I don't own KH, but yeah. :) Heeeheee...I feel so pathetic. I wrote this but I'm still squealing as I reread this. Ha...I'm such a romantic XD
Vexen bent over examination desk, a pair of thick goggles clouding his face. Using a scalpel, he poked the smooth, rubbery grey texture. The Dusk Nobody easily slipped its body, to the side. Vexen, annoyed, bared his teeth and moved his mouth silently in the Nobody's language. The Dusk stilled, and it let Vexen prod its arm. Vexen turned aside and etched notes in his records with a pen. When he turned back to the table, the Dusk was gone. He stamped his foot in annoyance and tossed his pen angrily across the room, letting it skitter across the smooth white floor.
Bored, he watched the pen roll. It stopped at the bottom of a Nobody. Eagerly, he looked up to see if he had found the Dusk again. But it was a different sort of Nobody. A Dancer. He shook his head in disgust, his lip curling, and turned back to the table. He found himself looking at the Dancer again, who had curved swiftly and stopped in front of him. Its body twisted and moved slowly.
You're not supposed to be here, Vexen said sternly in the tongue of the Nobodies. He brushed some of the golden hair out of his face, and turned to go retrieve the pen. Behind him, he could feel the answer of the Dancer.
The other. Here.
Yes yes, Vexen replied, annoyed, returning to his lab tables with the pen in hand. That one was for experiment. You are not to tell any of the others.
They see it.
They might. What do you want? Vexen turned aside, entering something in his large computer database, typing. He slipped a pale card into the server. Perhaps he could make cards of his findings. That would certainly be helpful. He typed in a few commands, already starting to pay no mind to the Dancer.
Looking.
For what? He answered absentmindedly, clicking a few icons on his screen.
It was then that the door of his seventh floor basement research lab was thrust open, banging on the walls, shaking the room. Demyx barged in first, taking the room in with his eyes in wonder. Few were allowed in Vexen's laboratory. Then again, Vexen hadn't exactly invited the musician in.
Annoyed, Vexen turned to yell at them and found himself not only looking at Demyx, but at Xaldin as well. He paused, holding the corrupted card of data in his hand. Discreetly, he slipped into the folds of his cloak. "What are you doing here?" Vexen questioned immediately.
Demyx ignored him. He gestured to the Dancer that hovered in the center of the room. "I told you I could find her," Demyx said to Organization Member II. Vexen looked back and forth between the Dancer and Xaldin.
"They're for experimental uses only!" Vexen exclaimed, before realizing his approach was wrong. "I want to know more, and it's…vital to my research that this not is told to Marluxia." Demyx nodded enthusiastically.
"Don't worry 'bout it Vex," Demyx answered. "We saw a Dusk go out in the garden on our way down from the main floor. Was it with you?"
Vexen sighed and nodded. The Dusk would escape into the dark nothingness surrounding the Castle, and eventually, it would find its way back to the World That Never Was. That experiment was useless. He turned away back to his notebook and scribbled in a few more sentences. When he turned back again, he found the other members and the Dancer still there, staring at each other.
Fully frustrated now, he stamped his foot and pounded his fists on the table. "Get out! I'm working!" You! Vexen hissed. The Organization members looked at him, shocked that he was now speaking and addressing the Dancer as well. You will stay here so I can research you. I will be working, you understand. The Dancer, its cap still tilted over anything resembling eyes, vanished as it swiftly flowed out into the hallway. The three stood there, surprised and shocked.
Xaldin was the first to speak. "I'll get it," he hastily volunteered, and darted into the hallway to chase after the Dancer Nobody.
Vexen, annoyed, crossed his arms and tapped his foot while waiting for the other member to return. Demyx watched Vexen curiously. "Why don't you get back to work?" the musician asked.
Vexen shot him a look. "I'm waiting for Xaldin to return with the Dancer," he said simply.
Demyx grinned and started exiting the lab, closing the door behind him. Halfway through the door, he turned back and said, "Xaldin's not coming back any time soon." He winked at Vexen, and shut the door. Vexen, his mouth opened in surprise, heard the footsteps going up the stairs to the rest of the Castle, receding…receding…until it was quiet once more. Vexen stood in the same spot for ten minutes. Xaldin was in good physical shape, and he could have easily overtaken the Dancer and brought it back. He crossed his arms and thought carefully about what Demyx had said…
When it dawned on him, a strange pink tinted his face, a feeling he had rarely felt, especially when he had been whole. He quickly turned away, gathered up his notebooks and logging out of the computer. He hurried up the stairs, trying not to think of what Xaldin and any actions he might be doing at the moment.
Demyx, yawning, wandered into the kitchen. Although cooking dinner was for all the Organization at one time, the rest of the meals were supplied through your own means. It was around 11 in the morning, and he was really quite hungry. He pushed the door open and was surprised to find Axel there.
The redhead was sitting in a chair in the corner of the kitchen. He was slouching with his legs far out in front of him. His head was bent over a book. He looked up to see who had entered the room, a shocked and worried expression on his face. When Axel saw who it was, relief spread across his face and he grinned.
"Hey Demyx," Axel greeted.
Demyx returned the smile and responded, "Hi Axel. Whatcha reading?"
Something passed over Axel's face, but he replaced it with his usual cockiness.(Heehee…sorry…) "A cookbook," he said firmly. Before he could see the expression on his friend's face, he glanced down again to flip through the pages of the book.
Demyx, his mouth a perfect "o", stared at Axel for a few minutes before managing to get out, "A…cookbook?" He was wondering if his ears had gone bad through the pressure of headphones.
Axel bobbed his head up and down repeatedly, his confidence gone as he awaited the flurry of questions. "A cookbook!" Demyx repeated, his voice raising. Axel leaped to his feet and thrust a gloved hand over Demyx's mouth.
"Shhh," Axel hissed. Demyx waved his arms about, his eyes still wide with shock. When he was sure that his friend would keep his voice down, Axel removed his hand.
"A cookbook?" Demyx whispered harshly. "A cookbook?"
"Yes," Axel snapped. "A cookbook." He dangled the white-black checkered book in front of the musician. "Got it memorized?" Demyx nodded. Axel sighed and ran a hand through his red hair. He walked over to the counter and leaned on it with his elbows, tossing the book on the marbled counter.
Demyx walked over. "What, you got cooking duty tonight?" Demyx taunted. Axel nodded. Demyx smiled knowingly. "You got roped into it through Marluxia?" Axel looked up from where he had been studying his hands. He quickly looked back down. "You didn't!" Demyx said, shocked. Axel shot him another look. His voice quickly lowered as Demyx continued, "You volunteered? For cooking duty? Why?"
Axel turned his head away and muttered something incomprehensible.
"What?" Demyx asked for clarification.
He got the same response.
"Come on, Axel, you gotta speak up."
This time, Demyx caught a few words: "You cooked…she…" It was easy enough to figure out, even for somebody (or Nobody) like Demyx. There was only one "she" in the Castle, and nothing could push Axel to volunteer for something like cooking. But maybe, somebody could.
"No way," Demyx said in awe. Axel nodded his head vigorously. Demyx crossed his arms and leaned back against the white refrigerator. He watched Axel clench his hands together and lean his head down so far that Demyx could no longer see his face. He thought carefully. About her, about him. About Axel. About Axel and her. About him and her. About Axel and her again. He nodded his head in an affirmative as he made his choice.
"She likes stew," Demyx volunteered. Axel shifted his body slightly, trying not to show extreme interest in the matter. "'Cept she'll never say that she does. Prob'ly not 'refined' enough for her. But she likes it. Potatoes, too. You could even try a steak sort of thing, if you're up for it."
Axel looked up now, a look of poorly masked gratitude on his face. He stood up from the counter and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks Demyx," Axel said. He paused. "For everything." The redhead then quickly scooped up the cookbook in his hand and disappeared out of the kitchen, most likely to his room. Demyx, shocked, looked out after him. He hadn't thought that Axel was that good of a guesser.
Larxene yawned and slowly pulled herself out of bed. She had slept in late, staying up to the early hours trying to think of a plan. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, twisting her antennae bangs into their proper shape. She slowly walked over to her chair, where her usual black cloak hung. She would never tell anybody that she took it off. She pulled it on, zipping and tugging on the drawstrings. She walked over to her door and peeked out, up and down the hallway.
Castle Oblivion had thirteen floors above, and twelve below. The Castle was filled with recreational rooms and bedrooms as well. More than enough for the Organization. Larxene had chosen one on the third floor, not wanting to walk too far for the library, which was also on floor three (not like she had to walk, she could have flowed through the darkness as they usually did, but sometimes, she preferred walking).
Flipping the hood up on her cloak, she walked slowly down the hallway, enjoying its quiet. She let her gloved hand trace a partially bloomed rose on the wall. It was etched in the marble. She heard noises from farther down the hall. There were spare bedrooms, she knew, down here. But no one else resided on the third floor as she did.
Slowly and quietly, Larxene wandered down the hallway, curiosity gaining the better of her. She paused in front of a door, hearing the noises again, but they were much quieter now. The door, she could tell, was unlocked. Gently, she placed her hand on the door and pushed it slightly open.
She quickly pulled the door shut, as quietly as she could. She ran down the hallway, trying her best to contain excited giggles. In her shame yet extremely amused joy, she forgot all about transporting and simply hurried, her boots slapping the floor loudly. It was not often that she let others on that she enjoyed foolish, harlequin romances, but she did all the same. It was as if she had seen one in action, and she could not help but squeal and giggle.
With her hood down and her eyes shut as she laughed, she did not see as she rammed into another cloaked figure. The impact caused her hood to flow back, and her arms were raised in front of her. Surprised, she looked up to see who the taller, muscular male was. An equally surprised Axel was looking down at her.
The ecstasy quickly coming back, Larxene smiled up at him. "Hi Axel," she said, her voice threatening to burst into uncontrolled laughter, or even worse, squeals.
Axel looked down at Larxene, seeing the innocent smile blooming across her face. Was she happy to see him? No, he answered his own question, she couldn't possibly. She was obviously giddy about something else. But as usual, he was hoping…that maybe…
"Hi Larxene," he answered. He couldn't help it. He was smiling too.
Larxene watched the smile spread, stretching his face, the tear drop tattoos not looking so sad any more. He looked pleased about something. She had seen that look before, where he was all excited about an idea, but he would never tell anybody. Sometimes, the look would go on for days, and he would only be amusing himself. It hit her then, that their bodies were pressed close together ever since Larxene had turned the corner and run into Axel. Thinking of this, Larxene decided she was in no hurry to move away.
"Heehee…I mean," she stifled the giggle. "I…what are you? Hehe…"
He felt her bury her head into his chest as she tried to quieter her crazy amusement. Something welled up inside of him as he looked at her, could feel her close. Her body, shaking as the giggles dared to escape, transferred from her body to his; he could feel the gentle vibration. A spark somehow flooded his body, but it was a clear, crisp one. He liked it. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he couldn't. What would she think? But he couldn't just stand there as she rubbed her face against his chest, he had to do…something…
"What's so funny?" he asked. He instantly regretted the words. They sounded foolish. He thought he stuttered too.
Larxene couldn't believe it as she tried to gasp out the words, that laughter came out instead. Already she had done something she never would have done, leaning her face in like this, but it was so funny…so incredibly funny…it dawned on her that they were still on the third floor. Xaldin and his…mysterious partner might've heard them. Gasping for breath, she threaded her fingers with his and pulled him down the hallway.
She found herself outside of a supply closet and pulled him in among the cleaning materials. The closet was small to begin with, and it seemed so much smaller with the two inside. She could hear Axel starting to question the action, but she "shh"ed him and whispered "Xaldin". Axel quickly closed his mouth as he leaned against the wall, Larxene forced to press up on him once more. They could hear footsteps somewhere down the hallway.
Axel was inwardly yelling at himself. They had been standing there, perfect. He could've done something, anything. And instead, he had let her laugh and drag into this stupid place. It smelled like soap. He hated that smell. Footsteps. Damn. And what about Xaldin? If Xaldin found them avoiding him, then it would be suspicious. What was Larxene doing?
Larxene. This calmed him down immediately. He wondered if he had something out loud. He didn't want her to move away, like she was trying to. He had to hold on to her. Soap really wasn't so bad, really it wasn't. She was pushing away, not wanting, obviously, to cause discomfort…or, Axel thought grudgingly, she didn't want to be touching him any more.
He could see her in the dim light that shone from underneath the crack in the door and the keyhole. She was slipping on something on the floor. It made a loud noise. She fell against him. It was nice. He liked it. He could smell her, a perfume that smelled of flowers, mint maybe…or even the rain. He couldn't…couldn't tell…she just smelled…good…so good…
The footsteps were louder, approaching the door faster. He couldn't think, at all. Nothing nothing…if only...only...
Larxene, likewise, heard the footsteps too. She knew it would be Xaldin, coming to investigate. Her foot slipped on…whatever it was again, sending another crashing noise. The footsteps quickened. She wrapped her arms around Axel's neck as she tried to stop slipping. Her face nuzzled in between his shoulder and neck. She could smell him. Like apples…and cinnamon. She didn't know he smelt like that. But it smelled good…she smiled into his neck. Really good…
He could feel her lips against his skin, but not in a kiss, he thought. He tried to tell himself that it was only because she was falling and had to hold on. But he wanted to hold her…he wanted her to…to want to hold him. He couldn't stop his arm. His hand held her lower back, pulling her closer.
It's only because I'm falling, Larxene thought, allowing him to pull her closer, her feet gently lifting off of the object, and instead placing her body fully against his. She could feel his other hand placing on his back, holding her up. But she wondered if he was thinking…thinking of…
The footsteps were right outside. Shit…A shadow passed against the light of the door. The footsteps paused, but then the shadow moved and the person, most likely Xaldin, kept moving. In relief, she gently put her foot out behind her. It hurt, knowing that he was only holding her so close out of kindness, so she wouldn't fall, so the other person wouldn't catch them like this…doing nothing, she reminded herself. Not like Axel would want to do anything with her in the first place.
Her foot kicked something. The item slammed into the wall, knocking over a bigger object, a broom. In alarm, she quickly moved back into Axel's arms, not wanting to get hit by the broom. Instead, it slammed into the floor. The footsteps raced back. She knew it was Xaldin, and Xaldin would know. Oh, Xaldin would know that she was the one who had seen him and run away.
She had to drive suspicion away. The footsteps were there, the shadow passing over the light coming from beneath the door again. His arms were holding her again. They felt so warm, so right…safe…she couldn't think. The door handle was twisting, it was going to open. She had to. And she didn't think she'd mind.
As the door swung open, Larxene lifted herself on her tip-toes and wrapped her lips around Axel's mouth.
