A/N: This is for my friend setosora77, based off an RP conversation we had. Their Nobody OC is Anarixa, and she has blue hair and red eyes. Mine is Selixoe. Green hair/eyes. Yup. Here it is.

Disclaimer: All Kingdom Hearts characters belong to Square Enix and Disney. Anarixa is the property of setosora77.

Bubbles and Carnations

Part One

Marluxia was very curious. Very curious indeed. He had been in the library at the Castle That Never Was, texting the newest member, Anarixa. Such was the situation that aroused his curiosity.

The fiendish, fickle cellular devices had been stolen by Demyx, who had been insisting for some time that they ought to have the things for easier communications between the members.

XI was one of the few that actually used them.

Not even IX himself used one.

Regardless, Anarixa and Marluxia regularly contacted one another with this phenomenon.

At first, they had been talking about why she was locked in the Nocturne's closet (which he still hadn't found out the reason for), but he'd soon threatened the water-oriented Nobody with demoting him to a bathroom-cleaning duty for the week if she was not released.

Demyx had quite a speedy reaction time to this, surprisingly.

Fifteen was now sitting on the couch across from him, and they were currently speaking about a completely different topic.

The blue-haired Nobody gave a frustrated sigh. "I'm just done. I can't take this anymore. I'm never going to find love here."

Marluxia gazed sympathetically towards her. "What's there to do, darling? No one will love us but ourselves." He brushed a few locks of hair over his shoulder. "Now, refresh my memories; I thought you had taken a fancy to Demyx?"

He wasn't entirely sure, but this seemed to be true. She'd turned her attentions to almost all of the male members at one point or another.

She scowled. Wrong thing to say. "I did at one time, but he never took any of the hints. And then there was the Xigbar fiasco and the Luxord one, and then you. I just…" She dropped her shoulders. "I give up."

Marluxia pondered this, nodding his head. Demyx was an oblivious idiot. And Xigbar and Luxord weren't really her type, if he was any judge. But she had liked him, also?

Marluxia himself had always found her attractive and sweet, a wonderful change from the mean sharpness of Larxene and the…risky and brazen fearlessness to be found in Selixoe.

Yes, he did remember that she'd tried to be coy and flirty with him, but that was when she was throwing herself at four other men. He'd not responded because he had wondered if she was teasing him.

He realized that the room had fallen silent. "Ah, so many loves. I'm quite flattered that you found me attractive in some way. Had I known this, I'm sure I would have courted you far better than those foolish…boys."

Perfect. She could not find fault in this, he was sure.

"Yeah, but you are as oblivious as they are!"

Her scowl was quite adorable. But it made him feel boorish and stupid to be called oblivious.

He frowned slightly. "My dear, I could not tell whether your affections were genuine because of your frequent displays of amorous intentions towards my comrades." He paused and lowered his voice a little. "I assure you, darling, I was far from oblivious."

She waved her hand flippantly, a motion far too reminiscent of Larxene for Marluxia's taste. "Whatever. It's too late now."

"It is never too late for anything, Anarixa darling," he said softly.

She switched topics on him sporadically, whispering the sentence that came completely out of left field. "We can never get our humanity back."

He blinked in surprise. And suddenly, a reply was spilling out of his mouth, trying to put a positive light on this. "Very true, but we can make do with what we have." His mind told him to stop there, but the void-like cavity in his chest urged him to keep going. "I remember how it was to feel, and I know you do as well, Anarixa."

Why couldn't he call her 'Rixa' like everyone else? Why was he so painfully polite and formal?

The young woman across from him lowered her head and began to fiddle with the zipper at the base of her coat. "The difference between you and me, sir, is that I can actually feel them, the emotions. It seems like I still have a heart…"

That it does, Marluxia admitted to himself. His formality was producing an effect on her, and it seemed to make her feel the need to address him as 'sir'.

He hated it. It made him think that he was some terrible tyrant, lording it over a shy servant. No, that was Superior's job.

The Graceful Assassin desperately wanted to rush to her side and beg her to call him by his name, but once again, his mind's formality over-ruled his non-existent heart's yearning for intimacy.

"Anarixa, I know emotions as well. They are small and are most likely less passionate than yours, but they are present nonetheless."

StopStopStop! Just leave it at that!

No, continue. Nip it in the bud before it blossoms.

The two strains of thought swirled and coalesced in his mind.

The words he produced seemed to come from a long way off.

"I do not believe that you have ever asked if I am capable of feeling, just assumed the opposite…"

He could see the walls that had started to crumble spring back, whole and impenetrable, into her eyes again.

"That's because Superior and everyone else says that the Nobodies can't feel."

Her crimson eyes were hard and cold, a harsh difference from their pleasant—if not slightly melancholy—appearance a moment ago.

It pained Number Eleven greatly to know that he caused the change.

"No," He countered somewhat desperately, "He does not allow us to."

Number Fifteen let this idea sink in. "Oh…"

Marluxia tried to cheer her up, giving her a small, quiet smile. "So, do not be so despondent, darling. I, unlike the other buffoons in this organization, know how you feel."

She giggled and offered out a small smile of her own. "Thank you."

Her change of mood made Marluxia's chest swell with pride.

"My pleasure, darling."

She smiled wider at the pet name, the walls cracking and falling to pieces.

He liked calling her darling. The word formed on his lips slowly but frequently, and rolled off his tongue like rose-water.

"So," he began, smirking a little. "I believe your newly learned lesson is not to be so hard on Number Eight, yes?"

She had been terribly distraught and angry over the fact that the Flurry did not return her most earnest affections. The young man had tried to ease the pain by telling her a…half-truth. When she discovered that he was trying to progress the relationship between Selixoe and himself after he had insisted that he held no such feelings for anyone, she was upset.

Very upset, to say the least.

Nodding vigorously, she replied, "Yes, sir!" in a bubbly tone.

Hm. There was that 'sir' problem again. He couldn't stand it anymore and immediately decided to do away with it for good.

"No need for that now, Anarixa. You've known me long enough."

He desperately hoped she knew what he meant.

Cocking her head slightly to the left, something Namine was wont to do, she said doubtfully, "But…it's respectful."

That was far too cute for him to argue with, but he insisted. "I wish for you to call me by my name."

She nodded, her pale (yet slightly flushed) face clearing once more. "Alright, Marluxia."

Yes, much better. So much better. The way she hesitantly tested out the word sent a warm chill down his spine.

"Very good, darling. Now, if you'll please pardon my rudeness, I am expected to discuss some things with the Superior." He smiled and offered her a hand after he stood.

"No, that's okay, really! I should go spar with Demyx anyway." She grinned and happily placed her petite hand in his as he escorted her out of the library.

"Of course. I will speak with you further later, Anarixa."

With a last glance, they both turned and started off down opposite hallways, both feeling…well, simply feeling, because of the other.

A/N: Thank you for reading. If I get a few reviews I might upload part dos. :)
C.D.M.