KH, "Gift-Giving Time of Year"
Holiday fic: sorceressakemi, prompt Axel/Roxas, holiday, Another Side-flavored
Roxas mulls on presents, presentees, and traditions.
Contains hints of Axel/Roxas, Leon/Aerith. another_rpg continuity.
.gift-giving time of year.
Roxas dropped onto the oversized bed in the living room, close enough to Axel to jostle his shoulder. The redhead flicked a glance at him, but he kept his attention on the scene across the room, where Aerith and Yuffie and Namine were busily hanging ornaments on a Christmas tree, while Cid and Leon manned the ladder to get the star at the top. It was oddly interesting, even though really nothing new was happening. Everyone seemed so -- happy. In good spirits. Even Namine, Roxas noted with some surprise.
He remembered so many Christmases that had never been real, with parents he'd never had and friends he'd only just met, and the one real Christmas in his memory was in Never Was. He had been new, and Xemnas was of the opinion that Nobodies did not celebrate... anything, ever.
"Is it just me," Roxas said slowly, "or is this whole holiday season thing much less interesting when you know you're not on Santa's nice list?"
Axel made an amused sound. "You know that not all gifts come from Santa Claus, right?"
It took him a moment to remember that they weren't, actually. Roxas tilted his head back, avoiding the question deftly. "I'm going to go ahead and assume that you didn't get anything for anyone," he said instead, dry.
"Nope," Axel admitted. "What about you, o generous and noble keyblade hero?"
"I didn't either."
But of course it hadn't really occurred to him. Christmas Eve was a bit late to be considering that sort of thing, but since he'd put the whole Christmas phenomenon out of his mind... Before Hollow Bastion had exploded with lights and trees and candy canes until it looked like the ruins were doing their level best to mimic Christmas Town, he hadn't even thought about it. Apparently, Hollow Bastion -- like Destiny Islands -- had celebrated Christmas, although Roxas had been told at some point that Cloud and Tifa's native world did not have such a holiday.
Axel smirked at him. "You're a cheap B-A-S-T-A-R-D," he said, not sounding entirely censuring. "Right now you're probably one of the richest men on this hunk of rock, with all the munny we pick up, and you don't buy a single present."
Roxas tilted his head back. "I guess I could get something for Namine," he said slowly. "I bet she's never gotten anything before." And it didn't feel right to get something for her and not for any of their actual hosts. Especially Yuffie, who'd been -- a good friend, he supposed, in spite of himself.
"You might be overestimating my popularity a smidge if you think that I have," Axel pointed out. Roxas ignored him.
But then again... Aerith and the others had probably gotten gifts for him. And -- he could get something for Hayner. Just sneak in and leave it under his tree, not make a big production of it. ...and Olette and Pence.
"Maybe I should do a little shopping," he said reluctantly.
"Ah, the time-honored tradition of last-minute Christmas Eve shopping," Axel said, leaning back against the headboard and tucking his arms behind his neck.
His attention briefly captured, Roxas glanced at him. "Your homeworld celebrated Christmas?"
"Nope," Axel said.
"Hey!" Yuffie's voice came from behind them, and Roxas shifted to peer back over his shoulder at her. She looked surprised. "You two sat in Leon and Aerith's usual place."
Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh-- sorry. We didn't mean to." One of the perils about a first holiday in a new environment was that they didn't know the household traditions. Maybe Aerith and Leon sat on the lopsided bed in the foyer. Maybe no one placed presents under the tree, or maybe they all had to be in place the night before. Maybe egg-nog was served in saucers. He had no way of knowing what was correct.
"No, no, 's no big deal." She grinned broadly. "It's just -- that's where I hung the mistletoe."
Roxas glanced up, finally noticing the small, discreet sprig hanging from the rafter above their heads. He lowered his gaze again and met Axel's, the spectral green of the older man's eyes wide and surprised just like his must be. Axel glanced away quickly, coughing, and Roxas went to his feet.
"Fortunately," he said with dignity, "Axel doesn't celebrate Christmas."
"Yeah," Axel said. "Fortunate, that."
Roxas was busy explaining his mysterious need to go out not to buy gifts, so he told himself he just imagined the disappointment in his friend's echo.
Roxas mulls on presents, presentees, and traditions.
Contains hints of Axel/Roxas, Leon/Aerith. another_rpg continuity.
.gift-giving time of year.
Roxas dropped onto the oversized bed in the living room, close enough to Axel to jostle his shoulder. The redhead flicked a glance at him, but he kept his attention on the scene across the room, where Aerith and Yuffie and Namine were busily hanging ornaments on a Christmas tree, while Cid and Leon manned the ladder to get the star at the top. It was oddly interesting, even though really nothing new was happening. Everyone seemed so -- happy. In good spirits. Even Namine, Roxas noted with some surprise.
He remembered so many Christmases that had never been real, with parents he'd never had and friends he'd only just met, and the one real Christmas in his memory was in Never Was. He had been new, and Xemnas was of the opinion that Nobodies did not celebrate... anything, ever.
"Is it just me," Roxas said slowly, "or is this whole holiday season thing much less interesting when you know you're not on Santa's nice list?"
Axel made an amused sound. "You know that not all gifts come from Santa Claus, right?"
It took him a moment to remember that they weren't, actually. Roxas tilted his head back, avoiding the question deftly. "I'm going to go ahead and assume that you didn't get anything for anyone," he said instead, dry.
"Nope," Axel admitted. "What about you, o generous and noble keyblade hero?"
"I didn't either."
But of course it hadn't really occurred to him. Christmas Eve was a bit late to be considering that sort of thing, but since he'd put the whole Christmas phenomenon out of his mind... Before Hollow Bastion had exploded with lights and trees and candy canes until it looked like the ruins were doing their level best to mimic Christmas Town, he hadn't even thought about it. Apparently, Hollow Bastion -- like Destiny Islands -- had celebrated Christmas, although Roxas had been told at some point that Cloud and Tifa's native world did not have such a holiday.
Axel smirked at him. "You're a cheap B-A-S-T-A-R-D," he said, not sounding entirely censuring. "Right now you're probably one of the richest men on this hunk of rock, with all the munny we pick up, and you don't buy a single present."
Roxas tilted his head back. "I guess I could get something for Namine," he said slowly. "I bet she's never gotten anything before." And it didn't feel right to get something for her and not for any of their actual hosts. Especially Yuffie, who'd been -- a good friend, he supposed, in spite of himself.
"You might be overestimating my popularity a smidge if you think that I have," Axel pointed out. Roxas ignored him.
But then again... Aerith and the others had probably gotten gifts for him. And -- he could get something for Hayner. Just sneak in and leave it under his tree, not make a big production of it. ...and Olette and Pence.
"Maybe I should do a little shopping," he said reluctantly.
"Ah, the time-honored tradition of last-minute Christmas Eve shopping," Axel said, leaning back against the headboard and tucking his arms behind his neck.
His attention briefly captured, Roxas glanced at him. "Your homeworld celebrated Christmas?"
"Nope," Axel said.
"Hey!" Yuffie's voice came from behind them, and Roxas shifted to peer back over his shoulder at her. She looked surprised. "You two sat in Leon and Aerith's usual place."
Roxas rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh-- sorry. We didn't mean to." One of the perils about a first holiday in a new environment was that they didn't know the household traditions. Maybe Aerith and Leon sat on the lopsided bed in the foyer. Maybe no one placed presents under the tree, or maybe they all had to be in place the night before. Maybe egg-nog was served in saucers. He had no way of knowing what was correct.
"No, no, 's no big deal." She grinned broadly. "It's just -- that's where I hung the mistletoe."
Roxas glanced up, finally noticing the small, discreet sprig hanging from the rafter above their heads. He lowered his gaze again and met Axel's, the spectral green of the older man's eyes wide and surprised just like his must be. Axel glanced away quickly, coughing, and Roxas went to his feet.
"Fortunately," he said with dignity, "Axel doesn't celebrate Christmas."
"Yeah," Axel said. "Fortunate, that."
Roxas was busy explaining his mysterious need to go out not to buy gifts, so he told himself he just imagined the disappointment in his friend's echo.