Eventually, finally, somehow, Marluxia got through two weeks of Vexen and endless complaints and orders and stuffiness and his infuriating superiority complex.
As soon as he reached home, he portalled to his room and collapsed onto the bed. He wondered vaguely where Larxene was. She'd barely left his thoughts for the entire mission. He wanted to go and visit her, but it could only descend into an argument.
Maybe their friendship really was over. Thinking about it made him feel so angry and annoyed and, frankly, upset. Without a heart to align it, the feeling just festered in the pit of his stomach, making him nauseous. Sighing, he heaved himself up to the kitchen to get a drink. It always annoyed him that the closest a nobody could get to feeling could also make them sick, and the only way to stop that was to simply distance yourself from everything. Well, it was easy enough for the emotionless elders. Luxord was in the kitchen again, brewing himself yet another cup of tea.
"I didn't realise you'd returned," Was the first comment he made.
"Just got back," Marluxia pulled out a beaker and filled it with water.
"How was it?"
"Hell. Got stuck with Vexen,"
"Yes, I heard. Even by my relatively lenient standards, that man has some serious issues. He's as immature as a teenager and even more obstreperous,"
"Hm. And then he wonders why nobody likes him," Marluxia sighed.
"Still having problems with Larxene?"
"Unfortunately. I haven't talked to her since I got back but I don't think I want to. Nowadays it seems like we do nothing but argue,"
"Do you want me to talk to her?"
"No, it's okay. I suppose I'll just have to get used to it by now. I don't think there's any way I can get her to see reason. I mean, she's even begged Xemnas into swapping missions so she doesn't have to be with me, and that means she's serious,"
"Well, you'll have to move fast if you want her back. Axel's been following her around like a puppy,"
Marluxia frowned into his cup. "I knew he was going to turn out to be a dick,"
"He'd be alright if he had a friend to keep him in check. Unfortunately nobody likes him so he has to turn to other methods to get the attention he craves," Luxord said, sitting down on one of the stools by the counter. "Maybe that's Larxene, then," Marluxia replied. "Don't be ridiculous. He'd never listen to her. He just wants to get her in bed with him. No, he needs a male friend, someone young and energetic but calm and quiet and reserved," Luxord explained between sips of tea.
"There's nobody like that in this Organisation," Marluxia said.
"There's still number thirteen that Xemnas is waiting for. The nobody of the legendary Keyblade bearer,"
"There aren't even any Keybearers any more. They all died in the last war, except the King. And there's no way he'd ever become a nobody,"
"Apparently, Saix had a vision of a boy with a keyblade, and Xemnas managed to track him down. What was his name? Sora? Anyway, a few years from now, this Sora lad will be chosen by the keyblade when his homeworld is destroyed, and eventually become a nobody. At least, that's the plan. Who knows?"
"Seems like a pretty long shot. Why not give the position of XIII to somebody we know exists? Or non-exists or whatever," When he'd first joined, Marluxia had tried to avoid using colloquialisms like that, but it was so difficult that he'd eventually given up. It annoyed the elders, but then again everything did.
"My guess is that Xemnas really wants to have a Keyblader at his disposal. And, for some poetic reason, I suppose, wants the lucky boy to be "unlucky" thirteen,"
"He's so odd,"
Luxord nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'd better get going. I seem to have a lot to do at the present," Luxord stood up as Marluxia did the same. "I'd recommend at least trying to talk to Larxene. You haven't got anything to lose,"

----

Unfortunately Larxene wasn't in any of the common rooms where Marluxia could just waltz in uninvited and begin talking. No, he would have to use his intellect and cunning for this particular mission. He pondered as he walked the empty castle corridors.
Five minutes later, he knocked on the door marked XII.
"Marluxia, if that's you, I swear-"
"I have chocolate,"
There was barely even a pause.
"Come in,"
He let himself into her room. As usual, it was a mess. Unlike Marluxia's immaculate room, Larxene's was wild and untamed. The old wallpaper was peeling off, things from months ago were sellotaped to the walls, odd knick nacks were exploding out of boxes everywhere. When Marluxia had become a nobody, he hadn't had time to even grab a change of clothes before his world was destroyed. Larxene, on the other hand, had transported her entire worldly belongings over to the World That Never Was, and probably several other people's too, and filled the room with them. There was something cosy and human about the clutter.
Larxene herself was still lounging in her bunk bed, of which she now had decided to occupy the top half. The bottom was covered in stuffed toys, odd cushions and her laptop which was upside down. The mouse was lying unplugged at the other end of the unused mattress. As Marluxia picked his way through the piles of junk, she sat up, pulled out an earphone and watched him.
"That is a lot of chocolate," She observed, seeing the bag Marluxia was holding.
"I figured that if begging and pleading didn't do the trick, then I might as well try excessive bribery. I brought some DVDs too," He replied. "I'm still not talking to you. I only let you in for the chocolate,"
"Thanks," Marluxia swung the bag up onto her bed and climbed up after it, perching on the edge with his feet on the step ladder. Larxene was already rifling through the chocolate, not as displeased as she was trying to pretend. He watched her quietly for a few minutes as she pulled out one of the bars of chocolate and snapped off a square. "So."
"Not talking to you,"
"Are you really just upset that I never told you, or is it something more than that?"
"Mph. This chocolate is really good," Larxene was quick to change the subject.
"Because I'm really beginning to think that this is all some kind of conspiracy you and Axel have going on," Marluxia said. He knew it wasn't true, but he had to get Larxene speaking somehow. She looked up, surprised.
"Mar, that's stupid,"
"Well, this is about you," Marluxia shrugged. "Anyway, it is something to do with Axel, isn't it?"
"It's still stupid,"
"So Axel is involved." "I never said that!"
"But you didn't deny it," Marluxia pointed out.
"You didn't deny you were gay," Larxene also pointed out.
"Nobody ever asked me,"
"Oh. Didn't they?" Larxene asked, mildly surprised. She pulled out some more chocolate and passed it to Marluxia.
"They all sort of just assumed. Including you,"
"Are you trying to make a point?" Larxene asked sceptically.
"Of course not. I just thought I'd say. Anyway, Axel,"
"What about him?"
"You've been hanging around with him a lot. I just wondered if anything was happening between you two,"
"Why? You jealous?" Larxene snapped. Marluxia was tempted to deny it, but then he didn't really want to lie to Larxene.
"I suppose so," He muttered. "But I'm also just curious. I always thought you two would suit, obvious intelligence differences aside,"
"He's not that stupid," Larxene said, receiving a disbelieving look from Marluxia. "Okay, maybe he is,"
"So are you going to answer my question?"
"I'm getting there," Larxene said irritably. "Anyway, it's... Well, you complicated things,"
"I'm doing my job well, then," Marluxia remarked with a wry smile. Over complicating things had always been something that Larxene complained at him about.
"I'm being serious. Look, I don't really know how to explain,"
"I have all day," Marluxia urged her.
"Basically, the day before you told me, Axel asked me out,"
"Oh. What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it. But then I find out that you're straight, and Axel won't leave me alone about it and I don't know what to do!"
"Go out with him if you want to. I don't mind. After all, I'm just your friend, right?"
"It's not that simple," Larxene muttered.
"You still have nine and a half bars of chocolate to tell me why," Marluxia commented, gesturing to the crumpled plastic bag.
"You really did buy a lot of chocolate,"
"Like I said, excessive bribery,"
Larxene laughed.
"You really are desperate, aren't you?"
"Believe me, you would be too if you were forced to go on a two week mission with Vexen." "True," Larxene looked into the bag at the DVDs inside.
"So why can't you go out with Axel?"
"Because I'd rather go out with you!" Larxene blurted out, and then went wide eyed and bright scarlet. Her hands shot up to her mouth as Marluxia looked at her in surprise. "I mean..." She opened and closed her mouth a few times, and even then all she managed was, "Shit."
"Oh," Marluxia said finally.
"I figured that I wasn't going to get the only decent guy in the Organisation because he's gay, so I'd just about set myself up to get it off with Axel, and then suddenly you're interested but I don't know how to say no to him and yes to you and now I have screwed up everything because I can't keep my bloody mouth shut,"
"You haven't screwed up everything,"
"Yes I have! How are we supposed to be friends now?"
"Larxene, I will always be your friend if you want me there. No matter what happens. I promise,"
"But what if we end up going out?"
"I'll still be your friend. I'll just be your lover too, if you'll excuse the terrible colloquialism,"
"But if we broke up. Then everything'll be over," Larxene said quietly.
"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," Marluxia replied, leaning a little closer to break off some more chocolate. "I thought you were all about the here and now, anyway?"
"I thought I told you to stop remembering everything I say and using it against me," Larxene grumbled, but she was smiling. She leaned against Marluxia's shoulder, feeling the buzz of power he radiated.
"I'll take that as a yes," Marluxia murmured back, leaning down to face her. Their noses were suddenly barely an inch apart.
"Can we just forget about the bridge? I like this side of the river," Larxene whispered, not quite sure why she was whispering. The comment made Marluxia smile.
"Me too,"
And they kissed under the pale light of the daylight moon.