Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Disney and Square Enix.

Notes: Hah, I've been pumping out fics like crazy. (Because two one-shots in a period of a month is crazy for me.) But, I really like this one. It's very straight-forward, and more than a little fluffy. I probably would've had this up earlier, but when I looked at the first finished version, it was very bare, and quite shorter than this. So, I went and added in a few extra scenes in the end, tweaked some of the words around, and came up with something I'm quite proud of. :D Happy holidays, guys!


Christmas Scene

Riku shifted nervously from one foot to the other. The bright, warm colors of the room and the inviting heat of the fireplace did nothing to calm his nerves. The man in front of him gave a low "hmm," which made Riku's eyes dart upwards. He saw the old man looking up at him over a lengthy strip of parchment, and quickly returned his gaze to the floor.

"Hmm, now... Riku was it?"

"Yessir," he said quickly, snapping to attention.

Next to him, Sora made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a cough.

"It seems that there was an... incident, we'll call it, that took place a few years ago. One where you told Sora here a certain something about a certain someone. Do you recall that?" the man asked in a tone similar to that of a gently scolding parent.

"Yessir."

"And, do you still feel the same way?"

Riku shook his head vigorously. "No sir, not at all, I was... Well, I was really young then and I, er," he paused to collect himself. "I mean, no sir."

The man laughed, a pleasant rumbling sound; Sora had a rather long coughing fit. Riku felt his cheeks and nose turn warm.

"Well, I believe that everyone is deserving of a second chance, and you have most certainly earned it these past few months."

A smile that Sora hadn't seen since they were in elementary school crept its way onto Riku's face as the man wrote Riku's name on the list labelled "Nice."

o o o

It was much later, after Riku's initial excitement had worn down, that Sora and Riku sat on the fallen tree on their island.

The night was cool - perfect for the hot cocoa they had brought with them.

"You know," Riku said. "It wasn't until I actually saw him... I mean, even the whole castle just didn't seem real until then." He grinned sheepishly, and turned to Sora. "But... aw, I feel ten years younger, now."

Sora laughed. "I'm glad." He set aside his mug and said, "Wait'll Kairi hears about how you danced with that elf."

A look of horror shot across Riku's face as he unconvincingly said, "I did no such thing."

"Ohh, yes you did! The minute you left Santa's office," he stood up and did a short, exaggerated skip that could only be described as girly. "You grabbed that elf and did a perfect waltz." He clumsily danced with his invisible partner, and sang in a low voice Riku supposed might have sounded like his own (if he'd breathed in helium while having the flu), "I'm on the Nice List! I'm on the Nice List!"

When Sora finally grew tired, to Riku's relief, only the sound of the waves hitting the beach could be heard. "Well..?" Sora asked a moment later.

"...I didn't waltz," Riku answered. "I may have... gotten a little excited, but I didn't waltz."

Sora sat down with a heavy plop. "Whatever you say," he laughed, picking up his mug.

"Hm. You know, this is the best Christmas I've had in a long time."

"Me too."

A we droplet fell onto Riku's thumb. "Is it raining?" he asked, feeling another on his arm.

"Ah, it figures it would," Sora sighed. "Better than a storm, though, I guess."

"I guess," Riku repeated as he eased himself off the fallen tree and lay down on his back. After a moemnt, he poked Sora's arm.

"Hm?"

He pointed upwards.

"Yep. Looks like rain."

"Look all the way up, high as you can."

"All right," Sora responded, squinting. There was another moment of silence, followed by Sora's eyes widening and an excited gasp.

Far above them, snow fell in tiny white flakes, until it met with the warm air rising from the Islands and melted.

Sora smiled. "Merry Christmas, Riku."

"Yeah, you too. Merry Christmas."


-- Merry Christmas '06

As a closing note, thank you to everyone who's left a review to one of my stories, or put it in their favorites list or C2. And an even bigger thank you to everyone who's read one of them. You helped make this year awesome for me. Happy holidays, and happy New Year! Best wishes to each and every one of you.