Wow, sorry guys. I TOTALLY missed my regular Friday update.

I've got a lot of real life shit that's been going on so my brain's been really frazzled. On the plus side though, I'm back to full time at work again. Rejoice! (Even though that might be a bad thing for you guys since it means I'll have less time to write.)

Anyway, last chapter… Larxene felt like an ASS. And she should, because Luxord loved his mum and here she was talking rudely about her taste in jewelry. But now that she realizes just how important she is to Luxord for him to give her these pieces of jewelry that he holds so dear, will it change her disposition a whole lot? Well, we can hope, but don't hold your breath.

I really want to hug the crap out of Lux.

Anyhow, enjoy this chapter!

And don't forget to vote in the poll if you haven't yet! PLEASE!

Luxord awoke to an empty bed. He shouldn't be surprised. He shouldn't be hurt. But damn it all, he was. He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. This was not how he wanted to wake up. He was about ready to go back to sleep and try waking up once more but he suddenly felt something heavy drop onto his back.

"Oh good! You're awake." Larxene yawned loudly and rested her head between Luxord's shoulder blades. "You know, you snore awfully loud."

Luxord was startled to hear Larxene's voice. He tried to roll over to look at her but it only resulted in her falling to the floor with a shriek. He looked down at her in awe. "Y-you're still in here!"

"Of course I'm still here." Larxene grumbled and stood up slowly. "And how do you thank me? By knocking me on the floor."

"I'm sorry." Luxord climbed out of bed and pulled Larxene into his embrace. "I half expected you to be back in your room."

Larxene let her head rest against Luxord's chest as he hugged her. "I said I'd stay."

"I know. But the others… I figured you'd care." Luxord smiled and ran his fingers through Larxene's hair. Maybe last night had really changed everything. Maybe realizing how much he truly cared for her had caused Larxene to mature and blossom into a compassionate and sensible young woman. Or maybe that was too much to hope for. His face fell as he remembered a conversation he'd had with Axel the previous day. They wouldn't be working on the speakeasy any longer. As of yesterday, it was finished. Nobody was coming to the mansion today. "We're completely alone in the house, aren't we?"

"Uhg! Yes and I'm starving! Naminé normally cooks breakfast but she's not here either." Larxene pouted and ran her hand up and down Luxord's chest. "I'd cook for myself but I… well, I don't know how."

Luxord burst into laughter and ruffled Larxene's hair. "Your father married you off without even the slightest knowledge of how to prepare a meal for your husband!?"

Larxene huffed and crossed her arms. "Well it isn't like we planned on me needing the knowledge! I thought I was marrying somebody who was rich, remember? I figured I'd have servants to do this for me."

"You spoilt brat!" Luxord chuckled and sighed. "Alright, come downstairs and I'll show you how to cook, but you're doing it. I'm only going to tell you what you need to do. I won't do it for you."

Larxene rolled her eyes and pulled her robe on over her body. She followed Luxord out the door and down the stairs into the kitchen. She'd never set foot in a kitchen before, and she was intimidated to say the least. Everything looked so dangerous, and she was a fragile creature. "This is a bad idea. Let's just go out for breakfast."

"Nonsense. They might think we're trying to escape and have your father killed before we could even sit down at a table in a restaurant. Besides, I've been craving a Full English Breakfast since I came to this God forsaken country and now I have the chance to get it." Luxord pulled an apron off the hooks next to the back door and placed it around his neck. He then took another one and put it on Larxene, tying it for her. "See those tomatoes over there? Take a knife and cut them."

Larxene groaned and started over toward the tomatoes. She grabbed one up in her hand and examined it before walking over to the knife block and pulling out the longest one she could find. She put it to the tomato and tried to cut but it wasn't slicing with ease so she began to saw.

Luxord was digging through the cupboards in search of a skillet when he heard Larxene grunt in irritation. He turned his eyes to her and laughed softly when he saw she was trying to saw the tomato to pieces with a bread knife. "Oh, dear…"

Larxene turned her gaze to Luxord furiously. "What!?"

"Nothing, nothing. Only…" Luxord continued fishing for a skillet, finally reaching success. "you might do a bit better with a sharper, smaller knife."

Larxene scowled at the back of Luxord's head and sat the knife she'd been using aside. She then picked out a smaller knife and began cutting the tomatoes into as thin of slices as possible. She thought she was doing good until she heard Luxord chuckle again. She then turned to him with the knife pointed dangerously close to his face. "If you're going to stand around and laugh while I do this then you can cook your own damn breakfast!"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh." Luxord positioned himself behind Larxene and grabbed her hand to guide her cuts. "You're cutting the tomatoes too thin. We're going to fry them and if you cut them too thin they'll burn right away. Too thick is no good either." He guided her hand slowly to show her just how big she should cut the slices. "This is the perfect size."

Larxene blushed lightly and allowed Luxord to lead her. This was nice in a strange sort of way, with his arms around her and his chest pressed against her back. He had an odd sort of smell to him that was inviting and comfortable. It was the only thing in her new surroundings that really reminded her of home, even if it had only been a short time that it was actually there. She let her head fall back against his chest, hoping that he'd start to kiss on her. Then they could forget this stupid cooking and go have a different kind of meal.

"Are you paying attention?" Luxord looked down at Larxene curiously. "You can cut by yourself now, right?"

"Y-yeah." Larxene snapped back to attention and scowled. Damn food. She watched Luxord as he crossed the kitchen before continuing to cut on her own. "So… Did your mother teach you how to cook?"

Luxord paused and stared down at the floor before forcing a smile and nodding. "She was new money at the time she married my father so she'd grown up learning how to do things like normal people. She always used to say that all the money in the world was worthless if you couldn't take care of yourself like a real human being." He shook his head with a grimacing smile. "She taught me how to do everything. When I was twelve, I spent the whole summer in Ireland in the inn she used to work at learning to wash clothes and cook and sew and clean. She was there with me the whole time, constantly wracking my knuckles if I messed up even once on anything. She was so strict."

Larxene blinked at Luxord sadly. There was a distance in his eyes that she hadn't seen since that night she'd seen him crying. "She sounds... amazing."

"She was." Luxord sighed and swallowed down the lump growing in his throat. "Anyhow, forget all that nonsense. Stories for another time, and all that. Now, we'll have to make baked beans. And have you seen any lard about?"

"Bakes beans?" Larxene's face paled to a look of disgust. "You're going to eat baked beans and fried tomatoes for breakfast?"

"With fried bread, mushrooms, bacon and eggs." Luxord grinned widely. "And let's not forget black pudding."

Larxene looked to Luxord curiously. She'd been waiting to hear something sweet on this menu but she wasn't quite sure if this was the kind of something sweet she'd be interested in. "Black pudding?"

"Ah. Yes, they had it back in Louisiana. Flavored a bit differently though." Luxord furrowed his brow. "Oh, what was it called? B-boudon? No… Damn it all, what is it the French call it? The names are similar. Bourdi?"

Larxene felt her stomach churn as the realization of what he was trying to say came to mind. "Boudin rouge?"

"Ah! Yes, that's it!" Luxord smiled and nodded. "Its Cajun. Or is it Creole? No matter. You like it, right?"

"Its both, and no. I'm not too particularly fond of curdled pig's blood." Larxene leaned on the counter for support feeling suddenly very ill. "Please tell me there's something edible on this menu."

"All of it is edible, dear. Don't be silly." Luxord smiled as he finally found a tub of lard sitting out of sight. "Alright, let's get to frying now."

Larxene groaned, but then came a knock at the back door. She wondered who it could be, since the gangsters all had the key to the home. She watched curiously as Luxord pulled the door open slowly. And then she saw the most glorious thing in the world, a basket of breads and sweets walking through the door. And it was followed by a face. "Demyx! Oh, my life saver!"

Demyx grinned widely and sat the large basket on the counter. "You'll never believe what I found! There's a little bakery owned by a couple of blacks from back home and they made me beignets and bread pudding, special! I got a ton. I figured since Naminé wasn't going to be here, I'd bring you breakfast. I also got some croissants and blackberry preserve and… Oh yeah!" Demyx turned back toward the door. "The milkman came by already. The milk is on the back porch." He leaned out and picked up the case of milk, carting it in past a disgruntled looking Luxord.

Larxene smiled excitedly. "Demyx, I could kiss you! This all looks so amazing!"

"I wanted to surprise you. That's why I came around back. Naminé said the door was unlocked but I had my hands so full I couldn't twist the doorknob. And then I heard voices inside so I knocked with my foot." Demyx brushed past Luxord again in search of plates and silverware. "So I guess I didn't get to surprise you."

"Oh, no. I'm surprised!" Larxene stared down at the basket of bread and sweets happily. "This is so much better than what I was going to have!" She turned her gaze to Luxord and smiled. "Are you going to have some?"

Luxord looked to Larxene in disappointment before forcing a smile and shaking his head. "No. We've already started the preparations for a Full English Breakfast. I'll finish it. You just enjoy your sweets."

"Alright, if you say so." Larxene took a plate from Demyx's hand as he returned with them and began piling it high with all the different forms of bread from the basket.

Luxord watched sadly as Larxene disappeared into the dining room with Demyx trailing close behind. He pressed his ear to the closed door, listening to the laughter coming from the other side. No, this was still Romeo and Juliet, only he…

He was neither Romeo, nor Paris.