-The Legend That Is Mistletoe-
-One of Tora's experiences during her imprisonment within Organisation XIII-
"Remind me again Axel, why is that every time you visit me to heal you, it's because you've antagonised Roxas in some way or another?" Tora asked, aggravated, as she gently cast another Cure spell over the bruised and inflamed eye of the Flurry of Dancing Flames. The redness and bruising cleared, and he opened his green eye to use both of his optics again. He shrugged, hissing as his dislocated shoulder moved up and down. Tora sighed as she saw the movement. Maybe if Axel hadn't have suggested that both he and the Key of Destiny have a shower together, he mightn't be in this situation...Not that she wasn't laughing at his pain; she would never do that. Not unless it didn't prove good for a yuk or two, anyway.
"But he's so cute when he's angry..." Number VIII sighed dreamily. The Twin of Touch took the opportunity to relocate the bad shoulder, bringing the redhead back down to the World That Never Was with a successful crash landing. Imagine the whole cartoon crash scenario, and that's pretty much what just happened.
"Don't start with your talk of how in denial Roxas is; you know I don't buy it." she snapped, popping open the lid of a Potion bottle and trickling the glowing liquid down Axel's throat. All the muscle pain, minor cuts and scratches were healed, leaving the redhead with his original flawless skin. He stood up and grabbed the Toxic Mage by her shoulders, shaking her roughly.
"But he is in denial! Have you seen the way he looks at me?!" he exclaimed. Besides with sheer disgust and fury...no, Tora thought. She also wished that Xaldin hadn't made garlic bread earlier. Who knew that Axel had a fear of vampires? No matter how many times everyone – even Roxas – had told him, he insisted that at least one person check his closets every night for the creepy bloodsuckers, as he called them. Which reminded her, tonight was her night. Joy...
"Much as you're my friend Axel, I don't appreciate you shaking around Tora." The Melodious Nocturne walked into the room at that point in time, and summoned his sitar upon the sight that greeted his eyes. Tora pushed the Flurry of Dancing Flames into a sitting position on the bed, then walked over and kissed her boyfriend's cheek.
"What did the Superior say about the party?" she asked.
"He said that it was alright, but you're in charge after what happened last time." Demyx replied. All three occupants of the room cringed at the memories of the party that Marluxia had organised, which ended in the garden being set on fire and a pissed Graceful Assassin being sent to the Beast's Castle to calm down. Tora had been picking thorns out of his skin for three days after that. She reached up and hugged Number IX around his neck, smiling widely.
"Thankyou!" she cried.
"I'm still here, you two." Axel said dully, resting his chin on his fists.
"You know about his feelings for Roxas?" the musician asked.
"Did you know it's reciprocated?" Tora muttered back, whispering something in Demyx's ear. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Seriously?" he gasped. The Toxic Mage nodded, her face solemn. Axel watched with a raised eyebrow as the couple played a furious game of Chinese Whispers, their eyebrows raising or furrowing occasionally. They nodded at each other after a while, smirking.
"Where was the last place you saw Roxas, Axel?" Tora asked.
"Ballroom, but I think he moved to his room down the hall." he replied.
"I'll take care of this one. Yours awaits you." Demyx leaned down and placed a kiss on her mouth as she opened up a portal to Number XIII's room. She smiled and left behind one more kiss for the road.
"See you opposites later." she said, winking and disappearing. The Melodious Nocturne sat down beside the Flurry of Dancing Flames, a silly grin plastered all over his face that screamed to everyone who looked 'I'm getting' some and you're not!' Axel looked over at his blond friend, and decided that he looked pretty stupid right about then, all giggly like a hormonal school girl. He wondered if he would ever get that giggly over Roxas...
"...to Number Eight! Come in, Number Eight!" Demyx waved his hand over the redhead's face, whose own hand shot out and gripped the appendage, burning on contact. The blond gave a yelp and tore his hand away, blowing on the blisters gently to cool them down. Yes, he could've used water, but when you're in pain, do you think of the obvious first? Didn't think so.
"You didn't have to go that far..." he pouted, looking like a kicked puppy.
"You aren't helping me." Axel countered.
"Had it ever occurred to you not to be so forward in your advances?" The redhead paused. What in the name of Kingdom Hearts happened to the old Number IX? The one who was the regular pacifist and never helped, even in non-life-threatening situations? He supposed that the Twin of Touch had something to do with this demeanour change. Ever since the two had announced their 'relationship' – only for lack of a better word because technically they only had one heart between them – all that was on everyone's lips was how better behaved Demyx was. Even Larxene – the resident sadist, seconded only by Tora – had congratulated the Toxic Mage on her efforts.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" came from down the hall. Both Numbers VIII and IX looked up.
"What was that?" Axel asked as his window was suddenly illuminated by a green flash. Demyx stood up and dusted invisible lint off his cloak.
"Ignore it if you know what's good for your element. How are you going to dull down your advances?" he replied, opening up a portal and pulling his sitar out of it, playing a few warm-up notes. This annoyed the redhead to no extent, and he gritted his teeth.
"Alright, alright, I'll think of something. Just don't play that thing!" he exclaimed. The musician grinned and opened up another portal.
"Bye Axel!" he sang, disappearing.
-
"Tora, it's fine. It will heal by itself." The Twin of Touch grinned at the blond and continued to cure the red scratches that adorned his knuckles. They faded, leaving the skin as smooth as it had been before Roxas had punched the wall of the ballroom. He retracted his hand, his face an unhealthy shade of red.
"Wow Roxas, your face is as red as Axel's hair. I think there's something wrong with you." Tora stated, cleaning away the cloth she'd used to wash the blond's fist and melting it with a ball of acid. At the mention of the redhead's name, the key of Destiny flushed a deep wine red and hid his burning face underneath his fringe and hood. Tora caught mumbled words such as 'damn', 'flaming' and 'time'.
"So that damn redhead is on your flaming mind all the time?" she asked, smirking. Blue eyes glared at her from underneath his fringe and hood, then they softened in defeat and he sighed.
"His fault." he mumbled.
"So you admit to living in denial?"
"I'm not in denial over anything."
"Oh?"
"What was with the underlying tone?"
"I had a tone?"
"Tora, stop sending me in circles."
"Which is what you're doing to poor Axel!" Roxas winced as the Twin of Touch's voice rose a few decibels, "You keep pulling him in, then kicking him in the face and expect him to come back! And for reasons unbeknownst to even me, he does! He's like your faithful puppy who takes all the abuse but still loves you!"
"I can't help it! I want him to beg for me!" No sooner did those words escape his mouth did Roxas realise that he'd said the wrong thing. Tora's gold eyes widened to the size of Axel's chakrams, without the extra spikes on the side.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" she exploded.
"Shut up Tora!" Number XIII hissed, clapping a hand over her mouth in an attempt to shut her up. Thinking quickly, Tora sent up an acid flare and began to mumble something incoherent underneath the leather glove.
"What?" He removed his hand.
"I said, don't you think you should stop being a damn tease and do something about your supposedly non-existent feelings?" The Toxic Mage opened up a portal and walked through it into the Melodious Nocturne's room. Demyx laid on his bed, his Organisation cloak open, lazily strumming his sitar.
"They're both idiots!" she whined, collapsing beside him. He placed his sitar beside the bed and hugged her close.
"I know Tora, but what are we going to do?" he replied sadly (or so a Nobody thinks). Tora thought for a moment, then suddenly brightened up.
"Have I decided on a theme for the party?" she asked.
"Not yet, because you also need food and decorations." Demyx replied.
"I have just had an idea, and it was all because of you!" Tora leaned up and pressed her lips to his gently, threading her fingers through the soft hair at the base of his neck. The musician's arms gripped her waist tighter as the kiss turned passionate without becoming lustful (1).
"You need to have ideas more often," Demyx commented, placing another kiss on his girlfriend's lips, "but what was your idea?"
"First, we need to see the pompous toilet mop. Come on!" She stood up and grabbed his hand, dragging him down corridor after corridor until they glimpsed a familiar head of silver hair.
"Superior!" Xemnas turned around as his title was called to see the Toxic Mage and the Melodious Nocturne running up to him.
"Yes, Tora?" he asked.
"Can we have mistletoe at the party?" Both men looked at the girl with the utmost confusion they could muster. She sighed and looked up at Number I.
"I want the theme to be 'Myths and Legends' because I'm in love with the whole idea of the Greek gods and goddesses, and the idea of kissing under mistletoe wasn't originally a Christmas tradition; rather, it was a Scandinavian legend that was said to bring good luck." she elaborated.
"Organise everything else, and I will see you there." With a flick of his long silver hair, the Superior disappeared down the hall. Keeping a blond eyebrow raised, Demyx turned to Tora.
"'Myths and Legends'?" he asked. She pouted.
"Shut up, Poseidon." she replied, taking his hand and leading him away so they could plan the party.
-
Axel tugged at the helmet that had been jammed over his head by Lexaeus (who in the name of Kingdom Hearts gave Tora permission to knock him out?!) and sighed in defeat. The tunic that hung over his body didn't hide the fact that he was totally uncomfortable in wearing Greek-style clothing. On the other side of the ballroom, Roxas leant against a pillar, his arms folded over his semi-bare chest, a lyre in one hand. Tora stood by the punch bowl, dressed in a long dress accessorised with a spear and a shield, chatting animatedly to Marluxia, who wore a crown of grape vines on his head.
"I knew Dionysus (2) was a good choice for you!" she exclaimed happily. The Graceful Assassin scuffed his decorated sandals against the polished floor.
"You think so?" he asked.
"Of course! Olympus is going to kill me next time I go to the Coliseum...Axel!" The Twin of Touch vaulted through the crowd to the Flurry of Dancing Flames, who was dressed as the god of war Ares, and hugged him. From his position, Roxas saw green and gripped his lyre tighter.
"Ares is so you! So unpredictable and crazy!" she exclaimed, "And I got the Superior's okay to string up mistletoe everywhere, too."
"I thought that was a Christmas tradition." the redhead said, confused.
"It is, but it didn't start out that – Oi! Demyx!" A pair of pale arms encircled Athena's waist and pulled her backward into a lean chest. The Melodious Nocturne glanced over his shoulder, then buried his head into the crook of her neck.
"He's getting jealous." he whispered. Tora looked over and smirked.
"That's the idea." she whispered back, kissing his cheek and catching the blue eyes glaring at her from across the hall. She wondered if he'd forgotten whose arms she was wrapped up in at that point in time. She leaned up and kissed Axel's cheek, then grinned.
"Come on, Dem. Let's go talk to Hermes." She led her boyfriend toward the Cloaked Schemer, who had a winged helmet jammed over his head. Apollo stormed through the crowd toward Ares and stood in front of him, glaring.
"What in the name of Kingdom Hearts was that about?" he hissed. Axel raised an eyebrow.
"What was what about?" he asked.
"That display!" Completely forgetting about Tora and Demyx, Roxas immediately launched himself into a rant directed at the Flurry of Dancing Flames. The poor redhead just leant casually against the wall and absorbed all the words spouted by his future lover (hopefully). He glanced up and spied the sprig of mistletoe that lazily twined itself around the lights that Larxene had strung up. He smirked.
"And another thing, how could you let Tora even touch you like that? She can only touch you to heal you, and that's-" That's all that the Key of Destiny managed, because Ares had sealed his mouth with his own. Blue eyes widened as Axel slowly and gently kissed him, not wanting to force himself on the younger male. Said male threw caution to Xaldin (3) and threw his arms around the redhead's neck, turning the kiss passionate.
"I'm slightly offended, and really impressed." the Toxic Mage whispered excitedly.
"Looks like your mistletoe idea worked." Demyx said, looking up. Gold eyes followed his gaze, and she smirked.
"There's some above us, too."
"How...convenient."
"Kiss me, Poseidon."
"It would be my pleasure, Athena." As the Melodious Nocturne and the Toxic Mage kissed, they didn't notice the the new couple slipping away, nor did they notice the two sets of weapons pinning them to the floor...
-
(1): Yes, it is possible.
(2): Axel – Ares; Roxas – Apollo; Demyx – Poseidon; Marluxia – Dionysus; Zexion – Hermes; Tora – Athena.
(3): Ever heard the saying 'throw caution to the wind'?
DISCLAIMER: The disclaimer applies to the characters and settings of 'Kingdom Hearts' – SquareEnix and Disney – the Greek gods and goddesses – the Ancient Greeks – and Tora and the idea of her being the Twin of Touch – me.