"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style…"
Yes, in the air there was definitely a feeling of Christmas.
Zexion pulled his coat tighter about him as he walked through town, bundled up in layers and looking much like a hiding turtle; only his eyes were exposed, his nose buried into his large scarf. Despite the cold weather, there were still many people out and about. Quite a few of the town residents were hurrying about with armfuls of shopping bags…and it was only the first week of December. While some headed to their cars to pack up their treasures and go home, others rushed into nearby coffee shops in order to escape the cold. Zexion followed suit, finally coming upon the café that he had grown accustomed to visiting.

Bells on the door jingled merrily as he entered, and he shut it quickly before a gust of cold air could follow him in. The café was nice and warm, and he loosened his scarf and removed his thick coat, taking a seat at his usual small table. Zexion hadn't intended on taking such a liking to this place, but he had stumbled upon it by chance and been drawn back to it ever since. There was just something about it…
With a sigh, the young man pulled his laptop out of his messenger bag and set to work on it, fingers already clicking away across the keyboard.

The cashier that doubled as a waiter dropped by and set a steaming mug on his table.
Zexion looked up from his laptop, slightly surprised. "Luxord?" he asked, peering over his glasses curiously.
"Hello again, stranger. It's black coffee, your usual."
"Thank you…but how—"
"How did I know? You're a creature of habit. Every time you've been here, you've ordered the same thing. Plain black coffee. Why waste my time asking what you would like to order if I already know the answer? That's time I could be spending flirting with those two lovely ladies in the corner over there." he said with a gesture of his head in their direction and a smirk. "If you should require anything, call me." As expected, the man walked off toward the two women to ask if they needed anything. Zexion shook his head incredulously, a small smile crossing his lips.

The singer that had been performing Christmas songs on the small stage with the café band finished up her last song and the next singer took her place. Zexion's gaze shifted away from his computer and over toward the stage. Oh yes, it was him. Zexion always liked when he sang. There was something quite enchanting about his voice. He also liked how the young man performed alone. The band would take a break while he went up alone with his guitar. He was very…humble, Zexion decided.
He tapped on the microphone and cleared his throat. "Hey, everyone~ Can you all hear me okay?" His small audience answered affirmatively, and he grinned. "Oh good~ I'll get started, then."
Attention drawn completely from his laptop, Zexion watched him perform while drinking his coffee slowly. He knew it would only be a few songs, but he also knew that he would enjoy them all. He always did. When the young man finished, it seemed far too soon. He took his guitar and sat at a table with a few other people, his friends, perhaps. With a sigh, Zexion turned his attention back to his laptop and began typing again.

…

Realizing that it was getting late, the young man packed his laptop away and put his coat back on. He left the money for his coffee on the table and moved toward the door, but at the sight outside the window, he froze in front of it. Beyond the glass, there was a white blur of snow being whipped wildly around in the wind.
"Hey, you're not going out there, are you?" a worried voice asked from behind, a hand touching Zexion's shoulder.
"I…I should. It's late." He turned his head to see the person behind him, and had to do a double-take. It was that boy, the singer that Zexion liked so much. "Oh! It's you." He blinked in surprise.
"Going out in that mess would be crazy! Why not wait a while, let it die down a bit? There's no rush, right?"
"I…suppose not." he said with a sigh. "I'll wait."
"Oh, good! You had me worried there." The young man said with a light laugh. "Sorry I startled you. Name's Demyx~" He stuck out his hand, and the other man shook it.
"Zexion." he said with a nod. Now he knew the name to the face. They sat back down, this time sharing a table.

"Hey, you're not from around here, are you? I've seen you in this place before, but not around town." There was something very off about his new acquaintance. The world around him seemed to be playing in Technicolor while he was stuck in a monochrome movie.
Zexion shook his head. "No…no, I'm not from here." He seemed very hesitant.
"Well, where are you from then?" It was hard for Demyx to distinguish the line between curiosity and being nosy.
"…Halloween Town." the other man said, a peculiar gleam in his eyes.
Demyx's lips formed an O shape, and everything seemed to click into place. "Wow, really? Then welcome to Christmas Town! I'm sure it's a lot different than what you're used to."
"Ah, indeed. Much different."
Demyx looked the man over with new interest. "So…are you anything special?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh you know, like a zombie or a werewolf or those other kinds of monstery-things."
"Ah. Er…a cat. A black cat." At the incredulous and puzzled look on the singer's face, Zexion sighed and removed his hat. There, amidst his slightly tangled hair, two soft black ears perked up, having been previously flattened back in his disguise. The sleek black tail that had been hidden down his pant leg slipped through the slit in the back of his pants, standing in plain view and curling at the end, much like a question mark.

"W-wow! No way! And I always thought my ears were cool." Demyx said with a laugh. "I'm an elf, see?" The boy turned his head, and sure enough, his ears were long and narrow, pointed at the tips. Why Zexion hadn't noticed this before, he wasn't sure.
"So, I'm not strange, then?"
Demyx grinned. "Nah, we've got plenty of oddballs here, don't worry. I mean, Santa's whole workshop is filled with elves. I don't see why a cat would seem weird to anyone." He smiled. "You know, I once interviewed to work as one of Santa's elves..."
"Oh? What happened, if I may ask?" One of the cat's ears tilted curiously.
"Heh. Well, I didn't make it…obviously. I had filled out all of my applications and stuff, and finally got called in for the interview after a while. It turned out that the interviewer was the man in red himself! I was really nervous. Like, shaking. But it was okay, because even though I wasn't right for the job, he was really nice about it. He told me 'Don't be sad, Demyx. I have a special task for you. I want you to go out and spread Christmas cheer to everyone you can. Will you do that for me?' Of course I said yes! So I decided the best way to do what Santa asked would be through my music. Being an elf, my music seems to have more of an effect over people…something magical in it, I guess."
"Ah, I know what you mean." So there was something special about this man's music… "Why weren't you good for the job?"
"Oh, I was just a different kind of elf, is all. Santa's elves are on the dwarfish side. They're all about yea high. Short and stout, you know? I'm the complete opposite." Indeed, he was quite tall. Taller than Zexion, at least, which was an easy feat to accomplish.

"Anyways, enough about me! What about you? What brings you to Christmas Town?"
Zexion blinked in surprise. "Hm. Where should I begin…Do you remember the year when Christmas was almost taken over by Halloween?"
"Oh yeah! I remember it pretty well, actually. It was something that had never happened before. I was pretty young, though."
The steel-haired boy nodded. "I was as well. However, the experience was something that constantly grated on my mind. It had piqued my curiosity. Jack was never specific about what Christmas was exactly, and why we were going to take it over. Sure, he'd explained how to wrap a present and hang a stocking over the chimney, and that pine trees were to be decorated with lights and baubles, but he never told us why. All I knew is that we had to be doing it wrong. For years, thoughts of Christmas would bother me, but they would always pass. That is, until one day that I came upon a very special clearing in the woods. There was a circle of trees, a door for every holiday, but I recognized the Christmas door instantly, shaped like a decorated pine. I was thrilled to make this discovery, but knew that I wasn't ready to enter this new world I still did not understand. There was much I wanted to learn before seeing Christmas firsthand, so I went to the man who started all of this madness. Jack Skellington himself."

"I asked him if he still had his Christmas books and would lend them to me for some research I was conducting. He gave me everything he had, he didn't need it anymore, but gave me a final warning before I left.
'Don't forget, Zexion. Curiosity killed the cat.'
With a knowing grin, he sent me on my way. Little did I know how Christmas would consume me. How it had consumed Jack. He had made annotations in each book and I added notes of my own, I examined his scientific equations and made alterations to them, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't seem to find a logical explanation for Christmas. Finally, I gave up and returned to the clearing in the forest and entered the world of Christmas Town. I was absolutely mesmerized! Everything was so different than home, so…joyous and merry. I began researching here, in the town, recording the behaviors of the residents and my experiences here. I'm…obsessed, you could say."

Demyx just laughed. "You can't explain Christmas with science and logic, silly. No amount of data collected or notes in book margins will help you understand it."
"B-but—"
The blond singer shook his head. "It's something you can only understand in here." he said, poking where he supposed Zexion's heart to be. "Hey, I've got an idea! Something that'll help us both. How about I help you experience Christmas, no math or science involved. That way, I can do Santa's task for me and you can learn more about my holiday~ Whaddaya say?"
Zexion blinked in surprise. "You're serious?"
"Totally!"
"But…we're complete strangers…"
"Not really. I mean, I see you here a lot. Besides, we're talking now, aren't we?"
The boy with blue-gray hair sat in thought, staring at a spot on the table, his tail swishing side to side slowly, ears twitching now and then.
"…Zexion?"
His tail halted and his eyes flicked over to the man across the table. "Hm?"
"How about it?"
He took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. Finally, Zexion nodded. "Fine. Let's do it."
"Really?" Demyx asked, perfectly ecstatic.
"Yes, really…It seems the wind and snow has let up. I should go before it starts again. See you here tomorrow?"
The blond nodded, grinning brightly. "It's a date, then!"
If Zexion hadn't just covered up his nose with his scarf, a light blush would have been apparent on his cheeks.

The two men made it a routine to sit and talk after Demyx's turn on stage each night. The singer decided that the best way to get Zexion into the holiday mood would be by reading Christmas stories.
"Demyx, I've already read those books countless times. I've practically memorized them." he had complained.
"But you never really read them." The cat was puzzled. "They're more than just words on paper, Zexy. When you're dealing with Christmas, you have to realize that there's more to it than what's on the surface. Don't worry, you'll see~"

Indeed, Zexion realized that he had never really read the stories, at least, not in the way Demyx read them. The boy put such passion and vigor into his storytelling, he brought new life and meaning to the tales that Zexion hadn't seen there before. It had the same effect over him as when the young man performed. Was it because he was an elf? The magic of Christmas? Perhaps…he just liked hearing Demyx's voice? To Zexion, it was a mystery, but he enjoyed sitting and drinking coffee while his new friend shared treasured Christmas classics with him.

They carried out this routine for a week until it was Friday, December 10th.
"Hey, Zexy?"
"Why must you keep calling me that?"
Demyx giggled. "'Cause it makes you mad. I like it, it's cute."
Zexion sighed. "What was your question?"
"Well, I was just thinking. We've been doing this for like, a week now. How about we change it up a little? I mean, tomorrow's Saturday, so I don't perform. And it's the day I do my part-time job and babysit an army of kids. I'm taking 'em to play in the snow. Wanna come? I mean, if you're not busy or anything. We're gonna go at around noon-ish…" Demyx traced the wood grain of the table uncertainly, avoiding Zexion's gaze.
A small smile crossed Zexion's lips. "You don't need to be so nervous about asking. Of course I'll come."
Demyx's face lit up in delight. "Y-you will?"
"It should be a good learning experience."
Grinning happily, Demyx nodded. "It sure will be~"

Zexion had never played in the snow. Ever.
He hadn't thought of how cold it would be, how wet it would be, how freezing he would be.
Too late for that.

The first thing on Demyx's agenda was to have an enormous snowball fight. With the amount of children under his care, that was an easy task to accomplish. It became an all-out war, with no organization whatsoever. It was every man for himself, and large wads of snow were being lobbed left and right. Although Zexion was quite nimble, he was not quick enough to dodge several snowballs to the back, chest, and stomach, several of which had come from Demyx, laughing heartily from behind his little snow fort. Finally having enough, Zexion distanced himself from the epic battle and joined a young girl on the side that was in the midst of building a snowman. She seemed quite distressed.
"What's the matter?" he asked, crouching down.
"I m-made his body…b-but I can't reach up to put his head on top." she said, sniffling.
"Here, let me help you." Hesitantly, she handed Zexion the final piece of the snowman. He secured it on top and smiled slightly. "There you go. Don't be afraid to ask for help."
"Thank you, Kitty~!" She hugged his leg, and his tail flicked in mild annoyance. Kitty? "He still needs arms and a face!" She stepped back, examining her snowman with great scrutiny.
"We'd best go look for some supplies before the other children start making snowmen, then."

The two returned with a couple small branches and some rocks. As they finished the snowman, the snowball war subsided and the other kids set out to make snowy sculptures of their own.
"What are you going to make?" the little girl asked Zexion as he clumped snow together in his gloved hands.
"I'm not sure yet…"
A few minutes passed, and he ended up with a teardrop shaped blob of snow.
"What's that supposed to be? A drop of rain? A water balloon?" she asked.
Zexion frowned. "Maybe it's a pear?" he said. His ears twitched as someone approached from behind.
"I know what it is!" Demyx said, looking over Zexion's shoulder.
"Oh? What is it then?" he asked, looking skeptical.
"It's a heart."
Zexion blinked in surprise. Demyx quickly made another blob clump of snow into a teardrop shape as his friend had. He placed the two shapes adjacent to each other, and indeed they did form a heart together.
"It was just missing it's other half." the elf said with a gentle smile.
"A…heart…" Zexion pressed the two shapes closer together. He was blushing.

When the children were finally picked up that afternoon, Zexion let out his frustrations from the day on Demyx.
"I'm cold. I'm wet. I could probably ring water out of my clothes and hair right now. If I get pneumonia, I'm blaming you, Demyx—"
His friend laughed. "Oh, don't get your tail in a knot. Come warm up at my place. It'd be a shame if you got sick, and before Christmas, too."
Zexion hadn't thought he was serious, but before he knew it, they had arrived at Demyx's house.
"Here we are~!" he disappeared into his bedroom and returned with some clothes for Zexion. "They might be a little big on you, but they're dry. There's towels in the bathroom to dry yourself off."
Zexion took the clothes hangers and thanked his friend before going to change. Demyx changed into fresh clothes as well in his room.

"Definitely too big for you." Demyx said with a laugh, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace as Zexion returned to the living room, nearly tripping over the long pants that had been lent to him. Width-wise, there was no problem, but the sleeves and pants were just too long. Cheeks flushed in embarrassment, the cat sat on the long couch huffily, crossing his arms.
"At least you're dry~ Let me get this fire started and then I'll make us something warm to drink, okay?"
"Demyx, you really don't have to go through all this trouble…"
"It's no trouble~ After all, it's the season of giving." Once the fire was lit, he made a quick trip to the kitchen and returned with hot chocolate.

Warming his hands with the steaming mug, Zexion finally relaxed and looked around. It was a very decent house for a man living on his own. It had one bedroom and bathroom, but the living room and kitchen were open, giving a very spacious feel. His attention kept drifting back toward the large, ornamented Christmas tree standing in the window.
"Did you do that all on your own?"
"Sure did~! Decorating the tree is my favorite part of Christmas! It's too bad we didn't meet each other sooner, or I would have invited you over to help me. Oh, I know! We can go out and buy one of those little trees, and some mini decorations, and you can decorate that!"
Zexion shook his head. "Really Demyx, I—"
"I won't take 'no' for an answer! Decorating the Christmas tree is probably one of the most important things about Christmas! It's something you have to do."
"And why is that?"
"'Cause you need to put the presents under it, of course!"

After sitting in an odd silence for some time, a light bulb clicked over Demyx's head. He fetched his guitar and came back quickly, sitting on the other, smaller couch. Zexion's ears perked up in anticipation, and the elf chuckled. He began strumming 'The Christmas Song'. Demyx didn't sing, but Zexion recognized the tune. From the chestnuts roasting over an open fire to the tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, he knew it well. As his friend played, the awkwardness in the room seemed to be dispelled. The cat curled up on the couch, legs crossed up on the seat as he drank his hot chocolate. After he had finished his drink and lost himself by listening to Demyx's music, gazing at the sparkling, lit-up tree, Zexion had fallen asleep. He was exhausted from running around and snowball fighting, and snowman-supply scavenging, and his friend's sofa was just so comfortable, he couldn't help it. By the time he woke up that evening, the sky was already almost dark, and another snowstorm was just about to begin. He yawned and stretched, then groaned in dismay at the sight outside of the window.

"Were you planning on leaving?" Demyx asked, rubbing his eyes. He had taken a short nap as well.
"Well…I was." He sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. What to do?
"You're not going out in that weather." It wasn't a question.
"Demyx, I…I really should be going. Perhaps I can make it before the snow get's too bad."
"You got a hot date to get to back home or something?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Er…no?"
"Are you gonna turn into a pumpkin at midnight?"
"No, of course not."
"Then how come you're always in such a hurry to get home? Why do you even go home if you're just going to come back to town the next day? I don't understand." There was no answer, just a long, quiet pause. "Zexion…would you stay here tonight?"
"Here? …You're serious?"
"If you went out in that weather, I'd worry too much." He said with a pout.

Zexion stood and walked over to the window. "Worry? About me? What a silly thing to do."
"Why?"
"You seem to forget that I am a cat, Demyx. Cats come and go as they please. They're very independent." He turned to face Demyx with a slight frown. "What I'm trying to say is, you shouldn't get too attached, and neither should I. We're worlds apart, quite literally." To his surprise, the boy smiled.
"But if you get pneumonia, you're going to blame me, remember?"
A small smile formed over Zexion's lips as he shook his head. "Fine. I suppose it's best for me to stay."
The elf gave him a bright grin. "Let's watch a movie~"

For the two boys, not growing attached to one another quickly became impossible. Although they were very different, somehow, they clicked. When looking at a puzzle, one wonders if two pieces will fit together. Something seems wrong, the shape or the picture on it, and it's hard to be certain they are right for one another. When placed together, it seems strange; something is off. But as the rest of the pieces fall into place, it is realized that those two pieces were perfect for each other, and the painting upon the puzzle is complete.

It was Monday, December 20th.
The pair had done so many activities together the entire month seemed to be melting into an enormous, Christmassy mess. But making messes was sometimes fun, Zexion came to realize. Demyx had taught him that, of course. What with their snowball fighting and present wrapping and such. Yes, they'd practically done it all. From epic snow warring to competitive snowman-building to Christmas shopping (Zexion hadn't enjoyed that at all. "Don't ever make me do this again." he'd told Demyx, the fur of his tail frazzled and standing on end, feeling claustrophobic and afraid of being trampled) to present wrapping to miniature-tree-decorating to Christmas song singing, and finally, to hot-chocolate drinking by the fire back at Demyx's home. At the end of the day, it was more fulfilling than any amount of data could ever be. It was good to be away from calculations and annotations and such things, Zexion thought. However, as much as he was enjoying the merry season, he still wasn't sure what the true meaning of Christmas was.

Tonight, they relaxed back at the café.
"Well well well. Isn't it my favorite pair of lovebirds? How may I help you gentlemen today?" Luxord teased as they sat at their usual table."
"Luxord, I assure you, Demyx and I are in no sort of romantic affair or sexual scandal. Sorry to disappoint you." Zexion retorted.
"Keep telling yourself that, love." The waiter said with a wink.
The cat just shook his head and chuckled. "Why do you insist on bothering?"
"Well, I must take your order, of course. See, unlike yourself, Demyx likes to drive me mad by picking something different off the menu each day."
Demyx grinned coyly. "Guilty as charged~"
"If I have to take your order, surely you two can take a bit of teasing."

After some light conversation and finishing their drinks, the two men rose to leave. Little did they know that just a few feet away from their table, something hung from the ceiling, waiting for them to pass by. As they walked beneath the spot, Luxord called to them from the counter.
"Going so soon, boys?"
"Don't miss us too much. We'll only be back tomorrow and the next day and the next." Demyx said with a laugh. Luxord pointed up; the pair looked at him curiously and then looked above them.
"M—m—" the cat stuttered.
"Mistletoe."Demyx said, looking back to him with wide eyes.
Zexion groaned and looked at Luxord. The cashier looked back at him expectantly.
"We…we don't have to, if you really don't want to…" Demyx said, swallowing hard.
"Oh, but we do. If not, we'll never hear the end of it from Luxord."
"Sneaky bastard." Demyx said, making a face. "So, um…do you want to—or maybe I should—unless, I mean—"
"Demyx. Shush." The cat got up on his toes and gave the elf a good lick on the cheek, causing a great chill to run down his spine. Zexion looked back at the cashier, his eyes throwing daggers. Luxord snickered.
"Alright, alright. You're free to go."

…

"UGH. I can't believe that rotten, good for nothing—"
"Hey, Zexy?"
"—pile of—"
"Zexioooonn~?"
"What? …Oh, right. I got a bit carried away." The cat took a deep breath; his tail that had been quivering irritably ceased, but his cheeks were still a bright red. "Demyx, about…that. I, erm, I apolo—"
Demyx clasped a hand onto his shoulder and grinned. "No need to apologize. No harm done! Our lips didn't even have to touch."
Zexion looked down at his shoes. "Yes, well…I should go."
"Yeah, me too, I guess." Something seemed odd about Zexion, and it left Demyx confused. Was he that shaken up about what happened back at the café? 'He licked me. If anything, I'm the one who should be pretty weirded out…but I'm not…weirdly.'
"Er, see you tomorrow then?" The elf asked uncertainly.
"Demyx…" Zexion hesitated. "If you've got a moment, there's something I'd like to show you."
"Oh, sure!"

They walked until they had passed the outer edge of Christmas Town, and a large, snowy hill loomed before them. It was quite a hike, but once they reached the top, Zexion smiled.
"Look down."
To Demyx's amazement, a fantastic view of Christmas Town spanned out beneath them. The sky was dark, but the city was all aglow; Christmas lights, porch lights, streetlights, stoplights, they all illuminated the town brilliantly.
"Oh man…this—this is—how did you find this place?"
The cat pointed to a solitary tree standing at the top of the hill, the shape of a jack-o-lantern carved into it.
"That door connects our worlds, Demyx. The scene below us, that's what I saw when I first arrived here."
"Heh, no wonder you kept coming back. It's pretty amazing."
"Indeed, it is…"

…

That night, as he lay in bed thinking, Zexion's mind was plagued by uncertain thoughts.
No wonder you kept coming back.
Was it really that beautiful view that he kept going back to see? Perhaps it was something else…
Someone else?
He tore apart a pillow in frustration, cotton exploding into the air. As the fluffy white mess landed around him, he was reminded of snow…heart-shaped snow…
Clenching his teeth and burying his head beneath the covers, the cat forced himself to go to sleep.
'Zexion, you're a fool.' He thought.
"But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again…"

At long last, it was Friday, December 24th. Christmas Eve. The café was bustling with business. Couples were dancing to Christmas music left and right, everyone trying to sneak their partners beneath the several bunches of hanging mistletoe about the room. In just a few hours, it would be Christmas.
"Ahh~ How nice. Everyone's got a special someone to spend Christmas with. Oh…well, almost everyone." Demyx said, giving Zexion a grin.
"Hmph." Languidly, the cat's eyes shifted to look out the window.
"Aww, don't be mad! It's Christmas Eve; of course there's gonna be couples being all lovey-dovey all over…you jealous?"
"Me? Jealous? Don't be absurd."
Demyx laughed. "There's only one way to fix this, Mr. Moody Pants. Dance with me~!"
"What? N-no! Why on earth would I—" Demyx sprang to his feet and held out his hand, cutting off the rest of Zexion's refusal.
"You wouldn't just leave me hanging now, would you?" Begrudgingly, the cat took his hand.
"You're perfectly horrible."
"Hey, coming from someone from Halloween Town, should I take that as a compliment?"

Just Zexion's luck; the music had been changed to slow songs, meaning slow-dancing with Demyx was called for. This was certainly not helping Zexion with his confusion. Demyx giggled upon seeing the light blush on his friend's cheeks.
"You've been pretty pink these past few days, Zexy. What's up?"
"Nothing…" he mumbled, avoiding Demyx's eyes by looking at his shoulder instead. 'This song is painfully long.' he thought nervously, not sure if he would be able to endure the entire thing. Being so close to Demyx, the physical contact was simply overwhelming. His nose was filled with the other man's wonderful scent; he felt nearly drunk off it. As the song ended, the elf tightened his hold on his friend a bit, not wanting to let go just yet.
"Just one more song? Please? This one's a short one, I promise. I'll love you forever if you say yes~"
"That's what I'm afraid of." Zexion said softly, and finally looked up at Demyx. Their eyes locked, and to the elf's own surprise, he felt himself blushing.

As they danced to "White Christmas", Demyx chuckled suddenly.
"What's so funny?"
"We are. Everyone's realized it before the people that matter most. You and me."
"Realized what?" Zexion asked, his face wearing a confused frown while his ears twitched.
"See? That's what I mean!" The song ended and the two finally released each other. Demyx leaned against a post, grinning. "But I think I get it now—"
"Hey, Dem!" Axel called. "Hate to break it to you, buddy, but you got caught again."
"Again? Roxas asked, sitting beside the redhead. He looked above Demyx's head and chuckled. "Some luck."
Demyx had that sinking feeling in his stomach; he didn't need to look up to know what it was, but he did anyway.

Mistletoe, of course.

"Aww man."
"Oh dear. What a predicament you've gotten yourself into." Zexion said with a smirk.
Demyx laughed nervously. "It's kind a silly tradition, right? I mean, isn't mistletoe like a parasite or something? Who would want to kiss under that?"
"A partial parasite, actually. It was a plant treasured by many societies in olden times. Some believed it to bestow fertility to those who kissed beneath it." The cat stated very matter-of-factly.
"But what if no one kisses me?"
"Then you won't be able to marry at all next year."
"What? Who makes up these crazy rules?"
Zexion shrugged. "Who knows?" Demyx crossed his arms and tapped his forehead, trying to think of a way out of his situation.
"Well, there's only one way to fix this." Demyx's words from earlier had been stolen.
"You don't mean…?"
"Well, I do owe you a proper kiss, after all. We got off easy last time."
"…Heh. Does this mean we're finally realizing and admitting what everyone's already guessed about us, then?"
"I believe it does."

Zexion stood on his toes and pressed his lips against Demyx's, the entire length of his tail quivering. He surprised Demyx by slipping his tongue past the elf's parted lips, greeted by the taste of peppermint. The two remained lip-locked for moments that seemed like hours.
"All fixed." Zexion said with a little laugh.
"So, if not getting kissed means you can't marry for a year, what does getting kissed mean?" Demyx asked, his cheeks nearly as bright red as Axel's hair…or Rudolph's nose. Either one.
"A kiss under the mistletoe is a promise, Demyx. It's a promise of friendship or romance or marriage even, depending on who you ask, and predicts goodwill and happiness to come in the next year."
"Wow Zexy, you really do know a lot about Christmas."
"Ah, you've no idea."

Axel glared at the couple behind him from his spot on the couch. "Tch. Showoffs. C'mon Roxy. Wanna show 'em—"
"Axel. I'm not going to let you try to eat my face off in public. Don't even think about it." The blond youth rolled his eyes and scooted away from him down the couch.
"Damn. You're no fun."

Zexion and Demyx left late that night, bidding Luxord a merry Christmas on their way out. ("Looks like the lovebirds are making the 'Naughty List' tonight~" he had taunted, causing them both to blush furiously.)
"Riku, we can't leave yet! It's almost midnight! On Christmas Eve!" a brown haired boy called, chasing after his friend in the street.
"Sora. It's. Too. Damn. Cold." The taller boy with silver hair shook his head. "I want to go home."
"We can't! When it's midnight, Santa'll be out on his sleigh, and you'll see the reindeer fly! Then you'll have to believe me. We'll see him, I know it. Please?" Sora hugged Riku's waist tightly, and he heard a sigh.
"Ohhh…fine."
The cat and the elf watched curiously as they left the front of the café and headed toward the central part of town.
"Not believe in Santa? Blasphemy!" the blond said, hands on his hips. Not that he was 100% certain what blasphemy meant.
Zexion had never seen Santa Claus himself, so he wasn't sure what to say.

…

Once they reached Demyx's house, their nightly routine was a bit different. This time, they snuggled on the same couch rather than sitting on separate ones, sharing each other's warmth while sitting before the fire, waiting for midnight to arrive.
Finally, the clock chimed twelve. Christmas had arrived at last. Zexion thought it fit to begin the day with another kiss, and the elf didn't seem to mind.
"Merry Christmas, Demyx."
"Merry Christmas, Zexion~"
"I…um, I brought a gift for you." The cat pulled out a box wrapped in silver paper from his bag.
"You did?" Demyx's face lit up like Christmas lights. He scurried off the couch and over to the Christmas tree, pulling out one of the few presents beneath it and returning, plopping himself down on the couch and holding it out to him. "I got you something, too!"

They exchanged the boxes and unwrapped them, both revealing a plain box beneath the paper.
"Demyx, if this is wrapped a million times like that gag-gift I helped you with, I'll never forgive you."
The elf laughed. "It's not, but I can't say I wasn't tempted to do it."
Within both of the boxes was a styrofoam casing, and within the casing was…
"Zexy?"
"Yes, Demyx?"
"We got each other the same thing. It's destiny, man. We're made for each other." He grinned happily.
Inside of Zexion's styrofoam case was a snow globe of Christmas Town. When wound up, the music box would play "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" while a flurry of snow would whirl around when shaken. Demyx received a snow globe of Halloween Town Square. It's music box played "This is Halloween", but rather than snow, inside of the watery globe swirled small, black, bat-shaped confetti.
"This is what your world looks like?" he asked, shaking the snow globe and examining the scene curiously.
"Yes. I told you it's much different than Christmas. See?"
"Will you take me there someday?" Demyx laid his head on Zexion's shoulder, looking up at him with glistening eyes, praying he'd say yes.
"Definitely." The cat smiled. After leaving out milk and cookies for Santa Claus, the two headed to bed, falling asleep as soon as they hit the mattress

…

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Zexion woke up suddenly. There had been a thud, sounding as if it had come from the roof. The smell of gingerbread and peppermint filled his nose, and his keen ears picked up the sound of cautious footsteps in the living room.
'Demyx and I didn't bake gingerbread cookies…' he thought, growing suspicious. Slipping out from beneath Demyx's arm and putting a pillow in his place, the cat snuck out of the room to identify the source of the mysterious noises, trying not to trip over the long pajamas Demyx had lent him. To his astonishment, a short and stout figure, all clad in red and white, knelt near the chimney, placing gifts beneath it that he removed from a large, velvety sack on the floor.

"S—Santa?"

The figure stood and turned. It was him. He placed a finger over his lips, signaling Zexion to keep silent, eyes twinkling merrily. Finishing up with the tree, he filled the two stockings hanging over the fireplace. Once his work was done, he allowed himself to take a short break and snack on the cookies and milk that Demyx had left out for him.
"It's you! You—you're here!" Zexion said in an excited whisper. It was odd, but he felt like a child again.
The man smiled. "Tell me, Zexion, did you ever find out what the true meaning of Christmas is?"
Had he ever found it out? It had been nearly month that he'd spent with Demyx; surely, he must have learned something. Well, it wasn't certainly wasn't about math or science. It wasn't about how many presents were under the tree or how flashy your decorations were. But what about decorating the tree? Yes, decorating the tree with your friends had to be part of it. Reading Christmas stories and drinking something warm while sitting in front of the fire had to have something to do with it too, along with giving gifts without expecting anything in return.
"Christmas…is about spending time with the people you love." He said finally, looking up at Santa Claus anxiously. (Yes, even Santa Claus was taller than him.) Was he right? Yes, he had to be…

The jolly old man ruffled Zexion's steel-colored hair. "Don't forget belief. You believed there was something more to Christmas, didn't you? You believed that I existed. And you also believed that a stranger could help you learn the true meaning of Christmas. Anything is possible, if you believe it is." He took up his present-filled sack and headed for the fireplace. "Do you believe I can go up this chimney?" he asked with a chuckle.
Zexion nodded. "Yes, sir!"
"Tell Demyx he's doing a wonderful job of spreading joy and cheer for me." Santa Claus smiled. He laid a finger beside his nose, and with a nod, he was up the chimney in a flash. The cat's ears perked up, listening into the silence. It wasn't silent for very long. The pawing of reindeer hooves began, followed by a great clattering, and the joyful chime of sleigh bells rang out into the night.
"Merry Christmas!" he heard Santa call as he departed, and Zexion's lips curved into a warm smile.

"Demyx!" The cat scampered back to the bedroom, eager to tell him about his encounter with Saint Nicholas, but the blond elf was still sleeping, arms wrapped tightly around the pillow Zexion had replaced himself with earlier. He shook his head and chuckled. "Demyx?" he asked, tapping the boy's shoulder. It took several blinks for his eyes to finally remain open.
"Hm? Whassup?" he asked groggily, tossing the pillow aside to allow Zexion back into bed. Perhaps the story could be saved for another day, the cat thought.
"Oh…nothing."
"'Kay."
"…Demyx?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
"Love you too~"
In just a few moments, the elf was gently snoring once more. Zexion curled up happily beside him.

It was his first real Christmas, and it had been wonderful.