Disclaimer: If I owned KH, Larxene would have lived and gotten in a closet with Axel, Jesse McCartney would not go near the sound studio, and Sora would not wear short shorts. SO I OBVIOUSLY DON'T OWN IT.

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers who wanted more! You guys motivated me to continue this, so here it goes. Another chap of the love/hate we all enjoy. :o)

Larxene paced the white floors of Castle Oblivion, her footsteps echoing around the empty level. She would have rather been back in the library, but she didn't want to have the chance of Axel coming in again. Except for meetings with the others, they hadn't spoken to each other for the better part pf six days. But the way his eyes lingered on her when they did meet deeply unsettled her, his smirk dancing along with the memory of his kiss last week.

His kiss-

Theirs.

She had kissed him back, and let him go. Why?

The intensity of her emotions almost scared Larxene. The rest of the Organization called her apathetic, and for good reason. To her, feelings had been abstract, things experienced along with the rest of the world instead of coming from herself. She had never let her emotions take the wheel.

Now that they were in control, she was unsure of what to do. And she hated that worst of all.

Larxene stopped her movements and sighed, lacing her fingers through strands of bright blonde hair as she laid her palms against her brow.

No, she wasn't going to let this happen. She was confused; that was all. Axel was a manipulator. He was just toying with her mind...

But that scared her too.

"Damn it," she cursed between clenched teeth, glaring down at the blank stone, which glared back with white vividness.

"You holdin' a staring contest with the floor, Ant?"

Ant. Only one person called her Ant...

The eleventh Organization member whipped her head up as a familiar red-haired Nobody stepped out of a Dark portal before her, black tendrils slipping off of the crimson fire of his hair. Seeing the look of disgust on Larxene's face, he raised his ochre eyebrows in amusement that was short of open and mischievous glee. Not trusting herself with words, she instead started to step back, eyes warily calculating. Catching up to her, Axel grabbed her arm and stopped her progress.

"Shaken to see me? I'm so flattered."

"I'm not in the mood for any of your games, Axel!" Larxene snapped, wrenching away and releasing her arm from his grip. She turned resolutely in the other direction, crossing her arms over herself and casting her gaze away from the black and red figure that haunted the corners of her vision. Her colleague grinned and walked up behind her.

"That's what you think last week was? A game?"Axel's lips curved into a slow grin, and he bent his head forward to speak softly into her ear, his fingers trailing suggestively up her arms. "So you were having fun, huh?"

Furious, Larxene pulled herself away from his hands and the bright red spikes of hair that had brushed against her neck. She whirled around to face her tormentor, body tense and on guard.

"That meant nothing, Axel. Nothing! Forget it and leave me alone!"

In response, the green-eyed Organization member cut the distance between them and reached out to Larxene again. Quick as lightening, her thunder kunai flashed between her fingers and she drew her fists up to slash at Axel's unprotected face. But he leaned back and dodged her blow, bursts of flame blossoming from his palms as his fire chakrams appeared in his hands. He crossed his arms in front of his eyes and parried her attacks with his wheels, the bright yellow daggers becoming trapped in the intricate spokes. Extending his arms once more, Axel jerked his wrists and jarred the kunai from the chakrams' grasp, throwing them to the far walls. Larxene growled and raised her hands together, several bolts of lightening forming above them and raining down upon Axel. He sidestepped one and formed a barrier of flame over his head, heat and electricity canceling each other out. Before his colleague could strike again, he dismissed his fire wheels and took hold of her arms again, pulling her closer so that their hands were clasped between them. He leaned down so that his face was aligned with her own, far too close for his yellow-haired companion's liking. Larxene closed her eyes but did not pull away, all too aware that her resolve was slipping and hating herself for it.

"I won't give up until I've won," Axel whispered, words forming against her skin as his lips grazed her cheek. Yes, he was close, far too close, in meanings that went deeper than the way he brought their mouths together for a brief kiss. With that, he released her hands as tendrils of Darkness swept up from the ebony pool he had summoned beneath his feet. The last thing she saw of him was his easy, triumphant half-grin before he teleported away.

"Immature, manipulating bastard," Larxene muttered, two of her now-free fingers immediately going up to rest against her cheek, trying to tangibly perceive the sensation of tingling heat that Axel's fiery hands had left behind. Starting herself out of her reverie, she held out her palm and let her fallen kunai materialize in it once more, turning on heel and exiting the hall.

Larxene knew but would never admit that she had lost this round.