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Being part of this whole Organization thing was pretty sucky for lots of reasons. The work was hard, the people were rude, and there was no music anywhere. But one of the things that bugged Demyx the most was that no one ever let him get close.
He tried Zexion first. He was close enough in age and wasn’t big enough to be scary. So, one morning, Demyx headed over to Zexion’s spot on the couch, plopped down next to him, and leaned his head against his shoulder—
“Ow!”
Zexion raised his book in a silent threat of smacking Demyx’s head a second time. “Do not do that again,” Zexion said, prodding Demyx with the corner of the book, “or you will have more than just my wrath to face.”
“What the heck does that mean…?” Demyx trailed off as he followed Zexion’s gaze to see Lexaeus glowering down at him. Lexaeus cracked his knuckles.
Demyx bolted as fast as he could.
His next attempt was Axel. Axel was chill enough to not try to kill him (probably), and they were kinda-sorta friends, so maybe he wouldn’t mind? But as soon as Demyx wrapped an arm around Axel’s waist to try for a hug, Axel slunk out of his grasp.
“Sorry, bud,” Axel said, smoothing out his coat. “It’s not that you’re not attractive, but I’m not interested.”
“Huh?” Demyx said. “Neither am I.”
“Sure,” Axel said with his typical sarcasm that got pretty damn annoying at times like this. “Next time try hitting on someone who’s not taken.”
“I told you, I wasn’t—wait, taken?”
Trying to pester Axel into admitting which of the other weirdos he was seeing kept Demyx occupied for a bit, but he lost interest soon enough. He tried to figure out who else might be down to cuddle, but before he could pick a target, one approached him.
“Hey, Dem,” Xigbar said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
“Xiggy!” Demyx said, leaning in closer as Xigbar’s hand slid up and his arm. Why didn’t he think of him before?
“Heard you’re looking for some action,” Xigbar said with a smirk as he moved his arm to Demyx’s hips.
“Sure, if you wanna call it that, I guess,” Demyx said, pressing up against Xigbar’s side and nuzzling against his neck.
Xigbar tipped his head closer and his grin widened. “Why don’t we head back to my room so we can get as close as you’d like—?”
Demyx yelped when Xigbar’s hand touched his ass. “Woah—hey—” he blurted as he backed away as quickly as he could. “That’s not what I meant!”
“C’mon, what’s the problem?” Xigbar said, stepping back in anyway. “Don’t tell me I’m too old for you?”
“No, you’re too horny!” Demyx said before running off again. Man, if he’d known his little side mission was going to end up in so much exercise, he might have reconsidered the whole thing.
Demyx rounded another corner, and he smacked right into a wall. “Ow,” he whined, rubbing his nose…
It wasn’t a wall. It was Lexaeus.
Demyx squeaked and jolted away. “I-I didn’t mean to touch you,” he babbled. “It was an accident. Please don’t hurt me! I’ll never go near Zexion again, I swear.”
Lexaeus stared down at him in that scary way of his. Then he sighed. “It’s fine,” Lexaeus said in a voice so gruff that it was hard to believe his words.
“…It is?”
Lexaeus nodded.
Demyx sighed in relief. “Phew. These past few days have been crazy, man. I’m all freaked out.”
Of course, Lexaeus didn’t offer any words of encouragement. It was foolish of Demyx to think he would. But then, as Lexaeus turned to go, something unexpected happened. He patted Demyx’s head and ruffled his hair.
Demyx gaped at him. He raised a hand to his head where Lexaeus had touched him. And he giggled.
Lexaeus turned back toward him, brow furrowed in confusion.
“Where did that come from?” Demyx asked. “I thought you were supposed to be some super scary beast, but that was, like, sweet.” He smiled to himself. “Why can’t you be like that all the time?”
Frowning, Lexaeus left again, and not even Demyx’s begging could get him to stay.
Now that Demyx had been abandoned yet again, he groaned and slouched against the wall. Just when he thought he’d found his salvation in the least likely of places, his hopes were crushed all over again. What a crappy day.
After snagging some food from the kitchen, Demyx returned to his room to sulk for the rest of the night. He tried hugging one of his pillows, but it just wasn’t the same. He groaned and flopped back onto his bed, praying for the mattress to swallow him up.
Someone knocked on the door, which was weird for a couple of reasons. One, no one ever visited Demyx, unless it was Saïx chewing him out for another half-completed report. And two, Saïx never knocked. He just barged right in through the darkness.
“Come in?” Demyx said so nervously it came out like a question.
He sure wasn’t expecting to see Lexaeus.
Demyx sat right up. “I, uh, did you change your mind about killing me? Please don’t, I’ll leave you alone, I promise!”
Lexaeus held up a hand to stop him, and Demyx instinctively flinched away. But there was no incoming slap. Instead, Lexaeus sat down on the bed beside him.
Demyx stared. “Uh.”
Neither of them moved for a moment, until Lexaeus extended his arm. And waited.
“What’re you doing?”
Lexaeus kept waiting. His arm hovered just far enough away from Demyx’s shoulders to not make contact, but if Demyx were to move slightly, he’d instantly be wrapped in a side hug… “Wait, are you for real?”
Again, Lexaeus nodded.
Maybe it was reckless. Maybe it was a trap. But Demyx couldn’t resist. He dove right in and wrapped both arms around Lexaeus. For as frightening as his giant muscles were, they made for a whole lot of space for hugging, and Demyx sunk into him with a sigh. “Oh, man,” Demyx muttered, “thank you.”
Lexaeus held him firmly, his broad hand keeping him nice and snug against his chest. When he wrapped his other arm around Demyx, Demyx had never felt safer or comfier in the half-year he’d been in the castle.
“Man,” Demyx said as he tucked his legs in, “I should’ve known you’d give great hugs.”
And Lexaeus actually smiled. Guess he was enjoying it.
Good, because Demyx sure was.