Word Count: 1366
Genre: Drama, Romance
Ships?: Zexion/Tony Stark
→Friendships?: Brief Tony&Pepper
Characters: Zexion, Tony, Pepper
→Mentions: Lexaeus, Steve aka Captain America
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Nope; just a possible AU future for Kill the Hero
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any related characters. This was written out of enjoyment of the series, and no profit is being made. The plot, however, is mine.
Music: Your Ex-Lover is Dead - Stars
Notes: The alternative music choice was "From Now On We Are Enemies - Fallout Boys" but Stars is more fitting for its sad sound. (8 We'll save the exciting sounding stuff for later.
And yes. I'm doing more Kill the Hero stuff. I couldn't help it. So far, Marvel has not been included in KtH, but Zexion's relationship with Tony is a pretty firm thing for my headcanon, and I was quite curious to see what he'd do when presented with Zexion's... crumbling stability. Turns out, KH's power boost doesn't exactly mess well with Zexion's control over illusions. His former control, anyway.
Falling and Catching - First Slip
"Zexion."
Tight and cold around his throat. Slow breathing. In. Out.
"Calm down."
Hands held up placentingly against the couch. Dark cautious eyes meeting wide eyed and dazed blue.
"It's me. Tony." Remember?
"...Tony?"
"Right."
Slowly, the vice-like grip loosens, and Zexion closes his eyes. The younger man's shoulders slump. All in all, it presents a defeated, tired image that Tony finds himself loathing. What happened to the confident, snarky little bastards of an engineer he knows? Hell, he could've stood the choking bit if he had that back; God knows he's probably done things to deserve it. Frowning and resisting the urge to take a hold of the other man, Tony just watches as Zexion wearily gets off of his lap (normally a pleasant position) and practically falls back against the couch besides Tony. "I apologize," he says. "I... have not been experiencing the most pleasant of days, as of late." His mouth twists in an unpleasant, self-sardonic grin. "Nor the most pleasant of nights. Especially not..." Zexion trails off.
There's something very wrong with that statement; Zexion's had bad days before (to which Tony's solution had always been the same and involving a certain liquor) but he'd never resorted to physical violence before, especially against Tony. He's always been more of a emotionally-scarring kind of guy, and preferred elaborate insults regarding intelligence. There are even more obvious signs that things are wrong: bags under his eyes, a startling gauntness to his face, fingers twitching uncontrollably, that fact that he was found unconscious on Tony's couch- A terrible idea hits him, and Tony furrows his brows. Maybe... He has a lot of enemies, even more with his suit made public. It's not that far fetched that someone found out about Zexion and started targeting him... "Is someone after you?" he demands, wanting so badly to reach over to his close friend.
Zexion closes his eyes again. For a minute, Toy wonders if he's going to fall asleep right there and then. He'd already been that way on the couch when Tony had come home. Thus, the accidental violence. However, Zexion speaks. "I can't honestly say." Frustration leaks into his voice. "I think I am the subject of harm from my colleagues, but those I trust tell me this is not so. " His hand passes over his face. "I trust this man more than anything, but that can't erase my own thoughts."
Someone he trusts... It's stupid to be jealous of some guy he's never met at a time like this; why should he care if Zexion has someone on the side? It's not like they have anything serious. Just the opposite. In fact, he shouldn't even be focusing on this. There are more important things, like Zexion. "Do you need somewhere to stay and clear your head?"
"I should..." Zexion's voice is very quiet. "Just for a while. I'll have to find a hotel-"
"Consider that suggestion denied," Tony cuts through as he stands up. "You know I have a spare room." Disconcertingly, Zexion doesn't immediately protest, nor comment on the rudeness of interrupting him. In a daze, he just takes the hand Tony offers him. With the quiet weighing down heavily on them, Tony takes him down the hall. Even as he does so, he starts thinking, calculating. Since the Avengers Initiative is so concerned about being heroes and helping people, they shouldn't mind him using a few resources to look up just who's after Zexion. He swears, if something happens-
"This was a bad idea," Zexion says, coming to an abrupt stop His eyes are squeezed shut, as if he's been hit by a sudden headache. "I shouldn't have come here. It's not safe for either of us."
"That's ridiculous," he shoots back. "This place-"
"-is not enough," Zexion hisses, jerking his hand out of Tony's grip. "Were someone to come for me, they'd get through easily. This isn't the kind of foe you're used to fighting, Stark!" With a rattle of a nervous laugh, he runs a hand through his hair. "Dammit. I'm between the Devil and the deep blue sea, as they say in Prydain." Turning away and holding himself, he says over his shoulder, "I'm doing you a favor."
"I don't want your favor," Tony says stubbornly, a trait both he and his friend share. Taking a step forward, he adds, "I want to help-"
His step forward is replied with Zexion stepping away, twisting back around to face him again. His eyes are narrowed dangerously. "And I don't want your help," he says softly, "so it appears we are at a stalemate."
It's quite clear that Zexion is at the end of his rope; besides the last-name usage, he also let loose a curse. For someone so obsessed with politeness, that's not a good sign. Unfortunately, Tony isn't used to not getting what he wants. "Stop being difficult."
"Stop attempting to impose your will on me."
Most certainly a stalemate.
Trying to reach a compromise, Tony says, "At least tell me what you're so afraid of."
For yet another moment, Zexion's confidence falters. The frightened look is back. Rubbing his arms, he ducks his head to hide his eyes behind his bangs. "Everything. I'm going out of my mind, jumping at every little shadow and wind. I feel like my control is crumbling in my very hands, and I hate it." His breath shudders. "I hate it," he echoes numbly. "But what can I do? I can't even sleep without being haunted and hunted..." The silence falls uncomfortably onto them once more, and Tony just closes his eyes, recovers himself, before he steps closer to Zexion. This time, there's no retreat, not even when Tony lays his hand on one of Zexion's shoulders.
"Come on. I won't let anything happen to you. If you have one of those... nightmares, than I'll be there when you wake up." It's so sickeningly corny to say that, but Zexion seems to take some sort of comfort in it, slumping against Tony's touch. There's a momentary unreadable gaze when he looks up at him, but than it's gone, and Zexion just agrees with a weary nod of his head, not saying a word.
The next morning, Pepper lets herself in, flipping through a few folders to make sure everything is in place. "Alright, Tony, you have to meet with Thomson today, and Steve asked me-" That's when she notices the complete emptiness of the room. Frowning and accompanied by only the sound of her heels, Pepper looks around. The living room is clean, untouched, as is the kitchen. Usually, Tony is an early riser, but it's not a completely strange idea for him to be too hungover to get up. That's the thought which leads her to go to Tony's bedroom, but a slip of white on a table she passes gains her attention. With a wrinkled brow, she picks up the single sheet of paper and begins to read. In professional and small typed font, it says:
Tony-
I'm not sure whether to kick or thank you for your friendship. You shouldn't have allowed me to stay, especially after the warning I gave you. Why must you let your infernal heart cloud your logic? Still I am thankful (scribbled out, replaced with something incomprehensible) that you allowed me to stay. I wish I could stay with you; strangely enough, you're one of the few people I believe I could trust. I would have liked to initially meet you under different circumstances. As it is, it's dangerous for both of us if I remain. (Scribbled hastily to the side: Dangerous to become friends in first place?)
I do not believe we will ever see each other again. Don't do anything stupid in my absence.
-Zexion
Setting the note down, Pepper quietly makes her way down to the garage. Through the long repaired glass windows, she can see her employer and friend, working furiously on another Iron Man suit. The light shines on his face, revealing bloodshot eyes and bruising around one. He works in a fast and vicious pace, something rarely seen, and she knows better than to interrupt him. Gently and understandingly sad, she presses her palm against the window.
Maybe both of them were too blind to see it, but this relationship had been too important to break cleanly.
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