They ran together into the wind, down the promenade, laughing until they could cry. When he peeled into a narrow alleyway, she followed and as one they twisted down roads and lanes, along paths and through gardens, clambering over fences and diving through hedges. They were utterly free, running but never able to be caught. For a while they paused to let their would-be captors inch a little closer to victory, before picking the pace up again. This time she led, away from the town, up a narrow, winding pathway to the top of the cliff. He never questioned where she was going. They both understood. They ran until, just a few metres ahead of them, the earth ended. She inched closer to the cliff face as the ones chasing them were just appearing over the curve of the hill. Together their feet teetered on the edge, sending tiny avalanches of pebbles cascading down into the swirling waters below. He reached for her hand as the mob advanced ever closer. So close you could stare them right in the eye.
"Trust me?" He whispered, and his words were very nearly claimed by the howling gale.
"Sure,"
And they fell together, a single entity, down towards the sea and into the swirling inky darkness of a portal. Like smoke, they were gone.

The portal reopened just above his double four-poster bed and they collapsed into the silky bedding, laughing together. Larxene wiped a tear from her eye.
"Now that was fun," She sighed, snuggling into the piles of duvets and pillows they'd prepared earlier. "Why can't all missions be like that?"
"Well, if you're getting technical, the angry mob wasn't quite part of Xemnas' plan,"
"Screw him,"
"I'd rather not," Marluxia said, turning to face her but making no move to get up from the bed. "I like to think I have better tastes than him,"
"Like who?" Larxene challenged, wondering whether she wanted to know what was going on inside that strange pink mind of his.
"Oh, I don't know. Someone smart and witty, with a good sense of fun. Perhaps a slight sadistic side. And I always have had an affinity for blondes..."
"I'll make sure that I tell you if I meet someone like that,"
"Thanks, but I'm sure I'll be able to find somebody of my own volition,"
"Hm," Larxene let out a contented sigh, leaning towards her best friend. Marluxia moved his arm to rest it by her head and began to gently stroke her hair. She was surprised to find that she didn't instinctively shy away from his touch. It almost felt comforting.
"You know, it's amazing how close a man can get to a woman when she thinks he's gay," Marluxia said suddenly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Larxene laughed, still a little out of breath from their escape.
"You can't possibly have been oblivious to the sheer amount that I've flirted with you recently,"
"I thought that was just..."
"And how much I touch you?"
"I... but you're gay!"
"I never said I liked men, Larxene,"
"But..." Larxene wracked her brains. "You never denied it! Everyone thinks you're gay!"
"Why would I care what anybody else thinks?"
Larxene gave a strangled little cough, sitting up abruptly.
"So... You're straight. After all that." She grit her teeth. It wasn't welcome news.
"You could put it that way,"
"Great. Great. You thought it was okay to just lie to me?!"
"I didn't lie to you. I just never outright specified my sexuality," Marluxia said, giving her a concerned look.
"It's the same thing!" Larxene yelled. "You know what? Screw you! You think you can get to me with some dirty underhanded tactic? You're a pervert! A bloody bastard and I hate you! I thought you were my friend!"
Marluxia winced.
"Don't you think you're overreacting? This doesn't change anything,"
"I am not overreacting! And it does! It changes everything! You're a man and I'm a woman and how are we supposed to be friends when you... You're..."
"Not gay?" Marluxia offered.
"Yes!"
"But I've never been gay, and you didn't have a problem with me before,"
"That's because... The Marluxia I know is a total faggot! And you are not Marluxia, because you are not gay!" Larxene screamed. Marluxia snarled, finally losing his temper.
"Fine then. So I mean nothing to you. You're just going to throw me away now,"
"That's not-" Larxene began, but he interrupted her.
"You couldn't care less, could you? If I left now, who cares? You'll just find some other guy!"
"That's not what I mean and you know it!"
"That's certainly what it sounds like to me," Marluxia said. "If you can't stand me now, then you should be happy if I want to leave,"
"I am! I don't care! Go!" Larxene yelled.
"But you just said that you didn't mean that," Marluxia pointed out. Larxene glared at him for outsmarting her.
"Shut up."
For once Marluxia actually did, watching her silently with distant blue eyes. After a moment she turned away, embarrassed.
"Do you want me to leave or not, then?" Marluxia finally asked.
"I don't know!"
"I'm still the same old Marluxia, you know. I didn't change overnight,"
"Yes, but... It's not right any more. I can't be best friends with a man,"
"Larxene, I have been male my entire life. You cannot have only just noticed my gender,"
"I meant a straight man. It just can't work,"
"Why not?"
"Because... I don't know! It just doesn't happen!"
"I thought you said once that you wanted to break all of those kinds of rules?"
"It's not just that..." Larxene glared at him. "And stop remembering everything I say and using it against me. It's not fair,"
"I'm just curious. You're getting all up in arms about an assumption that you made about me that I've just disproved. Nothing's changed,"
"Yeah, but..." Larxene stopped, staring down.
"Then what's the problem?"
"You! You have to be gay! You're my gay boyfriend! If you're straight, that ruins everything! You can't be my straight boyfriend because than you'd just be my boyfriend and I don't want that! I want you to be my friend and nothing else!"
"I never said we had to be anything more than friends,"
"You've been flirting with me. Since-" Larxene thought back to all the conversations they'd had. "You have actually been flirting with me ever since we met,"
"I've only given you as much flattery as you deserve," Marluxia replied. Larxene glared at him. "Honest,"
"See! Everything's changed!"
"I would have said that to you whether you knew I wasn't gay or not. Before, you would have laughed. You're the one who's changed,"
"You know that's not true! Stop twisting my words like that! The point is that if you see me in that way, then our friendship's over!"
"I don't mind being just your friend, Larx. I've seen you in "that way" for a year and just because you know doesn't make anything different. I don't mind if you don't like me back like that,"
He looked at her and his eyes were sincere. She glared back for a while but then finally looked away, slumping over.
"It's still over," She muttered, scrambled off the bed and walked out.