a/n: Longer chapter this time! I hope you all find this chapter satisfactory :3 I'm having a lot of fun writing this story!

~A-Far-Off-Memory


It seemed like he'd been waiting hours when Xion arrived moments later, Kairi and Naminé in tow. The black-haired girl immediately ran to her brother's side, crouching before him and pulling him into her arms. He immediately clutched her tightly, fresh tears falling from his eyes.

"C'mon, big bro, let's get your coat on and go to the hospital, I'm sure he's been picked up by an ambulance by now."

Nodding, he let her help him up. She had to help him to his room—his legs were so weak. There, she sat him on his bed and went to his closet, searching for his coat.

Kairi and Naminé joined him, sitting on either side of him and leaning their heads on his shoulders. Axel's and Roxas' baby sisters were practically his baby sisters, since they'd been friends with Xion since...well, since birth, basically. Kairi was the oldest, having been born in January, then Naminé, with her birthday in early February, and Xion was the baby, with her being born in October. And since their parents were all friends, they'd always been around each other.

"I'm sure he's fine, Sor," Naminé said softly, rubbing his back.

"How do you know?" he asked miserably.

Kairi nuzzled in closer. "Because he loves you, he'll pull through whatever happened for you."

"Don't worry," Xion soothed, returning with his coat. The others moved out of the way so that he could pull it on, watching as he tried in vain to button it with shaking fingers. Gently, Naminé pushed his hands away and did it for him, kissing his cheek when she finished.

"C'mon, let's get going," Kairi murmured. They helped him to stand, ushering him out the door. Naminé ran back to turn the oven off, and then they made their way down to Xion's car. She and Kairi got in front, while Naminé sat in the back with Sora. She sat in the middle so that she could hug him, letting him cry into her shoulder while whispering soothing words.

Xion drove extra slow to avoid any accidents, turning a five minute drive to the hospital into a twenty minute one. But it was necessary to their safety, so there wasn't much she could do about it.

Upon arriving, they immediately headed to the desk. Seeing that Sora was incapable of speaking due to the tears that had started once more, Kairi took initiative.

"Has anyone come in in the last half hour that was in a car accident?" she asked the woman behind the desk.

The woman sighed, eyes sad. "I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific, we've had a lot of accidents today."

"He's 26, has long silver hair, he would've been driving a dark blue car. His name is Riku Hart..."

The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed something, waiting a moment before speaking. "Yeah, I have people at the front desk asking about a possible car accident victim. Riku Hart, he's 26 with long silver hair and he would've been driving a blue car. Oh? Alright, I'll send them right down." She hung up, meeting their eyes slowly. "Your friend was in a nasty crash, it seems. He and another car slid on some black ice, and they crashed into one another. He's being looked after right now, but you can go to the waiting room. Someone will let you know there when it's okay to see him."

Sora'd legs gave out once more, a broken cry of Riku's name falling from his lips. Naminé and Xion just barely kept him standing, and Kairi thanked the receptionist before helping them get Sora to the waiting room, sitting him in one of the chairs.

Xion immediately wrapped her arms around him, rocking him from side to side as tears escaped from her own eyes. Naminé was crying softly herself, while Kairi was just barely holding the tears at bay.

"I wish I could get a hold of Axel...he'd wanna know..." Sora whispered, shoulders shaking. "He's his best friend..."

As if on cue, Kairi's phone began to ring. It was a FaceTime call from Axel. Hastily, she ducked into the corner and answered it.

"Axie?"

He grinned, scratching his head. "Sorry I couldn't contact you sooner, the power was out here and the generator was acting up. But it's fixed now, meaning I have wifi." The grin dropped a second later. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like you're about to cry..."

She bit her lip, eyes filling with tears. "We're at the hospital, Ax. It's...it's bad." Sora wailed at that, causing a tear to run down her cheek.

Roxas appeared on screen. "Kairi, what is it? Naminé is okay, right?!"

"I'm fine," the blonde called, loud enough for her brother to hear. "Xion and Sora are okay too."

Both Axel and Roxas paused, looking at each other before tuning their eyes back to the screen.

"And Riku...?" Axel questioned, almost seeming afraid to.

"Oh god," Sora sobbed, hugging his sister even tighter.

Axel's face seemed to go ashen. "Kairi...what happened to Riku?"

She bit her lip harder, squeezing her eyes shut. "Ax...there was an accident...there's a lot of black ice on the roads..."

Her brother's green eyes filled with tears, and Roxas looked shocked. "Is he...okay?" the blond asked softly.

Kairi shook her head. "We don't know...we just got here. Sora...he was on the phone with him when it happened. He heard it all..." Quieter, she added, "He's inconsolable, guys. He keeps saying Riku's name and he hasn't stopped crying..."

Axel buried his face in his hands, sliding his fingers up into his hair and tugging. "Of all the fucking times for us to get snowed in..." he whispered, tears sliding down his face.

Roxas hushed him, wrapping an arm around him and kissing his cheek. "Kairi, you have to let us know as soon as you know something, alright? We won't be able to get out until Boxing Day, that's when the plows can get here. And I need you or Naminé to leave a note and a spare key outside of our place for Demyx and Zexion, they'll be getting there around 7...and can you ask Nami if she's heard from Ven and Terra?"

Kairi looked up at Naminé, who shook her head. "She said she hasn't heard anything."

Roxas sighed. "Okay, I'll keep trying to get a hold of them...you guys take good care of Sora, alright? And let us know when there's any news about Riku."

She nodded. "I will. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Kai."

The call was ended, and Kairi sighed as she sat beside Naminé. "Guess this isn't turning out to be a very good Christmas Eve, is it?"

"Today's our tenth anniversary," Sora whispered, pulling away from Xion to wipe his eyes. "We were supposed to just relax all night, he was gonna make dinner and I was gonna make dessert...but now everything is all messed up, and I can't—" His voice broke, and it took a minute before he continued. "I can't think about the fact that we may never have another anniversary..."

"Oh, Sora," Xion murmured, stroking his hair. "You guys will have tons of anniversaries after this, don't worry. He'll make it, I know it."

"He'd better...I still need to kick his ass for turning around to get those chocolate chips..."

There was the sound of a throat clearing, and all heads turned to find a woman in a doctor's coat standing there, clipboard in hand. Her eyes were mismatched, and she had short ashy brown hair.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Yuna. Are you all here for Riku?" she questioned, turning her kind eyes from the clipboard to them.

"Yes," Sora croaked out, wiping his eyes. "Please tell me my boyfriend is okay..."

She sighed. "Quite a nasty crash he was in. The black ice is terrible, I hear. He hit his head quite hard, and he has a severe concussion as a result. We're working hard to get the swelling of his brain down. His left calf and foot are fractured, along with several ribs and his collarbone. But he is a very lucky man...had he been to the right a few inches, he would've been his by a very sizable shard of glass from the windshield. As it is, he has minor cuts all over the place, with a few that are deeper but still very minor. As long as the swelling in his head goes down, it's safe to say he'll be quite alright."

"Can we see him?" Xion asked, biting her lip.

She nodded. "Be very quiet, though, don't disturb him. His head is in a very fragile state at the moment."

They all stood, and she led them down a few halls before stopping outside of a closed door.

"He should wake up within the next few hours. If he doesn't, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Alright? He looks like he'll be fine, I just don't want to promise anything," Dr. Yuna told them, offering a smile.

"Thank you, Doctor," Sora said softly, reaching for the door handle. Taking a deep breath, he turned it, slowly pushing the door open and peeking in.

The room was fairly dark, with only a dim light over Riku's bed turned on. A sob escaped Sora when he saw the state of his boyfriend, and he immediately ran over and took his hand.

He was pale, paler than normal, and he was covered in cuts and bruises. His hair was crusted with blood in some places, and there were bandages on his temple. He was wearing a sling on his left arm, most likely due to his fractured collarbone, and his lower left leg and foot had been put in a cast. His eyelids were purple, and he had an IV hooked up in the hand Sora was holding.

"Sora, honey, we're gonna go call Axel and Roxas back. Will you be okay here alone?" Kairi asked, biting her lip.

Silently, he nodded, burying his face in Riku's chest. He heard as the girls all left, and it was at that point that he carefully climbed onto the bed beside the silver-haired man, making sure not to jostle him as he curled into his undamaged side.

"Wake up soon, Riku...I love you..." he whispered, burying his face in his boyfriend's neck and allowing himself to just cry.


"Ax, babe, you gotta stop pacing."

The redhead ran his hand through his hair, green eyes wild with worry. "Roxas, I can't. I can't calm down. My best friend is in the hospital and I can't be there and I just—" His voice cracked, tears filling his eyes. "I hate this..."

Crystal blue eyes sad, Roxas stood and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, rubbing his back. Axel hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder. His whole body was shaking, and it broke Roxas' heart to see him so upset.

"He'll be okay, Ax. You know he will. He's stubborn, he won't die before marrying Sora," he said softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I hope you're right..." the redhead mumbled.

His phone suddenly began to vibrate, and he pulled it out of his pocket to find that Kairi was calling him on FaceTime. Roxas pulled him to sit on the bed, and then he answered.

"Did you find anything out?" he asked immediately, hugging Roxas to his side. The blond reached up to tenderly wipe his boyfriend's tears.

Kairi nodded, violet eyes full of tears as she bit her lips harshly. Seeing that she was clearly incapable of saying it, Naminé took the phone with a sigh.

"He has a severe concussion, they're trying to get the swelling down. He also fractured his collarbone, some ribs, his calf and his foot on his left side, and he's pretty cut up and bruised..." she said quietly, wiping her eyes. "Sora is...he's a wreck."

"Does the doctor think Riku will be okay?" Roxas questioned, hugging Axel tighter.

"She said it looks good, but she doesn't wanna promise anything," Xion chimed in, sniffling. "So we just gotta hope for the best."

"I should be there, dammit..." Axel whispered, burying his face in Roxas' neck. The blond hushed him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"We'll keep you guys updated," Kairi murmured, voice thick with tears. "The second he wakes up, we'll call again."

"Can I talk to Sora for a minute?" asked Roxas, brows knit together in concern.

The girls nodded, and began walking toward what Roxas assumed was Riku's room. When they got there, the faces of all three girls softened. Naminé switched the cameras, showing Riku in the bed with Sora curled into his good side, fast asleep.

"He must be so tired from all the crying," Axel said softly, hiccuping.

"I'll just talk to him later," Roxas told them as the camera switched back. "Call us if anything happens, alright?"

"Will will," Naminé answered, offering a sad smile. "Love you guys."

"We love you too," Roxas replied, ending the call. He then set Axel's phone aside, wrapping his other arm around him and holding him tight.

"He looked terrible..." he said quietly, burrowing further into Roxas' embrace.

"But he'll be okay, Ax. He's broken bones before, he'll be fine," the blond assured him, stroking his hair. "Just try not to think about it too much. How about we go down to the kitchen and get something to eat?"

Silently, the redhead nodded, allowing himself to be pulled from the room and to the inn's kitchen. They'd been told they could use it themselves, and Roxas fully planned to.

"Sit, I'll cook," the blond told him, pecking his lips and grabbing a frying pan. Axel did as he was told, sitting on one of the stools and watching as Roxas got supplies for grilled cheeses.

"Want me to try and get a hold of Ven and Terra again?"

"Yes please," answered Roxas as he assembled the sandwiches.

Axel went through his contacts and clicked on Terra's name, hitting the FaceTime option and waiting as it rang. He waited for a few minutes and was about to hang up when his call was answered, and he found the face of one of his oldest friends looking back at him, along with his boyfriend's twin brother.

"Hey, Ax! I was actually just about to call you guys," Terra said with a grin. "Our flight's been delayed, we're stuck in Olympus for now..."

Axel managed a chuckle. "Well, Roxas and I are snowed in at the inn here in Twilight Town and we can't get out until Boxing Day...so you guys will probably just have to knock on the door and get Zexion and Demyx to let you in, they should be there by the time you guys get there and the girls are leaving a key for them."

Ven's face fell. "Seriously? That really sucks..."

"I'm not happy about it either," Roxas called loud enough to be heard, sighing.

"At least we'll still get to see each other, that's all that really matters," Terra reminded them. "Traverse Town is so far from Hollow Bastian, which makes it so hard for visits...we need to look on the bright side."

Ventus sighed. "I know, you're right." He raised an eyebrow. "Axel, why do you look like shit? I mean, more that usual?"

The redhead glared halfheartedly before rubbing his face, sighing deeply. "The girls called us a little while ago to let us know that Riku's been in a car accident. He's in the hospital with a concussion and a shit ton of fractured bones...I guess Sora's a mess, he was on the phone with him when the accident happened..."

Both pairs of blue eyes widened considerably. "Holy shit, is he gonna be okay?" Terra asked, raking a hand through his chocolaty hair.

Axel shrugged. "I guess the doctors seem to think so, but you can never be too sure. The girls said they'd call if there were any changes."

Vern's eyes were full of sadness. "Did he even get to propose to Sora like he was going to?"

Axel shook his head. "He's gonna be so mad if he doesn't get the chance to before the day is over, you know he's a sap. But I guess their tenth anniversary is pretty special."

"That's insane that that even happened, poor Sora...having to hear that must've been so hard," Terra murmured. "At least he has the girls with him."

"Yeah, they'll take good care of him," replied Axel. "I just hope Riku will be okay, especially for Sora's sake."

Both men on the screen nodded in agreement. "Those two deserve to have a big wedding and be happy," Ven said softly. "Riku's tough, I'm sure he'll make it through just fine."

Axel sighed. "All we can do is hope for the best, I guess..."

Terra offered a small smile. "Well next time you talk to Kairi, tell her to ask Naminé to call us, okay? We wanna know what's going on too."

Axel nodded. "Will do, bro. See you guys on Boxing Day, okay?"

"Bye Ax, bye Roxas," they chimed in unison.

"Bye!" Roxas called.

Axel hung up, setting his phone aside and raking a hand through his hair. A plate was set in front of him, a perfectly golden grilled cheese sitting on it.
Smiling, Axel leaned across the counter, smiling when Roxas got the message and kissed him softly. The blond returned with his own plate, pouring them each drinks and sitting down on the stool across from the redhead.

"This is a really shitty Christmas so far," Roxas commented with a sigh. "We're stuck here, Riku's in the hospital, Ven and Terra are stuck in Olympia...who knows what's going on with Zex and Demyx since we haven't gotten a hold of them, but I can't see that turning out very good."

Axel nodded. "I'm surprised Zexion offered him a drive. I thought he wanted to keep his distance.

Roxas shrugged. "He's nothing but practical." He took a bite of his sandwich, releasing a sigh. "I wish they'd just get back together. They were so good for each other in the weirdest way."

"Who knows, maybe they'll realize that and at least a part of this Christmas will be salvageable," Axel muttered, sipping his milk. "Though somehow, I doubt it. Zexion is awfully stubborn."

Roxas laughed. "But Demyx is very persistent. And it's clear that he never really fell out of love with him, he just wants Zex to be happy no matter what. But I've been talking to Zexion a lot, and he doesn't seem too happy. They'll be back together before they head back to Radiant Garden."

"I hope you're right...Dem is one of my best friends and I just want him to be happy again," the redhead sighed, taking a bite of his sandwich.

They finished their meals in silence before heading back to their room and curling up in bed. Roxas wrapped his arms around Axel and snuggled into him, kissing him softly and feeling him smile against his lips.

"Even though I wish we were home, I'm glad I'm snowed in with you," he said softly, nuzzling their noses together. "I can't think of anyone else of rather be stuck with."

Roxas laughed. "I love you, you big sap."

Axel grinned. "Not as much as I love you, Roxy."


"I can't believe Riku was in an accident...Sora must be so upset..." Ven murmured as he snuggled into Terra's side. The airport chairs were getting uncomfortable, after sitting in them for almost 4 hours. "I'm still in shock myself."

Terra shuddered. "I don't know what I'd do if it was you...I can't imagine how he must feel right now," he said in reply, hugging the blond closer.

Blue eyes closed as Ven sighed. "I just hope he makes a full recovery. Sora needs him."

They fell silent for a while after that, vigilantly listening for any announcements regarding their flight. Finally, around eight, Terra decided he'd had enough.

"Alright, that's it. We're renting a car," he muttered, disentangling himself from Ven's embrace.

Ven sighed. "That's going to be so expensive..."

The brunet shrugged. "We can afford it, Ven. But I'm tired of waiting, we have a better chance just driving."

"But the roads..."

Leaning down, Terra pecked his lips. "Stop worrying, I'll drive slow. Okay?"

Heaving a sigh, Ven nodded. "Fine."

Terra left to locate a car rental booth, while Ven went to retrieve their bags. By the time he was done, he found Terra leaning against a wall, car keys in hand.

"Ready?" he questioned, pulling his warm coat on.

Ven nodded, doing the same. They carried their bags down to the parking garage, where they found a black jeep waiting.

"I figured a jeep would be our best bet," the brunet told him, grinning. He went around to the back, opening it and throwing their bags in, while Ven took a seat in the passenger's side.

"Let's get going, then," Terra murmured as he got in and started the car, pulling out of the parking garage and into the blizzard outside.


"It doesn't look like anyone is home."

Demyx peered out the window of the car, finding all the lights in Roxas and Axel's house off and an empty driveway. His brow furrowed. "Did they forget we were coming...?"

As he said it, he spotted the headlights of an approaching car. It stopped right in front of them, and Kairi got out of the driver's seat. Zexion rolled his window down as she made her way over, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Axel and Roxas are stuck in Twilight Town until Boxing Day, the inn they're at got snowed in and the plows can't make it until then. He told me to give you guys this." She held up a key, placing it in Zexion's outstretched hand. "The girls and I would come and keep you company, but we have to stay at the hospital with Sora. Riku was in an accident and hasn't woken up yet, so Sora needs us."

Demyx gasped. "Oh shit, the roads are really bad, aren't they? Poor Riku."

Kairi nodded. "Sora was on the phone with him when it happened...he's a mess." She tightened her fuzzy hood around her face. "I gotta get back before the roads get even worse, but make yourselves at home. There should be plenty of food in the cupboards."

"Thank you for bringing the key," Zexion murmured. "And tell Sora that we'll keep him and Riku in our thoughts."

The redhead smiled. "I will. See you guys later."

"Bye," the two called in unison, watching as she made her way back to the car. Zexion rolled his window back up, parking more suitably before cutting the engine.

"Well we might as well head inside. I'll cook us something, your stomach's been growling for the last two hours," the shorter man muttered, opening his door and popping the trunk. Demyx blushed, pulling his hat and gloves on before getting out to grab his own bags. They walked carefully up to the door, wary of ice, and Zexion slid the key in and unlocked it.

The house was cold and dark, and Zexion muttered something about turning some lights on and getting wood in the fireplace. They left their bags in the entryway, shrugging off their coats and boots, and began going through the house and getting some lights on. Demyx headed into the living room and plugged the Christmas tree in before getting to work lighting a fire. He tried several times with no success, cursing under his breath as he tried to light the wood.

He heard a sigh from behind him. "Did you crumple up any newspaper to light?" Zexion asked, crouching beside him and shooting him a bored look.

Demyx raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What would I do that for?"

Zexion sighed again, shaking his head in disbelief. "You put the newspaper under the wood and light it so that the wood lights easily. Haven't you ever lit a fire?"

The blond shook his head, biting his lip.

Rolling his eyes, Zexion reached over and grabbed some newspaper from the pile beside the fireplace, crumpling several pieces into balls and setting them around the wood.

"Here," Demyx said, holding out the lighter just as Zexion was reaching it. The action caused their hands to brush, making Demyx squeak and drop the lighter.

Zexion just shook his head again, picking up the lighter and lighting the newspaper. The action was followed a moment later by a satisfying crackle as the wood began to burn, and the two stood to admire it.

"Honestly, Demyx, it's not that hard to light a fire," the shorter man muttered, setting the lighter aside before leaving the room, presumably to start cooking.

The comment ignited a kind of anger inside the blond. Zexion was being overly rude to him, when he hadn't really done anything to deserve it! He understood that it was awkward to be in the same room again—he felt it too. But at least he was trying to be friendly and make the best of it!

I can see this is going to be fun, he sighed inwardly, sinking down into one of the chairs and rubbing his face. Happy fucking holidays.


a/n: Man I must love giving my boys a rough time...

I really hate hurting Riku. He is my baby :( but it had to be done! But he better get better soon, because he's upsetting everyone!

And wow Zexion's being a total dick, poor Dem-Dem D:

At least things are kinda looking up for Terra and Ven, and Axel has Roxas to keep him busy...but who knows what will happen? I'm kind of a dick, anything could happen ;D

You guys want some smut? I might be able to pull it off...I won't say who, partially because I don't know yet and partially because I wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise! ;3

Not sure if the next update will come before I go to bed or if it'll come tomorrow, but I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas Eve/Christmas

(Unlike our boys)

~AFOM