On the fourth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me…

…four calling birds.

Luxord, recovering gambler and resident Brit, was bored. The Christmas season was not well and truly over, as he still had Christmas money to spend and what not, but on the whole it might as well have been.

December 28th. 3:37 pm. In Petco. Trying to tell people that no, they could not return the stuff their friends had bought from PetSmart because they weren't the same bloody company.

You'd think Companion Animal Managers would not have to deal with that but nooo, he had to man the register because Erin was petting the gerbils. Again.

Taking a page from her book he went to play with the puppies, after he had made sure she was firmly situated at the counter.

After fifteen minutes of that he was bored again and went to wander the store in search of actually doing his job.

…And caught Erin eyeing the betta fish. Again.

"Erin, you don't need another fish."

"But-"

"You do not need another betta."

"I just-"

"No." He turned and smiled at a customer who just walked in. "Can I help you?"

The boy was tan and blonde and looking around the store nervously. "Do you have parrots?"

"Yes, in the back."

They had three Amazon parrots and seven conure's.

As the boy, though he couldn't be that much younger than Luxord, studied the birds he was in turn studied by Luxord. And Luxord liked what he saw.

"Do these… uh… count as calling birds?"

Blinking and turning his attention back to the boy he raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Do these count as calling birds?"

Luxord looked at the conure's. "I have no idea." They stood in an awkward silence for a moment. "Four of them?"

The man shrugged. "I don't know. Sure. It's not like I'm the guy giving them to his …" He paused, obviously confused. "I'm not even sure if there is a name for Axel's relationship with Roxas."

Luxord, despite not knowing who these people were, could not help smiling. "Prospective significant other?"

Tidus smiled back. "Something like that. I'm Tidus, by the way." Luxord shook the proffered hand.

"Luxord." He flicked his nametag. "As you can see." Tidus turned a bit red, but he was still smiling, so that had to count for something.

"I guess I'll take them?" Luxord nodded, got a cage, feed, and made sure the receipt was intact and in a safe place because he had a feeling he'd see them again soon.

"Oh and by the way." And as Tidus turned back to the counter, one hand holding the bird food, Luxord grabbed the other and quickly scrawled his name and number on it.

He grinned at the way Tidus' eyes widened and refused to meet his own and if it was in him he'd have been the fucking Cheshire cat as Tidus dazedly stumbled out of the store.

"Awwwww." And then Erin ruined the moment. He glared at her and she just looked unrepentant… then again, enough time working in Petco does that to you. "Hey, look, next time I decide to subtly hit on a customer you can annoy me after they've left."

A brown haired girl with one of the longest braids Luxord had ever seen walked into the store. "Do you have gerbils?"

He pointed to the back room.

As she walked past he glanced at Erin who was, for lack of a better word, enthralled. She caught him smirking at her and glared. "Not a word."

She then went to help the customer.

Luxord took her seat, leaned back, and thought of tanned skin and blue eyes.