I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its sequels.

Oh man, here he goes again. Refusing my help.

Doesn't he know that agoraphobia is serious? He's so persistent. It sometimes takes me almost ten minuets to get him to go to his psychiatrist's office. Most of the time, the whole fight will just be a glaring contest.

I always win, of course.

Once, Marluxia actually told me that he saw me as a wicked king, sitting upon a pile of dead bodies and covered in blood, laughing maniacally.

Then I told Marly that he looked like the kind of man to host a childrens' show full of flowers and love. That, of course, earned me a glare.

Back to the story.

"Marluxia, you can't call the appointment off now. You have to call two days in advance or else you have to pay." I stumbled over to the wall on my left and groped for a light switch. "And turn on a light for God's sake!"

"It's my apartment, and I like it dark."

I looked at the potted plant sitting on coffee table in the middle of the room.

A smirk flitted across my face.

"Won't your plant die without light?"

He turned around and looked at the plants. "No, those are fake. The real ones are in my bedroom with a sunlamp."

I sighed. This was going to be hard.

Ping! Idea!

"Hey, if you come peacefully, I'll get some takeout." I looked up at him, smiling.

Hook…

He seemed deep in thought. Deep enough that even flaming zombie cows couldn't distract him.

"Is that old Chinese food place over on Pine Ridge Road still open?" he asked.

Line…

"Uh-huh. Closest to Asia you'll ever get in Vermont! Hell, there's even a Ben and Jerry's open across the street from there!"

You'd expect them to have a Ben and Jerry's ice cream in every city in Vermont by now.

"…Fine, I'll go. Just let me get my shoes."

Sinker!

With my promise of exceptional Chinese food and moderately expensive ice cream, my phobic friend finally decided to come without a fight.

Yay! No bloodshed!

After about ten minuets, Marluxia found his shoes (he had fished them out from underneath his bed) and grabbed his coat.

He took a deep breath, then: "Okay. To Hell we go."

I opened the door quickly, grabbing him by the hand and leading him out as fast as I could.

Though open spaces have a very good effect on my brain and emotions, the case is totally different from my best friend's.

Immediately, he latched onto my arm for dear life, keeping his head down and looking at the floor. Through my gray hoodie (it was January, in case you didn't know), I could feel his nails digging into my skin.

I stood still for a second, looking around the snow-covered city of Burlington. I could faintly make out the Green Mountains to the West, inappropriately named for the winter months.

"Hey, Mar-!"

"Start moving, NOW. I'm not looking up."

Couldn't fight his logic. If looking into an infinite space gives you a panic attack, don't look into an infinite space.

Or the sky, for that matter.

Or your lover's eyes.

Or eye, in some cases. I wouldn't know. I've been single since high school.

Girls don't interest me. Think about that for a second.

We hurried down the concrete stairs, making a winning attempt at not slipping on an icy patch we had seen a neighbor hurt himself upon, and made it to my car.

Another ten minutes down the drain. Great. If Marluxia'd look up once, we could've gone faster.

But no!

…I guess I should be so mean. I freak out if I'm in a room smaller than five by five feet.

Imagine using a bathroom. It gets pretty hard when you're not on meds.

Trust me.

I pulled my friend over to the blue Saturn that I had bought (well, my mom got it for me on my twenty-first birthday) a few years ago.

Yeah, my mom is kinda weird. Surprise-surprise! I am too!

"C'mon, bud, get in the car," I beckoned sweetly.

Still shaking, Marluxia rushed over to the other side of the car, to the passenger's-side door, and leaped into his seat.

Not literally, of course. That would've scared the living Hell out of me.

...I say "Hell" a lot, don't I?

I got in myself, feeling a pang of sudden fear course through my veins. I shook my head and rubbed my temples, trying to regain my overly-happy composure. No, Zex... You're fine.

I jammed my key into the ignition and turned it, beaming at my friend.

"Off we g-!"

"Just GO ALREADY!" he snapped.

"Watch you're tone, Marly," I said playfully, reaching over and poking his shoulder.

He twitched and looked at me from underneath his jacket hood. He glared at me. Angrily.

"I hate you so damned much," he growled.

Right then, I could've sworn thunder boomed in the distance and wolves howled somewhere on the Greens.

A beamed at him obnoxiously. "Aw, I love you too, Marlu!" I cooed happily.

He turned away, mumbling to himself.

Wait- did he blush?

No, of course not.

I rolled my eyes and started the ignition on my car.

After ten minutes of silence, I heard a pitiful-sounding "sorry" come from the seat next to me.

I looked over at Marluxia for a split second, and then turned back to the road.

I'm young, not stupid. I know when to look at the damn road when driving.

By the by, the answer is always.

"…Excuse me?" I blinked and gave him another quick glance.

Knees drawn up to his chest, the pink-haired man repeated what he had said earlier.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for… what now?" I switched gears. The car slowed down as we left the highway and reached the larger part of the city.

"For being such a jerk earlier." He leaned up against the window, and I could see that his eyes were closed. "You were just trying to help. I'm real sorry."

I smiled. Isn't he just the sweetest freak you've ever met?

Actually, I think my half-brother Axel is the sweetest freak I've ever met.

If "sweet freak" can be defined as three trips to drug rehab and a lifetime of seeing psychiatrists. And having a mother who killed your sister and tried to smother you with a pillow because you were born premature.

I pulled into the parking lot and shut the car off. As soon as I unlocked the doors-

Shit, where'd Marluxia go?

The door was wide open, the seat belt hadn't even finished retracting, and I could see a mass of black and pink moving swiftly to the elevator doors. Sweet mother of God, he moves fast!

I unhooked my own seat-belt and bolted from the car, closing the diver's-side door behind me. I closed the other door, too, for obvious reasons.

I sprinted over to the elevators in pursuit of Marluxia, wishing my legs were longer and that I wasn't so short.

And that my contacts were more comfortable.

I pushed the silver-blue bangs out of my face as I reached the elevators, slipping inside before the doors closed completely. The cab was extremely small for the size of the building were in; it probably couldn't hold more than five people. And how big was this thing? Six by eight feet?

Marluxia was pressed into a corner, arms wrapped around himself. I promptly kicked him in the shin.

Apparently freed from some kind of shock-induced daze, he looked up at me and winced. "Wh- Why'd you kick me!?" he stuttered, almost sounding heart-broken.

I glared at him through my hair. "You left my car door open and ran," I growled. "You could've at least waited!"

"Sorry... I guess I just kinda spazzed out..." He reached up and took off his jacket hood. "And I thought I closed the door behind me." He ran his fingers through perfect red dye-76-induced hair.

I looked around the elevator cab. We had already reached the sixth floor. Eight more levels to go. Hey, did this place get smaller?

I pressed my back up against my friend's body. "M- Mar- Marluxi- uh..." My eyes darted back and forth, up and down. This place had to be getting smaller! "Marlu..." My throat seized up, a side effect of extreme fear.

Oh great. I'm having a panic attack. Hey, can we just skip this part, y'know, save me the trouble? No? Damn you, Author.

Author: (laughs)

"Marluxia!" I covered my eyes with my palms, black-painted nails digging into the soft flesh of my temples and brow.

Really, can't we just-?

Author: No skipping.

"Relax, Zex!" Marly tugged my hands away from my face and held them down to my sides. "I'M supposed to be the spazzy, panicky, weirdo in this devious duo of ours!"

Keeping my eyes closed, I tried to struggle from his grip. "Marluxia! Stop! Please, man! Stop!"

"Oh look, we're here." His hands moved from my wrists down to my lower back, shoving me through the elevator doors.

When did those open?

I stumbled through, finally falling in the middle of the pure-white hallway. Thank goodness nobody was there to see that.

Still sitting on the floor, I turned to glare at Marluxia. "What was that for!?" I snapped angrily.

He stepped through the metal doors gracefully, smirking. "You were having a panic attack, and naturally, I tried to help." He reached out and helped me up.

"You had to shove me?"

"Anger replaced fear, little buddy."

"I'm not little."

"Well, you're sure not big."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, you seem better now."

"This place is more comforting than your car," Marly scoffed.

"You saying my car isn't nice?"

"Zexion, it's a Saturn. Not a Ferrari."

I grabbed my friend's arm and began to drag him down the hall towards Dr. Superior's receptionist. "If I had a Ferrari," I began-.

"IF."

"IF I had a Ferrari," I began again, stealing a look at his grin, "It'd be blue."

"Or black."

"Or black with blue racing stripes."

Marluxia pulled his arm from my grip and came to my side. "Or just flat back."

"You calling me Emo, pansy-boy?"

"Are you calling me pansy-boy, Emo?"

"Hey, you're both freaks, okay!?" We looked up from our conversation and to the receptionist.

Hands on her hips, face set in a scowl, knees locked and skirt cut to less than half its original length, the blond glared at us angrily. She was standing behind the a desk set outside a black-painted door.

"Having a good day, Larxene?" Marluxia asked.

"Best of my life." She sat down and began typing on her computer. "I guess you're here to see Mansex, right?"

I snorted. "Mansex...? What's that about?" A light laugh bubbled up in my throat.

"Well, his name, Xemnas, is and anagram of Mansex. I wrote it on his door in white-out." She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder to Dr. Superior's office. "Doctor Mansex Superior" was written in big letters on the black door in white-out. "I guess you're here to see him then?"

"Uh-huh." Marluxia wiped some tears from his face. Had he been laughing? Probably had a hand clamped over his mouth.

Forgot to look.

The door hissed open and Xemnas stepped through, wearing a flat-black suit. He really needs to rethink what he wears. This entire place is white! Well, with the exception of his door.

"Ah! Mr. Delafleur! How nice to see that you've gained the courage to come today!" The Doctor smiled calmly and looked at me. "Your friend- Zexion, correct? -can stay here during your session."

Marluxia shoved her coat into my hands and said, "Be right back, Zex. Don't go and have a panic attack while I'm gone, okay?"

I rolled my eyes and nodded, but Xemnas almost smirked. "A panic attack? Why would that happen?"

All of the blood in my body seemed to go straight to my face. "I have this extreme case of claustrophobia. Freaked out in the elevator."

"How unfortunate." He frowned and pulled a card from his jacket pocket, handing it to me. "Call me if you'd like any help with that."

I shook my head but accepted the small peice of laminated paper anyway. "I don't think I will, honestly. I'm on medication already, and the last thing I need is to see a psychiatrist." I tucked the card away.

"Fine, I'm not forcing you. Come, Mr. Delafleur! We have much to cover today!" The two men walked back into the office, leaving me and Larxene alone.

Scratch that. Larxene was paying attention to her cell phone, so it was more like just me.

Okay, now my cell phone was ringing. Larxene glared at me and continued her own conversation.

I dug it from my pants pocket and flipped it open, sitting on the stark-white sofa at the end of the hall, ten feet away.

"Hey, Zexion?"