disclaimer: obvs i don't own anything
pairing/s: rather a lot, most of them with olette o.O
warning: bit of yaoi, but that doesn't really bother anyone nowadays anyway

note: this is ana's present so you all better review for her sake more than mine, complimenting the amazing storyline.

Also HAPPY HOLIDAYS. (i'd say merry christmas, but apparently that's just a british thing and other religions might be offended – like the whole religion would be all "HOW DARE SHE?" and i'd have to go to the UN to clear things up and it'd all be a big hullabaloo. ~.~)

Christmas With the Twilight Town Gang

"Oh man! I thought I'd lost these!"

- - -

It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, everybody seemed to be having a wild rave. Christmas, apparently, was not the time for thanking, giving or even – gasp! - rejoicing. No, it was all about getting pissed, seeing how many Celebrations™ you could cram into your mouth at once and – oh, ew – throwing up over carpets.

Pence sat, all alone on a patched sofa, with a can of Budd – which had been forced into his hands by Demyx, some kid who dormed near him – and no intention of drinking it. He would have been at home for Christmas had it not been for the weather reports and his mother's whining.

("Now, dear. I know you might not like it, but this Christmas, I've bought you something which will help you out a lot – and please don't moan at me like last year. Your grandparents were most offended; they thought you'd turned into some sort of wild hoodlum. My God, darling, I would not like my mother thinking I've brought my child up to be feral again. But, dear, when you get it, I should think you start right away, especially with the fancy eating plan they have on it. I've only been on it four weeks and already I've-")

He had disconnected the call at that point, frowing, and thinking, she gets me a fitness DVD every single year.

Pence sighed, and sunk further into the sofa. He hadn't made many friends here. All he seemed to ever do was study, play games and eat food. He hadn't even wanted to go to this party, but someone had to hold Demyx's things. Demyx was only a few feet away, weaving and gyrating and – well, there was a fine line between what Demyx was doing, and what you might call dancing.

Pence sighed almost melodramatically, wishing with all his might that he could just disappear and then reappear back to a place where everything was rather, well, happier than current mood. Where everything was exactly how Pence wanted it to be.

Pence felt a sudden knock against his hand and some lukewarm liquid spill down his front and a sharp metal connect with his nose. "Whoa there, buddy. Watch what you're doing. You nearly slammed straight into me!" cried a drink-sodden senior, who seemed to be swinging his arms around like a maniacal ape. Football jocks.

Pence touched his nose and realised, with a sting of pain, the can had cut him. Warm, thick blood was trickling over his cheeks and mouth. Pence cringed at the feel of it and put the can down. His dorm was just upstairs and it wasn't like there was anything much making him want to stay.

He just hoped that Demyx wouldn't mind much that half his drink was either on Pence or the floor.

Upstairs, in his room, Pence found that it was far different to how it was down in the hall. Sure, there was the beating of the bass and the loud chatter of all the people. But, apart from that, it was quite peaceful. Pence went into the bathroom to get some plasters to fix his nose.

He hadn't looked for plasters in such a long time, it was quite hard finding them. Eventually, he found a First Aid box in a cupboard above the shower (who has a cupboard there, seriously?). Snapping the stiff lock open, he realised that it was a lot heavier than you would imagine a fairly large First Aid box to be. In fact, it was much heavier, he was pretty sure the only things in there were a few bandages and a couple of packets of plasters. Upon opening it, he found out that he was wrong.

There, at the bottom of the case, underneath a hairy sticker saying: Support your community; Give blood, was a book. Pence narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what it was. He could read the words CHRISTMAS and GANG and KLEPTO. Pence tipped the box over so all the First Aid equipment came tumbling out, and the book got stuck.

He stuck his hands in and fumbled gently with the sides of the book. He could see what it really said. It read: CHRISTMAS WITH THE TWILIGHT TOWN GANG, except that 'TWILIGHT TOWN GANG' had been crossed out and someone and written THE KLEPTO CLUB LOL.

Sounded like something Hayner would do.

Pence eventually managed to pin his fingers against the metal tabs against the side of the box, drawing blood at his knuckles. He cried out and withdrew his hands. The box clattered to the tiled floor and the book fell out.

Sucking a couple of his knuckles on one hand, Pence gingerly picked up the book gingerly. It smelled like old things, not just general old things. But old things, like Hayner's shiny comic books and Olette's perfume and Roxas' must old sofa he scavenged one day.

Pence smiled a little. He took his hand from his mouth and opened it up.

It was a picture.

A number at the bottom read: GRADE 8.

Olette smiled at Pence with her photo face. She was much prettier when she didn't know she was on camera. And Hayner stuck his tongue out while Roxas scowled at him for being so immature. Pence saw his blurry outline and remembered the day.

It was Boxing Day, and the gang were at the Usual Spot, showing off their new presents and feeling slightly un-festive as the thrill of Christmas had worn off the night before. That was until Pence brought out his new camera. And so started a Christmas tradition.

Since the camera was new, and was about the first and only camera Pence had ever used, he wasn't too great with it. The reason his outline was blurred was because he hadn't quite got the hang of the timer option. None of them could figure out how to change how long they had and so it was stuck on two seconds. Thus, Pence had to run hard round to the front of the camera so it would include him. They took at least eight pictures before they could settle on that one.

They had taken a few other photos too, some solo shots. There was one of Olette with her new mobile phone, grinning in a strange way at the camera. Hayner with his new dart board, pointing at his bullseye (even though he had just stuck it there for the photo – he didn't get an actual bullseye for four years, and even then, he'd been aiming for triple 20) and Roxas sitting moodily on the couch, fiddling with one of the black and white accessories his aunt had bought him (his aunt was the only one who understood him because she worked at Hot Topic – even though she was forty-nine).

There wasn't a solo shot of Pence because his present had been his camera, but Olette had drawn him a sketchy portrait of Pence with his camera. She had attempted some sort of manga, and though they had all thought it was brilliant at the time, now it looked rather pathetic. She gave up drawing a few years later when Seifer dropped Art and took up Technology instead – Olette following like a lost sheep. Or someone who was "in love!" with some git who didn't like Art.

Pence stroked the page, feeling the smooth curves of Olette's special drawing pencil she had been given. He traced his finger over it all before turning the page.

Here was the next year, Pence had been thirteen (his birthday was in April), everyone else (but Roxas – who was a Summer kid) was fourteen. Roxas looked a little happier than last year, mainly because he had moved on from his emo phase (probably because his aunt had turned up at his house some months earlier, stick thin and screaming for a variety of different drugs, of which Roxas had only heard half of, using all the colours of the rainbow to ask for them) but also because that Christmas, his relatives weren't staying over.

Pence, this year, was a solid picture – no blurs. He had managed to change the timer, and the timer was on five seconds. They had tried ten seconds but that took longer than they thought. They had been waiting and worrying and there was one memorable photo they had taken (which had been torn up) where they were all reaching out for the camera with confused and, in Pence's case, worried looks on their faces.

Olette and Hayner, though, seemed to be entangled together. Pence remembered Roxas comparing them to the Christmas lights he had had to unscramble a few days before in such a deadpan way that Pence had laughed out loud. He remembered the glares from Olette and Hayner he had got for that.

He also remembered how that relationship didn't last long. Which was a sad thing because they weren't friends for a few months. Which made Roxas and Pence's lives hard. They generally split off, Pence would be forced into obedience by Hayner and Olette and Roxas walked together to and from school most of the time.

Leading Pence into the next picture. Although Olette and Hayner had made friends again as the Summer Holidays started, Olette and Roxas had made better friends and were usually found holding hands, sharing ice creams or, if you were really unlucky, you might have stumbled across Roxas and Olette getting off against a wall.

The Grade 10 picture was cute, but nauseating. Pence and Hayner stood beside the couple, like servants for some king and queen. Roxas and Olette were holding hands (but weren't the same knotted mess Olette and Hayner had been) and Roxas had his lips on Olette's cheek, with his eyes towards the camera. Olette was blushing and didn't even seem to notice the camera was on her, so that awful smile wasn't apparent.

Hayner looked a little moody, but then again, those days, the moody look wasn't rare. He was having "girl trouble". He had been after this Alice girl for weeks but she still wouldn't go out with him, let alone look at him. And with his ex (Pence constantly had to remind Hayner that Olette wasn't his ex, she was his best friend – which was usually followed by a lot of grumbling and mumbling from Hayner's end) having the time of her life with Roxas (not your ex's guy, Hayner, Roxas, your other best friend).

That Christmas had probably been Pence's least favourite. Because that was the day they met Axel, a new kid who seemed to absolutely hate Roxas upon sight. Hayner, Pence and even Olette were forgotten about for the rest of the day as Roxas either went to bully Axel or to rant and rave about him to Hayner dart board.

They got pretty fed up with it in the end and left Roxas alone with a bunch of darts clenched in his hand. Roxas and Olette didn't last much longer than that, either.

Which made Pence realise suddenly why Olette's least favourite time of the year was Christmas. Every relationship she had always seemed to break up around then.

They were fifteen and sixteen on the next page and there were three extra people added to their picture. Sora, Kairi and Riku were staying at Roxas'. Sora, being the long lost cousin of Roxas decided to visit him and bring along a few of his favourite friends. Kairi looked right at home with the Twilight Town Gang, she had one arm round Hayner's shoulders and the other around Sora's. Sora looked ecstatic to be with so many people. But Riku just looked a little sheepish for the same reason. He never really got along with Hayner – at all.

"They have similar dispositions is all," Kairi told Pence. "Nothing to worry about."

Pence wasn't really that worried, he just wasn't fond of unfriendliness towards others. Even if it happened to be Seifer – whom Hayner was very unfriendly towards. For some time, so was Roxas, but he had grown out of it by Christmas and, like everyone else, was fed up when Seifer decided to call in on Olette that day and Hayner immediately started verbally attacking him.

Olette flounced off with Seifer's arm – the rest of Seifer following.

Pence sighed and hoped that was the last of the depressing Christmas's. He was sure there were lots of great ones. But there were only a few years left. And...

He tried not to think about it, and just turned another page.

Here was a good Christmas.

The first photo was one that Pence hadn't taken. It was Olette and Pence wrapping presents and laughing under Pence's Christmas tree. Hayner had taken it in his annual second of kindness. Usually, the picture would be of anyone at there worst if it was taken by him – but this one was wonderful. A fire was flickering nearby and the light was shining off their faces, making Olette look beautiful and Pence thought he looked... well, better than usual.

Olette had been shocked at the picture and gave Hayner a big hug and peck on the cheek. Hayner looked confused but happy at that. He blushed and said, "Uh... better not let Seifer know you did that."

Olette said, "Why? What's he going to do?"

And Hayner replied by saying, "Well, you are dating."

Olette looked absolutely terrifying while she shouted, "No, we're not!" She disappeared for a night. But turned up the next day at the Usual Spot.

The trouble with Olette and Seifer was that no one ever knew when they were dating and when they weren't. They seemed to constantly be on break. It was a nightmare. Especially when it unfolded that Hayner liked Olette.

It was still one of the best Christmas's. Because the next picture was of them all. Sora, Riku and Kairi couldn't come that year, but Sora's mum (who was a dollmaker) had helped Sora and Kairi (Riku had refused pointblank to join in with it) to make them Sora, Kairi and Riku shaped plushies. They were all holding them up.

But they still had an extra companion: Axel.

It turned out the reason Roxas broke up with Olette two years previously was because of Axel.

They had secretly been out with each other for a year and a half and were pretending to fight at school. Roxas had finally came out with the fact he was probably, very likely, definitely gay (those were exact words) in November, and by Christmas, he realised that no one really gave a damn – which was what Axel had been trying to tell him for a year and a half anyway.

The picture following the big one made Pence laugh: Axel and Roxas had obviously been getting off but a second before Hayner smashed through the doorway and took a picture. Axel had a smirk about his face and Roxas looked very, very mad.

Pence was glad he hadn't been the one to take the picture. He just wished that Roxas had remembered that it was Pence's camera – not Hayner's.

The new camera was much better though.

Pence turned a over another page, the year before last's, and saw the words FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE!! printed onto it.

It was nice, seeing them so close. They all went to different colleges, the Twilight Town Gang. Roxas, miraculously ended up with Axel in Destiny U. Hayner was as far away from Olette as possible (so he could forget how much he loved her, they all assumed) in Hollow Bastion. Olette had stayed at Twilight with Seifer, who didn't even go to college. And Pence had gone all the way to Traverse Town. In this picture, they had all managed to make it to the Usual Spot again.

It appeared that there was a new Twilight Town Gang. They were obnoxious and loud and refused to get out. But eventually, Hayner turfed them out despite Pence trying to reason with him and tell him there were other places to go.

But Hayner wouldn't listen.

Pence liked this picture a lot. Everyone looked happy and friendly – even Olette, Hayner and Seifer seemed to be on good terms. Hayner told Pence in secret though, that he was having relationship issues. Pence didn't know what to say as, truthfully, he had never had a proper relationship lasting longer than two weeks – not that it mattered much to him.

He just told Hayner to hang in there, and he knew he'd find someone.

Sora, Riku and Kairi were there too in that picture. And Axel. Roxas and Axel were still going out and no one doubted that it would probably last forever.

Pence smiled happily at the picture.

They were pulling faces, and smiling and giving bunny ears to each other and laughing and it was oh-so-so-so nice. So different to what Pence's life was like now. He'd forgotten about the scrapbook, it was so different. He hadn't talked to Sora, Riku or Kairi in two years, since they'd last met and every phone call to Hayner lasted a maximum of two minutes.

He had lost all contact with Roxas. And he hardly knew Axel anyway.

Olette hadn't emailed him in probably a year now and Seifer never emailed him anyway.

Pence turned the page, and was met with a blank page. Blank. It was like last year never existed. He remembered last year. He was at his parents' house in Twilight Town and he didn't see one hair of Olette's. He wandered round to the Usual Spot and met those children again. They weren't too happy to see him so he ran back out and went to some other places they used to haunt. Sunset Hill, no one; the old mansion, no one; the trams, no one. It was like they never existed.

It was like the Twilight Town Gang was merely something someone made up and put in a fairytale: a beautiful, horrible fairytale.

The blood on Pence's knuckles and nose had dried up. He stood up and rubbed his knees – the bathroom tiles had been cold. He could hear the boom, boom, boom of the music downstairs and the chatter of the people. He felt like he didn't exist, all alone, probably forever. No one seemed to remember him, no one seemed to need him. He grabbed a wet flannel and wiped his face and hands of blood.

He put the book back in the box and snapped the lid shut before carefully placing back into its cupboard above the shower.

He went back into the room outside the bathroom and stared out of the window. It was snowing heavily now and he could almost feel the chill through the window. There were some students playing in the snow down there, all wrapped up. Three of them, Pence recognised Selphie, who was in one of his classes. She was with two of her friends, a blond and a redhead. They violently reminded him of his three friends. What happened to the Twilight Town Gang?

How did they lose each other completely?

Pence felt a weight in his chest, like a lump of lead or the lump of coal you're meant to get in your stocking if you're bad.

Pence felt bad right now, he didn't feel at all well. His whole life suddenly seemed like a joke; he'd always thought, what's the point if not for your friends? And now, what on earth could that possibly mean to him if he had no friends?

What could that mean?

He looked at the envelopes on his bedside table, his address scrawled on them. They were Christmas cards from family. But it suddenly made him realise that he hadn't checked his email in a while, and the envelopes hadn't been opened yet – who knew? – and Roxas still knew where Paence lived, even if he didn't know where Roxas lived. Pence's mobile, too; it was off. If he turned it on, there might be a message from Hayner!

Or, maybe, even better, they had banded together to make Pence feel all miserable so they could surprise him this Christmas! His heart leapt at the thought and he started ripping open Christmas cards. Aunt Julie, Granddad, Uncle Harry, cousin Rosie, Mum and Dad... Great Aunt Steph... Neighbour Jess...

There weren't any letters for him.

He doubted there were any emails.

He knew there weren't any texts because he had had his phone on, he just like to think it wasn't on.

The doorbell rang.

His head exploded and he suddenly thanked all he deities he could think of. He imagined them all standing outside, looking merry and happily waiting to see him. He scrambled over to the door, excitedly, ready to throw his arms around the lot of them. Fumbling with the key and the lock, he smiled like he'd never smiled before – that's a lie. He smiled like he used to.

He flung the door open.

"Hello, darling."

Some suitcases were thrown into his open arms.

"We thought we'd brave the blizzard, you know. I hate flying, but I was given some sleeping pills so it was all right in the end. We've booked some rooms at a nearby hotel, but we don't get our room for another few hours. That party down there really is loud, do you think they'll turn it down a bit. Your grandmother nearly had a fit when she saw all those frightful youths... Are you all right, dear?"

Pence looked at his mother, then his father who was standing behind her, looking slightly sheepish. He looked his grandmother and his grandfather. He took a gulp and closed his eyes.

He wished he was somewhere else, he knew where, but he didn't know how to get there.

So he smiled and he said "Happy Christmas," and he took his family into the room and he made them some coffee and gave them biscuits and pretended he was a wonderfully happy young man.

- - -

"Good thing you didn't; Hayner would've killed you!"

- - -

an: LOVE TO YOU, ANA, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. i hope you enjoyed it, even though it prolly wasn't what you were quite thinking off. but i tried my very bestest ^3^

skitts: THIS STORY MADE ME SAD, LAMIE DX