WARNING: Yaoi fanfic. If this isn't really your thing, I suggest you leave now. Cheers.

"I'm. Not. A. PRETTY-BOY!", I screamed down the stairs before storming into my room. I slammed the door behind me. I wasn't going to hide the fact I was pissed.

The whole morning, that's all i'd been hearing.

When Laruxene had said, "Marluxia, you take a lot of pride in your appearance don't you?", I could handle that.

"Not really", I'd replied. "I don't do any more than any of the other guys in this house."

"Really?", Axel had scoffed. "That's surprising."

"What does that mean?", I asked.

"You always look like you've just walked out of Men's Vogue or something. You really don't try for that?"

I lowered my gaze to the tile floor of the kitchen.

"I'm not that attractive..I mean, I'm average at best.", I said.

"Oh, shut up! You know if you weren't so obviously gay, I'd be all over you!", Laruxene giggled.

"That's frightening..", I thought to myself. "What makes you think I'm gay?!", I asked.

I mean, I was..but I hadn't told anyone!

And that's when it happened. Axel unzipped his black, standard-issue Organization XIII jacket, and threw it aside. He did the same with the checkered tank top and black jeans he was wearing, too. He wasn't wearing any underwear..and he is, indeed, a natural red-head.

I could feel the blood rush to my face, and I knew my face now matched my hair. I struggled not to peek at Axel's rather large..endowment. I began to feel things beneath my waist. Why, oh, why did Axel have to be such an exhibitionist? I quickly looked at Laruxene, and instantly my problem was solved. Every guy in Orgy XIII knows that trick. I learned it from Saix. He learned it from Xaldin, etc.

"Oh, come on Marly. You can't possibly tell me you don't want all..this!", Axel purred, moving toward me.

He came to stand in front of me, face-to-face, and slid his hand around my waist. It glided lower and lower until it was on my ass. His other hand was at my face, brushing a strand of pink hair behind my ear.

At this point, I was staring at Laruxene with all my might. My tactics were working...but not for long. He moved his face in closer to mine and he whispered "Last chance. Going, going..gone." Then he kissed me! On the lips! I couldn't do anything but kiss him back. Then it struck me...I didn't WANT to to anything but kiss him back! Gradually Axel pulled away, his eyes wide and his face flushed. Apparently, while I was kissing him I had laced the fingers of one hand through his scarlet hair and the other was on his ass. His naked ass. We looked at each other..deers caught in headlights.

"Impressive technique", Axel mumbled awkwardly, scrambling to get his clothes back on. He probably didn't want anyone to see, but I had felt that he was...excited.

"You, too. I can see why you're so popular with the girls", I laughed, trying to make light of the situation. My voice sounded so deep and gritty..I'd never sounded like that before.

"See?" Laruxene smirked."Sooooooo gay."

"Okay, first of all HE kissed ME. Second, so what if I like guys?!"

Laruxene just stared for a minute.

"What?", I said.

"Marluxia...are you sure you don't do the whole androgynous look just so guys will do...THAT sort of thing?", she pointed at Axel and me.

"All I do it shower and wash my face.", I replied.

"And the hair?", she asked.

"It's natural. It's weird, I know, but it is. Saix and Zexion have blue hair, and it's natural. Why can't mine be pink?" I was getting angry now.

"You're just weirdly pretty for a guy. I mean, masculine, but pretty. Nobody's just born like that."

"Well what about Axel?" I asked, pointing to him. He froze with only his jeans on, his top in his hand. In that moment, I understood where the guys got the saying "Axel's hips don't lie." He had t have one of the most incredible bodies I'd ever seen. I tore my eyes from Axel, shook my head and continued my fight with Laruxene.

"What about him?", she said, smirking because she'd caught me staring at him.

"He looks more like a model than I do. Why not call him a pretty boy?"

"He's not as feminine." Ouch. Point blank.

"...I'm not feminine."

"Yes you are."

"No. I'm not."

"Are too."

"No! I'm. NOT!"

"Just accept it, Marly. You're a fucking pretty boy."

That was it. I ran up the stairs, toward my room.

"I'm. Not. A. PRETTY-BOY!", I screamed down the stairs before storming into my room. I slammed the door behind me. I wasn't going to hide the fact that I was pissed.

And there I was. Sitting on my bed. Crying. Tears of frustration cascaded down my face. I knew I was being overly sensitive. I don't think it would've bothered me nearly as much if I hadn't heard the same thing all my life. People always mistook me for a little girl when I was younger, all the way up until my last year of junior high when my shoulders grew more broad and my muscles got bigger and more defined. I thought it would stop once I'd turned 14. Then 16. Then 18. Now I'm 20, and I'm still hearing it.

Despite her obvious bitchy streak, Laru was one of my nearest and dearest friends. I thought she would leave my weak spot alone. I guess I thought wrong.

I cried more and more and more, until my eyes hurt and my throat was tight. Suddenly, there was a knock at my door.

"Wh-who is it?", I sniffed, wiping my face with a kleenex.

"It's..it's Axel."

-End CH1-3-XO-XO-XO-XO-XO-XO