Day 4

Today was a pretty much useless day- I got to work with that tall Axel kid.  I don't really know what to make of him yet.  Honestly, I don't really care.  He's just... odd, somehow.  There is something different about him.  We do both have red hair, but his is a little more fiery red than mine.  Mine is more orange.

Axel helped me get used to my weapon a little more, but in a "I'd much rather be somewhere else" manner.  I couldn't blame him, eliminating Heartless in Twilight Town wasn't my favorite past time, either.

I carried out what he said do to until he told me it was time to RTC, or return to the castle.  Axel let me go ahead and leave, saying that he had to be somewhere.  Where could he possibly be going?

When I returned to the castle, Zexion was waiting for me.

"Can you... come into my room for a second?" he asked sheepishly.

"Uh... sure." I replied, following him to his room.

Zexion's room looked almost the same as mine, despite the bookshelves he had. 

"You like reading?" I asked.

"Yeah... it gives me a chance to escape from the crazy bastards we've got around here." Zexion answered, slumping down on his bed.

I laughed. "I never thought of it that way."

"Yes, well, anyway, I should tell you why you're here." he said, brushing off my last comment as if it were a speck of dust. "Xemnas has assinged you to be my... protege for a while."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh. He said I'd be a good mentor because 'all I do is sit and read my dumb books all time' apparently." Zexion said, making air quotes with his gloved fingers.

"Well, reading isn't a bad thing." I offered, taking a seat next to him on his bed.

"No, it isn't.  But Xemnas thinks so.  What Xemnas says, goes." he sighed, staring at his bedside table.

"That's not fair!"

"He is our superior."

"So?  Xemnas doesn't have the right to make you stop reading.  It's like how I don't have the right to make a bird stop singing just because I feel like it!" I exclaimed in an exasperated tone.

Zexion snorted. "Why should you care?  I don't understand why you should care about things that aren't your business."

I put a hand on Zexion's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.  "Zexion, I care because I can.  I care because no one else will."

"Really?  I don't get how that would work."

"Well... Think about it.  If Xemnas told you that you could never read a single word from one your books again, then what would you do?" I asked desperately.

"I'd be angry with him."

"Would you let him do that to you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because books are my safe haven- my sweet escape.  I don't want to live without them."

"That's how I feel about you." I explained.

"Y-you can't live without me?" Zexion stammered.

"I could... but it would be hard.  You are my only reason to not summon up my weapon use it to take myself out of this world."

Zexion stared at me with an expression of shock on his face. "That's unbelieveable."

"Believe it." I told him.

I closed my eyes and leaned into him, my mouth meeting with his with one quick movement.  Although my eyes were shut, I could see his surprised face clearly.  I let my lips linger on his for a moment, until I parted them and moved away.

"Wha-what was that?!" Zexion demanded.

"A kiss.  Ever heard of it, silly?" I joked, touching his nose briefly with my index finger.

"Yeah, in my books." Zexion reliped bashfully as a blush formed across his pale cheeks.

I giggled a little. "You can't depend on books for everything, you know."

"I know..." he answered.

"Oh, now you know," I chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"It's cute how dependent you are on those books."

"Cute?"

"Yes."

"You think I'm cute?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"Well..." Zexion tralied off.

"What?  You don't think you're cute?" I inquired jokingly.

"No, it's just....I think you're a little cute." he answered, as if his tongue was playing with the words.

I smiled in a goofy way, trying to keep the feeling of euphoria down.  Zexion thought I was cute!  He really thought that the new, purple-eyed me was cute!

"Awww, really?" I asked, not able to expel the grin from my face.

"Yes." Zexion stated, taking a long, serious look into my bright eyes.

This time, Zexion was the one who kissed me.  His lips were warm and soft as they moved against mine.  I wanted the moment to last forever-Zexion and I pressed against each other as we shared our first real kiss.  When our lips left each other, I felt strangely accomplished.  He looked back at me, his eyes almost seeming to plead for more.  We would have kissed again, but we didn't, upon hearing Saix cry, "LIGHTS OUT" from the grey room.

"See you tomorrow, sensei." I said with a wink as I sprang from the bed.

"O-of course!" he stammered, the adorable blush returning to his face.

As I made my way back to my bedroom, the only thought in my head was Zexion, Zexion, Zexion.  I fell onto my bed and thought of him for the entire rest of the night.