Dinner was a muted affair. Aside from Demyx rambling on about nothing to nobody and the odd snide complaint from the Elders' end of the table, there was very little idle chatter or even heated discussion between the twelve nobodies of the Organisation. By the time Marluxia finally laid his fork down, several minutes after the others, even Demyx had stopped talking. Everyone was looking bemusedly around for the cause of such unusual silence. Marluxia sighed and turned to look at the girl seated on his right, the furthest from Xemnas at the table. She hadn't even acknowledged him for days.
"Mar, it's your turn," Xigbar said just as a pile of dirty plates were presented to him. He reached over to collect Larxene's plate, and she purposefully looked away. He sighed again, adding it to the top of the pile. Stiffly, he rose and picked up the stack, portalling to the kitchens to wash them up.
Why they hadn't got around to installing a dishwasher, he didn't know. For a dozen people creating a great deal of mess every day, it would be the most sensible option. But no, instead one unlucky member would have to stand for hours on end up to their elbows in greasy water, scrubbing away. Hell, they could probably afford to buy new plates every time! But then again, at the rate that the crockery got broken, that practically happened already. Marluxia quickly filled up the sinks with hot and cool water respectively, and set to work. It took a while.
He was just finishing when somebody portalled in. It was Luxord. He leaned over to the sink, filled up the kettle and turned it on. "So," He said. Marluxia gave him an impatient look as he put away the cutlery.
"So what?"
"So what's going on with you and Larxene?" The kettle boiled and Luxord poured the water into a teapot. Marluxia shrugged, doing a few more peripheral things.
"I just said a few things she didn't like,"
"What sort of 'things'?" Luxord asked, curious.
"We just had an argument. I'm hoping she'll come around soon,"
"Yes. It's odd not having you not speaking to each other. We're so used to you two being practically joined at the hip; I don't think I can remember you ever arguing before, actually. Not on this scale. Of course, Axel's delighted. He'll be moving right on in,"
"Bastard," Marluxia muttered, trying his hands on the towel.
"He is quite the sly fox. Tea?"
"You know I can't stand Earl Grey,"
"I keep hoping there's still time for redemption," Luxord shrugged, pouring himself a cup. "What was it that you said, anyway?"
"Does it matter really?"
"Well, I am curious. She seems very angry, even for Larxene,"
Marluxia contemplated it for a bit. Well, I suppose it's all in the open now.
"I told her I wasn't gay,"
"And she believed you?" Luxord laughed.
"I'm being serious," Marluxia said.
"But everybody thinks you're gay,"
"That's what she said," Marluxia sighed, leaning against the counter. "Damn, I wish I hadn't told her now,"
"You have got to be pulling my leg," Luxord said after a long pause. "I've met plenty of men who are closet gays, but closet straight? That's just ridiculous,"
"I figured that people were going to think I was gay whether I furiously denied it or not. And nobody ever actually asked me,"
"I'm not trying to offend, but you are rather camp,"
"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't,"
"That's true,"
"Anyway, I'd better get going. Thanks for listening," Marluxia stood up straight and made for the door.
"Wait. I have one more question," Luxord interrupted.
"Go on then,"
"Why is she so upset that you're heterosexual anyway?"
"Well, I can't really be her gay boyfriend any more, for a start," Marluxia said.
"Then why don't you just be her boyfriend?"
"She doesn't want that,"
"That's not what she told me,"
"It isn't?" Marluxia asked, surprised.
"Well, it was a while ago now, but I remember that she said once that she wished you weren't gay,"
"Really? Heh... Well, she must have changed her mind since then,"
"Maybe," Luxord murmured over the rim of his teacup. Marluxia gave him a confused look. "Well, best of luck,"
"I'll need it," He muttered back, walking out.
----
Knock, Knock.
"Who is it?"
"Me,"
"Go away,"
Knock, knock. Sigh.
"Who is it?"
"Me again,"
"I said, go away,"
"I need to talk to you,"
"About what? Got another secret to tell me? You don't like plants? You love coffee? No, wait, you've formed an alliance with Xemnas and have come to turn me into a dusk?!"
"Larxene-"
"Go away,"
"You're being stupid,"
"You're being stupid,"
"I'm just trying to get my best friend to talk to me,"
"Best friend? Hah!"
"Larxene, honestly. Think about it. If I wanted to just get into your pants, which I don't, I wouldn't have let you think for so long that I was gay,"
"You still flirted with me,"
"So I'm a flirt. Deal with it! You never had a problem before,"
"Maybe you should have thought about that before you lied to me,"
Marluxia sighed audibly from behind the closed door.
"This is ridiculous. Are you scared of straight men or something? I have never heard of anyone having such a problem with heterosexuality before,"
"It's not that that annoys me! I don't care whether you like men, women or bloody animals! I just wish you hadn't lied to me! How am I supposed to trust you now?"
"Larxene."
"What?"
"If I'd told you I wasn't gay when we first met, would you have believed me?"
For that, Larxene didn't have a reply.
"See? I could have spent my entire time here denying everything everybody said in vain. Or, I could just ignore it, grit my teeth and get on with it, and maybe have a chance of becoming friends with the most beautiful, smart, funny girl in the world,"
"Now you're just being idiotic,"
"Larx, that's how I see you. But you're also the best friend I've ever had, and that's more important to me. Take it or leave it," There was a long silence.
"Look, Marluxia. I'm in bed and I have a mission tomorrow. Can't we talk about it later?"
"I'll be fifteen minutes," Marluxia replied, leaning against the door. "And I swear we don't have any missions lined up at the moment,"
"It's not with you," Larxene sniffed.
"But we always go on missions together,"
It was true. They might have had fairly unorthodox methods, but they always got the job done and more to the point, had fun. Xemnas had eventually given up and always let them go together since they had both always point blank refused to work with anyone else. When Larxene didn't reply, Marluxia knocked on the door again.
"Just go away," Something in Larxene's tone told him that the discussion was over.
Marluxia sank down to the floor, more than a little exasperated. Couldn't Larxene see how stupid she was being? And besides, if he wasn't going to be going on missions with Larxene any more, he didn't want to know who he would be forced to work with.
----
"There you are,"
The sound of Axel's grating voice stirred him from sleep. He looked up, groggily.
"Tough luck on loosing Larxene, heh? Well, it was about time you let the real men have a turn," Axel was sneering.
"Bastard," Marluxia managed, yawning. Damn, he must have fallen asleep outside Larxene's room last night. And he had a horrible crick in his neck.
"Move out the way, will you, pinky? I need to talk to Larxene,"
"Give me a minute to wake up,"
"I can't believe you're so desperate that you actually slept outside her room. I find it touching, really, or at least I would if I had a heart. No hard feelings, right? 'Course not," Axel laughed. "Come on, scoot,"
Just then the door opened inwards as a half-awake Larxene came out, and Marluxia fell backwards in the most ungraceful way possible. Larxene lept back in surprise as Axel burst out laughing.
"Marluxia?! I thought I told you to go away. Several times, actually,"
He gave her a pathetic look from the floor and she glared back.
"Okay, okay, fine. I know when I'm not wanted," He pulled himself up.
"From where I stand, it looks like you don't," Axel remarked.
"Shut up,"
"Oh, by the way, before you throw a tantrum and storm off, Vexen asked me to give you this," Axel pulled out a load of crumpled papers. "Well, more like ordered. You know what he's like,"
Marluxia looked at the printed pages with increasing disgust.
"A two week mission? With him?!"
"It's really not your day, is it, Marluxia?" Axel laughed.
"Not my month, apparently," Marluxia muttered, leafing through the other documents stapled to the mission outline. "Well. I suppose I'll see you in hell,"