Chapter Five: Romantic Sunsets and Broken ATMs

 Lot's of fluff coming! Hope you enjoy! And I don't own the Disney song in this chapter, btw. Like you didn't know...
Larxene woke up and yawned.

"That's funny, I could have sworn I fell asleep in the hallway."

Then something came back to her. "Goodnight, angel."

"Axel..." she whispered.

She was already in her cloak (since Axel had enough decency not to undress her), so she stretched and left the room.

"Royal flush," said Luxord with a smirk. Axel and Xigbar groaned.

"I don't even know why we play with you," said Axel crossly.

"Because you're intrigued to see if you can ever actually beat me."

"Bastard..." muttered Xigbar.

"Well now I'm outta cash. Where's the friggin ATM?"

"Saix broke it yesterday," said Luxord while shuffling the deck.

"Is that what I heard when Saix was beating the hell out of Demyx..." thought Axel.

Axel sighed and got up. "Where's the nearest one?" he asked.

"Twilight Town."

Axel slapped his face. "Well I'm off? Anyone care to join me?"

"I'll come," said Larxene, coming around the corner.

Axel grinned. "All right, that's enough to make a good time."

Larxene vanished through a portal, and as Axel walked away, Xigbar said, "Ah, Twilight Town, the city of love."

"Yeah, a regular Paris," said Axel sarcastically as he disappeared through the portal.

"Care for another round?" asked Luxord.

Xigbar sighed and threw more money on the table. "Why do I bother..."

Axel and Larxene changed clothes (so as not to freak people out with creepy black robes). Axel was wearing red converse, and had blue jeans with a flame pattern at the bottom. He had a white t-shirt and a black suit jacket. Larxene had a small blue t-shirt with khaki capris and tan sandals.

"You look adorable," he said as they emerged from the dressing room.

She blushed and gave him a playful punch in the arm. "You'd better not be teasing me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said as he took her hand in his. She blushed as she realized that this was the first time she had felt his skin. His hand was so warm that her face instantly flushed. She put put her hand on his cheek and smiled.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you look pretty handsome yourself."

"I'll take that as a complement," he said, kissing her hand.

She blushed at his romantic attitude. He wrapped his arm around her waist and started walking.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the ATM!!"

Demyx ran up and grabbed Zexion by the hood.

"What the hell, Demyx?"

"Axel and Larxene went to Twilight Town! C'mon!"

Zexion silently pleaded with Vexen and Lexaeus as he was dragged away.

"Should we help him?" asked Lexaeus.

Vexen sighed and pulled out a brain-teaser puzzle as Lexaeus squealed with delight.

"That should keep him busy..."

"Stupid ATM!" said Axel as he pounded on it.

Larxene sighed and watched as everyone eyed them strangely and walked away.

"Axel, move." She shoved him aside and sent an electric current into the machine, causing money to shoot out.

"Ooh you're good," he said with a wink.

He held her hand again and led her to the train. They stood by the window and watched the scenery roll by. Larxene sighed as she rested her head on her crossed arms on the windowsill.

"It's all so beatiful," she said, excited about experiencing something new outside the castle.

"Yeah it is," he said. She grabbed his hand and felt relaxed at his touch.

The train stopped and he pulled at her. "C'mon, there's one more place I want to take you."

"I'm back!" Axel said. He had left her on a bench at the top of Sunset Hill while he went to get something.

"Here," he said, handing her a popsicle of some sort.

"What's this?"

"It's sea salt ice cream," he said "Try it."

She tried it, and her face instantly lit up. "Mmmm, it's salty, yet sweet!"

Axel laughed and grinned. "Ah, but not as sweet as you."

She smiled flirtatiously and rubbed his chin. "Not as hot as you, either."

Now it was his turn to blush. She giggled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thanks. Axel."

He rubbed his cheek against her head. "Any time."

After they had finished their ice cream, they sat and watched the sunset. After a while Larxene sighed and got up.

"Well, we'd better be getting back."

She was about to walk away when Axel grabbed her hand. "Wait, Larxene. I wanted to give you something."

He pulled out some white roses, which he must have gotten when he got the ice cream.

"Axel, white roses are my favorite! Thank you!"

Axel was glad she didn't ask how he knew, since she probably wouldn't be to thrilled that Xigbar was selling off the secrets in her diary. Ah well...

She hugged him, and he returned her embrace. She settled into his hold, the wamth of his body soothing her mind and body.

"Larxene, I..."

She pulled away from his slightly. "Yeah?"

He fell silent. Then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. She felt her cheek burn from the sweet gesture. He smiled at her and then pulled away. "We should be getting back," he said.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," she said. He nodded and disappeared into the portal.

She sat down on the bench, sighed, and began to sing. Two of the statues behind her started singing too. "Weird...singing statues...ah well..."

(bold is Larxene, italicized is the statues)

If there's a prize for rotten judgement
I guess I've already won that
No man is worth the aggravation
That's ancient history, been there, done that!

Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'
He's the Earth and heaven to you
Try to keep it hidden
Honey, we can see right through you
Girl, ya can't conceal it
We know how ya feel and
Who you're thinking of

No chance, no way
I won't say it, no, no

You swoon, you sigh
why deny it, uh-oh

It's too cliche
I won't say I'm in love

I thought my heart had learned its lesson
It feels so good when you start out
My head is screaming get a grip, girl
Unless you're dying to cry your heart out
Oh

You keep on denying
Who you are and how you're feeling
Baby, we're not buying
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling
Face it like a grown-up
When ya gonna own up
That ya got, got, got it bad

No chance, now way
I won't say it, no, no

Give up, give in
Check the grin you're in love

This scene won't play,
I won't say I'm in love

You're doin flips read our lips
You're in love

You're way off base
I won't say it
Get off my case
I won't say it

Girl, don't be proud
It's O.K. you're in love

Oh
At least out loud,
I won't say I'm in love

Larxene lay on the bench with her flowers to her where she almost felt her heart in la-la land. Suddenly she realized that she recognized those voices.

"Demyx? Zexion?"

The two, who had painted themselves like statues (washable paint of course since neither could bear the though of staining their hair), stepped out.

"I told you this was a bad idea," said Zexion, who was slowly inching away.

"Were you to there the whole time?" she said, a nerve bulging out of her head.

Demyx chuckled nervously. "We- uh...nice flowers?"

"Aaaah!" Larxene screamed as she pounced on him, her kunai extended like claws. Zexion, who was running down the hill now, grinned to himself.

"You never have to outrun a wild animal as long as someone is behind you. Hehehe..."

Axel teleported back to his room and jumped on his bed.

"Larxene..."

He put his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling with a grin. "You gave me on hell of a day."

Zexion slowly creeped up the hill. Larxene was gone and Demyx was laying in a mangled heap. Zexion sighed and pulled out a page of his book. A stretcher appeared under the barely conscious (or alive, for that matter) Demyx.

"Zexion, you're so cool. You're like the Pagemaster!" Demyx said in a half-dazed voice.

Zexion rolled his eyes and dragged him through the portal.

Larxene sighed happily as she placed her flowers by her stand. As she placed them, she thought of holding Axel's hand, snuggling on the bench, and his kiss.

"Ugh! This is so frustrating! Why can't I control these echoes of emotion!"

Then she looked back over at the flowers and smiled. "Then again, I think I like this feeling. Being in love..."