Chapter 3: January 16th
Saix sat in the kitchen with his usual cup of morning tea. He yawned lightly covering mouth trying to wake up, hoping that maybe this morning would start off right.
Marluxia wandered in and poured himself some milk, then heated it up in the microwave before adding loads of chocolate syrup.
"Morning," he greeted the other unenthusiastically, stirring his hot chocolate.
"Good morning, Marluxia. Don't we have the sweet tooth this morning?" Saïx asked, sniffing the air.
Marluxia shrugged. "I grow all this cacao, yet Namine and I are the only ones who seem to appreciate it." He kept his tone light, belying the fact that he had spent all day obsessing over yesterday's events. "Perhaps we should check on Vexen?" he suggested.
"And wake him from his pleasant dreams about research?" Saïx lifted a perfectly sculpted blue eyebrow.
Marluxia scoffed slightly. "Since when do you mind?" he asked rhetorically, then immediately corrected himself. "Right. The GeneCo hearts. I keep forgetting."
"Well, then."
"Indeed."
"…"
"…"
"In the interests of making things as clear-cut as possible, perhaps we should determine whether this 'relationship' of ours will be between the three of us, or just you and me."
Marluxia took a sip of his hot chocolate, pretending to think about it. Saïx just eyed him, patient as can be. Marluxia slowly licked his lips.
"Are we? In a relationship? I had assumed yesterday's escapades were just for fun," he hedged. After what had happened with Braig and Xehanort, he wasn't exactly eager to rush into another relationship.
Saïx's face was a calm, collected mask. "Of course, I should have realized. Well, then. Perhaps there's nothing to discuss after all."
"Wait… That is, I was going to leave it up to you and Vexen. And Xehanort, of course," Marluxia added hurriedly. "If we're going to make a decision, it should be something we can all agree on."
"Count me out," said a cold, high voice. The other two turned to see Vexen. "What you did to me last night was… distasteful, to say the least. I should report you to the Superior."
"Like he wouldn't do worse," Saïx muttered, sotto voce, in a tone that made Marluxia think the Superior had perhaps already done worse, and to Saïx, no less. Marluxia was surprised to find that the idea made him queasy, a sensation he had not felt since his ballerina days.
"Come now, " Marluxia said smoothly, "surely you came to enjoy at least some of that?"
"That doesn't change that what you did was—" Vexen glowered, his lip trembling with rage. Marluxia smirked and grew a canola flower in his outstretched palm, which only seemed to infuriate Vexen further. The scientist turned on his heel and stalked out in a huff.
"Is he really going to tell the Superior on us?" Marluxia asked, deadpan.
"Do we really care?" Saïx rejoined.
Marluxia pretended to consider it, while Saïx tapped his foot lightly in a show of impatience.
"Anyway, to the matter at hand," Saïx pressed. "Shall we, perhaps, simply see how things… unfold? I mean between us, of course."
"If it's no bother."
