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Roxas had a lot of questions. He was now 54 days old, give or take about a week. Just when he thought he knew all there was to know, a new familiar sight would stir fragments of memories, half-understood explanations. While the information was usually practical—a sea of sand is called a desert, don't touch the hot stovetop in the communal kitchen—he found that the novelty of these tidbits, which would otherwise have been taken for granted, always prompted him to wonder "why." Especially when the information was vague or half-complete. Why did the sun set red? Why did ice cream hurt his teeth when he bit down? Why wasn't he allowed to see everyone else's mission schedules? Why was Saïx always frowning at him? Why was he the only one who could collect hearts? Why was Kingdom Hearts so important?
What only made his curiosity burn brighter was the fact that in most cases, no one seemed to be able to give him satisfying answers. Axel could explain things consistently, at least for the more everyday questions, though often Roxas had the sneaking suspicion that he didn't fully understand what he was talking about. Sometimes the things he said would be later contradicted. Xigbar even laughed at him when Roxas mentioned hoping they'd find a pizza tree, and only laughed harder when Roxas, frustrated, tried to explain that Axel and Demyx had told him about them. But Xigbar's responses were even more frustrating. More often than not, Roxas got the sense he was making fun of him with his non-answers. At least Demyx wasn't condescending, but he'd usually only offer a shrug, even for simple questions. Saïx just got angry, Vexen would mutter about his time being wasted... Everyone was so unhelpful.
But the most infuriating member of the Organization to ask, by far, was Xemnas. Not only was he the most elusive, the only one who could not be found even when Roxas searched the castle high and low, but on the odd occasion Roxas did run into him face-to-face, half the time Xemnas would simply answer with a small smile, his golden eyes narrowing. The expression was unreadable to Roxas, who otherwise would not have cared, except for when Xemnas actually did answer his questions—his explanations were perfect. Everything made sense, leaving Roxas aching to know even more... except then Xemnas would only smile coyly, responding with something cryptic, as if he were enjoying teasing Roxas.
"How did you know that?" Roxas asked, wide-eyed, taking long strides to keep up with Xemnas' gait as they walked down one of the castle's many hallways. Their footsteps echoed across the empty halls, and their height difference such that Xemnas' silver hair nearly brushed against Roxas' cheek with every footfall. Roxas knew his time was extremely limited, as Xemnas only ever appeared in the common areas briefly, always heading from one mysterious place to another. He had only managed to catch sight of him this time by waiting up to an odd hour along the route Roxas had observed him sometimes take. His brain rifled through all of the questions that had piled up over the past week to try and find those that were the highest priority. Xemnas had just succinctly explained why the moon always looked different in different worlds, on different nights. "And why is our moon so big, and shaped differently? Is Kingdom Hearts even a moon?"
"So curious," Xemnas smiled to himself. Visits from Roxas, when he allowed them, were always amusing. "I wonder, do other moons swell with the hearts of thousands?"
I don't know, Roxas thought. Do they? "I don't know," he frowned, going from elated to frustrated in record time. Xemnas always dodged his biggest questions.
"Let me give you a hint. Is there something special about you, that makes your position here unique?"
"I don't know!" Something leapt in Roxas' chest, and he grabbed at Xemnas' sleeve. "No one will tell me why I'm the only one who can use a keyblade! Why not?!"
"In time, you will understand..." Xemnas' footsteps slowed to a stop. They were passing through the empty Grey Area, the large windows putting Kingdom Hearts on full display. He looked up into the sky, his expression unreadable. Roxas, whose pace had quickened, nearly bumped into his arm. He stopped himself and let go of Xemnas' coat with a sigh. He must've asked Xemnas that question a dozen times, to no avail... He should have known better. Well, there was still time for some of his smaller questions.
"Um..." Roxas suddenly felt restless, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. For some reason, he'd been debating for some time whether or not to ask this burning question at all, even if he couldn't put his finger on why he was so apprehensive. If anything, this strange sensation only made him want to know even more. Still, he hesitated.
"Hm?" Xemnas gently encouraged him.
"Why... why don't I like being close to some people, and other people smell really good?"
Xemnas' lips curved imperceptibly upwards. He did not look away from the window. "You see, Roxas," he began, "some people are simply incompatible, while others belong together. The body knows this, and will inform you with scent. These scents... are called pheromones. If someone's pheromones overpower you, urging you closer to that person..." He lowered his gaze to meet Roxas', his golden eyes glinting under the light of Kingdom Hearts. "Then your body is telling you that you belong to them."
Roxas' face was hot in the cool air. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Xemnas', whose smile was now undeniable. In that moment, it seemed that nothing else existed except that which was illuminated by Kingdom Hearts above. There's no way he knows... Roxas nervously reassured himself. I could be talking about anyone. How could he know?
But then again, Xemnas did seem to simply know everything.