This is a private KH rp between myself and Rude. So if you are not one of us, then please do not post. But you are welcome to read along if you wish.

In Disney Islands, Riku sat under a tree by the beautiful ocean, enjoying the sun's warmth and summer day's breeze. Everything had returned back to normal and he was enjoying just taking it easy with the people he cared about most: Sora and Kairi. He knew Sora would probably be here soon to force him to join a game of his or just be generally annoying, but right now, Riku was enjoying the peace. "I wonder if they're really gone through..." He voiced to himself, referring to the Nobodys as he looked up to the sky.

Meanwhile, in a different world, The World That Never Was, other such things were occurring...

It was fairly boring around the Castle That Never Was. Sora and his miscreant friends hadn't acted up in a while and everything had pretty much settled down after he had defeated Xemnas and saving kingdom hearts. However, what Sora and his friends didn't know was that the Nobodys were anything but dead, the castle having been restored.

Axel paced the long corridor of the castle idly. He was looking for his best friend, Roxas. Where'd the little guy go, anyway? He wanted to talk to him about something. But, instead of running into Roxas, he ended up running into Lexaeus. "Whoa. Hey there, gigantor. You seen Roxas anywhere?" He questioned, scratching his head a bit in wonder.

Lexaeus only stood there, looking down to the shorter male. "No." He said simply before passing Axel and walking down the corridor once more. Axel wasn't satisfied. "Well, do you know where I can maybe find him?" He called out after Lexaeus, desperate for any kind of lead. "Check his bedroom." The large male replied as he continued to walk, before the Silent Hero was out of sight altogether. His destination? The library. It was quiet there and he had some thinking to do after having returned.

"His bedroom, huh?" Axel let out to himself as the other left. "Who'd a thought to look there." And so he departed himself, for Roxas' room. Once there, he knocked on the door. "Yo, Roxas? You in there?" He called, hoping to get a reply.

Meanwhile, another Organization III member was in the lab at the bottom of the castle. He poured some strange substance into another. "Oh, this time it'll be a success..." He hummed to himself in delight, that eerie smile of his on his face. "This time, it'll be a perfect... and no one can stand in my way! Hahaha!"

Sora walked along the beach of Disney Islands. He looked up and saw Riku up ahead. He grinned and ran over to him. "Hi Riku! How are you today!" he exclaimed, stopping next to him. He personally enjoyed being around his best friend. Even if he did annoy him sometimes.

Meanwhile:

Roxas was walking through the corridors, looking for his bestest friend, Axel. Sure. He had nothing to really talk to him about, but does that mean he can't be around him? No, it doesn't. He went around a corner and ended up running straight into the tall, red-headed Nobody. "Hi Axel." he said, smiling slightly at him. This was easier than just looking for him. But was a bit more painful. "What were you doing?" he asked him.

Zexion was sitting in the library, reading one of the thousands of books in there. He always enjoyed being in here. It was quiet most of the time. Unless Demyx decides to come in, that is. He was always so loud. It really got on his nerves. But for now, it was quiet. He barely glanced up when the door opened. It was Lexaeus. He wouldn't disturb the peace of this place. So he remained quiet. He knew there really wasn't much chance of the tall Nobody speak to him. He rarely spoke to anybody.
He brushed his hair out of his face as he continued reading.

Marluxia walked through the castle with one goal in mind. The labs. It was very important that he spoke with Vexen. He didn't care what the other was doing. He was going to stop and do what he needed done. "Hey. Vexen. I need a potion." he said, busting in the door.

{{I am sooo sorry this isn't as long as yours. You put way more then I thought you would and I always try to match it. But this is the best I can do for now.}}

Riku looked up to Sora who stood over him now as he was still sitting under the palm tree. He couldn't help but smile. Sure Sora was annoying as hell sometimes, but be damned it if wasn't cute too. "Hey, Sora." He greeted back before looking back out to the ocean. "I'm fine." He smiled again, seeing how exited Sora was. "You're always so full of energy. I honestly don't know how you do it sometimes."

Not hearing an answer at Roxas' door, Axel was about to leave and go look elsewhere. But, instead, when he turned to leave, he ended up running right into the shorter blond male. "Roxas!" He exclaimed in surprise. "I was, ah... just looking for you, actually." He answered, rubbing the back of his head. He gave into a grin. "I was meaning to talk to you about something."

When Lexaeus entered the library, he instantly noticed Zexion, who was reading a book. It was odd. Every time he was around Zexion, he felt some sort of strange sensation come over him. Almost something protective, like he had to protect the smaller Nobody or something. They had worked together at one point, and though Zexion probably felt nothing, Lexaeus seemed to be struggling with how close and attached he'd gotten to the Cloaked Schemer in their time together in the past. "Good morning, Zexion." He greeted simply as he took a seat a small distance from him at the table, a book in hand. He really wasn't much of a reader, and only came to the library to relax, but decided to read anyway to not seem too weird in front of Zexion.

"Ahhh!" Vexen screamed in surprise with Marluxia's busting in the door, tossing his tube of 'experiment' up in the air before it crashed to the ground and broke, liquid sizzling through the floor like acid. "Nooo! My ultimate potion! My shampoo!" Yes... it seemed that with everything peaceful again, the mad scientist had very little to do nowadays. He still wanted to make experiments, but all he could really make now were stupid things like lemonade and shampoo. Though even such things such as those seemed to have deadly chemicals added to them... A dull look came over Vexen, him not even turning to look at the other in his depressed stated. "What do you want this time, Marluxia?" He let out lethargically, wondering what potion he could possibly want now.

(( Don't worry about it. You don't have to write as much as me if you don't want/can't. It's fine. I just get exited sometimes is all. I'll try to cut it down more. Also... I was wondering. I'm actually a fan of Zexion/Demyx too. I could play Demyx to your Zexion too, if you wanted. We could make it like a Zexion/Lexaeus/Demyx love triangle or something. XD But only if you want. ))

"Neither do I, really." Sora said. He sat down next to Riku byt the tree. He looked out at the ocean, watching Riku from the corner of his eye. "Kairi's isn't going to be comingn today. She said she was going shopping with Selphie and that I could come if I wanted. But I really didn't want to follow them around all day. I would rather be with you."

"Really? What is it?" Roxas asked. He had no idea what Axel had to tell him that seemed so important. Sure, they talked all the time. But mainly about things that didn't really matter. Not that he minded.

Zexion looked up shocked. He really wasn't expecting Lexaues to talk to him. He normally didn't. "Good morning, Lexaues." the shorter Nobody said. He stared at the other for another few minutes before his gaze dropped back down to his book. The other's behavior was a bit strange. But he wasn't going to worry about it. It was probably a one time thing.

"I need for you to make me a potion that will help my flowers grow." Marluxia said. Sure, he didn't really need help with his flowers. But he did want to bother Vexen and this did seem like the best way. Plus he was sure the other would want something to do with all his free time. Might as well spend it helping someone else.

{{That would be awesome! I've never done anything like that. And I love DemDem. He's awesome. So, yeah. You can do that if you want.}}

(( Sweeeet. :D ))

A blush came to Riku as Sora said he'd rather spend time with him instead of Kairi, quickly turning the other way so that the other boy couldn't see his blush. "Is that right...?" Was all he let out. He wasn't expecting that. He always thought Sora and Kairi were practically inseparable. Or perhaps Sora just hated shopping that much. He shook his head, wiping the blush off and turning back to Sora with a content smile. "Well, I guess that's a good thing then." He then said. "Because I was started to get a little bored out here all by myself."

"Well, I'm not gonna tell ya here." Axel teased with his trademark grin. He put a hand to the smaller boy's head and ruffled his messy blond hair playfully. "Let's go get some ice cream at our spot in Twilight Town. That's the best place to talk."

The way Zexion looked at him made Lexaeus feel a bit odd. He knew it was odd for him to have spoken at all, but a part of him suddenly wished to get to know the bluish-silver-haired Nobody better. However, he refrained from saying anything else, him trying not to blush from embarrassment from his own thoughts. He tried to think of something else he could say, but before he could get it out, the large library door suddenly burst open. "Zexion! Zexion, are you in here?" Came a familiar voice. Lexaeus sighed, putting a hand over his face. Demyx... Oh boy.

Vexen turned to look back at Marluxia. "A potion... for flowers?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't that what fertilizer is for?" His eyes then widened. "But wait... This means..." Yes! He finally had something to do! Something that had meaning! He could almost kiss Marluxia for this! "Yes! I shall work on it at once!" He stated enthusiastically before pausing and looking to Marluxia again, forcing himself to calm down and not seem so excited. "I mean... sure. I'll make you a potion. But only because it'll get you out of my lab!"

{{^^ Merry Christmas!!}}

Sora looked at Riku, a bit confused about why he looked away from him. Was it something he said? He smiled though when the other turned back to him. "So you don't mind that Kairi isn't coming?" he asked, still a bit confused about that. He had though Riku liked it when Kairi was around.

Roxas glared at Axel a bit when he messed with his hair. He really didn't like it when the other did that. But then he smiled slightly. "Yeah. It is." he said, agreeing. He opened a portal to Twilight Town. "Let's go!"

Zexion winced slightly when the doors burst open. He groaned a bit in his head when he heard Demyx's voice. He was really hoping not to deal with him today. But he knew that the other wouldn't go away unless he got what he want. "Yeah, Demyx, I am in here. Where else would I be?" he asked, a bit annoyed.

Marluxia grinned. He could tell that Vexen was excited about this. As he knew he would be. "Great. I'll be back later to pick it up." he told the other. It made him feel good to see Vexen so happy about something so simple. Even though he didn't really need to bother him. He did have fertilizer, after all.

(( Merry Christmas & almost Happy New Year! :D ))

With Sora's question, it was almost like Riku just realized what he'd said. "Well... no, I guess not." He replied. "I mean, I'm just glad she's out having a good time. She deserves that much at least." He then looked away from Sora again. 'But it's also because I like being alone with you.' He said to himself in mind, knowing that he'd never actually be able to say it aloud.

"Heh. Right behind you, shorty." Axel replied happily before following Roxas through the dark portal. When they appeared at the ice cream shop, it didn't take long before the two ended up sitting up on the large clock tower overlooking Twilight Town. Axel licked his Sea Salt ice cream. "Is this good or what?" He let out happily, looking to his best friend with a smile. Now was when he began to contemplate on whether or not he should bring up what he was going to talk about or not though.

Demyx looked to Zexion, to Lexaeus, then to Zexion again, the both of them seeming unamused with his antics. "Heh-heh... yeah. I guess this is pretty much where you live." He agreed. He then gave into that silly, childish grin of his. "Anyway, I just came by to see..." He suddenly held up a familiar board game that he'd been hiding behind his back. "If you'd play Twister with me!" He looked to Lexaeus too. "And you too, Lex! I'm trying to find as many people as I can!" Lexaeus only starred at Demyx for a moment, before turning back to Zexion with an odd look. "Is he serious?" He had to question.

When Marluxia turned to exit his lab, something inside Vexen suddenly urged him not to let the other leave just yet. "Wait." He said, almost hastily, before the other could get too far. He knew what he'd said before, about wanting Marluxia out of his lab, but something seemed to be different this time. It was as if he knew something was amiss; that Marluxia didn't really need the potion, that he was only requesting it for his sake. He turned his back to the other, folding his arms across his chest. "...Thanks." He let out, it seeming to be a bit hard for him, though he managed even still.

"Yeah. She does." Sora said, agreeing. "Though I wish she would stop asking if I want to come with her. I told her that I don't like shopping." Besides. If he went shopping with Kairi, he wouldn't be able to spend time alone with Riku.

'Don't call me that.' Roxas thought. He hated it when Axel called him shortey. He wasn't that short, was he? But that was something to worry about some other time. He got his ice cream and happyly ate it. "Yeah. It is." he smiled at Axel for a brief moment. "So. What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Zexion closed his eyes for a moment and leaned back in his seat. He really didn't want to play that stupid game. But it would probably be the only way to get Demyx to leave. He reopened his eyes and focused on him. "Demyx. If I agree to play your stupid game, will you leave me alone so that I can read in peace?" he asked. Unless that answer was yes, he wasn't going to play.

Marluxia stopped when he heard Vexen call out to him. He turned back to look at the other, a small smirk on his face. "No problem, Vexen darling." he said. He then turned and walked off. He soon arrived in his gardens and a huge grin spread across his face. This was the one place he loved to be.

Riku couldn't help but give a light laugh when Sora said he wished Kairi would stop asking him to come shopping with her. "Hah, well she obviously likes you." He laughed in reply. "She doesn't even bother asking me anymore." After all that had happened, he knew Kairi loved Sora, weather Sora felt the same or not. Though Riku himself had had a thing for Kairi in the past, it was only later that he realized it was really just him being jealous of Sora's attention on Kairi, wanting his attention and affection instead. He then paused for a moment, an odd seriousness coming over him. "Do you love her, Sora?"

Axel couldn't help but tease Roxas from time to time. He was just so fun to tease and his reactions were adorable. It was only out of affection, after all, it being Axel's weird way of showing such. "Well..." He started. "Ever since we came back and things went back to normal for us, no one really knows what to do. Organization XIII, I mean." He shrugged. "I mean, we all died. I died. At least I think I did..." He turned back to look at Roxas. "I don't want to disappear again. And I don't want you to disappear either. So, I was thinking... maybe we should leave the organization. Just you and me. Go off and see the world or whatever. It's not like we have anything left to do here anyway, right?" Axel had always been the impulsive one of the group. It had all just came out, and though he knew Roxas wouldn't rat him out to the other members, he honestly wasn't sure how his best friend would react to the idea as a whole.

Demyx's eyes widened, sparkling with happiness. "You mean... you'll play with me?!" He let out excitedly. "Oh, yes! I promise! I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day, cross my nonexistent heart!" He then looked to Lexaeus. "What about you, Lex? You're playing too, right?" Lexaeus only sighed. "I'll pass." He said, very surprised Zexion gave into Demyx's antics. But he was also kind of glad he did... watching this might be very interesting. When he looked back to Demyx, the Twister game had already been set up. "Okay, that's fine!" Demyx replied to Lexaeus. "You can spin the board! Here!" He shoved the Twister board in his large arms. "Thanks, Lexy!" Lexaeus only sighed again, not appreciating his name being used that way either. Like he had a choice but to spin the stupid thing. So he spun it. "...Left hand blue." He said, looking to Zexion with a very slight smile, a hint of amusement coming though.

Vexen cringed a bit, blushing too, when Marluxia called him darling. Oh how he hated when he did that! Why did he have to be so damned flirtatious with everyone?! But, as he began working on the potion in his lab, he began to feel almost lonely, a very unfamiliar feeling to him. He had always worked alone in his lab, but never before had he ever felt lonely. After a while, he convinced himself to come out of the lab, needing something, making his way to Marluxia's beautiful garden area, knowing he'd most likely find him there. "Marluxia? Are you here?" He called to the other, looking around the garden, not seeing him at first.

Sora smiled a bit at what Riku's said. He had always thought Kairi had liked being around Riku more. That was, until recently. Sure, he liked it that she started paying more attention to him. But he would rather be around Riku. His smile faded when the other asked if he loved her. "I don't really know. I thought I did for a while. But now I'm not so sure."

Roxas remained silent as Axel spoke. He wanted to run away? With him? That definitly wasn't something that he was expecting. And he wasn't sure if it would be such a good idea. It's not like they had anywhere to go. But they also didn't have any reason to stay. And something that he wanted more than anything was to be with his best friend. He stayed silent for another few minutes as he thought this over. When he came to his conclussion, he looked at Axel and smiled a bit at him. "Alright. That sounds good. Let's go." he told him.

Zexion sighed a bit. He carefully marked his place and set his book on the table in front of him. He really didn't want to play this game. But he did want to be left alone. So he would play one round and be down. He stood up and went over to the mat. He crouched down next to the blue and touched a spot with his left hand.

Marluxia was crouched down next to a rose bush, pulling up some weeds. He barely looked up when he heard Vexen speak. "I'm over here, darling." he said. He pulled a few more weeds before standing up. He lightly brushed off his pants before focusing on the other Nobody. "What is it that you need?" he asked.

Riku examined Sora with interest as he answered the question. He seemed to be where he was at not that long ago. He smiled at the other, knowing where he was at. "Don't worry about it too much." He said with a smile, looking back out to the ocean. "These things come naturally." An almost sad look came over him now. "At one point I thought I loved Kairi too... But like you are now, after a while I began to question myself, and soon realized that my heart lied elsewhere." But where Sora's heart lied he was still unsure. It could very well belong to Kairi, or someone else he wasn't even aware of.

"R-really? Just like that?" Axel let out in surprise, eyes wide. Sure, he knew he was impulsive, but he'd never thought of Roxas as such, never thinking he'd actually agree to run off with him. Well, at least not that easily. But still, the younger Nobody did seem to have thought it over; something Axel himself rarely ever did. And, to be honest, he was glad he'd said he wanted to run away with him. He was flattered even. Axel looked out to the scenery, taking another lick of his ice cream. "I guess a part of me is rubbing off on you." He said with a grin. "That's good." He nodded. "Right. We'll leave then. And never look back. Just you and me and all those worlds out there; nobody else."

Lexaeus' smile grew wider in seeing Zexion nonchalantly play the game, obviously unenthused. He spun the board again. "Right foot yellow." He called out once more, looking to Demyx. "Ooh, I can do that!" Demyx said as he came on the mat and put his right foot on a yellow circle, only two circles away from Zexion's left hand. He began to wiggle with excitement. "Spin it again, Lexy!" He called out, eager to see what Zexion would have to do next. Lexaeus did so, not even caring about 'Lexy' now, him being somewhat amused with the game himself, mainly because of Zexion. "Right hand red." He said.

Vexen blushed again when Marluxia answered him. 'Damn it! Stop calling me that!' He thought to himself in mind. He turned to see the pink-haired nobody now standing up as he brushed himself off, apparently having been working in his garden. "I... need a sample." He lied, not really having an excuse for coming other than being lonely. "To complete the potion. I'll need one of your flowers to test the potency required."

Sora remained silent for a while, listening to Riku talk. He had known that the other had liked Kairi. And at one time it made him jealous. But he was glad that they were passed that. And he had gotten over that jealousy a long time ago. "Where does your heart lie?" he asked, honestly curious. He wanted to know everything that he could about his best friend.

Roxas smiled seeing Axel so flustered. Why had he thought that he wouldn't want to go with him? He would have agreed to do anything the other suggested. No matter how riduclous the idea was. He took a big bite out of his ice cream, letting everything sink in for Axel. "That would be great." he told him, a huge grin on his face.

Zexion groaned silently as he moved to Lexaues's instructions. He still wasn't sure why he agreed to this game. He could have easily ignored Demyx. Or go to a different room. But no. He had to agree to play. He mentally cursed as he moved again. He just hoped the game would be over soon.

"A sample? Alright. No problem." Marluxia said. He turned to the rose bush behind him. He carefully cut loose one and held it out to Vexen. "A rose for you. For it is the symbol of love." he said, a small smirk on his face.

Riku only smiled at the question as he looked out to the blue ocean. "With you." He answered with the same smile. He looked up to the sky. "I always had this feeling, but wasn't sure for a long time... but now I am. Ever since you helped me find myself back then at that castle with Ansem and Mickey, I've realized that it's not Kairi that my heart belongs to, but you."

"Good." Axel said contently, proud that he and Roxas were finally going to go their own way together. "When do you want to leave? I mean... is there anything at the castle you want to get first?"

With Zexion now practically sprawled out on the mat, one hand on a blue circle and the other on a red circle, it was only fate that when Lexaeus spun again for Demyx that he landed on a- "Left foot green." He called out. "Oh boy..." Demyx said as he looked to the mat, examining it on where he should move, before grinning. He knew where he could move. He lifted his left foot over Zexion and placed it on a green circle, now in a sort of mounting position of Zexion. "Haha, sorry Zexy. It was the only place to go." He said happily. Lexaeus held in a laugh. He spun again. "Alright Zexion, left foot yellow." He said.

A huge blush came over Vexen, his spastic self coming back now. "W-what?!" He let out, retreating somewhat, though not actually backing away. "Love?!" He only starred at the rose as if it might bite him, unsure if he should actually take it or not because of this 'love' thing. "Is it... really the symbol of love?" He had to question.

Sora's face instantly turned red. He turned his head away, completely embarrassed. He couldn't believe Riku had just said that. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm it. But that didn't work. So he just continued to sit facing away from Riku. "R-Really?" he asked.

"I think we should leave immediatly. Besides. There isn't anything I need at the castle. All I need is to be with you." Roxas told him, smiling.

Zexion moved again when Lexaues told him to. But he froze when he felt Demyx above him. This game was starting to get a bit akward. "Of course it was." was his response to what Demyx had said. He forced himself to move when told to again. He was definitly hating this game.

"Of course it is, silly. Which is why I'm growing them in my garden. And because they are beautiful flowers. Now. Are you going to take it, or not?" Marluxia asked. He was a bit amused by Vexen's reaction by what he said. But then again, he had thought that everybody knew that roses symbolized love. Guess not.

"Really." Riku answered, not embarrassed at all. Over the years, he'd become more comfortable with himself, having matured. Sora had matured as well, but he was still younger than he. "But Sora, that doesn't mean you have to feel the same way." He then told the younger boy, looking to him. "I want you to follow your heart too. If you really do love Kairi, then that's where your heart should be."

Axel blushed deeply. "To... be with me, huh?" He said, a little caught off guard. Was that all he really wanted? To be with Roxas was all Axel wanted, sure, but to hear the same from him... "I guess that's a good thing then... because all I need is to be with you too." He took the last bite of his ice cream before flicking the remaining wooden stick off the tower. He let out a small laugh, his blush still partly there. "Looks like all we really need is each other."

"That looks like a rather awkward position, Zexion." Lexaeus teased; something he rarely ever did, if speak at all. Demyx laughed. "Haha, yeah but I think he's winning. First one to fall loses!" Demyx said happily, still straddling Zexion. Lexaeus spun again. "Demyx, left hand blue." Demyx looked down. Zexion's left hand was already on a blue circle. He bent down over-top of the shorter Nobody, placing his hand on one too, right above his, making for an even stranger position. "Hey I did it! Isn't this fun, Zexy?" - "Zexion, right foot green."

Vexen continue to just stare at the beautiful rose for a moment after Marluxia spoke. He took it. "This doesn't mean anything, you know." He told the other accusingly. "About love or whatever..."

"But I'm not sure if I do love Kairi. I don't even really know how to tell if you do love someone." Sora sighed. Sure, he liked Kairi. But only as a friend. But he also liked Riku. A lot more then her. Everything was starting to get confusing. He turned to the other. "Do you know how I can tell?" he asked.

Roxas smiled a bit when he saw Axel blushed. He finished his ice cream and dropped the stick over the edge. He instantly started blushing when he heard that the other wanted to be with him as well. "Yeah. I guess it is." he said. He turned his face away from him so that he wouldn't see that it was red. He hated being embarrassed around him.

"Yeah. It is." Zexion said. He blushed a bit when Demyx put his hand on his. "No. It's not." he muttered as he moved his foot to the green spot.

"Of course it does, Vexen darling. But if that's what you want to think, then go ahead." Marluxia told him. He smiled at him before turning back to his roses.

Riku could tell that Sora was struggling with his feelings. He felt bad for him, the feeling familiar to him. "You just know." He replied. "It's hard to tell at first, but if you take a moment and listen to your heart, it'll tell you." He smiled, looking up to the sky again. "You get this strange feeling in your gut when your around the special person. You feel hot inside too. Your thoughts become jumbled and confused and sometimes you can't even say things right. But the biggest thing is you feel so close to that person that nothing could ever separate you." He let out a small laugh. "Well, it was like that for me, anyway." He wondered if Sora felt any of that with anyone.

Axel smiled when Roxas blushed before the younger boy turned away, apparently not wanting to be seen. He laughed. "Heh. You really are cute when you get embarrassed, you know that?" He teased. "So. Where do you want to go first?" He questioned. "There's so many worlds out there, and so many places to go... Anywhere special you have in mind?"

"Heh-heh." Lexaeus chuckled quietly to himself in hearing Zexion's reply. He spun the board. "Demyx, right hand yellow." Demyx looked to the series of yellow circles. "Okay, here we go..." He said as he stuck his tongue out with a determined look before attempting to reach for the spot. But, he lost his balance and fell instead. However, with Zexion still under him, he ended up falling on top of him. He laughed. "Haha, I guess I lost again!" He said with a huge smile. "Man, you're good at this game, Zexion!"

Vexen just stood there, holding the rose, as he watched Marluxia return to work in his garden. He knew he should leave now, having got what he had claimed to have come for, but something seemed to hold him back from doing so. "I..." He started, looking to the rose with an odd look. "I didn't just come here for a sample." He finally admitted. A part of him really hated Marluxia; always teasing and belittling him. Not to mention their rocky past. But he was lonely and Marluxia was really the only one to ever pay him any mind, even if it was teasing. No one else even seemed to notice that he even existed sometimes. "Would it be acceptable... if I just stayed here for a while?" He didn't want to go back to his dark and lonely laboratory.

"Listen to my heart, huh.." Sora muttered. He closed his eyes and focused real hard. Every fiber of his being was telling him the same thing. That the person he loved most was Riku. But that couldn't be right, could it? It was making him so confused. He kept his eyes closed for another few minutes, sorting through everything. When he did finally open them, he turned to the other and smiled at him. "I think I know what you mean." he told him.

"I am not cute!" Roxas exclaimed. Which made him blush even more. He turned his head a bit so that he could look at Axel from the corner of his eye. He thought about what was said. "Hmm... I don't really know. I haven't been to very many worlds in the first place."

Zexion was mentally glaring at Lexaues when Demyx slipped. He groaned a bit when he hit the ground, the other's weight crushing him. "Demyx. Can you get off of me?" he asked, pushing up on the ground to get up. Since he wasn't the strongest person, he wasn't really getting anywhere on his own.

Marluxia stood up again and turned to him. "I knew you didn't come for the sample." he told him. Though he was a bit surprised that Vexen wanted to stay here, with him. He had always thought the other hated him. "I don't mind if you stay. It's fine." he told him, smilng at him.

Riku watched Sora with interest as he seemed to try to listen to his heart. However, what he said surprised him a bit. "You do?" He questioned, eyebrows rising a bit. Had Sora found an answer? He smiled. "Well then I'm glad. Whoever it is your heart belongs to... I hope they make you happy." Though Sora was annoying at times, Riku really did care about him, even love him, and wanted him to be happy. Sora had done so much for him and he'd forever be grateful for it.

Axel laughed. "Sure you're not." He teased even more, loving Roxas' reaction, which only made him seem even cuter to him. "Huh. No, I guess you haven't." He then said, looking up in thought when Roxas said he hadn't been tom any worlds. "Well then we'll just have to go out there and see them all so you can find a favorite." He concluded with a nod.

"Oh, right... sorry!" Demyx said as he got up off of Zexion. He gave a childish smile. "Thanks for playing with me, guys!" He said. "Man, is it good to be back or what?" Lexaeus only smile, apparently in a good mood now. "Yes. It is good to be back." He said, handing the spin board back to Demyx who shoved that and the mat back in the box. Demyx smiled back at him, before realizing that he'd have to leave now. "I uh... guess I should go now, huh?" He said, not really wanting to go. He couldn't find Axel or Xigbar and no one else even wanted to talk to him. Lexaeus was silent in not answering, only looking to Zexion, leaving that up to him.

"Y-you did?" Vexen said, surprised that Marluxia knew. He really was incisive, wasn't he? "Yes... thank you. I won't be long. I still have to work on that potion, after all." He said, looking around before finding a seat on a large rock made for decoration. "So..." He decided to start up again. "Why do you have a garden, anyway?"

"They do. Very happy." Sora said. He wanted to tell Riku that he was the one he with who his heart belonged, but he wouldn't find the words. And, of course, there was a shadow of doubt inside him that was making it hard for him to figure out if it really was Riku that he loved. He wanted that part of him to go away. He just didn't know how to do that. He would tell the other, but didn't want him to think that he was crazy.

Roxas sat in silence, feeling a bit depressed as Axel was talking. But he instantly grinned when he heard that. "Really?! You wouldn't mind going to every world with me? Wouldn't you get bored or annoyed with me?" he asked, obviously concerned about that.

Zexion was blushing a bit, embarrassed that Demyx was on top of him. So he wasn't facing him or Lexaues. He could tell that Demyx didn't really want to leave. He mentally sighed/groaned. "You can stay, if you want." he said before he could stop himself. Then he picked back up his book, opened it, then held it in front of his face when he sat down so that the others couldn't see that he was still blushing.

"Of course I did, silly." Marluxia said. His eyes watched Vexen as he took a seat. "It's no problem at all." he said. He pulled up a few more weeds before the other spoke again. He looked back at him. "Why? I'm not exactly sure why. Because I've always enjoyed working with flowers. And flowers are MY element, are they not?"

Riku tilted his head with Sora's answer. He seemed very sure. "So you do have someone then." He smiled. "That's good." He figured it was Kairi or some other girl. Though Riku had given and even confessed his heart to Sora, he never once expected Sora to do the same. That wouldn't be right. He smiled. "Well, how odd for me." He said. "You know who my heart belongs to, and I don't know who yours belongs to." He said, still smiling, remembering how Sora openly asked him who his heart belonged to. He then laughed. "Haha, I'm kidding. I wouldn't ask that." He knew Sora was more impatient than he, and that's why he had asked before.

Axel looked to Roxas with a crooked smile. "Hah! Are you kidding?" He let out, humored by his question. "You're the only one that doesn't bore or annoy me!" He laughed. "I mean really; just look at it. The whole organization is full of a bunch of misfits, don'tcha think? It's only natural that me and you, the only cool members, get to go out and have a good time." He nudged Roxas lightly, playfully, when he said it. "Besides. All we need is each other, right?" He reminded, looking to him with that same smart smile of his.

"Hmm?" A clueless Demyx couldn't help but think he saw Zexion blush for a slight moment, before he turned his back to him and held a book up to his face. Had he embarrassed him somehow? Lexaeus on the other hand, knew exactly what had made the smaller Nobody so flustered. He smiled, deciding to not push Zexion under the bus and tell Demyx. However, when Zexion said that it was okay for Demyx to stay, he was a bit surprised. Demyx was surprised as well. "R... really?!" He let out, eyes wide. Never before had he been so happy! He instantly skipped over to Zexion's seat and wrapped his arms around the other, pulling him in close into a tight hug. "Thanks, Zexion! I promise I won't be any trouble!" He said, not realizing that he was actually being trouble right then and there.

Vexen was more than happy Marluxia let him stay with him, but he still felt a bit awkward around the other. They weren't exactly on friendly terms or anything, but somehow it seemed that their sort of rivalry wasn't what gave the awkward feeling... it was something else. "Yes... I suppose they are." He answered, looking around at all the flowers, realizing that the flowers really were like Marluxia. "They're beautiful." He then let out, it more slipping out in his absent-mindedness than anything. He instantly blushed. "I-I mean... they're quite nice."

Sora's heart started pounding for a moment when Riku said he wanted to know. But he visibly relaxed when it said it didn't matter. But then felt bad about not telling him. Cause he did after all tell him. "I want to tell you. I really do. But it's hard for me to say the words." he told him, his eyes downcast.

Roxas watched Axel with a small smile. He had always enjoyed hearing him talk. Which was something he seemed to do a lot. And he liked that the other called him cool. That made him blush a bit. He nodded at what was said. "Yeah. You're right." he muttered.

Zexion was starting to relax when Demyx suddenly hugged him. His face instantly turned red again. He instantly struggled to get him to back up. "Demyx! You're too close! he exclaimed. He really needed for the other to back up. And now. He couldn't focus when he was that close.

"Yes. They are, aren't they. I have always enjoyed beautiful things. Whether they be flowers or other things." Marluxia said, still crouched by a rose bush. He finished with the weeds there and stood up.

Riku seemed a bit confused now, but also understanding. Sora wanted to tell him, but couldn't? What could possibly be bugging him so much? "Sora, you don't have to say anything." He said, trying to calm the other down, or at least not make him feel so bad. "Like I said, I was just kidding. You don't have to tell me." He smiled, putting a hand on the other's back. "Besides, it's not me you should tell anyway. It's the one that your heart belongs to that you should tell."

Axel smiled down to his best friend as he blushed, again seeming so cute. He was always so quiet, always thinking inside that ever-working mind of his. Completely unlike Axel, who always just blurted out whatever was on his mind. "So. Ever been to Neverland?" He then questioned with a grin, knowing such a fascinating place himself, where people could actually fly. "I hear there's lots of fun stuff to do there." But, of course, the only thing Axel really wanted to do was be close to Roxas. Closer than he'd ever gotten before.

Lexaeus face-palmed himself, seeing the scene before him. Demyx opened his eyes with the realization. "Oh, sorry!" He said, backing up to see Zexion's face the reddest he'd ever seen. Had he really hugged him that hard? Or was he just that embarrassed? "Um... you okay, Zexy?" He then said, worried that the other wouldn't want him to stay now. "You're not... mad, are you?"

Vexen nodded to himself with Marluxia's reply. However, as the other spoke, Vexen's mind somehow went from beautiful flowers to how beautiful Marluxia seemed right then at that point in time; just like his flowers. He quickly shook his head, trying to get the thoughts to go away. "I... I guess I should get back to the lab." He then said, a part of him wanting to go, but another part of him not really wanting to leave. "I still have that potion to work on, after all..."

Sora blushed a bit when Riku touched his back. He turned his head away a bit so that the other couldn't see. He listened carefully to what was said. He was right. He should tell him. So he took a deep breath before turning back to him. "Your right. I should. So..Riku..I think that I love you."

Roxas thought about that for a moment. "I think I might have been. Once. Is that the place where people fly. Cause if it is, then I've either been there or heard about it." he said. He was hoping that it was the right place. He always wanted to fly. He was sure that it be be awesome.

Zexion took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Once he was he looked at Demyx. "I'm fine, Demyx." he told him. He wasn't sure why he even acted like that. "And I'm not mad. So just relax."

"Alright. If you have to." Marluxia said, clearly disappointed. He was hoping that Vexen would stay for a while. He didn't even really need the potion. He just wanted the other around him.