After a week of avoiding him and several nights of bad dreams, Alixka finds herself in a position of vulnerability and also finds that she cannot avoid Marluxia (or how she feels about him) any longer.

A/N: Hello everyone! A thousand apologies for taking so long to update. This year has been so crazy, I'm sure ya'll know. But things in my world are beginning to settle down so I can get back to writing finally. ^_^

"It's not my fault! Lucio pushed me!"

Her father would not listen, even as her mother tried to comfort her tears as the doctor wrapped her arm into a splint. He glared at the child.

"You shouldn't have been playing so roughly!"

"He took my doll!"

"Your behavior is unfitting for a young lady! But then again, I should not be surprised. You clearly take after…"

"Darling, that's enough!"

Her mother finally spoke up. The man raised an angry eyebrow at his wife. How dare she speak to him like that? Especially since it was wholly her fault that the brat even existed beside his own precious children? She gave the girl a comforting hug, angering him more.

"Don't comfort her!" He snapped. "This was completely her fault and now I have to pay the medical bills!"

"Maybe if Lucio and Lucia would stop picking on her…"

"Enough! They did nothing wrong! She shouldn't have been bothering them anyway!"

More tears streamed down the girl's face. She had only wanted to show them the doll one of the servants had given her but they yelled at her and took it away, saying she didn't deserve such a pretty birthday gift. She had chased them outside and her brother had pushed her off the balcony, breaking her arm. But somehow, the words of her father pained her far more than anything else.

Later that evening, when all seemed to be asleep, she crept to her mother's room, hoping for more comfort from her. Occasionally she was kind. But all she heard was the angry voice of her father and her mother's crying.

"She becomes more like him every day she lives! If it weren't enough that she doesn't look like you at all!"

"She's still my child! You promised you would claim her as…"

"She resembles him a thousand times more than either of us combined! She should never have been born, and I don't want her beside my children any longer!"

"But Leonard…"

"I'm sure your uncle won't mind. It will be better for all of us."

She had heard enough and was sure she'd be in trouble again if she were caught out of bed. Back in her room, she opened the door of her closet and sat down in it. The darkness enveloping her like a strangely comforting blanket as she wept and asked herself over and over again what was wrong with her.

Another dream, another memory.

The first thing Alixka felt as she woke was the heavy dull pain swelling her arm. She had somehow shifted in her sleep so she was laying on her arm, she groaned and turned on her opposite end. And it wasn't just her arm that was aching her.

This was the first dream she experienced that did not take place in the beautiful castle surrounded by fountains and flowers. Alixka suspected that she had lived in that place before the castle but something caused her to be sent away. For that, she was glad since all her dreams of it had been tender and beautiful. Maybe she had been a princess in her former life and was sent away by a cruel father. A charming thought at best, though it did little to soothe her at present.

Her eyelids felt heavy and were sliding back shut but snapped open when swirls of silver came into her vision and one of her Vixens appeared. The Lesser Nobody snaked around her, conveying a message that Alixka understood well and groaned again.

"Is he nearby?" she asked, but the sound of Marluxia's voice in the hallway answered her before the creature could. With great reluctance, she exited the comfort of her bed and moved quietly towards her closet. There she sat for several moments until she was certain The Graceful Assasin was no longer near her room. The Vixen floated beside her, awaiting further instructions.

"Return to me when No. XI is out of sight," she commanded the Vixen. "Then we'll head to the Grey Area."

The Lesser Nobody obediently disappeared and she was once again alone with her thoughts. It had been seven days now since her mission in Hollow Bastion, since she hurt her arm, since the last time she had spoken to Marluxia. Seven days since that very awkward kiss. And seven days since she had seen him and Larxene in the greenhouse. Alixka had tried not to think of that day, but every time she closed her eyes, she heard their laughter, and it made her burn with what she could only understand now as jealousy.

But why? That was the question she asked her mind over and over. Why did she care? Why was she feeling this way? The fact she was not supposed to have emotions notwithstanding; if she did, this would still make no sense. While Alixka had to admit she was drawn to Marluxia, that attraction was often mixed with apprehension.

Yes, his teasing embarrassed her, but not in the way that Xigbar teased her that made her feel gross and infuriated. The Graceful Assassin had a rather charming way of getting under her skin and she was always curious at what he would say next, even if it did make her blush. And whenever Marluxia was close to her, something inside of her always felt warm, tingling, almost giddy.

The truth was, she wanted to be close to him. She wanted to feel his eyes on her like she did when she was playing the harp. She wanted to touch those soft pink locks and see his lovely pink lips smile at her. And she wanted to kiss him again. Her keen interest in him confused her from the moment they had met.

But perhaps it was that very confusion that she found so alluring about him.

He doesn't talk to anyone besides that shrew, and if he talks to you, it's not because of anything genuine. Please be wary of him, Alixka.

No, whatever she was beginning to feel for Marluxia, it wasn't real. And certainly not whatever he pretended to feel for her. It was all an illusion; it always was and always would be. Alixka swallowed hard, closing her eyes tightly as she felt a burning tightness return to her chest. Her eyes were still closed when she heard a shift of movement next to her. Alixka opened her eyes and stared up at the pearly white and pink body of a single Reaper floating next to her. She sighed. Such a shame that Vixens weren't strong enough to counter them.

"Let me guess; your master is looking for me?" The creature swayed; she guessed this meant yes. "What would I have to do for you to NOT report my whereabouts to him?" When the Nobody made no response, Alixka smiled and held out a ten munny piece. "How about it? Lead Marluxia somewhere else, and it's yours."

The Reaper seized the golden orb from her hand and disappeared. But somehow, she knew it would not listen to her. Perhaps it was time to leave, a thought confirmed when she heard a soft knocking on her door.

"Alixka, please. May I talk to you?"

Biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut, she vanished and was in The Grey Area a few seconds later. But if she was hoping for any respite there, she was completely mistaken.

"Well well," Xigbar sneered. "Look who's decided to grace us with her presence!"

"Don't know why," Axel added. "If I was given a week off, I'd be sleeping all day and night!"

"Even sleeping all day and night can get dull after a while," Alixka replied, trying to sound unbothered. "I was getting restless and needed some air."

"Hmph, too bad," Xigbar leaned into her with a devilish grin. "If you were here a few minutes earlier, you could have seen your boyfriend!"

"HUH?!"

"I mean Pretty Boy of course!" he chuckled. "Ya know, he's been soooo worried about you! I wonder, what went down in Hollow Bastion for…"

"Fuck off!" she snapped. "Nothing happened! Marluxia is NOT my boyfriend!"

"Really now?" he raised his eyebrow. "So does that mean I still have a chance?"

"UGH!"

Alixka responded by turning her back to The Freeshooter, stamping her foot and slumping on the couch next to her. Truthfully she was on the verge of frustrated tears that she didn't want him or anyone else to see. But Xigbar wouldn't let up.

"Well if that's the case, then I'm sure you won't mind if I ask him myself!"

"What?" she turned around in spite of herself. "What are you talking about?"

"He's right outside the hall!" Something very much like terror struck Alixka and she jumped up from the couch, putting up her hood. "What? I thought you didn't like him like that?"

"I DON'T!"

"Then why ya hiding your face?" Axel asked.

"I'm not!"

Even though she knew that was exactly what she was doing. This was bad, she had to get out of here and find a new place to avoid Marluxia. Without another moment to waste, she closed her eyes and vanished, much to Axel and Xigbar's amusement. Marluxia walked in not too long afterward. The redhead smirked.

"She's still giving you the cold shoulder, I see," he said. "Whatever happened on your mission, must have left a bad impression with her."

"But I wonder," Xigbar added. "What would a guy have to do to get on her good side in the first place? Marly, you seem to know. Care to share?"

But Marluxia was in no mood for jokes, particularly where Alixka was concerned. He passed quickly by them sitting on the far side of the room and barely attempting to mask his contempt.

"If you're going to talk nonsense, I have better things to do."

Alixka emerged at Affirmed Malice*, one of the few places in the castle where she could be sure that Marluxia wouldn't appear. She hoped that maybe her mentor would be here, that maybe he would keep her company until she was ready to return to her room.

But the hall was empty, most likely Xaldin was already out on his daily mission. And even though he had told her that she could come to this place whenever she liked, after a few moments she decided to leave. This time she went to the library, again empty. Though she wasn't always enamored with daily missions, she hated not having anything to do. At least here there were books, plenty to keep her occupied for the whole day. And plenty to distract her from her inner turmoil until evening.

And hopefully, sleep would come quickly tonight.

Marluxia stared indignantly at the elegant, intrusive creature floating in front of him, blocking his way. It was a few hours later, and by now he understood what the Vixens had been tasked to do. While it annoyed him, he could not help but feel a strange sense of regret.

The others were correct, Alixka was avoiding him. He understood why but still it was perplexing, clearly this had more to do than just proving herself unafraid of him. But now it had been a week, and they had not spoken since or even seen each other. Larxene had found out she was scheduled for recon in two days and he knew her arm would be healing up soon. If only he could just talk to her.

"Is she asleep?"

The Lesser Nobody swayed a little, which meant yes. But when he reached out for the door, he was stung by one of the Vixens' silvery tails. He glared at it.

"I mean her no harm!" He said. "Please, let me see her. If she is asleep, I will not bother her."

It had orders, bound to obey The Maiden of Tempests no matter what. But there was something strangely sincere in those deep blue eyes that the creature could not understand, but it did not appear malicious. Alixka was indeed asleep. If he kept his word, she would never know he was there. With a wave of his hand, a Reaper then appeared, stronger than its kind, and a decision was made.

Softly and silently, Marluxia approached her, noticing how she slept on the side of her arm that was not injured. Her dark hair pooled around her pillow rather beautifully, even while sleeping, she was a vision of perfection to his eyes. But as he gazed at her he began to hear a very faint sound coming from her lips, upon moving closer he saw that her eyelashes were wet and her cheeks streaked from tears.

Alixka had been crying.

This was the first time he had ever seen one of his own exhibit such a thing, something that supposedly should not be. How could you cry if you couldn't feel hurt beyond the physical kind? Over the last few weeks, he had also been experiencing what felt very strongly like emotions, for her.

At first, Marluxia had only been interested in seducing Alixka. But now, as he watched her cry in her sleep, he felt something strange pulling at his chest, and he wanted to reach out for her. He almost did too, before he noticed the Vixen floating next to him. He sighed, feeling it not worth getting stung again.

What is bothering you? What have I done? Why are you avoiding me?

These were his thoughts as he conjured a soft purple rose and placed it beside her, the Lesser Nobody strangely not seeming to care.

She was in trouble again, there was no doubt about it. Why else would she be summoned to speak to both her mother and father together? They hardly bothered with her for anything other reason. Sometimes she wondered if she was even their child, considering how different she was treated compared to her siblings.

With anxiety raging in her stomach, she pushed the door open to her father's study. He was seated at his desk with his wife standing beside him. She hung her head with untold shame, her arm was still healing in its splint and she was sure he was still angry about it, even if it wasn't her fault.

"You wished to see me?" she asked timidly.

"We did," her father sternly replied. "To inform you that in two days, you will be leaving this house. You will be sent to the Capital, your home from now on will be with Ansem the Wise."

"Leaving?" she slowly allowed her gaze to rise to her parents. "To the Capital? But...why?"

"It's not your place to ask why!" he snapped. "These are our wishes. Your place is to obey."

In truth, these were more so his wishes rather than his wife's. Though she did not object, or better yet knew that objection would be futile. After all, this was surely for the best, for all of them.

"Ansem the Wise is the ruler of our kingdom," she said, trying to bring whatever light she could to this situation. "You'll be going to complete your education, as I once did. And when you are older…"

"We'll have to see about that." her husband cut her off, turning to her with a hard look that she understood well. She nodded. "In any case, that was all we wanted. You may leave us now."

She knew better than to ask any further questions, even if she had a thousand in her mind. She merely nodded and left her parents as quietly as she came. Back in her room, she could further think about this turn of events. Out her window, she could see the sea and the vast bridge that connected her island province to the great Capital of Light where she would be going. She didn't know much about the world she called home, to her mind, the Capital seemed like it might as well be a completely different planet. The only home she had ever known was here and as much as she hated it, she still couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

"Hey, Witchy!"

Her face twisted and her fist clenched when she heard her Lucia's voice. Nothing good ever came when she was around. She tried to ignore her silence only prompted her to barge into the room. Trailing behind them was Iris, their other sister, younger than both of them.

"Did Mother and Father tell you?" Iris asked.

"About me leaving to live in the Capital? Yes, they told me. I'm sure you'll all be glad to be rid of me!"

"You bet we will!" Lucia grinned malevolently. "Once you're gone, they'll stop fighting, Father will stop yelling at Mother and we'll be a happy family without you!"

"And I'm sure I'll be happy without you either!" she snapped, though she was unsure. "After all, I'm gonna live in a big castle with the king of Radiant Garden! Mother told me!"

"A castle?" Iris' eyes widened. "With the king? Oh! We didn't know that! That sounds wonderful, like…"

"It's a punishment, Iris, don't be stupid!" Lucia retorted. "Castles have dungeons too you know! Remember that story Lucio told us? About people going to Lord Ansem's castle and never returning? Whattaya think he'll do with a bratty little witch like her?"

"JUST SHUT UP WILL YA?!"

She threw a pillow at her tormenters, but Lucia giggled, sticking out her tongue and pulling Iris out of the room with her. As much as she would have loved to chase them down, there wasn't much she could do with her arm still out of commission. And she knew anything she did to defend herself would be met with harsh words and harsher slaps from her father.

Perhaps living in Lord Ansem's castle, even with its dungeons, wouldn't be so bad, compared to the prison she was already in.

Another dream, another memory.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

She thrust the rose towards the Vixen and there was nothing it could do in its defense. It had disobeyed its master and would surely become a Dusk now. But Marluxia had meant no harm, right? And the Reaper surely would have overpowered it anyway, right? It made a gesture of submission to Alixka as she continued to glare at it.

"Well, at least you made sure he didn't wake me." She said as she stroked the petals of the rose. "But I still don't want to interact with No. XI if it can be helped. I'll...let this transgression slide so long as you continue to obey and not let him bother me. Understood?"

The Nobody floated around her, it understood. The Maiden of Tempests smiled a little, really, she did not mind as much as she let on. Her mind was focused on other matters.

After the previous day, Alixka decided that she would not leave her room anymore until it was time to resume her missions. Alone with only her thoughts, her mind once again focused on Marluxia and that awkward night. The burning sensation in her chest was very similar to how she felt in her cruel dream that she had been recently having and how she felt in her first days as a Nobody when her dreams first began.

She could not remember much of her past, but what she could remember, even the good things, made her feel strangely sad. Alixka knew these "feelings" were an illusion but at the same time, if she was truly honest with herself, she had even begun to wonder if Nobodies had at least some ability to feel or could at least develop it in time.

Do I frighten you, Alixka?

Her dreams made her sad; seeing Marluxia with Larxene made her jealous. Xigbar's teasing infuriated her and all she wanted was not to be seen as weak. Her strength was, to her mind, her only real defense against being seen as vulnerable.

A twinge of pain swelled in her arm and she leaned back onto her bed, groaning. This wasn't the first time she had hurt herself on a mission and although Xemnas never seemed concerned, it still upset her. Alixka was not weak and most of all, she was not afraid of anything. Especially Marluxia!

The silver swirls of a Vixen appeared before her. The frantic swaying of all nine tails told her at once what was wrong and she quickly got up to summon a corridor. But moving too swiftly, she tripped and the corridor vanished, a pain shot up into her arm.

"I know you're there. Stop hiding from me!"

There was another knocking at the door and in desperation, she moved towards the closet. Closing it and motioning for her Vixen to stay outside. Closing her eyes, Alixka tried to focus her mind on vanishing to another place in the castle, any place. Even the Addled Impasse seemed safer to her now at this moment.

But even as she tried to focus she felt herself not wanting to leave anyway. Something in her wanted to see Marluxia, something in her craved his eyes upon her again. It made no sense; she knew he was only teasing her with his flirtatious ways, Zexion had recently warned her not to be fooled by him. But maybe she really was a fool. And maybe she was weak after all.

"There you are."

Light flooded into the closet as she forced herself to look up into the face of Marluxia. His expression was different from its usually teasing or sinister one and he spoke in a way that sounded almost concerned. As he reached his hand out to her, her Vixen used one of its tails to pull him back. His face twisted and she stepped forward.

"Your task is complete and you've done well." She said. "But it's over. Marluxia has found me. Go."

The creature obeyed and Alixka watched as it disappeared and left her there with The Graceful Assassin. Warmth began to rise within her and mingled unpleasantly with the sharpness in her chest.

"So, this is where you've been hiding from me?"

"What...makes you think I'm hiding from you?!"

"What else am I supposed to think? It's been a week. Did you think I was going to forget…" He did not finish his sentence, only looked at her with a knowing expression. "Won't you come out from there, silly Rosebud?"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" She turned away from him in anger. "Why are you here?!"

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't!"

"Yes, you have."

"What makes you think…"

"Then why are you so quick to deny it?"

"UGH!" Her back was still facing him and a fist formed in her good arm. "I'm sorry...about the other day. I...know it was forward of me to…"

"Why do you keep apologizing? Or better yet…" He stepped forward, close enough to pull her into his arms but deliberately not touching her. "Why did you do it in the first place?"

The sharp burning sensation was now close to overwhelming her. But she still refused to face him, fearing that her face would betray her.

"It was stupid of me, that's why I say sorry! After all you and Larxene…"

"Larxene? Is that what this is about, Alixka?"

She did not respond and there was nothing but silence between them for many long moments. Finally, she spoke again.

"I know I shouldn't have. And I didn't know if…" Her words became a jumbled mess as she tried to comprehend the best answer to reply to him. "I mean...I know you didn't want..."

"Oh, Alixka." Marluxia laughed. "What would make you think that? I was surprised by your boldness but otherwise…" He leaned into her face, studying her expression. "Would you like to kiss me again?"

The image of him and The Savage Nymph with their backs turned to her flashed in her mind and she felt that intense burning returning. He was teasing her again, and not in a way that she could accept.

"SHUT UP!"

Her body jerked around as she summoned her weapon. Completely forgetting that her strong arm was still healing as she cried out in momentary pain, dropping it and letting it vanish. Pain seared through her arm and she bit her lip to stop the tears that were beginning to form. And it wasn't just her arm that was causing them.

Marluxia stared at her thoughtfully. Alixka's title was not a poetic farce. Her temper had always been bad though not as awful as Larxene but she was also still so self-assured. Before him now was a girl who was very different from the Alixka he knew. It was adorable in a way, how flustered she was becoming, but there was something else being revealed to him that was much...deeper.

"Why are you like this?" He asked softly, abandoning all playfulness in his voice. "I honestly don't understand. And why were you crying last night?"

"So you WERE spying!" Her forgiveness towards the Vixen was conveniently disappearing. "I don't appreciate…"

"Is it so wrong that maybe I've been worried about you?"

"STOP MOCKING ME!" She stamped her foot, practically screaming at him. "AND STOP LYING! Nobodies can't feel things like worry so why would you…"

His arms suddenly descended upon her, pressing her into a deep embrace. Her bad arm pressed against him, causing her to whimper. To her surprise, he loosened his hold on her and buried his face into her soft dark hair, taking in her scent and finding that she was strangely not fighting him. For the briefest moments, she forgot her anger and everything else besides just how much she had secretly yearned for his touch.

And how fulfilling it was to finally have it.

"If you truly cannot feel," He sighed. "Then tell me, what was bringing tears to your eyes?"

Alixka thought about his question. It was her dreams that had upset her. Right? And it was not being able to use her strong arm. Right? That's what she told herself. But now she was beginning not to be so sure. Honestly, many things had been upsetting her and still were. She tried to pull away from him.

"Do I frighten you?"

"Shut up!"

Marluxia only sighed as he cupped her face and brought her violet gaze to his. He could see that she was blinking away more tears. Tilting his head, he gave her a small smile.

"Do I frighten you?"

"No!" She snapped, quickly turning her eyes away from him. "Why do you mock me by asking that!"

"Then look at me."

The brunette forced herself to meet his glance and saw in his eyes an intensity that made her blush again.

"Your lips say that you aren't afraid," he said. "Yet your eyes say different."

"UGH!"

This was the third time Marluxia had asked her this and truthfully she was unsure at this point. Alixka fully separated from him, moving back further into her hiding place. She raised her arms and began to cross them.

"I fear nothing." She said. "Now please go away."

She had no intention to attack Marluxia but she hoped that just her stance alone would be enough to make him leave. No such luck. He moved closer to her, now in the closet with her, his body softly brushing against hers.

"Of course." He said as he pulled her arms out of their attack stance, a teasing grin returning. "The Maiden of Tempests fears nothing. I believe that. But…" Tightening his grip on her wrists. "What I want to know is what you fear, Alixka."

"WHY WOULD I TELL YOU…"

Lips crashed against her own in a dizzyingly passionate kiss. This was the passion that their first kiss lacked; this was the passion she had initially desired from his response.

Alixka felt her back press against the wall as he continued his kiss, letting his tongue brush softly against her lips and gently nibbling the lower one. She moaned softly, gasping a little when she felt his tongue pressed against her lips before making contact with her own. The sensation was almost overwhelming, but she forced herself to pull away and regard him with what she hoped appeared to be anger.

"Marluxia…"

"What do you fear? If not me, then what?"

She glared at him, but the longer she held her face like that, the more she felt it melt into something else. Her arm was sore, her body was trembling, and her mind was confused. Alixka found herself in a position of vulnerability that she knew she should hate. But she didn't. Slowly, she turned her back to him as a few tears managed to roll down her cheeks.

"Rejection…"

The second the word left her lips, she felt all of her defenses vanish and regretted it. Her voice was low, so low that Marluxia had to strain to hear. He almost didn't until a soft sniff came from her, and he knew for sure that he had understood.

Alixka covered herself with her arms, as if to protect herself from the confusing feelings burning through her like wildfire. A gentle warmth pressed against her back as he pulled her to his chest.

"Silly Rosebud." He whispered to her, chuckling as he felt her body tense up. One hand gently pulled her hair away to reveal her bare neck, another hand laced its fingers with her own. "Does this seem like rejection to you?"

Soft lips brushed against her nape; he could tell that the sounds she made were those of excitement which encouraged him to continue. Her body loosened, but she was still facing the wall, unable to bring herself to look at him even as she felt herself melt under his tender attention.

"Is this the act of someone who wishes to reject you?"

Marluxia's hand found the zipper of her coat and began to pull it down slowly. Her head fell back against his shoulder when she felt one hand gently knead at one of her breasts. Kisses were showered all along her neck. The sharpness in her chest faded and the warmth increased, coursing throughout her whole body.

"Damnit...Marluxia…"

"Do you want me to stop this?"

"No! Please don't stop!"

Alixka surprised herself by holding his arms tighter to chuckled devilishly as he obliged her, turning her body around to face him.

"Stop denying yourself, Alixka. If rejection is what you fear, don't. I don't wish to reject you." He smirked as he took her face into his hands. "So don't reject me."

When she kissed him this time, his response was what she had hoped it would be. All this time she had convinced herself that his flirtatious ways were merely a farce and that she was a fool to be drawn to him. But ever since their kiss, even after Zexion's warnings, she had found it more and more difficult to convince herself to abandon her thoughts. And when she saw him with Larxene, it only made her desire burn stronger.

Yes. He did frighten her, because of how badly she wanted him. But now she understood that he wanted her as well. The realization both overwhelmed and thrilled her. Fuck her confusion, and the idea of not being able to feel. This was real to her and at that moment, there was nothing else she wanted more in the whole world.

"I…I…." she lowered her head again, mumbling out something that Marluxia knew he had correctly heard, yet he wanted to be sure before moving further.

"Hmmm?" his hands cupped her reddening cheeks. "What did you say, Alixka?"

"I...I..." she saw the wicked expression in his eyes and her face become even hotter. "You heard me! You know!"

"Oh? Do I?"

Of course, he knew, and of course he could not help but want to tease her, even now. Fingers lightly traced her cheeks and Alixka pressed her body to his. Reaching out to touch his hair and hoping he'd take the hint.

Oh, your hair is so soft, just as I imagined. Please don't tease me any longer, beautiful idiot!

But Marluxia gently pushed her back, taking her hands in his but regarding her with a devilish expression.

"Tell me, Alixka." he chuckled. "What did you say? No need to be shy now."

Her fists clenched, and she felt her tears returning. Uncertainties be damned.

"I WANT YOU, MARLUXIA! I WANT YOU! There! I admit it! Did you hear me THAT time?!"

He answered her with another chuckle before bringing her lips back to his own. There was a certain level of sadistic pleasure to be taken from this, how adorable she was when flustered. But he knew when to stop teasing her.

Perhaps now it was time for teasing of a more intimate nature.

"I did hear you." Marluxia broke from their kiss and began to gently pull her from her hiding place. "Now, allow me to show you what rejection doesn't look like."

She allowed him to pull her out of the closet and into his lap. For a moment, they stared at each other before he smiled, placing his hands on either side of her face. Taking his thumbs to wipe away the remainder of her tears. Arms wrapped around her waist as he resumed their kissing, pressing their bodies closer to each other. Alixka blushed and let her fingers run through his lovely pink hair. Their kiss became deeper and Marluxia pulled her coat away from her shoulders, hands roving over her exposed skin intently.

"I don't want to reject you, Alixka." He murmured as his fingers ran softly along the curve of her breasts. "I want to possess you."

Lips made contact with her neck and one of his hands found its way between her legs. Her hips rolled against his hand eagerly.

"Possess me, Marluxia." she whispered. "Please…"

His hands left her body momentarily and she made a slightly pouting face at him.

"I will possess you." Marluxia placed another kiss on her neck, to her chin, her cheek, whispering to her all the while. "Possess you, pleasure you, anything you want me to do," and then finally meeting their lips together once more. "except reject you."

"What are you doing in there, Miss?"

She had been found out. Biting back embarrassment, she turned her body around, so her back was facing him. He sighed.

"Braig did not mean to offend you." He said. "He can be boorish, but he has your best interests at heart. As do we all. Won't you come out of there?"

She did not respond. Her hands pressed timidly against her budding womanliness, the object of her most recent frustrations as well as the guards' most recent teasing. She was already ugly, now this strange development was making her clothes fit weirdly. Why did this have to happen?

"I understand. When you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

Footsteps could be heard from her hiding place. She couldn't determine if he was still in her room or not. But something about the way he spoke made her feel strangely at ease. Slowly she rose to her feet and opened the closet door, only to see him sitting on her bed, watching her thoughtfully.

"I don't like them." She said. "Why did this happen?"

"Why does anything else happen, child?" He asked. "It's just the way of things. It's the natural process of growing up."

When she sat beside him, he surprised her, and himself, by putting his arm around her as he tried to give her comfort. This was such an awkward situation and not one for the likes of him. If only her mother could be here.

"Soon you will be a lady." He went on. "And a fine one at that." She scoffed at this.

"My father used to say I'm not fit to be a lady. Because I ran a lot and played rough and…" she turned away from him in case more tears came. "And now...this!"

He also turned away from her. As the months passed, it became clear to him that her presence in the castle was solely at her "father's" request. Apparently, he could no longer be bothered with a child who was a daily reminder of all he would never be in the eyes of his wife. He sighed.

"Adults can be wrong sometimes as well, child."

"Do you think my father was wrong?"

They stared at each other for a few moments. She always found it interesting how they had such similarly colored eyes. For the longest time she had always thought it was an abnormally in her alone. He smiled and patted her head gently.

"I do, Miss. You may not yet be thirteen but I already see every inch the perfect lady in you. And hopefully, one day, he will see it too."

It wasn't much. But she found some comfort in his words. Such an odd man Dilan was. At one moment he would be lecturing her and in another moment he would be kind and caring like this. Footsteps announced the presence of someone else in her doorway. It was Aeleus and he was holding Braig by the ear with a sarcastic grin.

"I believe someone owes you an apology, Miss." He said. Braig made a grimacing face before addressing the girl.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Princess. I was just making a little fun."

"Too much fun, in my opinion!" Dilan said brusquely.

She watched the faces of the three men in her room. Honestly, she had already decided to forgive Braig for his teasing, but not before doing something she had thought about for a long time now. She knew it would earn her another lecture from Dilan but frankly, she could care less.

From her nightstand, she took one of her books and stuffed it in her pillow before throwing it at Braig, hitting him square in the face. Dilan and Aeleus laughed as they had not laughed in a long time, Braig laughed too though not as hard.

"Yeah, I think I deserved that." He said, rubbing his forehead.

"Damn right you did!" Dilan replied.

Another dream, another memory.

* Affirmed Malice is my name for Xaldin's "room" in the Proof of Existence, like Havoc's Divide is Luxord's