Um…hey, there. I haven't posted anything in over a year, and I apologize for that. I'm so lazy when it comes to writing. I've got all these awesome ideas, but most of them are just kind of floating around in my mind, begging to be written or typed or something.

Moving on!

Read. Enjoy. Have a joygasm.

Disclaimer: I can only dream of getting paid to write porn.

. . . . .

"See you around, kid," Axel said, fishing a wad of twenties out of his pocket and tossing them next to the gasping, naked body on the bed. He waved his arm once before disappearing out of the room, his laughter ringing down the hallway.

Zexion slowly sat up, wincing only slightly from the pain in his ass. He brought a hand up to his forehead. "God damn it," he breathed out. He was used to being treated like shit, but Axel was undeniably the roughest and most sadistic customer he'd ever had. The gashes on his arms and hips from the man's fingernails were going to leave scars, he was sure of it.

He noticed the money lying next to him and reached out to pick it up. Unfolding the bills carefully, he counted them out. Twenty…forty…sixty…eighty…one hundred dollars. "Fuckin' sweet." Another night, another fraction of the costs for bills and college funds. Zexion set the money aside and leaned back with his arms crossed behind his head, not bothering to get dressed yet.

He'd been orphaned a year previously, when his house caught fire. It burned to the ground, and with it, his parents and all of his possessions. Never one to give in, he chose to live on his own in the big city. He was 16 years old at the time.

The only downside to prostitution - in Zexion's opinion - was the ache he felt every morning. He didn't care about how sick to his stomach the whole thing made him feel; he deserved to be treated like nothing more than a common whore. It was his choice, and God damn it, he was going to live with it. There was absolutely no room for complaining, as it kept him in his apartment and prepared him for a much brighter future. Or so he hoped. If things didn't start looking up soon, he'd find himself in the very same business until he was closing in on 30.

He'd met quite the interesting sort of folk, however, and they'd helped to ease the monotony over the past year. Take Axel, for example. He'd fucked Zexion seven times already, even though he had a boyfriend. Hell, Zexion was friends with the kid, and it killed him inside to not be able to shout at him to open his fucking eyes already (what with the confidentiality rule and all that). All he could do was pray that Roxas wouldn't get hurt in the long run.

Marluxia was an entirely different story. In the beginning, he'd bought Zexion once a month, no more and no less. Now, he sought out the teen at least once a week. Zexion told himself it was because he was good at what he did, not because he was in love. Whores didn't fall in love, right? Of course not. Marluxia just happened to be calm and understanding and he liked to talk to Zexion for almost an hour (sometimes more) after they were done. It was perfectly normal for customers to show concern for his well-being…they just chose not to most of the time. Besides, falling in love with a repeat customer would only end in disaster for him.

Finally feeling the motivation to get up and go home, Zexion gathered up his clothes, which, as usual, had been strewn randomly about the room. He got dressed quickly, once again clad in extremely revealing leather, pocketed his earnings, and made his way down the creaking steps of the abandoned shop. The entire first floor looked as if a hurricane had gone through it; dusty stock shelves lay in pieces throughout the aisles, the ancient wallpaper was peeling all around the room, and there were several small holes in the floor. It was nothing but weather damage, though - the place lacked a front door and was due for demolition any day. He stepped around the hazards and out into the cool night air. Luckily, it was a short walk home.

. . . . .

"Zexion!" Demyx called, cornering his best friend as soon as he walked through the school's front doors.

Zexion looked up and shut his locker, ignoring the disgusted looks from several guys walking past him. Most of them had screwed him. Fucking hypocrites. "…Yeah?"

"Um…hey…" The blond teen pulled his friend to the side of the hallway. "Are you still…you know…for money?" He appeared to be upset.

"Yeah, I am. Why?" Zexion narrowed his eyes.

Demyx bit his lip nervously. "Is it…necessary? I mean…don't you ever think you could just…stop?"

"No. Where would I go? I have to pay the rent, because I am telling you flat out, there is no way in hell I'm moving in with my aunt and uncle. Not to mention that I, unlike a majority of the freaks here, plan to go to college."

"You could die, man! Do you realize that?"

"If I do, at least it won't be of STDs." Zexion crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's not what I mean…this city is, like, a cesspool of murderers. I'm not exactly looking forward to the day you die because your attitude rubbed a horny criminal the wrong way."

That statement forced a grin from the slate-haired teen. "Relax. I know what I'm doing."

Demyx stared him down with intensely blue eyes. "Won't you at least consider moving in with me?"

"For the millionth time, no." His grin dropped immediately.

"Why not?"

Zexion sighed. "Because then the entire world would pity me," he replied honestly. "This is something I need to take care if by myself. I'm glad you're so dedicated to my safety, I really am…but I have to do this alone. This is our last year in school, and then I'll be off to college. Okay?" What he really meant was that if he reeled in enough customers, he'd be off to college once school let out. He wasn't telling that to his blond friend, though. There was no point in upsetting him further.

Demyx gritted his teeth in frustration and fell back against the wall. "…You're the reason I get one monster zit a week. Always making me worry," he complained.

"Good thing they're just temporary." Zexion smiled slightly and stepped away from the lockers.

Demyx returned the gesture. "Yeah, well, yearbook pictures are forever."

. . . . .

Later that night, Zexion was all decked out and ready to go for a typical work evening - tight, black jeans, platform boots, a black, zip-up leather vest emblazoned with intricate, silver designs, and of course, his trademark hairstyle that kept people coming back for him time and time again. His body had become accustomed to the frequent sex over the months, and so he was able to go out almost every night with minimal pain. Unfortunately, the marks from Axel were a long ways off from fully healing.

Barely five minutes into strutting around the red light district, Zexion heard a pair of men sending appreciative whistles his way. He turned on his heel, and he saw them right away. One was tall and very buff, the other was a little shorter and noticeably slimmer, and his light-colored hair reached down past his shoulders. They stood across the street, just next to an alleyway and a closed boutique.

"Why don't you bring that tight ass over this way?" the long-haired one called, trying to beckon him over with a finger.

Zexion analyzed them for a moment, then decided he'd go for it. His body would be screaming for rest in the morning, but it'd been a while since he'd come across a double offer. Tilting his head up, he took slow, seductive steps across the deathly silent street. He approached the shorter of the two - who was still quite a bit taller than himself, even with the platforms - and wrapped his arms around the guy's neck. "Do you really think you can handle me?" he asked, one hand trailing down the stranger's chest.

"How much will you run us?" the tall and extremely intimidating man interrupted.

Zexion looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "One hundred. Each." The (upon closer inspection) blond man in his arms snickered. "What? Why do you find that so terribly amusing?"

"That's awfully expensive…for a kid." He threw Zexion into the arms of the other, who in turn slammed him against the brick wall behind them and knocked the wind out of him. Before he had the chance to even open his eyes again, he was dragged into the alleyway. Muscular hands squeezed his wrists hard enough to bruise, and their owner's solid chest and arms held him firmly in place like an iron cage.

"What the fuck?" Zexion yelled, his strong voice masking the panic and fear constricting his heart. He knew what was going to happen if he couldn't get away. These men were going to rape him. His thoughts were proven true when the other man's arms reached around his waist and fumbled to undo the front of his pants. He kicked his foot back in an attempt to free himself, but he missed, and the already painful pressure on his wrists tightened. A scream ripped itself from the back of his throat and echoed down the long, damp, brick alleyway.

"Shut up! You should be used to this kind of stuff by now anyway, you filthy whore!" the man behind him scolded before roughly pinching one of the nail wounds from the night before. This did, of course, draw another low scream from Zexion. It went ignored this time, and he quickly yanked down the teen's tight pants.

Zexion squirmed and tried to pull his wrists out of the giant's hold, but it was to no avail. Said giant muttered something above him, but he didn't hear him. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but he held them back. He hadn't cried in years, not since his house burned down, but his current situation was testing those boundaries. In all honesty, he expected it to happen sooner or later. Even in his state of utter loss, however, he couldn't help but to whisper a single name. "Marluxia…"

All of a sudden, there was a yelp from behind him, and the presence of the blond man disappeared. Zexion ducked his head against the other's chest just as the barrel of a revolver smashed into the side of the man's face. He collapsed to the ground, and Zexion took this golden opportunity to pull his pants up and look into the shadowy face of his savior, but it was too dark in the alleyway to make out any distinguishable features. He remained perfectly still and waited for something to happen.

A hand reached out for his. "Don't just stand there. Those guys aren't dead, and the last thing we need is for you to get caught again." His voice was laced with more than a little irritation, but Zexion still recognized it, and he took the warm hand.

"M-Marluxia!" He was, needless to say, extremely shocked and grateful.

"Who else, darling?" He pulled the teen out of the alleyway and in the direction of his car. They both got in, and Marluxia tossed the revolver onto the backseat before speeding off.

"I hate to sound like a prick, but…why did you just do that?" Zexion said after a moment's silence. He absently noted how plush and comfortable the dark gray interior was, and was that a hint of lavender floating in the air?

Marluxia tore his eyes from the road just long enough to give Zexion an 'are you serious?' look. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but most people don't enjoy being raped."

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Zexion shook his head at his own stupidity. "What I meant to ask was…what makes me so special? For you to just step in like that and risk getting your face beat in…"

At that, he smiled. "All in good time."

The teen let out a frustrated sigh and sunk further into the seat. "…How did you find me?"

"I heard someone scream and became curious. When I saw that it was you, I couldn't very well just leave you there." His words were soft.

"Hm." Zexion glanced out the window. He knew where he was, but Marluxia was going in the opposite direction of his apartment. "Do you need directions?"

"To where?"

"My apartment."

"What, do you want to go home right now?"

A light bulb went off in Zexion's head, and he smirked. "How badly do you want me tonight?" He should've guessed; the man hadn't sought him out in over a week.

"More than you could ever imagine," Marluxia said as he turned the spacious car smoothly around a corner and into a long, paved driveway. "Here we are."

Zexion got out of the car and stared wide-eyed at the house before him. It looked like a little piece of heaven, especially when compared to the tightly packed apartments and small houses on most of the other streets. There was an even coat of light blue paint covering every outside inch of wood, and the roof was perfectly done with black, fish-scale shingles. And holy shit, there was a lawn. It wasn't one of those 3-by-5 foot patches of dead grass you normally saw in the city, heavens, no. The grass was neatly trimmed, vibrantly green, and there was even a fenced-in garden, overflowing with flowers in every color of the rainbow. "…I didn't even know places like this existed in this city." He turned to face Marluxia. "Where are we?"

"Why, my house, of course. You don't really think someone such as myself could resist the urge to commit suicide living in those shitty apartments and houses, do you? No offense."

"…None taken. I…" He stared up at the house again, and a small smile spread across his face. "I'll live in a place like this someday. Once I'm done with college and have a real job." A longing look settled in his eyes, but it quickly faded. "Oh…we should go in. Sorry about that."

Marluxia led him to the front door and unlocked it, letting them both in. "You shouldn't be ashamed of having goals in life, Zexion. It's admirable of you. Even I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the longest time…"

"Um…thanks." Zexion wasn't used to compliments. It was usually just fuck, get paid, and leave. Of course, he also wasn't used to conversing with his customers. Normally, he would feel awkward about a personal connection to them, but there was just something about Marluxia that forced all of his worries out of a tenth-story window. "I apologize if I'm being overly curious, but what exactly do you do?"

"Curiosity leads to knowledge, assuming you apply it in the right situations. Don't be shy in asking me anything." He paused to flip his pink locks back into place. "I'm in charge of the beer distributors in the area. All of them. I never did find my calling in life, but the pay is phenomenal, what with all the alcoholics living around here. Ironically enough, I'm not a drinker." He frowned, but he was still as gorgeous as ever. "Alcohol does…unpleasant things to me. And we shall leave it at that."

Satisfied with that information, Zexion approached Marluxia and wrapped his arms around the man's waist. "So…should we get started, then?" He stared up into blue eyes none too different from his own, pulling his not-yet-trademarked smirk that could break down the defenses of any man (or woman, for that matter - if he was straight).

What he had not expected was Marluxia to lean down and capture his lips in a soothing kiss. It was over quickly, and when it was, Zexion was both disturbed and intrigued to find out that he wanted more. More of Marluxia and his tenderness, the kind he hadn't experienced in years.

"What are you…doing?" he whispered, aware of the warmness spreading across his face.

Marluxia closed his eyes and rested his head on Zexion's as his arms reached around to embrace the teen. Zexion suddenly longed to see those understanding, oceanic eyes once more. "I'm a terrible person," he said quietly.

"No, you aren't. Why would you say that?"

"Because I want more than your body. I want your heart and your soul and everything you have to offer. But in order to do that, I would have to uproot your entire life. I…I can't do that to you."

Zexion's fingers curled tightly around the fabric on the back of Marluxia's shirt. "Is that…really how you feel about me?" He felt like he was waking up from a dream, trapped between reality and beautiful lies.

"…Yes," he breathed out. What had started out as lust for the teen had quickly become love, but he doubted the feeling was mutual. Zexion had sex with several guys a week; there was simply no way he would risk missing out on college for something like love.

"So…you wouldn't think less of me…a whore…for becoming addicted to one of my customers?" He was prepared to catch his heart and shove it back in his chest, as it threatened to burst from his ribcage with every rapid th-thump th-thump.

"It depends. You don't happen to mean one of the men I had to pry off of you earlier, do you?"

"God, no. It's you. You're the one I crave, Marluxia." In that moment, the two of them felt the uneasiness lift from their hearts. The unanswered questions and hidden desires were finally brought to light, after so many months, and only good could come of it.

Marluxia leaned down, his lips hovering just over Zexion's. "That means a lot, coming from you." He was met with a smile before the teen leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Damn right." He slipped out of Marluxia's arms and glanced nervously at the staircase. He took a deep breath and met the man's gaze once more. Jerking his head in the direction of the staircase, he asked, "Do you wanna take this upstairs?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"As long as we end up in a bed, I don't care how we get there." Barely two minutes passed before Zexion found himself splayed out on Marluxia's bed, his vest abandoned in the doorway and the master of the house on top of him. For the first time ever, he wasn't the only one showing skin; the man above him had removed his shirt, as well, and Zexion took advantage of that little detail. His hands skimmed over the taut muscles of Marluxia's chest, taking in everything he had to offer.

"You're quiet all of a sudden," Marluxia noted before leaning down to leave a series of quick kisses on the teen's neck. "Is something wrong?"

Zexion shook his head in response; the unfamiliar yet addictive touches on his heated skin were extremely distracting. He tilted his head back against the thick feather pillow to give the other more space to work with. "I'm not used to such…affection." He could feel the deep chuckle vibrate against his neck, and it made him shiver. "It's amazing."

"That's good, because it only gets better from here." Marluxia slid back up Zexion's body to reconnect their lips, but this time, the slate-haired teen's lips parted slightly in silent encouragement, and Marluxia lovingly deepened the kiss. Tongues collided and rubbed in a way that neither thought possible, but the explosion of passion was undeniable. Zexion hadn't noticed one of his hands sliding lower to massage Marluxia's erection until he heard a gasp. He opened his eyes and was met by a steady, appreciative gaze. The kiss was broken, but he continued to work his magical fingers. Grinning ever so slightly, the pink-haired man let out a low moan and said, "My, aren't you talented…"

"Months of practice will do that to a person."

Marluxia smirked at Zexion's response, and his hands came to rest at the hemline of the teen's pants. His fingertips curled ever so slightly under them, but then he paused and met the other's gaze. "Will you let me make love to you, Zexion?" He raised one hand to his face and brushed slate bangs aside; he really was beautiful.

The suddenly brighter light caused Zexion to squint, but even after his right eye adjusted to the room, he kept his brow furrowed in what could be misinterpreted as confusion. In all honesty, he simply didn't know what to say. Everything was new to him. "I…yes…I would like that." He smiled and arched his back off of the bed, allowing Marluxia to pull his pants off. Because he'd originally planned to go about his business as usual that night, he wore nothing underneath. The light blush that crept across his face was completely unexpected; he was used to being naked so often, but not once had he been embarrassed about it. As a force of habit, he shook his bangs back into place.

A wave of sadness washed over Marluxia. "Why do you hide your beautiful face?"

Immediately Zexion felt guilty. "I don't know. I just…always have." As a compromise, he offered, "I'll keep my face uncovered…but only if you these go." He tugged lightly at Marluxia's pants. As a prostitute, he'd never seen his partners naked, and he really wanted to change all of that. He wanted things to be different with this man, and nobody else.

"I think I can work under those conditions," he mused before kicking off his jeans. He, like Zexion, wore nothing underneath. He hadn't really seen the point in doing so, or at least, not on the days he drove aimlessly about the city in search of the teen. Marluxia brushed Zexion's bangs aside once more, letting the force of gravity hold them in place as he lay on his back.

Hot lips fell upon his once more, and he melted into the affection. Rather than start immediately on his partner's release (as he was so used to), Zexion's arms connected around Marluxia's neck and tangled in his cherry blossom locks. He absolutely loved the way the man's skin felt against his own; he could sense every heartbeat and flexing muscle just under the flesh, and it was driving him crazy with desire. At some point, tongues were thrown into the mix, and Zexion almost didn't notice Marluxia's palm sliding down his side. Almost. The stinging reminders of his night with Axel sent him flying back into reality. He let out a small gasp of pain. "Careful…"

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault…" Marluxia's caressing touch calmed him, but then he felt his hand on his erection, one finger stroking down it at an agonizingly slow and seductive pace. The sudden contrast from sweet to sexy forced a surprised moan out of him. "Marluxia," he groaned, dragging the name out as his hips jerked up on their own.

"Yes, Zexion?" Marluxia was a tease by nature, and he knew it. He was having way too much fun to go easy on the teen, so he began to run his fingertip around the glistening head of his cock. For someone who probably had sex at least five times a week, Zexion seemed to get turned on easily. The body below him quivered as the younger tried to control himself, but he couldn't stop the moan from slipping past his lips.

"Stop with the fucking teasing; that's my job…"

"Dear boy, you don't have a job right now. Just lie back and let me take care of you, all right?" Zexion grumbled an answer in response and closed his eyes, focusing on Marluxia's pleasurable actions and the light scent of fresh roses.

Wait…roses? Surely he'd have noticed that upon entering the room. He opened his eyes just enough to see what was going on. In Marluxia's hand was a small bottle; Zexion recognized it as lube. "Roses?"

"Yes, roses. If you don't like it, then you're just going to have to suffer, because it's all I have," Marluxia replied with a hint of irritation. "Unless you'd prefer to skip the formalities…?" His other hand lay on Zexion's upper thigh, the long fingers twitching in anticipation.

"No…I want this." He closed his eyes again and let out a deep breath. "I want you." There was a shuffling of sounds; weight shifted on the bed, something was torn, and then he felt those very same fingers trail even lower on his body. "Wait." Zexion lifted his head, accidentally giving his bangs incentive to sweep into his face again, and he gave Marluxia a serious look.

"What? Have you changed your mind?" He sounded sad, and he even had the 'kicked puppy' face to go with his tone of voice. If Zexion wanted him to stop, he would, but he'd be left feeling like shit.

"No. Hell, no. Things are different between us now, so I believe some rule changing is in order."

Marluxia let out a sigh of relief. "Do tell."

"No fingers and no condoms. That's all."

"…I don't suppose you'd elaborate for me."

Zexion smiled at him and placed one of his hands over Marluxia's on his thigh. "Being stretched just feels…weird, and…I trust you. I want all of you in me, even when we're done. And don't worry; I'm not infected with anything."

Marluxia just stared at him for a moment, and then he smiled, too. "I'm beginning to feel spoiled with all the pros of being your lover."

"Stick around, and it might just get better."

With perfection that could rival a porn star's, Marluxia rolled off the unused condom and tossed it into the nearby wastepaper basket. He smirked down at Zexion as he squirted an ample amount of rose-scented lube into his hand, and then he set the bottle aside before leaning down to brush aside the teen's bangs again and kiss him. "I'm warning you now, Zexion, I'm very greedy…you may regret spoiling me so," he murmured against tender lips while slicking his cock with the oil.

"Never," Zexion replied, hooking his legs over broad shoulders with a little help. The kiss lasted for only a few more seconds; it was broken by the teen. "Now shut up and fuck me."

Marluxia didn't need to be told twice, and so he slowly lowered his body onto Zexion's, sliding his slicked cock in inch by inch as he did so. Zexion lifted his hips instinctively and crossed his legs behind Marluxia's head, urging him to go faster, deeper, but he was forced back down onto the mattress. "You're not a whore right now; don't do that." His normally eloquent exterior was beginning to crack from the alluring and constrictive body below him. It felt so much better to be inside of him without a condom; there was just the pure pleasure of skin rubbing against skin.

"Move. Faster," Zexion growled through a clenched jaw. "I'm not a fucking virgin. I can handle it!" He immediately felt the difference of not stretching before sex. His entire lower body hurt like hell, but he knew it would just feel that much better…once Marluxia actually decided to comply with his requests.

"I know you can." Marluxia pressed the teen down flat on his back so that his knees were flush against his chest. He leaned in close to Zexion and nuzzled his neck, planting kisses along his jaw line as he seamlessly fell into a flowing rhythm of thrusts. The soft, young body beneath him spilled out gasps and curses like prayers, fumbling to find something to do with his arms.

"Oh, God, yes…Marluxia…" Zexion's fingers tangled in the other man's hair, desperate for something, anything, to hold on to. Before, sex was a way of life to him, something used to earn a quick buck. But with Marluxia, it was so much more - as if his gasping, spasmodic body wasn't enough of a hint. Each penetration of his body was meaningful, each moan earnest, and when his prostate was struck, he felt as if he would overflow with ecstasy. "Fuck, yes…" Slim, pale legs wrapped around a muscular body, willing him to dive deeper.

Marluxia continued to roll his hips smoothly against Zexion's, proud that it was himself drawing out these reactions from the teen and nobody else. He had to prove to him that love existed in the world - that he deserved it, and sex was just a fraction of it. He moved back up to Zexion's flushed face and caught his lower lip between his teeth, rolling it back and forth gently before letting go and pushing his tongue in to match the pace of his thrusts. The teen responded by meeting the hot, wet appendage with his own, and their mouths danced together in a way that neither would have ever thought possible. The room was filled with the scent of roses and sex, the only sounds that of skin against skin and wild, uncontrolled moans. They were joined together as closely as two humans ever could be, both in mind and in body.

Sensing the nearness of his release, Zexion broke the kiss and threw his head back against Marluxia's soft, silky pillow, his eyes screwed shut in what could only be described as pure and total pleasure. The mattress rocked back and forth quietly from Marluxia's exertion, but the headboard was far enough away from the wall that it didn't ruin the softly colored coat of paint. "I'm…so close…unh…!" Zexion struggled to withhold his moans, but his defenses dropped when Marluxia lowered himself against his sweaty chest, trapping his hard shaft between their bodies. The friction on his highly sensitive organ was simply amazing, and combined with the pounding he was receiving from inside his body, he was certain to explode at any second.

"Yes…scream for me, darling." Marluxia's hands had come to rest on Zexion's hips, holding his heated body still while he moved in and out faster than before, not even bothering to pull out most of the way before shoving himself back inside. He knew firsthand that Zexion liked it rough, as the more frequent gasps and moans indicated.

Finally Zexion couldn't take it anymore, and his body was wracked with his release, the tightly coiled spring just beneath his skin setting off like a firecracker. He fisted his hands in Marluxia's hair, screaming the man's name as he rode out waves of pleasure and his body tightened around the familiarly hard length driving into his ass.

The pressure proved too much for Marluxia, and his senses flew into overdrive as he, too, reached climax. "My God, Zexion…" He was probably hurting the teen; he'd forgotten about the half-moon cuts on his hips from a previous client, but he no longer cared. As spurts of his hot semen filled Zexion, scorching him inside with love and desire, he realized what it truly meant to want somebody. Not for their body. Not for their income. Just for them, whole and complete and untouchable by the rest of the world. He pulled out gently, not wanting to harm the pale, fragile body, and fell to his side. Both men were gasping for breath, slowly falling from their sex high, the lingering scent of roses soothing them on the way down.

Zexion stared up at the ceiling, not focusing entirely on anything. His body was still warm. He was comfortable and drowsy. If only all of his nightly encounters ended this well, then he would have no problem with the lifestyle he'd chosen for himself. But…were things different now? "…Marluxia?" he asked quietly, still looking straight up, his body flat against the soft mattress.

Marluxia turned at the sound of his name carried out in that beautiful voice, but was disappointed that Zexion's gaze wasn't directed at him. He reached an arm out and stroked the side of the slate-haired teen's face. "Yes? What is it?" he said just as quietly, preserving the delicate silence.

He closed his eyes as a shiver ran across his skin in reaction to the soothing motion. "What happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well…do I leave now? Or…I don't know. I can't remember ever needing somebody…the way I need you. I really want to go to college, but I also want you. I can't decide…and my time is running out. Graduation is almost here. I just…"

"Ssh." Marluxia's fingers trailed over Zexion's lips, silencing him. He rolled to face the teen and turned his head so that they were holding each other's gaze. "Don't worry about that. You don't have to make such a painful decision."

A look of confusion washed across Zexion's face. "Why?"

Marluxia smiled and pulled him to his warm body. "Because I'll take care of you, darling. Nobody will ever hurt you again, and you'll be free to do whatever you want."

That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. Emotions overflowing, tears began to trail down Zexion's face. They kept falling and falling, blurring the image of a concerned Marluxia into blobs of cream and fluffy pink. One year of bottling emotions, and it all crumbled to a few caring words. He was such a sap sometimes.

"Zexion, what's wrong?" The older man wiped away the tears with his thumb, worried that he'd said the wrong thing. Was he mistaken? Even after their long, deep conversations and confessions, did the teen still not want to settle down with him? What a fool he was - falling in love with a whore. "I'm sorry, Zexion," he said when he received no response, taking away his arms and sitting up on the bed. A look of total depression and regret clung to him like a wet towel. "I should have realized sooner that I would never mean more to you than a pocketful of cash on a lonely night." He began to get up, but Zexion stopped him with a firm grip on his bicep.

"You idiot. I'm crying because I'm happy. Of course I'll stay with you." He rubbed away the rest of his tears and smiled. "I never thought a whore could fall in love, but…you've proven me wrong."

. . . . .

It took less than three days for Zexion to move all of his belongings into Marluxia's house - he never had much of anything after the fire. His new lover had helped, of course, and he felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders when he realized that he'd never have to spend another night alone and filthy and abused. On top of that, Marluxia was more than willing to help him pay for college - if he agreed to get a real, legal job. All that was left was to tell Demyx, and Zexion couldn't wipe the smile from his face at the thought of how his best friend would react.

"No joke? You've really pulled your life together?" Demyx's face was serious, barely concealing the glee bomb he was about to drop. When Zexion nodded, with a smile, no less, he leapt at him and threw his arms around his shoulders, shaking him in his fit of happiness. "Man, I am so proud of you; you have no idea! Congrats, Zexy!" He finally backed off, sensing that Zexion needed his space. "I just…wow. That Marluxia guy must really be something, huh?"

Zexion's smile grew at the mere mention of his lover's name. "Yeah. He means the world to me."

. . . . .

And, there you have it! For some reason, I really think Zexion would make a good whore…anyone else? I adore MarluZeku, but AkuRoku will always be my first love. I'm working on a high school story about them at the moment, so look forward to that sometime over the summer or, knowing me, winter. Agh, I really need to work on this whole motivation thing.

I won't beg for reviews, but I do appreciate them, especially if you find some sort of mistake. I'm a little obsessive over my spelling and grammar. Forgive me.