A/N: Merry Christmas and happy holidays! This year I participated in a Secret Santa on tumblr, khsecretsanta. So this fic is for my person, kuragefyne!

Christmas Coffee

Riku pushed the door to his building open, pausing in the foyer to bask in the warmth. It was miserable outside. "Still no snow, either," Riku muttered, pulling his gloves off and stuffing them in his pocket. At least with snow, the cold weather would be justified, he thought. He pursed his lips—chapped from the wind, of course—and retrieved his mail. It was the usual junk mail and bills, along with a few large envelopes that would be Christmas cards from his family. Bundle in hand, he trudged up to his apartment, where he dropped his backpack with a thump and sank into an overstuffed chair to open his mail.

Riku set the junk mail and bills aside to tear open the red envelopes, which were sure to hold glittery cards with gift cards or checks tucked inside. He wasn't disappointed by his mother: hers was decorated with gold and white glitter that rained in his lap as he read her short note and glanced at the check. There was one from his father, less flashy than the one from his mother, but with another of the requisite checks to accompany the brief note, a similar one from his grandmother, and a fourth one from his aunt. Though the one from his aunt was as glittery as they got, it contained not a check, but a gift card. To Starbucks. Riku was staring at it dolefully when his phone rang, and he fished the noisy thing out of his pocket.

"Hey, Kai. What's up?"

"Riku! Guess what! Guess what my parents got me for Christmas!" The voice on the line was squeaking with delight.

Riku's long-suffering sigh was accompanied by a quirk of lips; Kairi wouldn't see it, but she wouldn't be fooled by the sigh, either. "What'd they get you?"

"Tickets to see the Nutcracker with them!"

Riku's smile spread into a grin, warmth spilling into his voice. "That's great, Kairi. You've been asking them to take you for how many years now?"

"Only the last three years," she drawled. "I guess they finally got the hint. What about you, any exciting news on your end?"

Riku shrugged, even if she couldn't see it. "Nah, just the usual, checks from both my parents, another one from Nan. And a Starbucks card from my aunt." Riku frowned and turned the card in question around his hand. "I don't even drink Starbucks, so what am I supposed to do with this? Why not send a Visa gift card like a normal person?"

Kairi huffed into the phone. "Treat yourself to some specialty coffee for once, Riku. Starbucks isn't that bad. And there's one literally two blocks from your place." Riku let out an inarticulate grumble. "Oh, hush! If you don't want to order a drink, you could always just use the card for some coffee beans to take home."

"Yeah I guess…"

"Hey, did your grade for Sena's class yet?"

The two chatted for a little longer, about school and winter break plans, before Kairi had to hang up to get ready for work. Riku tucked his phone back into his pocket and sprawled back against the couch. Coffee didn't sound bad, after all, and he could stand to see a little less of his apartment for a bit. Even if he had to go out and brave the cold again. Anyway, he had to go back out to cash the checks he'd gotten, and the coffee shop was along the way, so that decided it. Riku rifled through his bag, taking out the last of his school notebooks and leaving only his laptop and the paperback Kairi'd insisted he read, pulled his discarded beanie back onto his head, and set out.

After a stop at the bank, Riku found himself staring up at the menu inside the Starbucks. "Specialty coffee, huh?" He didn't normally drink anything other than regular coffee, with the occasional flavored cream, so the endless options at Starbucks always made his eyes cross. His eyes drifted down to find a blackboard with a chalk illustration and Holiday Flavors scrawled in curly letters. That would be nice, and might even put him into a more festive spirit, he decided.

The first thing Riku noticed as he stepped up to the counter were the ridiculous reindeer antlers atop the barista's head, nestled in unruly chocolate hair. The barista's height could be at fault, since the antlers were at eye level, but the green and red ribbons that ended in small bells and rang with every gesture did a great deal in catching Riku's attention.

"Hi, welcome to Starbucks, what can I get for you?"

Riku blinked, a little surprised that the owner of the noisy antlers was male, and adjusted his gaze to land on the guy's face. Bright blue eyes were accompanied by a dazzling smile that had to be fake. The smile gave him pause, and he tried not to be blinded by it. The only thing that came out at first was a stutter, and Riku felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment as he cleared his throat.

"I guess I'll try that Chestnut Praline Latte. If it's good?" he added hopefully. "I don't usually come here, but I just got a gift card, so…" he trailed off, mentally berating his sudden awkwardness.

The barista nodded with a jingle of bells. "It's delicious! What size would you like?"

Riku finished his order, with only a little trouble, got his coffee, and chose a cozy corner table. The drink was, in fact, delicious as the barista had claimed, if a bit sweet, but it served well enough as he wasted time on the internet. Halfway through the latte, he closed his laptop with a click and pulled out the paperback.

Riku, you have to read this. It'll change your life! Or so Kairi had claimed. And he didn't have a choice in the matter, because his friend was sure to quiz him on it later. Still, he was reluctant to open it. He didn't claim to know much about romance novels, but he was fairly certain that anything by Nicholas Sparks fell in that category. It was probably cheesy as fuck, and he'd been putting it off for a week because of finals, but he no longer had that excuse.

Riku had gotten through a dozen pages when the sound of jingle bells announced the approach of the barista. He raised his eyes from the book, expression guarded. The guy was still smiling, although the wattage had dimmed somewhat from his earlier expression.

"So, how is it?"

Riku glanced back down at his book. "Well, I just started, so I can't say for sure, but so far it's not as bad as I expected."

The guy's face fell. "Bad? Should I get you something else?"

Realizing his mistake, Riku blushed. "Oh, you meant the drink! Sorry, uh, yeah, it's good."

"Oh, good! Hey, so what are you reading, anyway?"

Riku held the book up. "The Notebook. My friend insisted. There's going to be a quiz." He nodded in emphasis, face serious.

"Oh, a quiz, man, that's rough!" The barista chuckled.

"Hey, Sora!" a voice called from behind the counter.

"Coming!" To Riku, he said, "I'm being called, so I better leave you to it! I wouldn't want you to fail your quiz. See you next time!" He shot Riku another bright grin before departing with a jingle of little brass bells, and Riku found himself following the brunette with his eyes. Maybe that smile wasn't fake.

o.O.o

The next morning found Riku staring into his coffee cannister. The half-asleep stare turned into a frown as his still-sluggish mind processed the black dust at the bottom—not enough to even attempt a pot of coffee. As he shook the can, it occurred to him that, yes, he had used the rest of it up while pulling all-nighters during finals. There was nothing for it, then, but to retrieve the gift card from his aunt and trudge over to the Starbucks.

Unbrushed silver hair was tossed into a messy bun, scarf wrapped around his neck, and feet shoved into boots, his sweatpants spilling over the tops. He was certain he looked a mess, but he needed coffee. Coffee couldn't wait until he was presentable, and that was that.

A brisk wind slapped him in the face as he stepped outside, and he pulled his coat closer, tucking his face into the soft fabric of his scarf. The cold helped wake him up, but did little for his mood. The condensation forming on his scarf from his breath was cold and annoying, and, fuck, he needed his coffee.

The Starbucks was warm, but more importantly, it smelled of fresh-brewed coffee. Riku inhaled deeply, already feeling better as he took in the warm scent. There was a line, this time, and the bustling sounds of early-morning customers, but he was already that much closer to getting coffee. The scent alone was enough to perk him up, so that by the time he reached the counter, he managed to place his order in a civil tone, rather than an irritated grunt.

He heard his name called and as he reached for the coffee, the person handing it to him asked, "Came back for more, huh?"

The brunette from the night before was smiling at him again, eyes sparkling. Instead of the reindeer antlers, he sported a green and red striped stocking hat, with exaggerated elf ears. Riku, still without caffeine, gave a dazed nod as he wrapped his fingers around the cup.

"Just regular coffee this time, though? You should try the Holiday Spice Flat White. It tastes just like Christmas! Totally my favorite."

Riku glanced down at his cup and shrugged. "Too early. Just need coffee."

Sora chuckled and gave him an overt once-over. "Okay, I better leave you to it, then." Riku flushed, suddenly feeling self-conscious in his sweats and half-zipped coat.

"Sora, drinks!" called a frenzied voice.

"Ah, looks like I'm needed again. Enjoy your bean juice!" Sora flapped his hand in a wave as he disappeared back behind the counter.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Bean juice?" He snorted and took a sip of his coffee: it was almost perfect. He could still see the top of the elf hat over the counter, dancing back and forth as Sora worked elvish magic on the drinks. It had to be magic, for the coffee to taste so good. Riku took a moment to relish the smooth flavor, before he remembered that he was still out in pajamas. He huffed and steeled himself for the icy winds, before hurrying home, red cup in hand.

It wasn't until the next morning that Riku remembered to buy more coffee for his coffee-maker, as he again found himself staring into the dust at the bottom of his coffee tin.

He begrudgingly changed his sweats for the previous day's jeans, not wanting to be caught in them a second time. Just in case the brunette was there. Eyes still bleary, he attempted to comb out the worst of the snarls in his hair before tying it back and covering everything up with scarf and coat. He even grabbed his bag, intent on enjoying his coffee in the cafe's cozy atmosphere.

It was felt candy canes atop the barista's head this time, with bells again, so that there was a metallic tinkle every few seconds.

"Oh, it's you again! Riku, right?" Riku nodded. "So, how about that Holiday Spice today?" Sora's voice was unnaturally cheerful for such an early time of the morning, Riku decided.

His eyes drifted back up the the candy canes. "I suddenly want something minty," he mumbled.

Sora grinned. "Peppermint Mocha, then!" He bobbed his head in emphasis, causing the bells to erupt in sound. "Holiday Spice next time for sure though, alright? It'll be on me!" If Riku thought the barista was winking at him, he blamed it on his half-asleep state.

Riku was nursing the last bit of his coffee at a window table when Sora leaned on the chair across from him. "So, did you finish your book? The one you said your friend was going to quiz you on?"

Riku looked up from his laptop, and was caught in another of those dazzling smiles. It made him feel warm all over, and he found himself stuttering his response. "N-not yet. I'm only halfway through."

"Oh. Well, you have a better idea of how it is now, right? Is it any good?"

Riku shrugged. "It's not bad, but not something I would read on my own."

Sora opened his mouth to say something else, only to be interrupted by a hand curling around his arm. Riku was startled by the resemblance between Sora and the blond coworker glaring at him. "Sora, quit bugging the customers and get to work!"

Sora's grin turned sheepish. "Don't be mean, Roxas! I wasn't bugging him!" He glanced back at Riku. "Was I?"

Riku couldn't help but chuckle at the barista's predicament. "No, it's okay. I didn't mind."

"See?"

"I don't care, you still have work to do. Excuse us," the blond grumbled, half-dragging Sora back to the counter. Riku watched as they had a heated but whispered exchange that ended with a put-out Sora disappearing into the back end of the store. He almost felt sorry for the guy, but if Sora was slacking, he was bringing it on himself.

Riku had turned back to his laptop when he was interrupted again, this time by the blond. Blue eyes glared at him accusingly. "What do you want with my brother?"

Riku narrowed his eyes and closed his laptop with a snap. "I'm sorry, what?"

The guy Roxas shot a glance back to the counter to make sure Sora was still gone. "He won't shut up about the 'hot guy with silver hair,' so I'm asking, what do you want with my brother? You better not be stringing him along for kicks, or you'll have me to deal with!"

Riku felt his face redden. "He said that?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes. "Don't be cute, Silver. I know all about slick guys like you." He pointed a finger at Riku. "I'm watching you, pretty boy! Don't mess with Sora, or you'll be messing with me!"

Riku scowled and put his laptop in his bag. "Excuse me, I have to go."

Roxas crossed his arms and watched as Riku turned to the door. "And don't come back!"

Riku ignored the blond, but still, he stopped and peered into the window as he left. Sora had returned from whatever task Roxas had given him, albeit without the smile Riku was fast growing used to.

Riku frowned as he walked the short blocks back to his apartment, running over the blond's words through his mind.

o.O.o

Later that afternoon, Riku swung his apartment door open to let Kairi in. "Hey Riku!"

"Hi Kai," he smiled and hugged her. "Thanks for coming over."

She pecked him on the cheek. "You know I would. My best friend says he needs me to come over and talk, and I'm there. Hey, how about some coffee?"

Riku's lips turned up in a wry smile. "I'm still out. But actually—"

"Oh, then why don't we go grab some from Starbucks? You—"

"A-actually," Riku interrupted, "that's kind of why I asked you to come over."

Kairi's brow furrowed in confusion. "About coffee?"

"Well, sort of…" Riku reddened.

Kairi gave him an appraising look and sat down. "Okay Riku, spill. I haven't seen you this flustered since high school."

Riku scowled. "I'm not flustered!"

Kairi crossed her arms. "Riku. I know you. One, you called me over to talk, instead of just saying whatever over the phone. Two, you're out of coffee, 'still' out, according to you. Riku, who drinks coffee like water, is never out of coffee. And three, you're blushing."

Riku fidgeted. "Well, I've been getting coffee at the Starbucks. But I keep forgetting to pick some up for the apartment…"

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Are you addicted to Starbucks all of the sudden? I thought it wasn't your kind of place." Her face lit up. "Ooooooh, I know! There's a reason you keep forgetting coffee for the apartment, isn't there?"

Riku sank into his chair; he'd decided that his feet were very interesting at the moment. "Kairi, how do you tell if a guy likes you? I mean," he met her eyes. "Well, so I went to Starbucks and the guy behind the counter, he just…"

Kairi suppressed a giggle. "Go on."

Riku huffed and started over. He detailed the last three days for Kairi: Sora's bright blue eyes and dazzling smile, and his parade of Christmas headwear. The way Sora had given him an obvious appraisal when he'd shown up looking like a slob, and how embarrassed he'd been, and had made sure he was presentable for the next time.

"You know, I wasn't sure if I'd just imagined him winking at me," Riku continued, "but he'd just offered to buy my next coffee. And then this other guy, I guess his brother, came over saying all this shit about him talking about me, and how I shouldn't mess with him. Like, what the hell, I haven't even done anything! Hey, don't laugh!"

Kairi put a hand over her mouth, but couldn't stop her laughter. "Riku," she gasped, putting a hand on his arm, "you're totally smitten, aren't you? Love at first sight!" She burst into more giggles. "You should hear yourself, talking so much!"

Riku scowled. "I'm not—"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay. Maybe you're not. I'll believe it when you do. Come on, let's go. I'm suddenly needing that coffee extra bad." Kairi pulled her hat and coat on, and wound her scarf around her neck.

Riku slouched deeper into the chair.

Kairi sighed and leaned down next to him. "Riku."

"Kairi."

"Put your coat on. We're going."

"You just want to embarrass me."

Kairi snorted. "Please, Riku. You don't need my help with that."

Riku grumbled, but picked himself up out of the chair and slowly bundled himself up for the cold weather. Kairi led the way out of the apartment and down the street, humming merrily.

"Kairi, what if they're just messing with me?" Riku grumbled. "Sora and that guy Roxas."

Kairi spun to face him. "Stop making excuses, Riku. You're going to march in there and ask him out, if he doesn't do it first. You're not a kid anymore, so stop acting like it!" Riku studied her for a moment. She wasn't angry, not in the least. Rather, she was being earnest. As usual, trying to push Riku to go outside of his comfort zone.

"Fine." Because, as usual, Kairi knew him. And she was right.

Still, when Riku found himself at the counter, alone, he wasn't so sure. Kairi had abandoned him at the door, and it had occurred to Riku that Sora could very well be done with his shift. There were no candy cane antenna in sight, and instead a young girl stood at the counter, with hair almost as pale as Riku's own.

"Can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Ah, uhm." Riku bit his lip and glanced surreptitiously behind the counter. No red and white stripes. "I guess I'll have—"

"Hey, you're back!" Riku blinked; Sora's head had popped up from behind the counter, as if he'd been sitting down out of sight. "Twice in one day, how lucky! You're gonna try the Flat White, right?" Riku nodded mutely. "Okay, good! Nam, it's on me. I'll make it, too."

The girl smiled. "Okay."

Riku stood awkwardly at the end while Sora busied himself behind the counter, candy canes ringing with cheer. "Hey, so, sorry about earlier. Roxas is a bit of a slave-driver, you know?"

"Ah, yeah. About that."

"Hm? About what?" Sora set two drinks on the counter and joined Riku on his side. "By the way, your timing is perfect. I was just clocking out and was gonna take one of these to go, too." He offered Riku one of the red cups; Riku accepted it and inhaled the scent of spices and coffee, before returning his attention to Sora.

"Roxas spoke to me after you went in the back."

Sora's smile faltered, but he made a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry about him, he likes to mess with people."

"He said you were talking about me. That I'm h-hot." Riku focused on his cup of coffee.

Sora gave a loud bark of a laugh. "Yeah, that's true."

"Oh." Riku spared him a glance, and was rewarded with another of Sora's bright smiles.

"Well, now that you know, I might as well ask. Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

"O-okay," Riku told his cup.

Sora beamed.

o.O.o

It was snowing the day of Riku's date with Sora, big, fluffy flakes that blanketed the ground, and even though it was still early, the sun was already sinking down to leave the city in twilight. In the growing darkness, candy-colored strings of lights twinkled and reflected off of the snow, casting a cheerful glow on the streets.

They'd agreed to meet on Main Street, where the city had gone all-out with decorations, and the shops and restaurants followed suite, providing a perfect Christmas wonderland. Sora confessed to being a big fan of Christmas (thus the parade of Christmas headwear), and while Riku wasn't as such, he had to admit that he appreciated the atmosphere.

Sora was already waiting for him, bundled up in a thick winter jacket, hat, and scarf, breath forming clouds in the air and cheeks rosy from the cold. Riku admired him from afar, studying the brunette's unusually serious face before approaching.

The way Sora lit up when Riku came up to him made his own lips curl into a small smile.

"Riku! Hi! You made it!"

"Yeah."

"It's snowing, isn't it great?"

Riku chuckled at Sora's enthusiasm. "Yeah, it's nice."

"I know what would make it nicer." Sora's eyes danced as he looked up at Riku.

"What's that?"

"If I kissed you! I know, it's the beginning of the date, and I'm supposed to wait until the end, but, well. You look so nice! And I've wanted to kiss you since I first saw you. So, can I?" Riku stared at him for a moment, surprised. It was true, they'd only met a few days ago, but the request wasn't one he minded acquiescing.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." Riku earned another of Sora's dazzling smiles, and he was already thinking that he could get used to it as the brunette's face came closer.

Sora stood on his toes and rested a gloved hand against Riku's chest for balance, and even with the boost in height, Riku still had to bend down just a little to meet the kiss. They bumped noses at first, and Sora gave a low chuckle, but their lips met without further incident. It was cold and dry and chaste, but when they parted, Riku could see snowflakes caught in Sora's eyelashes, and it was beautiful.

For once, he didn't feel like he was floundering to come up with something to say. It was much easier to lean down for another kiss, which Sora accepted with another small laugh, this time a little warmer, a little wetter, until Sora gently pushed him away.

"Not that I don't like it," he murmured, "but I was really looking forward to our date, as well."

Riku's lips curled into a subtle smile. "Okay."

Sora caught Riku's hand up with a grin. "Then let's go!"

It may have been cold outside, but Riku was feeling rather warm as he let Sora lead him into one of the little cafes that stood along the street.

He'd have to remember to send his Aunt a nice thank you card, after all.