xXx

Axel sat and looked up at the TV, that just happened to be on a drama movie. It was about a man and woman who were prohibited to love each other, but they made it through anyways. Axel sighed to himself and looked around, all the other members engaged in doing something except him, who was sitting there like a bored housewife watching dramas. He got up and looked around again, hoping he'd find Luxord somewhere. But he was nowhere to be seen.

He walked over and sat with Demyx, a smile forming on his face. Demyx smiled back at him, then poked him in the head, "Okay, spill it."

Axel had a confused look on his face, tilting it a bit, "Spill what?"

"Look, we've been pals for the longest time, and I can easily tell when something's wrong with you. You normally punch me in the arm playfully or something when you say hi, not calmly smile." Demyx said, matter-of-factly. Axel sighed and nodded in comprehension, then looked up and leaned back in the couch.

"I hear ya, Demyx. Okay, you got me, I can't hide from you. Look, you know how I really like Luxord, right?" Demyx nodded. "Well, let's just say that he didn't take it very well when I told him."

Demyx sighed and shook his head. "Axel, you know Luxord has trouble dealing with relationshippy stuff. He's never really had one before, especially not with another man. Just gambling and bets." Axel nodded to him once again.

"So, Dem... what should I do? I want him to like me back, but I don't know how anymore." Demyx got up and stomped into the ground, a heroic smile appearing on his face. He turned to Axel and motioned him to stand up.

"Axel, I can help you get Luxord. I know him better than quite a few members here due to my stupidity in making constant bets with him... and that I sit next to him a lot since we're next to each other in rankings. Trust me, I've got a few ideas already." Axel smiled widely and nodded largely. Demyx began for the door, grabbing Axel's wrist and dragging him along.

Demyx and Axel's first stop was in the conference room, where they both sat in their seats, since there was going to be a meeting soon. "Okay Axel, first things first, invite him for a game, but you have to make a bet or set gambling. He can't resist either of them. But, set it for a while later because I'm going to be somewhat of an ambassador for you and talk to him during dinner. I'll talk to you about something awesome you did, and loud enough for him to hear me. Trust me, I've got this all worked out. And if that fails, I've got the perfect backup!"

Axel blinked, trying to process all of that, then nodded. He turned to face in front of him and sighed, starting to get somewhat nervous. "Dem, are you sure this will work? And your backup plan?"

Demyx nodded and patted Axel on the back. "Don't worry, buddy, I know this will work." Soon, all of the members began filing in. They all sat down, the only two not present was Luxord and Xemnas. Now, Xemnas was always late for meetings he set himself, so that wasn't of any significant concern, but where was Luxord?

Axel looked around, checking to see if he'd swapped seats with someone, just to get away. But, he wasn't in the room. Demyx looked around as well, a slight scowl coming upon his face. Finally, the door opened and of course, Luxord came walking in. Axel couldn't help but look at him. Demyx looked at Axel, noticed him watching, then looked back at Luxord. Luxord didn't bother to look up, he just sat down next to Demyx.

"Hi, Demyx," he said, a small half-smile appearing on his face. Demyx smiled back at him, then looked over to Axel, who was looking down at the table. Demyx sighed and elbowed him under the table, motioning his head to the side. Axel gulped lightly and lifted his head up and turned to Luxord. Luxord caught Axel's look and looked down.

Demyx leaned back in his chair so that the two could have a clear view of each other, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Um, Luxord?" Axel said quietly.

Luxord didn't respond, he simply adverted his eyes so that it was made clear that he was listening. "Um... do you want to play some... poker or something with me tonight?" Luxord turned his head slightly to get a better view of Axel, then looked back down at the table. He was about to open his mouth and speak, but Xemnas at that moment barged through the door.

"Organization XIII, there is an unwanted intruder in this castle. We must apprehend it immediately. I want you all in partnerships." He walked up to the table and began pointing to random people to get it over with. "Xigbar, with Vexen. Xaldin, with Zexion. Lexaeus, with Marluxia. Saix, with Axel. Demyx, with Luxord. I want you all spread out about the castle and find and dispose of the intruder. Go, now!"

Everyone got up and ran out the door into corridors, two-by-two. Axel looked over at Demyx before he went through the corridor, getting a smirky nod in return before darkness engulfed him and Saix to a new place in the castle. Demyx and Luxord ran through a portal and walked into Havoc's Divide. Demyx began scoping a bit before walking up to Luxord. Luxord looked at him, "What's up?"

Demyx sighed slightly before speaking, "Luxord, what's the deal between you and Axel?" Luxord nearly blushed and looked down, slightly groaning.

"I'd rather not talk about that." Demyx frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, puffing up lightly. Luxord looked at him and sighed again.

"Luxord, you can't avoid the situation forever. It'll never go away. Look, I know what's going on between you two, and you really need to reconsider. Axel really loves you, and you brush him off like you did and are? That's not it. What's wrong with you?"

Luxord looked at the floor and cupped his chin in his hand. "Demyx, I've never had a real relationship before, you know that. When he said it, I guess I went into a panic and got upset." Luxord looked up and saw something in the distance. "Hey, Demyx, you see that?"

Demyx looked, then nodded. "Yeah, I see it. Think that's the intruder?"

Luxord nodded over to Demyx. "I think so. Let's go check it out." Demyx and Luxord ran over to the distant thing and found it to be a giant scorpion-esque thing. Demyx backed up, gasping. Luxord made an "Oh my gosh..." look and backed up a bit also. The scorpion noticed them and roared out, charging after them with its tail high in the air, poison leaking out of it. Luxord summoned his deck of cards and sent a few hovering around it. Demyx grabbed his sitar and began stringing a few notes, creating clones.

"Demyx, I'll confuse it and you go in for the attack." Luxord said, making the hovering cards move around in a giant spiral, then making a big card fence near the back of it. Demyx sent a few clones in, them getting struck by the scorpion's tail. The scorpion slammed it's weight on the ground, making a big earthquake straigh towards Luxord, flinging him in the air. He landed on his back and winced in pain as he got up. "Damn..."

"Lux, you okay?" Demyx called out, dodging swings from the scorpion and sending clones everywhere. Luxord nodded, then felt a sting of pain throughout his body. He knelt over on the ground, screaming in pain. Demyx turned to Luxord, gasping again. "Lux?! Lux, what's wrong?!"

Luxord continued screaming and Demyx flew back after getting swatted with the scorpion's tail. The scorpion charged up to Luxord and Demyx, about to end both of them, but was stopped by a giant shock wave and a big gust of fire. Axel and Saix appeared in front of the scorpion and Luxord and Demyx.

"Saix, you kill the scorpion, I'll make sure Demyx and Luxord are okay." Axel said, and Saix nodded to him. Axel then ran over to the other two. "Hey, you guys okay?"

Demyx looked at Luxord then back to Axel. "I am, but I don't know about Luxord. He got hit by an earthquake shock and was screaming earlier." Axel immediately was next to Luxord, leaning down next to him. Luxord looked up at Axel for a moment before falling over. Axel caught him and turned him to look at him.

"Luxord... what's wrong?" Luxord tried to speak, but couldn't. He winced in pain and fell against Axel's chest, heaving for breath. "Demyx, call Vexen and Xemnas, now!" Demyx nodded to him and took out a messenger and messeged for them in emergency calling. Moments later, both of them arrived on the scene and Vexen rushed over to Luxord and Axel, knealing next to them and placing a hand on Luxord's forehead, which was drenched in sweat.

"He's burning up..." Vexen said, taking his hand away and reaching into an aid bag he brung along. He took out a pack and summoned ice into it, then handed it to Axel and made a corridor. "Axel, take Luxord to his room and stay with him there, keep him in your lap and hold that ice pack on his head, don't take it off. That's special ice to suck up the poison that's apparently in him right now." Axel nodded, then lifted Luxord up and took him through the corridor.

As Axel entered the room, what happened earlier came back to him and he sighed, turning the lights and TV on and sitting on the couch there and sitting Luxord in his lap. He then laid Luxord's head on his chest again and set the ice pack on his forehead. By this point, he was blushing madly, watching as Luxord relaxed in his arms, his breathing calming since the ice was beginning to suck the poison out.

Axel grabbed the remote and turned it to another drama and began watching it. By now, Luxord was well enough to see again so he turned slightly so that he could watch it too. Axel looked down as Luxord shifted. "Luxord... are you okay?"

Luxord turned back to look up at Axel, a faint blush noticable. "Axel..." was all that he could get out. Axel had already connected their lips in a soft kiss. Luxord pulled away, his blush deepening. Axel looked at him and moved his hand up and lightly brushed his fingers against Luxord's cheek. Luxord leaned into his hand, his whole face turning a deep shade of crimson.

Axel smiled a bit and leaned down to kiss him again. Luxord leaned up a bit to meet his lips until a corridor arrived in his room. Vexen stepped through and walked up to Luxord. "How are you doing?"

"I'm actually feeling just fine, thanks, Vex." Luxord said, smiling. Vexen smiled back and held his hand out.

"I'll take that ice pack, Axel. He should be fine now." Axel handed Vexen the ice pack, then Vexen somewhat bowed, then disappeared back through the portal. Luxord looked up at Axel and sighed slightly.

"Axel, I'm sorry I was so wrong earlier. I just wasn't ready for what you said to me. Would you ever forgive me?" Axel's smile widened a bit.

"I already have, good buddy," he said, patting Luxord's head.

"Um... Axel?" Luxord said, shifting a bit again to look away. Axel's hand moved from his cheek to his chin and he lifted his head back up to look at him.

"Yes, Luxord?" he responded in his more charming voice.

"I... I want us to be more than buddies." Luxord said, his blush going deep crimson again. Axel smiled and embraced him, nuzzling his head softly.

"So do I." Luxord smiled up at him and embraced him back, then pulled back and stood up. Axel stood up also, the smile still on his face. Luxord looked up at him and sighed. "Lux, why are you so shy? Just kiss me." Luxord took the invitation and leaned up, but stopped half-way and pulled back, a shy expression on his face and he turned around. Axel sighed and looked down slightly.

Luxord began walking away and turned his head back lightly. "We're done, we need to tell everyone else." With that, he walked out the door. Axel nearly snarled to himself and opened a corridor and walked into the conference room. He sat down in his chair, and a few other members were there as well. Others began to come in, and Demyx sat down, a giant smile on his face.

"So, how'd it go with Luxy?" he said cheerfully. Axel smiled for a moment, then frowned. Demyx tilted his head, then groaned. "So, I take it that it was well for a while, then Luxy walked off or something on you." Axel nodded. Demyx made a blank face, then looked to his right to see Luxord walk in. Why was he always late? Luxord sat down, keeping his eyes away from Axel and looking ahead at Lexaeus, who was looking back at him.

Demyx looked at Luxord and Lexaeus, and Axel was solely glaring at Lexaeus. Luxord did something strange and waved, smiling and winked to Lexaeus, who smirked and winked back. Axel stood up out of his seat with a death glare deep in his eyes. Demyx got up and tried to calm Axel down. Axel pushed Demyx off and shoved his chair to the floor, making a loud bang. Xemnas stood up from his seat in dismay.

"Axel, pick the chair up and sit down!" he said, trying to keep his cool. Axel's glare quickly turned to Xemnas.

"No."

"Axel--!"

"Stay the hell out of it!" Axel shouted to Xemnas before smashing his foot into the table and knocking it into two on the ground. Luxord simply bowed his head and looked to the ground. Lexaeus glared up at Axel before standing up as well, a triumphant smirk on his face.

"You don't know, do you, Axel?" he said, the smirk widening. Axel turned to him and snarled at him. Lexaeus continued to be unphased and continued on, "Of course you don't. Well, do you prefer know the truth, or continue to be played?" Axel froze at Lexaeus' last five words.

"Excuse me?" Axel was beginning to flame up in anger, his hair slightly beginning to glow. Luxord's eyes grew wide, a concerned look on his face.

"You see..." Lexaeus began, looking at Luxord with yet another smirk. "Luxord and I played a little game of poker, and we bet some things."

"What the hell were those things?!" Axel shouted out, being restrained by Demyx.

"Well, we bet that if I won, I'd get to claim him for my own, use him as my pet and do whatever I wanted with him. But, he'd pretend to fall for you instead of me. If I lost, I'd just have to do bad things to Demyx. Let's just say that Luxord lost." Lexaeus said before laughing out and sitting back down. Axel's hair flared and he screamed "What?!" loud enough so that it almost wasn't comprehendable.

Luxord looked down in the floor, what felt like guilt washed over him. Demyx gasped loudly and turned to Luxord. "Luxord..." was all that he could manage from his shocked state. Luxord bit his finger and began swaying back and forth and crossed his legs. Axel turned to Xemnas, who was almost agape. All the other members were silent, facial expressions all showing pured shock.

"Luxord... please tell me he's lying! Please!" Axel begged. Luxord didn't look up, he simply shook his head no. Axel staggered sideways, and all ways, then began throwing his head in all directions, trying to get Luxord to say that Lexaeus was lying. Lexaeus stepped over the rubble which was the table and stood in front of Luxord, motioning him to get up. He stood obidiently Lexaeus grabbed his shoulders, turning him to face Axel, Demyx, and the other members.

"See this, Axel? It all belongs to me." Lexaeus said, the triumphant smirk returning. Axel stared at Luxord, who hid in Lexaeus' arms. Demyx was ready to scream, but he sat back down in his chair and continued his staring at Lexaeus. Axel shook his head again, then turned away. Demyx couldn't do anything anymore, he could only look. Xemnas looked at his files on the floor, now scattered, and he knelt down to begin picking them up. No one else spoke, it was silent.

Lexaeus smirked one more time before turning to walk out and motioned Luxord to come along, who non-hesitantly went to catch up to him. Demyx began to cry out, and Axel began screaming and kicking around. Xemnas stood again, moving his head slightly. "This meeting is over. Good night, members." And with that, Xemnas disappeared. Soon, so did the rest. Axel and Demyx were the only two that remained.

"I can't believe that he'd do this to me... I was so convinced." Axel sat down and Demyx patted his back lightly.

"I'm so sorry, Axel. I didn't know of any of this." Demyx said, sighing afterwards. Axel nodded to him and got up. He made a corridor in the wall and began walking to it.

"It's okay, Dem. Well, good night."

"...Good night, Axel."