Fic: The Question [Kingdom Hearts, Fanfic 100, Prompt 048: Diamond]
I was all set to make this more about the actual proposal, but then the other characters stormed in and demanded attention. Never mind- it was fun to write!
Title: The Question
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. In which Zexion decides to propose to Demyx and makes the mistake of assuming asking for advice from his friends might be any help whatsoever.
For what must have been the third time in ten minutes, Zexion drew the small velvet box from his pocket and stared at it as though it held the key to life, the universe and everything. Which was stupid, of course, but a pretty accurate description of how he was feeling right about now. He knew the ring was still inside, there was no way it couldn’t be, it wasn’t as if it would have just evaporated since he last checked, but still, he had to flip open the box again to reassure himself.
Sure enough, it was still there- still simple and silver, still set with the small subtle diamonds that gleamed now and then when they caught the light, Zexion snapped the box shut again, mouth dry and heart pounding heavily. The clock was ticking too loudly in the background. He focused on the coffee table in front of him. What if it wasn’t enough? Demyx was already ten minutes late- nothing unusual there, but his mind was racing. The ring had seemed perfect at the time, but maybe he should have got something bigger, brighter, better? The box was awkward in his numb hand. Didn’t Demyx deserve the best? What if he’d failed him? Would Demyx tell him, laugh at him maybe? Or- worse- would he just make a mental note of it and smile and say nothing?
To say that such trains of thought weren’t Zexion’s strong point would have been an understatement. He preferred logical things: order, systems, science, facts. He’d thought that people could, more or less, be compartmentalised in such a way as well; that if you knew enough basic facts about someone, you could work out their motives and guess their actions, like a predictable system half-way through it’s cycle. Then along had come Demyx and blown that hypothesis not so much out of the water as entirely to smithereens, and then obliterated the remaining fragments for good measure. Demyx, with all his comings and goings as and when he pleased; Demyx with all his good-natured shrugs and “just because”s; Demyx, who- somehow, inexplicably- loved him back.
Still, some of his logical instinct remained. When he’d realised that he wanted- needed- to spend the rest of his life with Demyx, he had came to the conclusion that marriage was the way to go. Of course, about two minutes after that, he’d also come to the conclusion that he had absolutely no idea how to go about bringing up such an issue. And about two minutes after that, he’d come to the third conclusion of asking various friends and acquaintances for their advice.
Which had, of course, ended up being a complete disaster.
After a stunned silence of approximately thirty two seconds (Zexion? Asking for help?), Axel had been the first to speak up, proving once and for all that the smug look in his eyes and his wicked smirk could never mean anything good.
“Could always just propose in bed. He wouldn’t be able to say no afterwards if he’s anything like- ow!”
Roxas, Axel’s “totally-just-in-it-for-the-sex” lover, had slapped the older man around the head, effectively cutting off any potential blackmail material and/or mental scarring of all present. The way he was blushing and hissing something to the red head that sounded suspiciously like a threat to never try any such proposal on him had made Zexion wonder whether the blonde really was “totally-just-in-it-for-the-sex” after all.
Luckily Vexen had been there to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand. Good old Vexen and his sensible ideas.
“As...interesting as Axel’s idea is,” he had sneered, shooting a disdainful look at the other man, who was currently too absorbed in Roxas to even notice, let alone care, “might I suggest a more practical approach? Perhaps you could draw up a list of advantages and disadvantages of marriage- cost, companionship, time, you know the sort of thing- and sit down with him to discuss-”
“Boring!” Xigbar had shouted, punctuating his declaration of what everyone was thinking by slamming his nearly empty glass on the table. “Demyx’d fall asleep before Zex could get to the point! Nah, Zex, it’s gotta be something snappy- you gotta surprise him-”
Yes, Zexion had thought, yes, this could work. Demyx likes surprises-
“- like by jumping out of a cupboard at him!”
Everyone had stopped dead and turned to stare at him- even Axel and Roxas detached themselves from one another for long enough to join in the confusion that Zexion summed up so eloquently.
“Wait- what? What?”
Xigbar, not seeming to notice that everyone was looking at him as though he was crazy, had grinned and continued, “Yeah, just jump out on him, ring box in hand- he totally won’t expect it!”
“That’s because your idea is- to coin a phrase- completely retarded.” Luxord had interrupted, an eyebrow arched at the scarred man.
“Look, it doesn’t have to be a cupboard, OK? I’m just suggesting it ’cause Zex could fit, I mean, look how short-”
“However,” Luxord had cut in again, luckily just in time to stop Zexion adding to Xigbar’s scar collection, “The element of surprise isn’t a complete loss. If I were you, Zexion, I would propose a bet.” Ignoring Roxas’s muttered “That’s your answer to everything”, he had elaborated, “It needn’t be complicated. Perhaps just flip a coin- heads he marries you, tails he doesn’t. and just to ensure that Lady Luck is on your side-” He drew a gold coin from his pocket and held it out towards Zexion. “I’ll let you borrow my double headed coin.”
Zexion had looked from Luxord to the coin and back again before raising an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that technically be me tricking him into marrying me?”
Looking slightly insulted, Luxord had tucked the coin back into his pocket. “Some might argue that flowers and chocolates do the same job, but at least my version is original.”
Resisting the urge to heave a sigh, Zexion had looked around to Larxene, who had cackled nastily and said, “If you’re expecting me to tell you how to stop being useless about the whole thing just because I’m the only girl here, you’re badly mistaken, Zexy.”
“Larxene has a point.” Lexaeus had commented from beside him. When Zexion had looked around with an expression of something like betrayal, the taller man had just shrugged and continued evenly, “Perhaps the best idea is to just follow what feels right for you. I mean, that’s how you decided to propose in the first place, right?”
And so Zexion had ended up firmly back on square one. Damn them all. Especially Lexaeus. He’d long since come to the conclusion that all his other friends and acquaintances were quite possibly certifiably insane, but Lexaeus was supposed to be a voice of reason! Which, if he considered it fully, he had actually been in this situation- “be yourself” was the phrase movies and books propagated so often, right? So to suggest the most obvious course of action seemed to be the most logical answer to the situation, right? Right?
Of course, with those words having become a cliché long before he was even born, they offered him precisely no help at all.
Damn it, Lexaeus.
The sound of a key scraping in the lock startled him back to reality. He just about managed to shove the box back into his pocket and leap to his feet as Demyx entered, dripping wet.
“Hey, Zex.” he offered cheerfully as he shut the door again and dropped his keys on the table. “You wouldn’t believe the weather- this is just from walking from the car!” Shaking his head, he laughed and shed his coat, slinging it over the hook by the door. “Anyways, Xion missed her bus and the next wasn’t for, like, an hour or something stupid, so I gave her a lift home.” He wandered a few steps towards Zexion, scraping wet hair from his face, but then suddenly paused, frowning slightly. “You OK, Zex?”
With a jolt, Zexion realised that he’d been watching Demyx with an expression that he hoped was less guilty than he expected it was. His heart was hammering against his ribs. His mouth felt like a desert.
“I- yes, Demyx. E-everything’s...fine.”
Suddenly, Xigbar’s idea about hiding in a cupboard didn’t seem so ridiculous. In fact, it seemed like a very good plan. Provided he drop the part about ever leaving it.
He knew it wasn’t really an option. Demyx’s deepening confusion aside, he was taller than Xigbar gave him credit for.
“Are you sure? I mean, you look kinda...” Demyx considered it for a moment as he drew a bit closer, before shrugging. “I dunno.”
It was then that Zexion realised he still had his hand in his pocket, gripping the ring box as tightly as he could. He looked at Demyx, really looked at him, and was already closing the gap between them before he’d really registered that it was now or never.
“Demyx.” he said, causing the taller man to raise his eyebrows. He pulled his hand from his pocket as the other caught Demyx’s, saying as he did so, “There’s something I need to ask.”
He dropped to one knee.
Title: The Question
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. In which Zexion decides to propose to Demyx and makes the mistake of assuming asking for advice from his friends might be any help whatsoever.
For what must have been the third time in ten minutes, Zexion drew the small velvet box from his pocket and stared at it as though it held the key to life, the universe and everything. Which was stupid, of course, but a pretty accurate description of how he was feeling right about now. He knew the ring was still inside, there was no way it couldn’t be, it wasn’t as if it would have just evaporated since he last checked, but still, he had to flip open the box again to reassure himself.
Sure enough, it was still there- still simple and silver, still set with the small subtle diamonds that gleamed now and then when they caught the light, Zexion snapped the box shut again, mouth dry and heart pounding heavily. The clock was ticking too loudly in the background. He focused on the coffee table in front of him. What if it wasn’t enough? Demyx was already ten minutes late- nothing unusual there, but his mind was racing. The ring had seemed perfect at the time, but maybe he should have got something bigger, brighter, better? The box was awkward in his numb hand. Didn’t Demyx deserve the best? What if he’d failed him? Would Demyx tell him, laugh at him maybe? Or- worse- would he just make a mental note of it and smile and say nothing?
To say that such trains of thought weren’t Zexion’s strong point would have been an understatement. He preferred logical things: order, systems, science, facts. He’d thought that people could, more or less, be compartmentalised in such a way as well; that if you knew enough basic facts about someone, you could work out their motives and guess their actions, like a predictable system half-way through it’s cycle. Then along had come Demyx and blown that hypothesis not so much out of the water as entirely to smithereens, and then obliterated the remaining fragments for good measure. Demyx, with all his comings and goings as and when he pleased; Demyx with all his good-natured shrugs and “just because”s; Demyx, who- somehow, inexplicably- loved him back.
Still, some of his logical instinct remained. When he’d realised that he wanted- needed- to spend the rest of his life with Demyx, he had came to the conclusion that marriage was the way to go. Of course, about two minutes after that, he’d also come to the conclusion that he had absolutely no idea how to go about bringing up such an issue. And about two minutes after that, he’d come to the third conclusion of asking various friends and acquaintances for their advice.
Which had, of course, ended up being a complete disaster.
After a stunned silence of approximately thirty two seconds (Zexion? Asking for help?), Axel had been the first to speak up, proving once and for all that the smug look in his eyes and his wicked smirk could never mean anything good.
“Could always just propose in bed. He wouldn’t be able to say no afterwards if he’s anything like- ow!”
Roxas, Axel’s “totally-just-in-it-for-the-sex” lover, had slapped the older man around the head, effectively cutting off any potential blackmail material and/or mental scarring of all present. The way he was blushing and hissing something to the red head that sounded suspiciously like a threat to never try any such proposal on him had made Zexion wonder whether the blonde really was “totally-just-in-it-for-the-sex” after all.
Luckily Vexen had been there to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand. Good old Vexen and his sensible ideas.
“As...interesting as Axel’s idea is,” he had sneered, shooting a disdainful look at the other man, who was currently too absorbed in Roxas to even notice, let alone care, “might I suggest a more practical approach? Perhaps you could draw up a list of advantages and disadvantages of marriage- cost, companionship, time, you know the sort of thing- and sit down with him to discuss-”
“Boring!” Xigbar had shouted, punctuating his declaration of what everyone was thinking by slamming his nearly empty glass on the table. “Demyx’d fall asleep before Zex could get to the point! Nah, Zex, it’s gotta be something snappy- you gotta surprise him-”
Yes, Zexion had thought, yes, this could work. Demyx likes surprises-
“- like by jumping out of a cupboard at him!”
Everyone had stopped dead and turned to stare at him- even Axel and Roxas detached themselves from one another for long enough to join in the confusion that Zexion summed up so eloquently.
“Wait- what? What?”
Xigbar, not seeming to notice that everyone was looking at him as though he was crazy, had grinned and continued, “Yeah, just jump out on him, ring box in hand- he totally won’t expect it!”
“That’s because your idea is- to coin a phrase- completely retarded.” Luxord had interrupted, an eyebrow arched at the scarred man.
“Look, it doesn’t have to be a cupboard, OK? I’m just suggesting it ’cause Zex could fit, I mean, look how short-”
“However,” Luxord had cut in again, luckily just in time to stop Zexion adding to Xigbar’s scar collection, “The element of surprise isn’t a complete loss. If I were you, Zexion, I would propose a bet.” Ignoring Roxas’s muttered “That’s your answer to everything”, he had elaborated, “It needn’t be complicated. Perhaps just flip a coin- heads he marries you, tails he doesn’t. and just to ensure that Lady Luck is on your side-” He drew a gold coin from his pocket and held it out towards Zexion. “I’ll let you borrow my double headed coin.”
Zexion had looked from Luxord to the coin and back again before raising an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that technically be me tricking him into marrying me?”
Looking slightly insulted, Luxord had tucked the coin back into his pocket. “Some might argue that flowers and chocolates do the same job, but at least my version is original.”
Resisting the urge to heave a sigh, Zexion had looked around to Larxene, who had cackled nastily and said, “If you’re expecting me to tell you how to stop being useless about the whole thing just because I’m the only girl here, you’re badly mistaken, Zexy.”
“Larxene has a point.” Lexaeus had commented from beside him. When Zexion had looked around with an expression of something like betrayal, the taller man had just shrugged and continued evenly, “Perhaps the best idea is to just follow what feels right for you. I mean, that’s how you decided to propose in the first place, right?”
And so Zexion had ended up firmly back on square one. Damn them all. Especially Lexaeus. He’d long since come to the conclusion that all his other friends and acquaintances were quite possibly certifiably insane, but Lexaeus was supposed to be a voice of reason! Which, if he considered it fully, he had actually been in this situation- “be yourself” was the phrase movies and books propagated so often, right? So to suggest the most obvious course of action seemed to be the most logical answer to the situation, right? Right?
Of course, with those words having become a cliché long before he was even born, they offered him precisely no help at all.
Damn it, Lexaeus.
The sound of a key scraping in the lock startled him back to reality. He just about managed to shove the box back into his pocket and leap to his feet as Demyx entered, dripping wet.
“Hey, Zex.” he offered cheerfully as he shut the door again and dropped his keys on the table. “You wouldn’t believe the weather- this is just from walking from the car!” Shaking his head, he laughed and shed his coat, slinging it over the hook by the door. “Anyways, Xion missed her bus and the next wasn’t for, like, an hour or something stupid, so I gave her a lift home.” He wandered a few steps towards Zexion, scraping wet hair from his face, but then suddenly paused, frowning slightly. “You OK, Zex?”
With a jolt, Zexion realised that he’d been watching Demyx with an expression that he hoped was less guilty than he expected it was. His heart was hammering against his ribs. His mouth felt like a desert.
“I- yes, Demyx. E-everything’s...fine.”
Suddenly, Xigbar’s idea about hiding in a cupboard didn’t seem so ridiculous. In fact, it seemed like a very good plan. Provided he drop the part about ever leaving it.
He knew it wasn’t really an option. Demyx’s deepening confusion aside, he was taller than Xigbar gave him credit for.
“Are you sure? I mean, you look kinda...” Demyx considered it for a moment as he drew a bit closer, before shrugging. “I dunno.”
It was then that Zexion realised he still had his hand in his pocket, gripping the ring box as tightly as he could. He looked at Demyx, really looked at him, and was already closing the gap between them before he’d really registered that it was now or never.
“Demyx.” he said, causing the taller man to raise his eyebrows. He pulled his hand from his pocket as the other caught Demyx’s, saying as he did so, “There’s something I need to ask.”
He dropped to one knee.