Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy or Disney. No money has or will exchange hands. This has been written purely for entertainment value.

Author Note: Set in the Oathkeeper/ Beach At the End of the World universe but can be read as a stand alone and a branched off AU of the other stories. The only thing you'd need to know SPOILER WARNING! Is that Axel and Roxas are both sleeping inside Sora's heart to allow them to stay together. Sora/Riku/Kairi and Axel/Roxas.

Ignores Dream Drop Distance but everything else is considered cannon. Set about 2 years after the end of KH2. Admittedly a bit fluffy in places but it is christmas and it has taken me more years than I like to think about to get this finished. There are also cameo's from other characters here, most notably one from Final Fantasy VIII. Consider this my happiest ending for this universe. This is a story in Two parts. Second part will be up either later on today or on boxing day (26th December).

Christmas Presents

By Arami Heartilly

As she wakes, Kairi can feel Riku's arms around her, can hear his heartbeat against her ear. Sora is lying on her back, sprawled over her with his head head on her shoulder (which can't be comfortable). His breathing is even and deep and his right arm is reaching right over her and when she opens her eyes she can see Riku's hand held in his.

Kairi lets out a long, contented breath and snuggles into their combined warmth. Sometimes on the island she wakes up contented but overheated, here they were just warm enough, cosy and comfortable and it's a brilliant way to start the day.

"Good morning," Riku says quietly, his words ruffling her hair. Kairi smiles and kisses his chest.

"Merry Christmas," she says back, knowing it's only half correct but Riku knows what she means.

He chuckles and kisses her hair. "How long have you been awake?" she asks.

"A few minutes longer than you I think. Sora's still out of it."

"I'm not surprised, after all that sugar he crashed really hard." Kairi had happily helped herself to the candy canes and festive food on offer for them when they'd arrived but Sora had gone overboard and as a result had spent most of the evening bouncing and brimming with energy.

"You were almost as bad," Riku reminds her and Kairi smiles shyly.

"Almost but I stopped when you suggested it. Sora smuggled more during the fireworks."

"How do you know?"

Kairi giggles. "I could taste it, couldn't you tell?" Riku's face is red but he answers her.

"He said there was peppermint in the hot chocolate."

Kairi is pretty sure the look on her face says it all. "Only because he melted three candy canes in there."

"You let him," Riku tells her, eye brows raised.

"He gave me half." Her admittance makes Riku laugh and he tightens his hold on her and consequently Sora, who mumbles in his sleep but doesn't wake.

"It would serve you right if he drooled in his sleep."

Kairi shakes her head as gently as she can. "You know he doesn't, I think we'd know by now."

"True."

They had been together, as they were now, for a year and a half, though the worlds had been at peace for longer. This summer they would all graduate from High School, Riku decided to redo the year he'd missed whereas Sora had instead chose to take extra classes to stay with them. Kairi hasn't ever seen him work so hard at school but it has been worth it.

They still train and practice and travel to the other worlds whenever they could. Graduation means being able to do that full time and they have decided to head to Radiant Garden and make that their home base. They've agreed to return home often but as much as they love their island, they know they have a duty to the other worlds. Three Keyblade bearers, all training to be Masters can't stay on their small home forever.

Now though, they were on holiday. It was three days before Christmas and they would be staying until Christmas eve. They've cleared it with their families, who still assume if all three of them are going then it'll be fine. Which it is - and always would be - just not for the same reasons their parents worry. They hadn't specified where they were going but they never do, they're sure their parents don't think they're on the island but they also wonder where they think they are. It's a don't ask, don't tell arrangement that seems to work for all of them.

So they are having their own private christmas, just the three of them in Christmas Town. Today is their Christmas eve and tomorrow will be their Christmas day.

They've got their own house in the town whilst they stay there with a bedroom, bathroom and large front room with a tree and presents placed underneath it and a small kitchen. Santa has promised that all meals would be with him and his wife or with the towns folk and breakfast will be pastries and sweet tarts. Kairi is looking forwards to it but is in no rush to leave their wonderfully large bed.

"Do you think Leon will let us bring this bed to Radiant Garden?" Riku asks and Kairi sighs when he kisses her head and winds his legs further with hers.

"You can ask, it will fit in the ship but I don't think we can get it out of the door." The house is large enough for them but the bed was clearly either assembled in here or literally appeared by magic. "Besides, I checked the Castle last time we were there, the rooms and the bed's are enormous. We can live there or at least move some of the furniture to a house in the town."

"You still want to live in the castle?" Riku asks.

"I want to live in the part of the castle we know is safe in the beautiful rooms near the library," she tells him, just as she has every time before. He's teasing her -she knows that - but on some levels she worries that Riku would be uncomfortable there.

Riku shows no hint of being uncomfortable though and he's smiling at her, nothing but happiness in his eyes and no tension in him at all so Kairi relaxes back against his chest.

"I was hoping Sora would be awake by now," Riku says, his lips back against her head.

"Hmmm, me too." She slides her hand across his chest and underneath his arm to get enough grip to move herself upwards just a few inches. Riku greets her with a kiss, then another and nuzzles her nose with his. Sora is still asleep against her back and his weight is a comfort and a reminder that all three of them are still in this together, even if one of them is in a self imposed sugar coma.

That just means he has to miss Riku's easy kisses and his leg hooking over hers and holding her closer to him. Kairi moans softly against Riku's mouth and closes her eyes. She can still remember the awkward first few months whilst they settled into each other and everything got comfortable. It seems such a long time ago and yet she won't trade that time for anything.

"If he doesn't wake up, he's going to miss out," Riku breathes against her cheek and she giggles against his neck as she ducks her head.

"You know it's normally you that's fast asleep," Kairi reminds him.

"In the summer, yes and you always have permission to wake me up. We both saw what happened the last time we woke Sora up before he was ready."

She laughs at the memory and muffles it against Riku's neck and hair, happy that he's never done more than trim it and cut his fringe. She loves running her hands through it and has even conceded that he has the better hair out of the three of them. At the current angle though, she can do no more than grasp the ends and she doesn't want to pull it or hurt him.

"You know, he probably won't mind," Riku whispers, sighing and letting his head fall back against the pillow when Kairi starts kissing his throat, sucking a mark into the skin before moving a little further down to do the same thing.

"I know, but if we move he'll wake up." She moves to kiss him again, slower and deeper and Riku's arm tightens again, his leg holds her firm and allows them both to sink into each other and enjoy the moment.

Sora makes a groaning noise and burrows down underneath the covers, he brings the duvet up over his head and covers the others in the process. Kairi laughs and Riku tugs on the hand he is still holding. Sora tugs back and both Kairi and Riku slide further down beneath the sheets. Kairi laughs when Sora clambers back over them again and Riku goes with it until they're above the covers again and Kairi is between them.

"Morning," Sora mumbles. "We should get up soon, I want to play in the snow." Which, Kairi can't help but think, would be adorable if he wasn't 18 years old and his idea of playing in the snow is to build a fort and launch snowballs at both Kairi and Riku. Kairi finds it hard to believe that she's only a month older than him sometimes, though she doesn't mention that she'd rather build a snow man.

Freshly clean, dressed and full on pastries and hot chocolate for breakfast, they head out hand in hand with Kairi standing between Sora and Riku. Their clothes match Sora's and Kairi finds herself warm, her legs are covered in thick white tights and her black dress has thick, white fluffy trim. She loves that her hat never falls off no matter what she does and although she wasn't sure about the black outfits when they got there, it works and they all look festive despite the colours.

Riku looks amazing (as usual) and his silver hair sets off the whole look. He rolled with her in the snow yesterday - when he caught her looking - and kissed her breathless, she'd caught her breath in time to watch him do the same to Sora. Which had lead, as it always does, to Sora landing on top of her.

The elves and towns people greet them with warm smiles and waves as they head to Santa's house. Sora yawns loudly and Kairi laughs.

"Maybe you should take it easy today?" she suggests but Sora shakes his head.

"But it's Christmas!"

Riku rolls his eyes and knocks on the door. He used the doorbell yesterday and it kept playing christmas songs for an hour.

They spend the day helping Santa with Christmas present wrapping and anything else he asks them to do, they don't need to, they're on holiday but they want to and he seems grateful for the offer. It seems that even Santa gets a little overwhelmed at Christmas time.

"You three should head on out now, the fireworks will start soon and the food should be ready by then. Go ahead and thank you," he tells them, gesturing to the door. Sora looks like he wants to protest but Santa puts a firm hand on his shoulder. "Go on, everything will be fine," he tells him. Kairi and Riku share a look of confusion but Sora's smile beams at them when he turns around and he drags them both by the hand before they can ask about it.

They help themselves to enough food and drink to last them several days and climb up onto the roof of their house to watch the fireworks and eat together. It's technically their christmas eve tonight and Kairi finds herself thinking about the presents under the tree they brought for each other and those that have been sent by friends. They had given theirs to Santa when they arrived and he promises that they would be delivered on Christmas morning.

Sora has been quieter than normal, even given the constant stream of candy canes he's eaten his way through (though once again Kairi isn't far behind him and Riku's having his fair share). He's managed to sit himself in between the others and puts his arms around them whenever he can.

"I need to ask you something," Sora says quietly, his voice just carrying over the sounds of the fireworks above them.

"Okay," Kairi tells him and Riku nods against his hair.

"I've been thinking about Roxas and Axel a lot recently and I know they're okay with things the way they are but I… I think they deserve to exist just like we do."

Kairi feels Riku's hand rest on hers behind Sora's back and she smiles at him and nods to answer his silent question. Naminé is fine with how things are, she doesn't want anything with her to change. Roxas has always been different though and Kairi and Naminé have considered that maybe, in one way or another, he has had a heart of his own all along.

"They do," Riku says quietly, a long standing regret in his voice.

"It's not your fault Riku." Sora turns and kisses him and Kairi holds his hand tighter in agreement. She knows that Roxas and Axel agree, even if it took a long time.

"Sora, we agree with you but we still don't know how," Kairi says softly.

"I know, I didn't either but I've found a way. It's not easy and I need your help but I want to do this, I have to do this."

"Whatever you need Sora, we'll do it." Riku is quietly determined and the fire Kairi hasn't seen in a while is back in his eyes. She agrees and feels the echo of Naminé in her mind. Whatever it is Sora needs, they'll do it.

"When I say I've found a way, I've had to ask a lot of people for help, including Santa Clause - I mean he can help me with the final part. I've used the books in the Radiant Garden Library and I had Tron work out a few things for me. I needed to make sure that it wouldn't affect anyone besides us because I didn't want to risk any of the others coming back but if they were going to then they would already be after us."

"Sora, that's a lot of work." Kairi's startled and really proud of him.

He shrugs. "It was important and it was easier than all the school work, Cid helped too and Leon." He's blushing, though it's hard to tell in the light. His cheek is warm against Kairi's as she rests against him and she can feel his hand shaking on her waist.

"How long have you been researching this?" Riku asks.

"A year and three months. Once we'd unlocked the Library in Radiant Garden and started to link everything up and clear out the Heartless."

"Sora, you could have asked for our help," Kairi says gently but he shakes his head.

"I didn't know if it would work. I couldn't risk Roxas and Axel finding out. They still don't know."
"How is that possible?" Riku asks.

"We have our own private thoughts and feelings, you both know that." He sounds sad and Kairi reaches around him, pulling Riku in as they hold Sora between them both.

"So, how does this all work?"

"It's complicated… really complicated but it'll work because I have part of Roxas' heart and Axel's must be out there somewhere. It's not possible do this without something more than that though but both of their souls sleep along side mine. There were other things that needed to be done and I don't know where they will appear - just that they'll be together - and that I need your help to stabilise my heart afterwards."

"When is afterwards?" Though Riku and Kairi already know.

"Tonight."

"Sora," Kairi shifts backwards just a little bit so she can look him in the eyes. He meets her gaze with a shy determination and she gives him a small smile before nodding her head. "For Christmas?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous but I want this for them, they helped us save the words too… I just want them to be properly okay."

Kairi kisses his cheek and Riku buries his face in Sora's hair (and hat).

"What do we need to do?"

"Be here, promise to be with me and to stay with me." His voice is quiet and he looks shy and more than a little nervous.

"Sora, do you remember when we shared that paupu on the beach?" Kairi says gently.

He blushes with the memory and Kairi hears Riku chuckle softly, a low and pleasant sound that brings forth other memories.

"We promised that we would be here for each other for the rest of our lives. Whatever it is Sora, whatever you need us to do we'll do it, but if it's be with you? We're not going anywhere." Kairi keeps her voice soft and Riku is nuzzling against Sora's neck. "We love you."

They don't let go for a long time and when the get back to their little house they head straight for bed. Kairi and Riku wrap themselves around Sora between them and place their hands over his heart.

Riku looks afraid, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows creased with concern. Kairi is worried too but something about this feels so right that she smiles softly at Riku.

"It'll be okay," she tells him, letting Naminé come to the surface too. For a moment she knows Riku can see them there, side by side before Naminé rejoins Kairi again. Riku turns his hand underneath Kairi's and laces their fingers together over Sora's heart. He doesn't say anything and Kairi doesn't prompt him but she waits until he's fallen asleep before she lets herself slide under.

Radiant Garden, Near the Computer terminal beneath the castle.

The floor is cold and hard beneath him but Roxas is warm at his side, Axel can hear him breathing against his shirt. Roxas has one arm around Axel's waist and his hand is underneath his shirt, pressed against his back. Axel in turn is holding on to Roxas, his breathing ruffling his hair just beneath his chin. It's a pretty nice way to wake up, if it wasn't for the cold floor.

"Why are we here?" Roxas mumbles a little while later. "We weren't here yesterday." They can appear anywhere they've been before inside the dream world they exist in but they still sleep, still live a life as normal as possible within the confines of Sora's heart. And it's fine, good even, they see Sora, Kairi, Riku and Naminé from time to time and although their isolation from the world is too much at times, it's still worth it. Axel would rather have this existence than none at all and he knows that Roxas feels the same.

In all of this time though, they have never been able to go anywhere new and when Axel opens his eyes and looks around them, he's not sure he recognises it. The place is familiar, he's in Radiant Garden in a part of the castle he hasn't seen for a long time but it's never looked like this. There are new computer terminals along the walls and a station for tea and coffee, all of it is new and unless Roxas has been there, something really strange is happening to them.

"Do you know this place?" Roxas asks him, answering Axel's questions for him.

"Yes and no, there are a lot of things here I don't recognise and I haven't been to this part of the castle in years."

Roxas sits up and looks down at Axel. "So you don't know this place? You haven't created this or added everything else?"

Axel shakes his head. "No, I wouldn't have bothered. This is Radiant Garden."

Roxas stares down at him and Axel uses his arms to push him up until he's sitting in front of Roxas.

"Hollow Bastion used to be called Radiant Garden."

Roxas raises his eyebrows. "And you've never thought to mention that before?"

Axel shrugs. "It's never seemed important."

"Anything else you missed out?" Roxas is joking, Axel can tell by his tone of voice but he nods and answers seriously all the same.

"I was from here, before I was in the Organisation." When he looks up to face Roxas, he's surprised to find his fingers on his face, tracing his tattoos underneath his eyes. He expected him to be angry, he's told Roxas about who he was before, that he and Saix used to be best friends back when they were human and called Lea and Isa but he's never gotten far enough into his old memories to explain to Roxas where he's from. Roxas hasn't ever asked, said that he wanted to know what Axel wanted to tell him and nothing more.

"Axel?"

"Yes?"

"Your Tattoo's are gone."

Axel feels his heart thud in his chest and stares at Roxas in disbelief. Roxas stares back and moves one hand to place it on Axel's chest. "And your heart is racing."

Axel mirrors him. "Yours too." They have grown accustomed to having them, in one sense or another but his heart beat is too loud in his ears and he feels his body shake in time to the staccato rhythm.

"What's happened to us?" Roxas asks, serious and concerned.

"We're hallucinating?" Axel suggests. "Or somehow we can see places Sora has been all of a sudden?"

"No," Roxas tells him and stands, offering Axel his hand and pulling him to his feet too. "This isn't a hallucination and we're not inside his heart." He sounds sure and when his eyes meet Axel's they're serious and determined. He opens his arms out to the side and calls forth his Keyblades. Bond of Flame and Two Become One gleam to life in his hands, bright light shining from their cores for a moment before Roxas swings them both around and jumps into the air, summersaulting backwards and testing them out.

"They're real too," He says once he's back on the ground, dismissing the blades and shaking his hands out afterwards. "Try to summon your chakrams."

Axel's confused. "But I can call them whenever I want," They both can, they still like to spar with each other and sometimes the others that visit them in their dreams.

"I know but this feels different. Trust me."

And because he does, Axel calls out to the fire inside him and focus' it along his arms, lets it tingle in his fingers as his chakrams manifest in a flash of fire. It curls around his fingers and flies around the points of his weapons and his magic is singing inside of him in a way he hasn't felt for a long time. His heart surges with power and it takes him aback for a moment, fighting has always made him feel alive but it hasn't ever felt quite like this. He dismisses them and takes a couple of steps towards Roxas, who mirrors him.

"Roxas, this.. that… what's going on?"

Roxas takes his hand, shaking his head as he does. "I don't know. This is real though, you, me… I don't understand why but we're back." His eyes are focussed on Axel's face.

"Do I really look that different?" he asks and Roxas smiles.

"Different enough." He runs the fingers of his free hand down Axel's cheek again and lingers on the place his tattoos have been for a long time. Axel misses them already, which is strange. He's never particularly cared about them before now but they feel like a part of him.

"I can always get them re done," he offers but Roxas shakes his head and leans up to place a kiss beneath each of his eyes. His skin tingles sharply at the contact, warming his heart and sending sparks across his skin. It's sharper than it ever has been before, clearer and he feels that gentle touch all over.

He wonders what it's like for Roxas.

"You're still you, it's just going to take some time to get used to," Roxas explains, looking up at him again. "Did you look like this when you were human?"

Axel nods. "Yeah."

Roxas smiles, he looks a little melancholy and sorry about things he had no control over, then leans in and kisses Axel. It's soft and his lips are warm even though his nose is cold against Axel's cheek. Axel presses his lips back just enough to let Roxas know he understands and he wraps his arms around his waist. Roxas settles into his arms with his arms on his back and face against his chest.

In a moment they both know they have to leave the quiet confines of the room they are in and try and find out why they are here. Despite the happiness at this unexpected event, there is a fear that if they are back then why? What has happened to Sora and their other friends? Axel's fear is running deeper though, if they are back then does that mean the others in the Organisation are too?

"I love you," Roxas whispers against his chest.

"I love you too," Axel says into his hair. "More than anything." He means it to such a degree that it should scare him, he doesn't let it though. When he was a Nobody he let it fuel his drive and desperate need to get Roxas back, now, his heart lends him the strength to temper and manage it properly.

They stay there for a few minutes more, each afraid of what it means because good things do not happen to them, not like this. They have enough happiness the way they are (were) and both know they are lucky that Sora has done whatever he can to keep them together. This though, this shouldn't be possible.

"Can we come in?" A woman's voice asks. It's not familiar and it doesn't sound threatening so Axel looks up towards the door as Roxas steps out of his hold but stays close by his side.

Axel nods at the woman by the door. She's wearing a blue coat, open to show a dark blue skirt and black top. Her hair is black with a streak of brown running down each side and strapped to her left arm is what appears to be a weapon of some kind with beautiful metal wings folded in on each other. When she steps forwards, the rings around her neck jingle in the silence of the room. A man follows her, he's tall and wears lots of belts, his dark hair is long and he's wearing a heavy necklace with a metal lion's head at the end.

Axel looks to his side and notices Roxas' look of recognition.

"Do you know them?" he asks.

Roxas shrugs. "I know him," he tells him. "Sora knows him."

The woman smiles and regards them both for a moment before speaking. "I'm Rinoa and this is Squall but he'll insist you call him Leon," she says with a smile, Leon does visibly flinch when she call's him by his name but Axel can tell he's trying not to. He stands very close to Rinoa and watches her when she talks, he doesn't seem concerned by their presence and it gives Axel hope.

"Were you expecting us?" Roxas asks and Rinoa nods.

"We got a letter last night from a very reliable and trusted source that you would be arriving." They both are clearly looking at her with matching expressions because she smiles and laughs softly. "People have been finding their way back here, either from other worlds or from other… places. I found my way here a few months ago, others have too."

"Was there a welcoming committee for them too?" Axel asks, sounding as startled as he feels.

Rinoa shakes her head. "No, not normally but as I said, we were expecting you."

Leon takes over from her. "The letter said that you would be arriving here. You're Axel," he says, gesturing with his hand. "And you're Roxas. Your friends will be here later on today but we can take you both into town and tell you as much as we know."

"Who was the letter from, did Sora send it?" Roxas asks.

Both Leon and Rinoa smile. "It's not quite that straightforward but Sora knows whats going on, we think Kairi and Riku do too now. You could say the letter was from a trusted and reliable source and mutual acquaintance," Rinoa explains.

Axel and Roxas look at each other and though their silent conversation is brief, they're in agreement.

"Lead the way," Axel tells them and the other two smile. They start to follow and Roxas slides his fingers into Axel's as they reach the door. They can, it seems, let their guards down - if only for a short while.

Any comments, reviews etc are more than welcome and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!