"I never noticed, no never noticed…!" Axel was singing out of tune into Larxene's hairbrush in synch with the radio. He'd been there for three days, 'recovering'. His vacation had ended and it was his first day back to work after his little spill off a roof and Larxene was still watching him like a hawk. "You're so amazing, so ah-ah-mazing…"
It wasn't that Larxene didn't love breaking rules, but she didn't like seeing the people she cared about get hurt. Not when she could prevent it and/or get revenge. Though there isn't much revenge you could get against a building. "GOD DAMNIT, SHUT UP OR I WILL STRANGLE YOU WITH THIS TOWEL." Larxene yelled from the shower. Axel seriously needed to get the fuck out of her apartment. Hopefully he would go something with Roxas today.
Roxas was off today, wasn't he?
That meant he was going to either pester Marluxia or Larxene at work. And Demyx was in today, too, so he was gonna get on her nerves too. Normally Larxene could stand the musician without causing them –him- too much harm. But she had a headache and no vacation left. Storming out of the shower, a towel pulled tightly around her form, she glared at Axel harder than she had glared at anyone in her entire life. Her lips were drawn back in a vicious snarl and her teeth were clenched tightly, nostrils flared. Her antennae-like hair seemed to stand on end. Larxene was definitely not cute when she was angry. Keeping this face locked in position she stomped over to where he was and snatch the hairbrush out of his hand and threw it on the ground with all her force. It broke into two pieces. "YOU'RE BUYING ME A NEW ONE." She hollered, whirling around and stomping into her bedroom.
Axel relaxed his tensed shoulders. When she got like this, it was best to just close your eyes and take it. Normally he could get off with puppy dog eyes, but Larxene was more high-strung that usual.
Ten minutes had passed and Larxene had come out of her room, dressed in her TJ Maxxx uniform. She had a hat that went with the baby blue blouse and her own jeans, but Axel had thrown up in it a few weeks ago and she didn't feel like touching it. Seeming to be in a considerably better mood(but still glaring at nothing in particular), she picked up her keys and opened the door. She looked back at Axel, her eyes twitched and he took that as a sign to follow her. He did so.
"Look, all I'm saying is that Anarchy can't be done in a society as big as ours." Larxene was explaining to Demyx as they manned the counter. Marluxia was in his office handling paperwork related things and Axel was sleeping in the back room.
"But our government is terrible, it's corrupt and people could take advantage of it." Demyx argued, rather enjoying this talk he was having because it didn't involve him getting hit with blunt objects.
"People could take advantage of an Anarchist society too, and easier. You have to have standards in place." Larxene told him, waving off his retort. "Besides all the Anarchists in the world are just angsty, attention-starved teenagers."
"You were a teenager too, you know…" Demyx pouted.
"I wasn't an idiot." Larxene shrugged. "I didn't give a rats ass about good or bad. I did what I wanted because I wanted to."
"And here you are, working a dead end job and getting wasted every second you can." Demyx said sarcastically, looking away from her. Larxene couldn't even be mad at him, she hadn't seen him stand up to her like that. Normally he would kiss her ass and agree with everything she said. Smiling, Larxene patted his shoulder.
"And I've never been happier."
"Th-" Demyx began.
"Hey, Larxene." Marluxia called, shutting the door to his office. "We're going on break. You staying behind today?"
"Can't Demyx stay behind today?" Larxene called in return, leaning back on her heels but holding onto the counter for support. "He doesn't mind." She said without even looking at him. "He said he'd love to. And that he enjoys penis."
"Hey!" Demyx retorted, though it wasn't a very good retort. Or one at all.
"See? He agrees."
"Axel, wake up." Marluxia said, throwing a pencil at the redhead. Axel only snorted and lifted his head, scratching his scalp. A moment of blinking and a yawn, and Axel stood up. He turned and began to walk towards Marluxia, his foot ran into something bulky and black in the process.
"Hey!" Demyx yelled, practically flying to the aid of his sitar's case and hugging it tightly. "This was special made!"
"Speaking of which, you still owe me the money I lent you to have that thing made." Larxene said, her voice a mix of anger and annoyance. "A hundred bucks, my good sir, don't make me break your legs." Demyx wasn't sure if she was kidding or not, but nonetheless he pulled the sitar case(and himself) off the ground and set it on the table.
"Once I get a gig I can pay you back, okay?" He said this like he had said it every day, which he did, for the past year. He needed band mates first, but he was working on that, really he was… On his days off he played on street corners for crumbled one-dollar bills and went home with barely enough to but dinner for himself. His shoulders drooped a bit thinking about it. He'd been finding himself avoiding Zexion more and more, and he couldn't understand why. Did he really just not want to be with Zexion anymore?
Pulling out one of the break room chairs, he sat down. It didn't occur to him that no one had spoken to him. Wait. Why hadn't anyone spoken to him? He looked around to see that it was because no one else was there. "Fu-" Demyx stopped himself. Cursing wasn't his style. There was plenty of time to whine and complain when they came back.
"-cuse me…?" Head perking up, Demyx looked around for the source of the voice. The front desk! He'd forgotten about his job. He stood up too quickly and sat down again, feeling dizzy. A moment passed. "Um… hello…?" Demyx stood, slower this time, and made his way back to the front desk. There stood a man, the second Demyx saw the man he thought, 'Wow, that guy looks smart.' Because he wasn't all that attractive. It was like he was trying to look like a girl, but his firm facial features made him look more like a child molester. He wore black slacks and a white collar shirt with a pink-and-black striped tie. In one hand he held a small paper bag.
"Hello and welcome to TJ Maxxx, how may I service your electronic needs?" Marluxia thought of that ditty, and made sure they said it to any costumer. Well. Axel never really said it. And Larxene got moody when anyone reminded her to say it. So really only he and Roxas said it.
"Yes." Demyx visibly winced. An air of superiority dripped from this man's voice, as if he was saying 'Hello, I'm better than you' with his mind. Setting the bag on the table, the man looked at Demyx in an almost angry way. "You can give this to Marluxia. He left it at… er. Well. Give it to him." Demyx blinked and opened the bag, peering inside. It was a lunch. Who was this guy? Who was he to Marluxia to bring him a lunch.
"Are you his roommate?" Demyx asked, overtaken by curiosity.
"No I am most certainly not!" The irate man snapped. "I am not only to be known as Marluxia's roommate!"
"Only-?"
"My name is Vexen, I am a professor, scientist, GENIOUS. I am not that little neophyte's plaything! I…" It suddenly seemed to dawn on Vexen exactly what he was saying. His face flustered rather quickly and he wiped his nose is embarrassment. "Yes, I'm his roommate." He turned and began to shuffle out, granny style. "Just see that he gets that."
"Wait!" Demyx called, his woman's intuition kicking in. "You can wait for him here, he's at lunch right now, He should be back soon…" Demyx wasn't really sure of the time, but he glanced at the clock on the wall across from the counter told him that it was been a while since they had left. They would be back in a few minutes.
"I…" Vexen coughed rather loudly. "I have much business to attend to."
"But it would make Marluxia happy…" Demyx said. If his hunch was right… That stopped Vexen. He looked back at Demyx and narrowed his eyes as if saying, 'how dare you'. Sighing, Vexen nodded in defeat. There were two chairs by the door, and Vexen took one. Reaching into the bag, Demyx pulled out a sandwich.
"Hey, that's for Marluxia!" Vexen said is an almost shocked voice.
"He went somewhere for lunch, and I'm hungry." Demyx said like he was worming his way out of a parking ticket. He pulled off the plastic wrap to reveal a lumpy and soggy collection of white foam and bread. "Is this whipped cream? And…" He lifted the piece of bread. "And strawberries?"
Vexen's face was a shade similar to the strawberries.
"Marluxia… likes strawberries…" Vexen managed to eke out with what little manliness he had left.
"And whipped cream?" Demyx asked incredulously.
"He likes… that too." Vexen forced himself to speak, despite how much he wanted to curl up and die. This was so wrong. Marluxia did this on purpose, he planned it, all of it, just to humiliate him! Someday, that pansy would get it…
"That's cute." Demyx said, eating one of the strawberries.
"IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT –CUTE-!" Vexen practically hollered, bolting to his feet and a look of pure hatred on his face. "I AM NOT-"
"Vexen?"
The professor stopped short when a small voice spoke his name. He craned his neck and looked back, knowing full well who it was looking at him with a mildly surprised look. "Marluxia." It occurred to Vexen now, the position Marluxia was in. Axel was behind him, one hand hooked over Marluxia's shoulder. Vexen's lips were shut tight, taking it in.
"Vexen, what are you doing here?" Marluxia broke the silence. With one hand he pulled Axel off him and stepped away from the redhead. Vexen's nose twitched.
"I was just, you're lunch, bringing it…" Vexen babbled, making random hand motions. Marluxia didn't say a word, just took a hold of Vexen's wrist and pulled him, behind the counter and into his office. Larxene pushed Axel into the store, because he had been standing still in the doorway for a full minute. He staggered, but regained his balance quickly.
"Who was that?" Axel asked, pulling himself onto the counter so he was sitting Indian/pretzel style on it.
"I think he's Marluxia's boyfriend." Demyx said. Axel tried to conceal his smile and started to chuckle. Larxene let out a shrill laugh as she set her drink on the counter and jumped over it with grace only a true fence-hopper could accomplish. She took up her drink in one hand and sipped it, still smirking to herself.
"HE WAS ALL OVER YOU." Demyx was the only one who seemed shocked that Vexen was now yelling from inside the office. Larxene continued to sip her drink and Axel was snickering to himself. The musician looked back at the door to the office, most likely locked, for a few seconds before turning back to the front of the store. A very faint voice was heard responding to is, but none of them voice make it out. "FRIENDS DON'T DO THAT TO FRIENDS." Was heard after it. This was cue for Larxene to make a 'hggrk!' noise and put her drink down, giggling.
"I'M NOT CHEATING ON YOU JUST BECAUSE HE WAS TOUCHING MY SHOULDER." Marluxia yelled back, possibly louder than Vexen. Now it was quiet for a moment, and an old woman stepped into the store. She looked around, in one hand was a piece of paper. What on earth was she doing with paper at a copying place?
"Welcome to TJ-"
"DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU FILTHY WHORE." They hadn't given up apparently, for Vexen was still yelling at his lover. The woman looked around, bewildered, and shuffled quickly out of the store. Demyx looked stricken, wondering what was going on in there. It was silent again, they were talking in normal voices now.
"I never thought Marluxia would actually get a boyfriend." Larxene said, something that was on the other two's minds as well.
"It kind of makes sense." Axel said, his smile fading. "Marluxia hasn't done anything with me in a while." He picked up the last strawberry on the sandwich and bit into it thoughtfully. "Oh, that reminds me. I'm gonna go hang out with Shortcake today. Demyx, wanna come?"
"Who's Shortcake?" Demyx asked, putting the sandwich back into the bag and licking whipped cream off his fingers.
"He runs the whorehouse. I'm going to sell you into slavery." Demyx laughed a little at that. "Nah, He's my friend. Makes the best damn brownies you'll ever taste."
"Then why do you call him Shortcake?" Demyx asked.
"Because he tastes like strawberries." Axel laughed, leaving Demyx to wonder if he was serious or not.
A/N: I write this story for stress relief, so don't bother me with your "So-and-so part wasnt as good as it could be." I dont write this story with the intent of it being any good. I dont need your critisism because I'm not trying, so leave me alone.
Anywho, this took longer than I hoped. Not really, I just spent the majority of the time sitting on my ass playing Phoenix Wright. The first person to guess who Shortcake is will win... a oneshot request, or something, I guess. And yes, it is someone from the Kingdom Hearts universe. And a male.
Oh, I forgot, the last Author's Note lied. No Roxascentric. I had an idea, but I pushed it back because this is more fun.