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Description
Notes: Mild language, mild suggestive themes

Everyone stared at Xemnas in surprise. He actually intended to let Demyx and Axel stay, even after breaking into his house?

"You can't be serious," Larxene stated. "There isn't enough room for four people in this house."

"If I put them back out on the street, you'd be going with them," Xemnas snapped. "You're in much better condition than those two. How could I possibly dismiss them and let you stay?"

"You know how much drama this is going to lead to, right?" she retorted.

"I won't stop you from leaving if you wish."

"What about me being the only connection you had to anything?"

"That was before these two showed up. They need me, but as you said yourself, you're an independent woman. You'll be fine on your own if it has to be that way."

"Wait, hold on a second," Axel interrupted. "Are you guys breaking up or something? 'Cause it sure sounds like it to me."

"What?" Larxene asked in surprise.

"No," Xemnas stated.

"We aren't even dating," she assured them.

"So then what were you guys doing upstairs?" Demyx wondered aloud.

"Probably sleeping, dumbass," Axel scoffed. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Here's an idea," Xemnas changed the subject. "How about we all sit down and talk rationally about everything, starting with how we all ended up here in the first place. That way, there's no confusion and we all have the information we need to make the best decision."

"Sounds like a plan," Demyx said as he flopped onto the couch. "But could we possibly have some food first?"

"I'll make popcorn," Xemnas said. "I'm afraid I don't have much else right now; my pantry is getting low on food."

Axel took the seat next to Demyx while Larxene took the furthest chair away from them. They sat quietly for a moment until Demyx broke the awkward silence.

"So what happened to your face?"

"Bar fight," she said bluntly.

"No way!" he exclaimed. "That's totally badass. Did you win?"

"Of course."

"Liar," Axel scoffed.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't believe you. What are you doing getting into bar fights?"

"I guess I should begin with my story then," she said as Xemnas re-entered the room. They could hear the popcorn popper running in the kitchen. "You know that old tavern down on Pine Street? That's where I lived up until now. Perhaps it will become my home again. It's an awful place to live, but the food is good. And I figured at least I'd have a place to go at night. I watched Xemnas come into the restaurant every evening for a week; each night he would order the same drink. On two or three occasions he ordered a second one. And then he'd leave. Not once did he notice me."

"Not until tonight," Xemnas continued. "I almost decided to skip the beer tonight because the place was much more crowded than usual. Then a figure in the corner caught my attention, and upon further inspection I noticed our familiar old cloak. I approached her and we took the conversation outside. She was the only connection I had to any sort of past, so I offered her a better place to stay. We both benefitted from the situation."

"So here we are," Axel observed. "That popcorn ready yet?"

"I'll go see," Xemnas said. Larxene watched him as he left, and the other two watched her.

"You were so staring at his butt," Demyx teased.

"I was not," she retorted. "Of all of us, it would most likely be you."

"Me attracted to Xemnas? No way. Everyone knows I'm in love with…" he trailed off. Axel glanced at him with a remorseful expression. "Never mind, forget it. Here comes the popcorn."

Xemnas placed the popcorn between the two on the couch, who instantly began hungrily stuffing handfuls of it into their mouths.

"So this must be where we explain our side of it," Axel said, spewing out bits of popcorn because his mouth was still overfilled with the stuff.

"Wait until you swallow your food first so maybe we can actually understand you," Larxene commented.

"Well since I was the Organization's main reconnaissance," Demyx said proudly, "I was able to find my way out pretty easily just by studying the landscape. But I knew I wasn't the first to be eliminated so I searched around for others; I thought maybe I could help someone else who wouldn't otherwise make it out. After a while I found Axel and he helped me search for other members. We never found anyone else before we (well, mostly Axel) started to lose our minds."

"Hey, you were going a little crazy too," Axel said.

"Yeah, but not as much as you," Demyx laughed. "'The apocalypse is nearing! Have you seen where I left my elephant?' Seriously Axel, I was sane enough to know that it was time to get the hell out of there. I was worried your sanity had been permanently destroyed."

Larxene began to laugh hysterically and even Xemnas could not help but smile a little. They were glad they had not run into that situation; it was scary to think that they could have been alone in that state, but the image of Axel spurting out nonsensical prophecies about the end of the world(s) was rather funny.

"Thankfully," Demyx continued, "I knew the area pretty well at that point and it didn't take long to get out."

"And then what happened?" Larxene asked.

"We spent the night in the park. I stayed by Axel's side the whole night and watched to make sure he didn't run off and do something stupid. He was normal again by morning, thank goodness. I can't imagine trying to support both of us while having to care for him with new mental needs."

"We've been supporting ourselves and each other," Axel continued the story. "I managed to get a job at the gas station but no one would hire Demyx. They all said they'd rather hire adults who needed the job rather than some teenager looking for a little extra cash; if only they knew... so we did the best we could."

"It went pretty well for a while, actually," Demyx said. "I couldn't help out much when it came to actually buying food, but I made suggestions on what I thought the best deals were since there wasn't exactly a ton of money to go around. And I asked around about homeless shelters… apparently this town doesn't have any. We had intended to stay there so Axel could put his money towards an apartment or something, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. Still, we made a living… a crappy living, but a living."

"Until it all went downhill," Axel added.

"How so?" Xemnas inquired.

"The gas station was robbed, and after that profits went way down," the redhead explained. "They laid me off out of fear of having to shut down completely."

"And that's how we ended up here," Demyx finished. "No money, no way to buy food. Our only option was to steal it."

Xemnas and Larxene pondered the situation for a moment until Larxene came up with a suggestion.

"I think you should offer them the same option you gave me," she said. "If we can't get along, I'll go back to the tavern. It'll probably suck if I do, but if staying here turns out to be almost as bad at least I'll make it easier on the rest of you. But you can't kick them out; they'll die if you do." She paused and carefully eyed Axel for a moment. "Especially the redhead."

"Hey," he whined.

"She's right, though," Demyx told him. "So what was that option anyway?"

"Stay as long as you need to," Xemnas said, deciding the only thing he could do was make the same offer he had made for Larxene, "but don't expect it to be a permanent arrangement. Larxene already has the extra bed upstairs but the couch does pull out. You two can sleep there if you wish."

"Better than nothing," Demyx said.

"Maybe my bruised rib will actually heal with someplace halfway decent to sleep," Axel mused.

"You two will have to move, though, unless you want me to push you off," Xemnas quipped with a bit of a smirk.

"That wasn't that funny," the former Melodious Nocturne replied, unimpressed.

"At least it was an attempt at humor," Larxene said, smiling at the silver-haired man. "It's an improvement, don't you think?"

"And that's a genuine smile I see," Xemnas responded, smiling back. For a moment he felt good inside; it was strange. The moment was quickly interrupted, however.

"Okay you two, mind stopping the flirting for a moment so you can help us out?" Demyx teased. "I'm exhausted and I'd like some sleep."

Xemnas said nothing but simply went to pull out the couch for them, then went to find some extra pillows and a blanket. He was a little embarrassed, but could not figure out why. He had no reason to; he hadn't felt he was flirting with Larxene… did it appear that way? He pushed the thought out of his mind; he figured it was just Demyx being who he was.

"I guess I should be headed back to bed," Larxene decided once everything was set. She began to head back upstairs, but paused and turned when she reached the bottom of the staircase. "Hey Xemnas," she said.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For what you've done for me and for them."

Description
Notes: Mild language, mild suggestive themes

Everyone stared at Xemnas in surprise. He actually intended to let Demyx and Axel stay, even after breaking into his house?

"You can't be serious," Larxene stated. "There isn't enough room for four people in this house."

"If I put them back out on the street, you'd be going with them," Xemnas snapped. "You're in much better condition than those two. How could I possibly dismiss them and let you stay?"

"You know how much drama this is going to lead to, right?" she retorted.

"I won't stop you from leaving if you wish."

"What about me being the only connection you had to anything?"

"That was before these two showed up. They need me, but as you said yourself, you're an independent woman. You'll be fine on your own if it has to be that way."

"Wait, hold on a second," Axel interrupted. "Are you guys breaking up or something? 'Cause it sure sounds like it to me."

"What?" Larxene asked in surprise.

"No," Xemnas stated.

"We aren't even dating," she assured them.

"So then what were you guys doing upstairs?" Demyx wondered aloud.

"Probably sleeping, dumbass," Axel scoffed. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Here's an idea," Xemnas changed the subject. "How about we all sit down and talk rationally about everything, starting with how we all ended up here in the first place. That way, there's no confusion and we all have the information we need to make the best decision."

"Sounds like a plan," Demyx said as he flopped onto the couch. "But could we possibly have some food first?"

"I'll make popcorn," Xemnas said. "I'm afraid I don't have much else right now; my pantry is getting low on food."

Axel took the seat next to Demyx while Larxene took the furthest chair away from them. They sat quietly for a moment until Demyx broke the awkward silence.

"So what happened to your face?"

"Bar fight," she said bluntly.

"No way!" he exclaimed. "That's totally badass. Did you win?"

"Of course."

"Liar," Axel scoffed.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't believe you. What are you doing getting into bar fights?"

"I guess I should begin with my story then," she said as Xemnas re-entered the room. They could hear the popcorn popper running in the kitchen. "You know that old tavern down on Pine Street? That's where I lived up until now. Perhaps it will become my home again. It's an awful place to live, but the food is good. And I figured at least I'd have a place to go at night. I watched Xemnas come into the restaurant every evening for a week; each night he would order the same drink. On two or three occasions he ordered a second one. And then he'd leave. Not once did he notice me."

"Not until tonight," Xemnas continued. "I almost decided to skip the beer tonight because the place was much more crowded than usual. Then a figure in the corner caught my attention, and upon further inspection I noticed our familiar old cloak. I approached her and we took the conversation outside. She was the only connection I had to any sort of past, so I offered her a better place to stay. We both benefitted from the situation."

"So here we are," Axel observed. "That popcorn ready yet?"

"I'll go see," Xemnas said. Larxene watched him as he left, and the other two watched her.

"You were so staring at his butt," Demyx teased.

"I was not," she retorted. "Of all of us, it would most likely be you."

"Me attracted to Xemnas? No way. Everyone knows I'm in love with…" he trailed off. Axel glanced at him with a remorseful expression. "Never mind, forget it. Here comes the popcorn."

Xemnas placed the popcorn between the two on the couch, who instantly began hungrily stuffing handfuls of it into their mouths.

"So this must be where we explain our side of it," Axel said, spewing out bits of popcorn because his mouth was still overfilled with the stuff.

"Wait until you swallow your food first so maybe we can actually understand you," Larxene commented.

"Well since I was the Organization's main reconnaissance," Demyx said proudly, "I was able to find my way out pretty easily just by studying the landscape. But I knew I wasn't the first to be eliminated so I searched around for others; I thought maybe I could help someone else who wouldn't otherwise make it out. After a while I found Axel and he helped me search for other members. We never found anyone else before we (well, mostly Axel) started to lose our minds."

"Hey, you were going a little crazy too," Axel said.

"Yeah, but not as much as you," Demyx laughed. "'The apocalypse is nearing! Have you seen where I left my elephant?' Seriously Axel, I was sane enough to know that it was time to get the hell out of there. I was worried your sanity had been permanently destroyed."

Larxene began to laugh hysterically and even Xemnas could not help but smile a little. They were glad they had not run into that situation; it was scary to think that they could have been alone in that state, but the image of Axel spurting out nonsensical prophecies about the end of the world(s) was rather funny.

"Thankfully," Demyx continued, "I knew the area pretty well at that point and it didn't take long to get out."

"And then what happened?" Larxene asked.

"We spent the night in the park. I stayed by Axel's side the whole night and watched to make sure he didn't run off and do something stupid. He was normal again by morning, thank goodness. I can't imagine trying to support both of us while having to care for him with new mental needs."

"We've been supporting ourselves and each other," Axel continued the story. "I managed to get a job at the gas station but no one would hire Demyx. They all said they'd rather hire adults who needed the job rather than some teenager looking for a little extra cash; if only they knew... so we did the best we could."

"It went pretty well for a while, actually," Demyx said. "I couldn't help out much when it came to actually buying food, but I made suggestions on what I thought the best deals were since there wasn't exactly a ton of money to go around. And I asked around about homeless shelters… apparently this town doesn't have any. We had intended to stay there so Axel could put his money towards an apartment or something, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. Still, we made a living… a crappy living, but a living."

"Until it all went downhill," Axel added.

"How so?" Xemnas inquired.

"The gas station was robbed, and after that profits went way down," the redhead explained. "They laid me off out of fear of having to shut down completely."

"And that's how we ended up here," Demyx finished. "No money, no way to buy food. Our only option was to steal it."

Xemnas and Larxene pondered the situation for a moment until Larxene came up with a suggestion.

"I think you should offer them the same option you gave me," she said. "If we can't get along, I'll go back to the tavern. It'll probably suck if I do, but if staying here turns out to be almost as bad at least I'll make it easier on the rest of you. But you can't kick them out; they'll die if you do." She paused and carefully eyed Axel for a moment. "Especially the redhead."

"Hey," he whined.

"She's right, though," Demyx told him. "So what was that option anyway?"

"Stay as long as you need to," Xemnas said, deciding the only thing he could do was make the same offer he had made for Larxene, "but don't expect it to be a permanent arrangement. Larxene already has the extra bed upstairs but the couch does pull out. You two can sleep there if you wish."

"Better than nothing," Demyx said.

"Maybe my bruised rib will actually heal with someplace halfway decent to sleep," Axel mused.

"You two will have to move, though, unless you want me to push you off," Xemnas quipped with a bit of a smirk.

"That wasn't that funny," the former Melodious Nocturne replied, unimpressed.

"At least it was an attempt at humor," Larxene said, smiling at the silver-haired man. "It's an improvement, don't you think?"

"And that's a genuine smile I see," Xemnas responded, smiling back. For a moment he felt good inside; it was strange. The moment was quickly interrupted, however.

"Okay you two, mind stopping the flirting for a moment so you can help us out?" Demyx teased. "I'm exhausted and I'd like some sleep."

Xemnas said nothing but simply went to pull out the couch for them, then went to find some extra pillows and a blanket. He was a little embarrassed, but could not figure out why. He had no reason to; he hadn't felt he was flirting with Larxene… did it appear that way? He pushed the thought out of his mind; he figured it was just Demyx being who he was.

"I guess I should be headed back to bed," Larxene decided once everything was set. She began to head back upstairs, but paused and turned when she reached the bottom of the staircase. "Hey Xemnas," she said.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For what you've done for me and for them."