. The point is, just find someone or something that makes you remember happiness." The bluenette smiled.

"I believe I already have. Thank you, Roxas." Roxas smiled back earnestly.

"Anything for a friend." Zexion walked to the door and unlocked it. He opened it and began to step outside. "Hey, Zexion." He raised an eyebrow and turned to look over his shoulder at the blonde boy.

"Yes?" He dawned a devious smirk.

"You still have to give me dirt on Axel." Zexion laughed soundlessly.

"I suppose I do. But for now, let's just say…how do you put it? 'I owe you one.'"

"Okay then. I'm gonna hold you against that!"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

.o.O.o.

The next day, Roxas walked into the Dining Hall with a yawn. He had overslept. The hall was empty, just as he'd expected. No one eats breakfast at 10:45am, after all. With a sigh, he walked to the kitchen, not really expecting to find anything already prepared. Axel and Lexaeus usually ate the leftovers after everyone had eaten their fill. Lexaeus was understandable, considering his build. Axel on the other hand…he either had a very high metabolism, or he was anorexic. The blonde pushed open the double doors to the kitchen. He peered around, eyes immediately resting on someone standing in front of a stove. He got closer and smelled vanilla and cinnamon. He could also see that whoever was cooking had…slate colored hair.

Oh crap.

The tapped the bluenette's shoulder, who was staring down at the pan in front of him intently.

"Hmm?" He turned his head. "Oh, XIII, good morning. You have great timing, I was about to bring something up to you." Roxas's eyes widened. Zexion's bangs was pulled back with two hair pins, revealing a shining silver iris. He also couldn't help but notice that the bluenette was wearing the apron part of the maid's outfit. And diving deeper still, he was coated with white powder from head to toe. He smiled.

"You're a mess." He turned pack to his pan and plate.

"It's powdered sugar."

"Okay, how did you get sugar-coated?"

"Making these." He turned back to the blonde and handed him a plate with two very thick pieces of French Toast coated with the powdered sugar that also lined Zexion, drizzled with maple syrup, topped with whipped cream and a strawberry. Roxas was speechless.

"You can cook?"

"Apparently so." He pointed to a cookbook. "I just followed one of Even's old recipies."

"…Vexen could cook?"

"Well, he could, I'm not sure whether or not he still can." He smiled appreciatively at the bluenette.

"And how'd you know I liked it with syrup and cream and strawberries?" Zexion chuckled.

"I didn't. That's how I liked it when Even used to make it." Another smile.

"Thanks, Zexion."

"No need to thank me. It wouldn't be very nice of me to leave you to your duties not only without breakfast, but sleep deprived of my own fault, now would it?"

"Ha, probably not."

"Probably?"

"Fine, definitely not." The blonde laughed. "…And what about your eye?"

"Don't get used to my temporary change in style. I just figured I would show everyone and be done with it. But I find the pins to be rather…itchy. I prefer having my bangs hanging in my face."

"And the color?"

"Well, I still can't find my contacts, so until then I don't have a choice." Roxas smiled again. Zexion also smirked a bit. "So, do I still look badass?" The blonde tried to hold back a set of gut wrenching hysterics, failing miserably. When he calmed down, he looked at Zexion's now confused face.

"About as badass as an eleven year old can get." Zexion just smiled. Roxas smirked. "Wait here." Roxas opened a corridor of darkness and left, returning a moment later. He reached up, pulled the hair pin out of Zexion's hair, and replaced it with something else. He let his hands drop and smiled widely. "Much better." Zexion raised an eyebrow and felt where the new pin was. His eyes widened. He didn't feel cold metal.

Instead, his fingers brushed over fabric.

"You didn't…"

"I did." Zexion glared at the blonde, who gulped. "That's my cue to run." And off Roxas sped. Zexion sighed before a revelation hit.

"…Why does he even have this?"

.o.O.o.

A/N- A cookie to the first reader who can figure out what Roxas put in Zexion's hair and review about it.