There was something special about Vexen and Marluxia's kitchen utensils. None of the others had equipment quite like them. There was no ladle as large as that of Marluxia, and Vexen's pot lid was quite the sight. Seeing as none of the other organization members had any possessions to match, they always ended up doing the cooking. They didn't have to cook for the entire Organization, as Axel always had some pizzas at hand, Zexion always had a spare sandwich, and Saïx carried around a giant banana (they figured it was from Wonderland), but it still was quite a lot of work. They would often be up cooking until late at night, until Xemnas told them to go to bed because the sound of Marluxia's ladle banging against Vexen's pot lid was keeping everyone awake.

One evening, they decided to stall after taking care of the dishes so Vexen could give Marluxia's ladle a proper polish. It had to be done every now and then, or it would stain something terribly. In the meantime, Marluxia scrubbed Vexen's pot lid properly. They stood crammed together by the kitchen counter, trying not to make any noise as they went about their business. Evenings like these were truly pleasurable. It was just the two of them together, enjoying each other's company. Vexen shining Marluxia's large ladle, in return having his pot lid tended to by Marluxia's clever fingers.

It was a break from the usual bickering and arguing of the daily life in the Organization. When they were in the kitchen together, rank and pride were no longer issues that mattered. They knew that the giant ladle and the huge pot lid simply belonged together, and they would often spend their days longing to be back in the kitchen and see each other's tools.

Looking quite thoughtful, Marluxia stroked his hands over the pot lid as he looked up at Vexen that evening. It was long since they first did the dishes together, and it had come to the point where he simply couldn't imagine not doing it again. He had to pause simply to watch Vexen run his elegant fingers over his ladle.

"Vexen," he breathed out, quiet, as not to wake the others. He caught the man's attention.

"Did you want something?" he asked, sounding as impatient as every time Marluxia interrupted him in his work.

"We have been doing this for a while now," Marluxia said, not discouraged at all by his tone. "And I have to confess something."

He could hear Vexen snorting, but his hands were still working on the ladle, and Marluxia had to take a deep breath before he was able to mouth his next words.

"I don't want anyone else to polish my ladle," he said. "I want to go to bed every night after cleaning your pot lid. For as long as I possibly can."

For a moment, the air between them was quite tense, until Vexen nodded faintly.

"Then so be it," he agreed. They both knew that the sound of Marluxia's ladle banging against Vexen's pot lid would never cease. So, they went on as they always had, tending to each other's kitchen utensils together.