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Who: Demyx and Larxene (Arelen)
Where: their apartment
When: Oct 4th, late morning
What: She's trying, she really is.
Warnings: Language mostly. Will update as needed.

The good thing about working where she did, was the flexibility she was given. She worked most days, and purposely only gave herself two days off a week, most of the time not even in order as the weekends were usually the best days as a waitress. She was grateful to her boss for everything, and was actively saving her money to buy a kimono to match the ambiance of the inn. In all honesty, it wasn't a bad gig considering the situation.

She was starting to make friends, and starting to finally get used to her name... Arelen. Not the name given to her as the 'savage nymph' by Xemnas. Although she was still letting one person close (or close enough) to her to call her Larxene: Her roommate, Demyx. Maybe she just wanted to make him more comfortable with her... she knew after her arrival that he already tried to distance himself after finding out she had a heart.

Either way, she was determined to help him. She couldn't stand the thought that he would be controlled again if Xemnas ever appeared.

That didn't mean she didn't get incredibly irritated at some of the crap he did and said.

It tended to cause a lot of arguing and yelling (mostly on her part), and after thinking about it, and the lack of progress she was making with him in her personal mission to help him grow a heart (let alone just be his friend), she decided to try and control her temper and frankly, just try to be nice.

So today, Arelen had taken the day off, and went to the grocery to pick up a few simple ingredients, including that damn chocolate hazelnut spread.

The apartment smelled sweet and warm, and it reminded her of her childhood when she would visit the baker's for fresh bread and pastries, eventually learning the trade herself as her training to be a good wife to a future suitor that she never paid attention to. Not that it mattered in the end. Either way, this was one of the few things she appreciated about her home world in 1480s Paris. The sweets.

On a large plate, she placed the freshly baked croissants filled with that chocolate spread, then put said plate on a small table in the living room before setting a tea kettle on, getting the tea leaves ready for herself, and some extra in case her roommate wanted some.

She knew he didn't NEED to eat, but that didn't mean he didn't like to.

Once the kettle whistled, she removed it from the heat, then went to his room, knocking on the door.

"Demyx?" She wasn't yelling, she wasn't upset about something or another, and sounded honestly curious, "I made some sweets if you want some. It's made with that chocolate spread you keep stealing from me." There was a grin at that last part, and it really took everything in her not to add 'you jerk' at the end. "I can also make some tea if you want-I already have hot water ready."

She wouldn't admit it, but she really hoped he didn't refuse her offer of tea and chocolate. It was almost like a peace offering of sorts.

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Since Demyx set his own hours, and he tended to do better in the afternoon, often in the mornings he'd sleep in. He was beginning to believe the reason for that was partly because the bed was just so comfortable. Their beds in the castle were too firm, too flat and barely functional.

"Hang on." He called, because he was still in bed when she called for him and he let out a yawn. He got to his feet. He pulled on his pants and tank top, then ran fingers through his hair so it wasn't too much of a mess.

It was habit. It was routine. He was not used to relaxing outside of his room. There were two small thuds as he moved his boots and pulled them on. When he opened his door, he was pulling on the long coat as he moved into the living room, blinking blearily. It was possible to get dressed half-asleep after all.

He'd smelled the croissants, but not thought anything more than memories from his homeland, and they smelled delicious. Those kinds of pastries weren't good anywhere outside the city, in his opinion, but these smelled right.

"Yeah, okay."

She breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing she had held her breath, waiting for the answer, and walked to the kitchen to make them both cups of tea, even though he hadn't mentioned anything regarding it.

With two mug handles in one hand, and a mason jar of organic honey with two spoons in it in the other, with a small stack of napkins balancing on her arm, she walked to the living room, set everything down on the same coffee table as the pastries, then sat down on the couch herself.

The croissants were still warm, and she knew the insides would possibly be even warmer, and she smiled in anticipation.

She waited though, that smile on her face, and held the plate up when he entered the room.

"Taste them. Tell me what you think. It's an old recipe from my home world... before everything. I just filled them with the spread instead of chocolate pieces."

He sat down on the couch, admiring the pastries, taking in the shape he remembered from his time on that world, before it was lost. That, and going home would have been forbidden anyway, in case someone knew him.

"Really?" Demyx asked curiously. Apparently, Xigbar had been there more than once. It shouldn't have surprised him.

He took the warm pastry off the stack and tore a bite off before putting it in his mouth with a pleasant hum.

"It's really good." He complimented. "Just like I remember."

"Is it really? Thank you."

Her initial reaction was an almost giddy smile as she took one of her own, and moaned with pleasure at the flavor of the flaky, buttery, crust, and the chocolate hazelnut gooey inside.

"It's been so long. Only in La Cité do they make these right."

She set her pastry down and began to prepare her tea with some of the honey, and stopped mid-stir as realization of what he said dawned on her.

"Like you remember?" Arelen raised an eyebrow, "You've been to La Cité des Cloches? I thought the Superi- HE was done with it when Xigbar reported nothing of interest- after they took me at least."

She finished stirring her tea.

"I wasn't allowed to go back."

"You're right about that. Everywhere else, it's not the same." Demyx agreed and licked a crumb off his finger. He also paused to take a sip of his tea before taking another bite.

"By then, I was doing those reports. Xiggy reported that because I wasn't allowed to go there."

He swallowed the bite.

"I grew up there." Demyx answered. He smiled, shrugged and took another bite.

"You what?!"

She almost choked on her tea as she sipped it, growing red in the face from both choking and the quick embarrassment.

"How did I not know you? I knew everyone around my age- not that I liked any of them. Even the commoners I was allowed to interact with."

She was confused on how she should feel about it. Finally someone from her world, but... it wasn't like she really liked the place. The only good thing, in her opinion was the food. Not to mention the fact that it meant that Xigbar, that creepy, old, pervert, must have been watching her from years back, when he had taken Demyx. Why else would he have known to come to her at that particular point in time... when the darkness of her heart had overtaken her to the point of willingly giving it to their 'cause.'

Worse still, was how little she actually knew of Demyx. Some friend she was.

"Oh that's easy." He said pleasantly, sipping his own tea. At least, she wasn't choking, he wouldn't really know what to do with that either. "I was a gypsy."

His own life and contact with others was sheltered and restricted for his own good. It wouldn't do to be noticed by someone important, or accused of something. Not to mention the gypsy kids that vanished through one reason or another.

That and the people of Paris considered him a no good street rat. It wasn't like he'd help dispel that much, but people did what they could to survive.

He ate the croissant like he appreciated it and licked his fingers once he was finished. "Thanks." Demyx grinned.

"Oh." She blinked. Growing up the way she did, the gypsies were the trash of the city. Funny how her family compared her to them when they found out she studied magic. Even then, she still wasn't allowed to interact with them, even the kids of her own age.

"Y-yeah. You're welcome." She shook her head, then tilted it, turning towards him curiously, taking a bite of her croissant, "You must've had it rough. Is that how-...why they chose you? To take your heart?"

He blinked and tilted his head at the question. Demyx shook his head after a moment. "No."

He took another croissant, because he could. He seemed to be hesitating, thinking about what he could or should say. It wasn't a conversation they really ever had, none of them did. It fell under the kinds of things they were discouraged from speaking about. The kind of thing that holding onto might get him in trouble.

"They didn't choose me." He figured no one would, considering how he was treated for much of his life. "It was an accident. A heartless took my heart."

"A heartless?! But wouldn't that- didn't that hurt?!"

There she was, not thinking before she spoke- more out of concern and mild shock at the revelation.

"But they obviously DID choose you. They could have just let you die, or wander aimlessly as a vessel." She sipped her tea.

"At this point, I don't think there would be any difference. One torture over the other."

"It did hurt for a very long minute, yeah, but once your heart is gone and you're dead..." He shook his head. "Didn't hurt anymore."

Demyx pondered that a moment. Could they have left him behind? He didn't think so.

"I'm not sure, but back then I was a surprise and they took me in then. Xemnas seemed to like me okay when we met. I was all vacant anyway, and he likes that kind of thing and Xigbar brought me to him. He gave me over to Saix."

He gestured with his hand as though the story didn't matter. "And now we're here."

There were so many things in his past to think of, that he could talk about, but really it probably didn't matter.

Except it did matter. At least to Arelen.

She shuddered at the thought of having to be trained by Saix. He was more ruthless and cruel than she was when she was in the Organization.

She finished her croissant finally, and sipped her tea, nodding. She wanted to ask about more of his past, but this was already a lot of information she was getting that she KNEW would have gotten them- him in trouble, as he was still technically under Xemnas' control.

"Maybe it's good that we're here. Away from all of that. Away from Xemnas, and Xigbar, and Saix." She almost reached out with the intention of putting her hand on his knee, but hesitated, and settled her hand back with her tea instead.

"You know you can talk to me if you ever wanted to tell someone that understands who and what you're talking about." Arelen smiled, "And now that I know we're from the same world. You can tell me your favorite food. And I'll try to make it. Maybe those memories can help you grow your heart too."

It wasn't the memories themselves that were trouble, so much as the connection to his Somebody, which definitely should not be nurtured, and his connection to Larxene which was the same.

Xemnas would have had a fit.

"I guess so?" He didn't sound as sure as she did, although he had to remember what Lea told him. Xemnas was bad news. He wanted bad things for Demyx. Wasn't that ungrateful? Traitorous? His eyes flickered, he was arguing with himself again.

"Oh I don't know, maybe I don't have much to say." He smiled and shrugged. They generally didn't pay attention to Demyx, didn't value his imput and he knew to play that. His thoughts were his own, however.

"Let me think, I'm actually not sure I remember." He shook his head after a moment. "No, nothing comes to mind. I like these though. Then again I didn't eat a lot of fancy stuff."

"That's right... because you're a gypsy." She purposely said it as if he wasn't the 'heartless' Nobody sitting next to her. "Well at least we have the pastries in common. I'll try to make more of a variety."

She had seen the flicker in his eyes, and could only imagine the internal conflict going on behind them. She was pushing him, but she didn't want to go too far over her limit. She knew that fear of the Superior was strong- even SHE was still afraid.

Her eyes watched him a little longer.

"I think..." she started, trying to chose her words carefully, "I think if you make the connections with your memories... and new friends... and me... you can grow your heart. I know you want yours."

She finished off her tea and set the mug down.

"I've decided that I want to keep my own heart. And I want you to feel the same things I've been feeling. Sometimes it's good, bad, everything in between... I don't want to leave you out of it. You deserve more."

Her head tilted towards him with a small smile.

"The more you," she carefully chose not to say 'betray the Organization,' although it was what she was thinking, "step away from the stupid ideas that we were taught, and focus on these new connections, something's bound to grow."

"I don't know if they'd still consider me one." Demyx mused. "I left the caravan, and that's not something you usually do." He smiled. "I like bread too. I think I still remember how to make it."

"Yeah, I know I want my heart, and I'm trying." He frowned a little. Did it seem like he wasn't? He thought it was going okay. He'd at least made a friend of Shinjiro.

"It's not that easy, I mean I can't just feel all of a sudden, you know?"

Demyx hesitated over the end of her words. "When I see the Superior he can't know so I can't forget." His fingers curled into fists. No, he couldn't let his guard completely down. Xemnas would find him and he'd have to show he'd been loyal, even if he hadn't.

"I'm not asking you to feel all of a sudden." She snorted, "That would stupid."

She kicked his leg lightly with her foot, and smiled at him.

"IF you see the Superior, he doesn't NEED to know." The gears in Arelen's head were turning as a grin formed on her face.

"It's not betraying the Organization if you do extra work to try and get your heart back. I mean, sure, SOME things are against what the Superior wanted, but he's not here, and you have to fend for yourself." She inched just a little closer, "It's just part of your survival here. I mean... what if Kingdom Hearts doesn't exist in this world? We'll need to get your heart back any other way we can."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm here to help you, you know. I care about your dumb ass." There was a smile with the insult to show it wasn't intended to be mean.

"Have another croissant. I'll make some fresh bread later. Now that I know you like it."

Edited 2017-10-06 17:40 (UTC)

"Well yeah, because I can't." He answered, not reacting to her kick.

"He'll know." Demyx shivered. "He always said he'd know whatever I did." It was especially creepy when he was twelve.

"I don't know, I'm not sure you can really do it. Do you think?" That was potentially a problem, that he wasn't quite believing Lea's words either. The Superior would have told him otherwise, would have insisted he stick to the shadows.

"Why?" That still bewildered him too. "I don't get it."

Demyx shrugged he could still eat, he figured so he took another one and tore off a bite.

"What's there to get?" Honestly, she didn't get it either. "Can't I just tell you..." her hand went to her chest where she felt beating, "what my own heart feels?"

She frowned, "I still think you can grow a heart. IF you want my honest opinion? That kid Roxas. I think he always had a heart. I think... that was the reason I stuck with to hate him so much."

It was a revelation on her part as well.

"I believe in you Demyx. I really do think there's..." she hated the word that came from her mouth, "hope."

Arelen felt hope for the first time in what seemed like ages. She blushed slightly, processing this emotion. She hated it, but wanted it so badly. Hope was powerful.

So powerful that it could hurt.

"I guess you can, I just don't know what that's like, maybe." It was hard for him to remember what having a heart was like.

He was quiet, contemplating her words. "It seems pretty impossible right now, I mean, I've been like this forever so why wouldn't I have one already?"

Hope, he understood. Hope was something he had, whether that was a feeling or not.

"Sorry, I just... I don't know what I'm doing- these emotions are still new for me." Arelen shook her head.

"Because working under... him, we weren't allowed to nurture some of those actions like... talking, and spending too much time together, and having friends, or even more than that-"

There was a slight tint on her cheeks as she stood, taking her empty teacup.

She continued to talk as she walked to the kitchen, only raising her voice a bit so he could hear her as she got herself water to drink instead.

"I think that's what the trick to it is. It was working for that kid before I left... Roxas. With Axel. You know..." She sat back down on the couch, "with being friends and spending time with someone you care about."

"Yeah, but no one liked me anyway." Demyx laughed and shrugged helplessly. What could he say, he hadn't had anyone try to be his friend or anything.

"Do you think they cared about each other? I never thought about it." Demyx mused.

"I didn't worry about it."

"I think they cared about each other. Roxas was annoying enough, and don't get me started on how Axel always looked like he was inching to leave at any time."

She grinned and sipped her water.

"Just because no one liked you before doesn't mean they don't now."

She raised an eyebrow, "I like you." A shrug, "Now at least."

"Well yeah, I guess since we're living together." Demyx said offhand and smiled at her.

"Which is okay I guess, as long as you don't call me a fatass anymore."

He was, apparently, not going to let it go.

She laughed and rolled her eyes, "Fine, you're not a fatass. Just don't eat my chocolate spread anymore- otherwise I won't be able to make those croissants. What a shame that would be~!"

Arelen made a gesture as if it was the saddest thing in the world, but was meant as a joke.

"And it's not BECAUSE we're living together. It's more..." she put her finger to her chin as she thought about it, slightly blushing from thinking about the emotions that were still uncontrollable for the most part, "it's more that I want you to live with me because I care. I don't want you to be alone and homeless, just as much as I don't want to be alone. You're my friend."

Demyx chuckled appropriately, amused. "Well I do like croissants."

He seemed to be puzzling over her words. "It wasn't like that before, so it's kind of confusing, you know? I mean, I don't know why Shinjiro likes me either and I'm sure if he knew what I've done..he wouldn't."

Demyx shook his head.

"I know what we did was bad."

"Because you're a likable person when you're not following the orders of some crazy man obsessed with kingdom hearts."

Arelen's grin faded, and was replaced with a somewhat sad smile. She couldn't help herself this time, and put a hand on his knee, squeezing gently in an attempt to be comforting... partially for her own sake.

"Yeah... what we did WAS bad. I might be more guilty of it than you are. These friends that I'm making too- I don't think they'd like me either if they knew the things I did." She looked away, "The things I took JOY in doing."

She shook her head slowly, and looked up at him again, that sad smile still across her features, "Amy, Shinjiro, I don't think most people are going to be THAT judgmental about our pasts." A head tilt, "Demyx, I don't think you realize it yourself, and maybe I'm stretching it, but, are you... really concerned about what other people think?" She quickly fixed her words with a follow up, "It's a good thing! If you are."

Her hand moved from his knee to the hollow part of his chest, "It means there might already be something there."

"Well I mean, I try to be. I'd rather get along with people than fight."

He shook his head. "Timewise, I've outpaced you by a lot." He said a little dismissively. He'd been in the Organization a long time, and it wasn't like they waited for him to grow up to put him to work.

"I...don't know. I think I should be. I just don't want people to stop being my friend and I think that might stop them. I don't like that."

She smiled.

"That works for me. You being worried. It's a very... heartfelt thing to say and think.

Arelen sat back slowly.

"I don't think we should focus so much on the past. I'm a different person completely, and I feel like you want to be different- break the chains that bind you to... him."

She finally sipped the water she had taken from the kitchen earlier, quiet for a moment. "Hey Demyx...?"

She wasn't looking at him.

"Do you feel that way about me? Worried about losing me as a friend?"

"Do you think so? I'm not so sure." Demyx mused, he was only being truthful. He really didn't know if she was right or not.

"Focus on the future huh? I am sure I can do that." He smiled.

He looked up when she called his name. "Hm?"

Demyx tilted his head, thinking about her question. "No." He answered simply enough. After a moment, he mused aloud. "You already know what I've done, so I don't worry about that. I doubt you'll stop knowing me now. Our fate's already linked, you know?"

"Oh."

Her response was automatic when he first said, 'no,' and she made to start cleaning up, not knowing why she was red faced and her eyes immediately burned. He seemed uncomfortable the last time she cried, so she didn't want to do it in front of him, especially if he was just being honest with her.

Before she had the time to move however, he continued his thoughts, and the redness became slightly brighter.

"Our fate's already linked," she repeated, a slow smile appearing on her face as she let herself process what he said. "I know what you did, and I still like you. Pretty sad, isn't it?"

Arelen grinned now, almost smug, and looked at him (still slightly red in the face).

"You're stuck with me."

"Well, I guess?" Demyx asked and shrugged helplessly. He didn't know what she was getting embarrassed for. "I just mean I don't think that'd be the reason we'd stop being friends."

Actually, he thought their friendship would end when Larxene got fed up and killed him outright.

"Since I couldn't convince you to leave me alone before, that's probably true." Demyx agreed.

Arelen shook her head and smiled.

"Well if it wasn't for my persistence, you wouldn't be able to have any of the things I bake. Sure, this is the first time, but I use the recipes from our world."

She made a strange face, "That sounds weird. Saying it like that."

With a curious look she asked, "When you get your heart back... would you ever go back to visit La Cité?"

"I guess that's true, it is pretty good." He grinned and licked crumbs off his fingertips, before pulling on his gloves.

He tilted his head, thinking about it.

"I don't know. Maybe...but probably not. It'd be dangerous."

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