So here it is: Chapter 7. I figured I had to get it up before Christmas really did come. The ending is rushed, I apologize for that. I will try not to take so much time on the next chapter. I do already have ideas and a kind of frail outline for it, unlike this chapter. But enough of my rambling, onward!

As always, please excuse any mistakes. I tend to leave off the end letters of some words and switch small words around when I'm typing faster.


Chapter 7

Fall For You

(Zexion)


Tonight will be the night I will fall for you, over again, don't make me change my mind. Remember me tonight when you're asleep. I won't live to see another day, I swear its true. Because a girl like you is impossible to find. - Secondhand Serenade


In their horrible attempts to get everyone in a mental hospital "in the Christmas spirit", a large, painfully fake-looking tree was set up in the main entrance. Hardly anyone really saw it, unless they were on their way out the door with their families, leaving hell behind for a short period of time to go home and eat edible food and pretend they weren't mentally unstable, or if they had the unexplainable urge to go look at it.

For once in my life, luck decided to favor me, and I got to be one of the few to see that tree on my way out of the door. I don't think I have ever looked more forward to anything else in my life. Holidays had never been anything too special at my house. Every year since I could remember something would go wrong, like the year that my dad got mad at my mom for accidentally burning dinner and started the tree on fire. Despite all of the bad memories of Christmas past, I could hardly doubt that it could be any worse than being stuck here.

Three more days, and I would leave. Three more days and I could pretend that I was a normal person again, instead of what I had become.

I woke up on the morning of the twenty-first, the beginning of the long three day stretch. At exactly nine a.m. on the twenty-fourth, I would leave. Commence the longest seventy-two hour stretch any one had ever endured.

I stayed in my bed staring at the ceiling, willing time to go faster, knowing all too well that focusing on it only made it go slower. It wasn't like it mattered, everyday in this place since the moment I got here was slower than the one before it. And despite that, it would feel like I would blink and weeks would have flown by. It was hard to think that I had been here for close to five months.

I was starting to despair that I would ever be able to get out of here. I didn't want to be one of those people who ended up living their lives out in a mental facility.

The uncertainty and slight horror that thought provided made queasiness begin to edge into my stomach. Before I had the chance to even think about getting sick, there was a brief, short knock on the door, before a heavy key slid into the lock. I sighed heavily, rolling out of bed to glare pointlessly at the door as it was heaved open by another nurse who had had too many "and how does that make you feel?" lessons. I didn't understand why they couldn't just leave me be for once. For a microsecond, I blissfully wished that the nausea was still with me, so they would let me be. I quickly dashed the wish, knowing all too well that they would send me to the hospital wing and crush my visions of being home.

"Morning sunshine." Luxord said brightly as I was ushered out the door by the impatient nurse. I scowled as darkly as I could at him. "Shut up." Luxord just laughed at smiled again.

"Aw come on Zex, it's almost Christmas time! Where's your holiday spirit? Did this place suck it out of you too?" He tsk-tsked and shook his head sadly, as if I had greatly disappointed him.

I looked pointedly away from him, as childish as it probably looked. I heard Luxord shift positions behind me. "My name isn't Zex. It's Zexion."

"Hey don't you get to go home, little man?" He patted me lightly on the shoulder, ignoring what I had said. I looked at through the edge of my eyes, not turning my head.

"Yes. I do." The nurse shuffled me impatiently into a line in front of Luxord and behind the middle-aged woman with the crazy blonde hair who always liked to glare at me hatefully.

"Then cheer up a little. It's only three days away. And then you don't have to come back until the twenty-seventh. That is practically the best vacation anyone could ever imagine." I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what Luxord was getting at. I had never heard him talk this nice and normal to anyone without it being either laced with sarcasm, or with a tone riding underneath his words that anyone could tell that he wasn't being serious.

Maybe he was just getting better at pretending.

I was debating on how I should answer him silently in my head, or if I should even bother answering him at all, when the little line of my fellow yellow hell sufferers, shuffled forward, just like cows walking in a perfect line next to the fence on their way home. I kept looking forward at the back of the head of woman who hated me for no reason apparent to me. Luxord either felt the discussion end or for once decided not to pester me any further.

The walk to the dining hall, as always, gave me the same sick feeling of realization of where I was. I had memorized everything about this walk. Which lights were the brightest, the two lights that always creaked back and forth, throwing the same gruesome shadows, the heavy metal door that went to what Axel had described as the place where "the fucking craziest of the mentally insane" were put for certain periods of time. He said it was the whole padded room-straight jackets thing behind that door. I didn't doubt him. No one in the Organization had been there, or so everyone claimed, yet.

But with our disarrayed group, I could almost make a bet with Xigbar that someone would eventually.

Hopefully it wouldn't be me.

On the long march to the dining hall, my little line also passed by the hospital ward, where someone was moaning loudly. I tried to tune it out.

Four hallways and several flights of stairs later, the nurse pushed through the all too familiar doors into the all too familiar large dimly lit room, filled with several different shaped tables, and people on different levels of the insane scale. My stomach rumbled uncomfortably, knowing all too well that it probably wouldn't get much this morning, like almost everyday before this one.

I sighed, forcing my heavy feet to shuffle into the room.


Something was going on with Demyx. We didn't speak much for the next few days after the day he rejected me, and ever since then its just settled into an agreed silence. But there were whisperings, quiet conversations being held while they thought I wasn't paying attention. All of them involved Demyx. Demyx whispering quietly to Axel, Demyx trying to communicate with Xaldin by hand signs behind my back. Demyx stopping in mid-conversation the minute I came within hearing range. The whole thing was making me uneasy.

"Marluxia." Saix called across the lounge, his voice even and calm. Immediately Marluxia stood up from his place near the far wall and crossed the entire length of the room to sit next to Saix on the couch. I switched my focus to them by adjusting my eyes to look in their direction. Demyx was sitting at one of the tables, moving a pencil quickly across a drawing pad, stopping to erase at least every ten seconds. Xigbar was sitting next to him, looking down when Demyx tugged on his sleeve. Concentrating on something else was what I needed.

I was still having troubles figuring Marluxia out. Now that I had figured Vexen out not too long ago, Marluxia and Demyx were the only ones that I was still having trouble with. It frustrated me. I had never had this much of a problem trying to figure someone out.

Saix leaned back against the couch, saying something to Marluxia. I was too far away that I couldn't hear what they were saying, only the octaves in their voices. Marluxia's reply caused Saix to reach out and pull roughly on a large chunk of his oddly colored hair. I'd seen others ridicule Marluxia about his hair color and even tug on it, and every time he would get defensive immediately, hissing at the culprit and possibly say something hurtful.

But when Saix did it, tugging with what seemed like more force than necessary, Marluxia didn't do anything. It was like he became almost a totally different person around Saix, meek and subordinate.

I switched my gaze over to Vexen without shifting anything but my eyes. He had his back to them, his face hidden by his hair as he leaned over a tattered book from the one of the bookshelves in the lounge. I couldn't tell if he was ignoring them on purpose or if he really hadn't noticed.

I switched my gaze slowly back over the Marluxia and Saix, who were now engaged in what appeared to be a serious conversation. I strained to hear them. I was starting to pick up on a few words here and there. "Mine….not important….after that….you're mine…." when the sound of the chair scratching back next to me startled me. I jumped involuntarily, flinching away from the motion next to me.

"Hey chill Zex." Axel plopped down next to me, crossing his arms behind his head and stretching. I resisted the urge to snarl at him, angry that the potential moment that might have helped me figure Marluxia out had been ruined. Damn it.

"Go away Axel. And don't call me Zex." Why couldn't anyone around ever call me by my rightful name? I called all of them by their birth names, not by some silly nickname.

"Okay, Zexion." He said, stressing my name with heavy sarcasm. He leaned down against the card table, making himself comfortable.

"Axel. Go away." I stated again, trying to snatch words from the conversation still going on atop the old beat up couch.

"Why? You don't look like you're doing anything too crucial right now." He smiled.

"It doesn't matter. I wish to be alone at the moment."

"But why?" Axel pressed. I sighed heavily.

"I just do Axel. Does everything need a clear explanation?" Saix had tugged Marluxia's hair again, and was now holding one of his hands protectively between both of his. Both had lowered their voices, so I couldn't hear them anymore. I growled mentally, keeping my facial expression the same as before so Axel wouldn't catch on.

"Well what if I needed to ask you a very vital question? Can I stay then?" He leaned back in his chair, clearly relaxed.

"What does this ever so important question involve?" I tore my gaze away from the two on the couch to look at him.

"You." He stated simply, a small smile gracing his lips. He was clearly enjoying antagonizing me.

"I've already figured that out Axel. What else does it involve?" He shrugged casually, taking his time to answer.

"That is pretty much it."

"Fine. What is it that you must ask me?" I grumbled. I glanced quickly back at the couch. Marluxia had moved back across to the other side of the room. Xemnas had taken his spot on the couch and was now talking to Saix.

"When do you leave for home for Christmas?" I was taken aback by the casualness of the question. I thought it would have been something more….important than that.

"The morning of the 24th, at nine." I furrowed my brow at him. "Why?"

"Just wondering." Axel screeched his chair back, standing up to leave.

"That was it?" I was still stunned that he had wasted so much of my time for such a simple question.

"Yup; that was it." He shrugged and turned on his heel, leaving me sitting alone at the table again.

I shook my head and sighed quietly to myself. I definitely needed a vacation from here.


Everything about this place was so routine. Everything had a place and everything was in its place. Breakfast, counseling, "free" time always spent in the heavily guarded lounge, lunch, more counseling or personal meeting with psychologist, more "free" time, dinner, bed. The same thing, day after day after day. I had been under the impression that mental hospitals were supposed to cure the insane, not create it.

I took a rare moment that I somehow found to myself to stare out one of the large floor length windows that looked out over the courtyard. Snow was falling less than peacefully. The clouds were low and dark, and wind was swirling the snow that was quickly mixing with hail into large flurries that beat relentlessly against the side of the building. I placed my hands against the glass, laying my forehead against the window between them. I could feel the slight vibrations through the glass as it was pelted by the hard balls of ice. Coolness spread quickly across my fingertips, making my hands feel like they were separate from the rest of my body. I focused my eyes in the center of one of the flurries, watching the snowflakes and hail jump and swirl in beautiful patterns off of the center. The more I watched the snow, the more lost I became in the patterns. I concentrated on the swirling ice crystals so hard and long that unwanted memories started randomly resurfacing in my mind with each new dizzying pattern

"Zexion, darling, how was school today?" My mother said sweetly, placing a bowl of mashed potatoes down on the center of the table before taking her seat across from me.

"Thank you dear." My father said, giving my mom a hard half-smile as he reached across to slide the bowl closer to him. "Zexion," He addressed me without turning his head or his eyes the slightest to look at me. "Answer you're mother's question."

"It was good." I returned her reassured smile. I loved my mother, so I didn't like lying to her like this. She had always taken care of me and stood up for me against everyone. Except one person, but I tried not to hold that against her. Truthfully, my day had been horrible. Ienzo followed me the entire day, leaning against the back wall of my classrooms, sitting on the bleachers during gym class. I had tried to pretend he wasn't there, focusing too hard on trying to pay attention to my teachers and what my friends were talking about. Finally I had gotten a hall pass from one of my teachers and confronted him in the bathroom.

"Why can't you leave me alone and disappear just like how you came, so I can be normal?" Ienzo had only smiled at me, his eyes filled with sadness.

"Soon I'm going to be all you have Zexion." He said, tears suddenly pricking at his eyes. "I know you don't believe me, but it's true. Everyone is going to turn on you, even your mother."

"Did anything exciting happen?" My mother continued, peacefully scooping her food in a neat little pile before picking it up with her fork.

"No, not really." I mumbled, looking down at my plate. The chair next to my mother suddenly slid back, scraping loudly across the floor. I didn't need to look up to see who it was.

"Why don't you tell her hm?" Ienzo said, looking down the table at my family; my father sitting at the head of the table where he thought he belonged, my mother and I flanking his sides like loyal servants. I stared hard at my plate, refusing to acknowledge him.

"Did Riku and his mother get back from their vacation yet?" The conversation my mother was attempting to hold was strained.

"Yea, they got home yesterday." I pushed my food around on my plate, no longer hungry.

"She's going to find out someday, and it would be better if just told her now." Ienzo shuffled his feet across the floor. I still didn't look up.

"Oh that's good. I must get that pie recipe from his mother. It's divine."

"Tell her, or I will." Ienzo raised his voice, standing up from the chair.

"Not now Ienzo." I muttered without thinking. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned dark. I closed my eyes and kept my head down as I heard my mother drop her fork down.

"Zexion please, not this again." I opened my eyes to look at her. Tears had already started streaking down her cheeks. She stood up silently.

"Mom, please, I didn't mean…" I trailed off, words failing me.

"I think I want to go lay down for awhile." She looked down at me, taking a shaky breath. She shuffled across the floor behind my father, leaning down to kiss my hair. "I love you sweetheart." She whispered, running one of her hands lightly through my hair once. She quickly left the kitchen. I listened to her footsteps cross the living room, and open and close the door to the basement, where she couldn't hear anything. Just like she wanted.

"Upstairs, now." My father stood up from the table, giving me a death glare as he waited for me to walk out of the kitchen first. I could hear him stomping along behind me as I obediently trudged through the living room and up the stairs, walking through my bedroom door at the end of the hall.

As soon as he got through the doorway he slammed the door shut behind him, staring at me in the dark. His eyes glinted from the small streak of moonlight coming through the window.

"When I asked your mother to marry me when you were just three years old, I agreed to take care of you, to mold you into a respectable and good young man. I never thought I would have to deal with all this." He took a few steps towards me. I held my ground, even though I felt like I was about to be sick.

"Why did you mention your little illusions? You know that they upset her."

"I didn't mean to." His jaw tightened at my answer. He took another step, and I closed my eyes, anticipating what was about to happen.

The hard knuckles slamming against the side of my nose was harder than I had anticipated, much harder than he had ever hit me before. I lost my balance and fell sideways onto the floor. I could already feel blood starting to slide down towards my chin. He kicked me roughly in the stomach, chuckling darkly at the whimper I wasn't able to hold back.

"You will never mention these stupid little things to your mother again, you hear me?" He yanked roughly at my hair, forcing me to look up at him. I nodded meekly, willing him silently to leave in my head.

"Get up." He pulled hard on my hair again. I stood up, shaky, fighting hard against the emotions threatening to take over. I couldn't let him see me cry, it was what he wanted. He grabbed my chin, raising my eyes till they met his.

"I'm going to make sure you never let that slip again." Before I could even think about replying or brace myself for another blow before he grabbed my shoulders and flipped me around and practically throwing me down on the floor. I hit my head hard, stars exploding in front of my eyes. I heard his knees crack as he got down on the floor next to me.

"And don't even think about trying to stop me." He reached up under my hips and quickly unbuttoned my pants, yanking them down quickly before undoing his own. He leaned down so his mouth was next to my ear. "Try not to scream, we wouldn't want to worry your mother now would we?" I gave up on trying to hold back my frightened tears, letting them fall freely down my face. He grabbed my hips roughly, making me whimper again. My brain was working in slow motion; I couldn't get anything to work. If I could just fight back, catch him off guard, I could get out; out of the house, into the car, and somewhere, anywhere, but here. But nothing was cooperating. I was paralyzed to the floor, at the mercy of my father. I caught a glimpse of movement on the bed above, and shifted my eyes to look up at Ienzo, helpless in trying to help me. He was crying, the tears I had seen in his eyes at school finally spilling over. My attention was turned abruptly back to my father, who had lifted my hips up until my knees were bent. I sucked in a quick breath, praying that it would be over soon just as he…

"Zexion?" I pulled myself gratefully away from swirling snow and the memory, turning to see who had saved me without realizing it. Lexaeus was eyeing my carefully.

"Are you okay?" I noticed all of the movement going on around us. Patients and nurses were everywhere.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?" My hands slowly started regain warmth, making them tingle.

"You look a little sick, and you looked like you were staring at something horrifying." He glanced out the window at the blowing snow, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm fine I was just…thinking is all." I managed to pull off looking calm. It must have worked.

"Alright. Well it's time for dinner, and no one could find you, so I came looking for you." People kept brushing past us in their lines, nurses bustling about from one line to another.

"Let's go then." We weaved our way through the groups of people, away from the intoxicating snow flurries.


"Do you know what tomorrow is?" Larxene sighed, pulling a chair into the small space in between Vexen and me around the small card table. I heard Vexen sigh in annoyance.

"I really don't care." Vexen snapped, looking at her in disgust.

"It's Christmas Eve, and the day I finally get away from you assholes." She twirled a lock of hair around her fingers, smiling like she had just won the lottery.

"I'm so very happy for you." Saix retorted from across the table. There were way too many of us for one small table. It hadn't seemed that way until Larxene sat down.

I tuned her and everyone else out, scanning over each one around me, and in the entire room. Saix and Xemnas were sitting across the table from Vexen, Larxene, and I. Something was….odd between them, something I had somehow missed before. I ignored it for the time being and scanned beyond the small table. Roxas was looking out the window with Namine, talking about something that was making her smile. She was seemed calmer around him, more relaxed and open. Roxas wasn't very intimidating, especially when by himself. No wonder she would flock to him easier than anyone else in the Organization. Demyx was sitting on the couch, still bent over the sketchpad he had had with himself over the past week or so. Marluxia, Axel, Xigbar and Luxord were all at group counseling. I had no idea where Xaldin or Lexaeus were.

"Maybe I'll just never come back. I'll just convince my parents to move away. To somewhere extravagant." Larxene waved her hands around in the air to exemplify her point. "You would all miss me then."

"With all my heart and soul." I said, watching Demyx more on the couch than paying attention to her. She caught my sarcasm and humphed.

"Just you wait. You will miss me, all of you. You won't know what to do without my charm and sweetness to make your days better." Saix snorted softly, dipping his head down to chuckle softly to himself. Larxene smiled at him, even though he wasn't looking.

"This bunch needs someone who isn't afraid to be a bitch to keep it together." She said, haughtily standing up from the table. She turned on her heel, walking towards the door.

"Just you wait." She called over her shoulder, laughing shrilly, making at least half of the room wince. I was quickly coming to discover that Larxene practically lived for these conversations, for being the center of attention when the opportunity arouse.

"Finally. I don't know how many more of her intrusions I can take." Vexen rubbed at his temples.

"I think that her trip home is more of a vacation for us than for her." Saix said, finally lifting his head back up." I looked up at the clock. I had a little less than fifteen minutes before I had my personal meeting with Dr. Dunbar. It would be right on time, as always. Routine routine routine. If any more routine was shoved down my throat, I wasn't going to make it out of here alive. I was starting to feel a hint suicidal-ness pushing against the back of my brain, looking for a way in.

I glanced at the clock again. Barely two minutes had passed. Of all of my days here, this one had to be the longest of them all. It was going to be my first Christmas sans my father's presence, which meant no burning trees, no one being reduced to tears, and no new bruises to bring back to insane world with me.

I pulled away from that thought, turning to look out the window. Snow had started to fall, but it was softer than had been the day before. Only a light breeze was disturbing the flakes this time. I looked away from the snow. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I was wary about looking out in the snow again, scared I might find another repressed memory. It was just snow; it couldn't do anything to me.

I sat in silence, focusing so hard on trying to reassure myself that my mind was playing tricks on me, that I didn't realize that the other three around the table were looking at me strangely.

"Zexion?" Xemnas said, breaking my deep thinking and bringing me back to the scene before me. Saix had one eyebrow raised, Vexen had narrowed his eyes, and Xemnas was looking at me with curiosity. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"You seem strange." Hadn't I just had this conversation with Lexaeus last night?

"I'm fine." I repeated ignoring the window that I could see out of the corner of my eye.

"You have seemed off lately." Saix said, locking his eyes one mine. I hated his eyes. He always looked like he was staring right through you, and he could force anyone into making eye contact with him.

"I'm fine." I repeated for a third time, dropping my eyes slightly so they weren't connected to Saix's anymore. Vexen looked away. Saix and Xemnas let the conversation drop. I looked back up at the clock. Seven minutes. I stood up from the table.

"I have a meeting." I said simply, turning away and talking out of the door. I could feel their eyes on me as I left, knowing that they would be discussing me and my strangeness as of late within seconds.

I walked down the hallway in mute silence with a monitor, focusing on the sounds of my footsteps echoing off the walls, not looking out any of the windows.


I trudged slowly down the empty corridor, determined to prove to myself that I could look out into the snow and not have to be afraid of doing so. It was a stupid, asinine thing to be afraid of. It was late, at least one-thirty in the morning. No one else was out of their rooms. The hallways were kind of eerie empty. Most of the lights were off, except for the emergency ones.

I reached the main floor, the cold marble quickly seeping through my thin socks. The lights were on out in the courtyard, shining brightly through the windows and making a large patch of light on the floor. I slid quickly across the floors to the windows, refusing to let myself hesitate. I came to a stop in front of the windows, looking straight out into the snow. The snow was falling steadily in big, thick flakes. All of the wind had died down, letting the snow crystals fall freely down at their own pace. There were no flurries to suck me in. The snow was calming this way, almost instantly relaxing my nerves.

I was about to turn back to go to my room, hopefully to be able to sleep in peace, when a movement in the courtyard caught my eye. I turned back, stepping up right against the glass to see better. I caught glimpses of movement here and there, as if someone was pacing. Who in their right mind would be out in the snow at this hour? I was about to leave again, and leave whoever was out there to their follies, when I saw it. The all too familiar blonde hair came into view. Demyx.

Without hesitation I pulled open the glass door, stepping out into snow. Instantly I regretted it. It was freezing. The fat snowflakes immediately clung to my hair and clothes, sticking to my eyelashes. On top of that, I wasn't wearing any shoes, which made everything a thousand times colder. For a moment I almost went back in. Demyx hadn't noticed me and had stopped pacing and was sitting down on one of the stone benches. Instead I forced my feet forward, deeper and deeper in the snow. Drifts were forming in the corners of the courtyard and up against the sides of the benches.

"Demyx," I stopped, a few yards away from the bench he was sitting on. His head shot up, his eyes full of surprise. "…what are you doing? It's freezing out here."

"Well I…I um…I just needed to…" Demyx stumbled over his words, not meeting my eyes. "I just needed to think about something." He finally finished, looking up slightly at me.

"Out here in the snow?" I crossed the rest of the distance between us and sat down on the bench next to him.

"Yea, it just seemed kind of peaceful, and I needed a quiet place to think." He hugged his arms around his chest, clearly as cold as I was.

"What did you need to think about?" This was the most we had talked since our talk in the dining hall all those weeks ago. More time had passed than I had realized.

He took a deep breath, looking straight out in front of him. "Okay, here goes; I wanted to give you something for Christmas, because…I like Zexion. I know you don't think so because of what happened that day during dinner, so I wanted to give you something, to show you that I'm sorry and I know you probably don't want to forgive me but I had to do something." He stopped and looked at me, his eyes full of apprehension. My stomach had dropped before he was even half way finished. It took me a second to regain my composure.

"Well, what…what is it?" I said, stammering like a first grader on the first day of school.

He took another deep breath and reached into the pocket of his soft pants and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it gingerly to me.

It was a drawing of me, leaning with my elbows against a table, my head in my hands. Books were piled on the table around me. Bookcases in the background were full of even more of them, all piled at odd intervals, none of them stacked neatly. One book was open next to my elbows, some of the pages coming up as if the book was about to close from having too stiff of a spine.

Snowflakes had landed on the drawing while I stared at it, making spots of the lead smudge. I held it protectively against my chest, turning to look at Demyx in amazement.

"Do you like it?" He asked nervously, wringing his hands in his lap.

"Of course I do. No one has ever given me anything like this before." I smiled at him reassuringly. Instantly he returned, obviously glad he had pleased me.

"I was really hoping that you would." He smiled again, reminding me of why I had felt attraction towards him in the first place. I folded the picture carefully back up and tucked it deep into my pocket, protecting it from the snow. Demyx had started examining a large snow drift in the corner of the courtyard. He looked back at me, the loveable smile still on his lips.

"Come make a snow angel with me." He hopped up from the bench and grabbed my hand before I had a chance to give him an answer. He pulled me across the courtyard, my feet losing the last of their feeling. Demyx practically dove into the large snow bank. I followed him, with less of the gusto. He laughed and laid down flat on top of the snow, moving his arms and legs in wide circles.

"Come on, make one." He said, glancing up at me. I laid down next to him, the numbness quickly working its way up my legs. I copied his motions, unable to resist smiling at his laugh.

When we finally had gotten back inside dripping wet, my entire body felt tingly as it welcomed the warmth of indoors. Demyx shook his head, sending water and quickly melting snow to splatter all over the walls and floor, and me. I wrinkled my nose as the drops hit my face.

"Oops." He said, smiling shyly. "Sorry."

"It's alright." I smiled back, feeling lighter than I had in what felt like forever. We headed upstairs and went our separate ways once we got to his floor. He gave me once last smile.

"I'll see you when you get back then." He said, pausing and turning back to look at me. "Merry Christmas Zexion."

I returned his happy, content gaze. "Merry Christmas Demyx."


"Oh baby!" My mother pressed my face against her shoulder, hugging me as close as possible. I returned her hug, with the fake white Christmas tree glittering in the background. It probably looked like we were a holiday movie still.

"You look good mom." She did. She had put on a little weight, so she didn't look as frail. She had cut her hair so it slanted from longest in the front to short in the back, and didn't look like she was at gun point. Getting rid of my dad had been better for her than she thought it would be.

Well, if she hadn't finally called the police when I tried to commit suicide, he might still be there. I tried not to think about that, instead I focused on what was in front of me. My mom as the woman I used to know what I was little. I leaned down and grabbed the small bag that held the few things that I was taking home with me; mainly just things like my toothbrush. I was wearing the clothes that I had arrived in, the only clothing I had that wasn't simple solid color shirts and sweat pants. It felt good to be in the familiar clothing, hanging at different angles, instead of flat and straight down like everything I wore here.

She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me towards the front doors. I glanced back briefly to take in the sight of the painfully fake tree once more before turning back to look out at the world beyond that I used to belong to, trying to forget the fact that I would have to come back through these doors the other way on the 27th.

"We're going to have such a wonderful holiday." My mother mused in the car, her face full of life. I hadn't seen her so happy and so upbeat about everything in so long; I didn't think she was capable of it anymore. "Thanksgiving was so lonely and odd without you there."

"What did you do for Thanksgiving?" I asked her; suddenly curious of what she could have done without me or my father.

"I went to Twilight Town, to see you aunt." She explained. "It was nice, a good vacation, but it would have been better with you." She paused before continuing. "But that's alright. Christmas is the important holiday anyway."

"Of course." I turned to look out the window, the surroundings starting to get more and more familiar. Butterflies of excitement had swelled up in my stomach. Now that today had finally gotten here, it didn't seem real.

She turned into our driveway, making my heart leap into my throat. My house sat before me, every inch of it just like I remembered. The house that had once felt like prison to me now looked like a God send.

Walking up the steps felt like a dream, one where I couldn't move fast enough towards my goal. My mother unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal heaven.


I sat in complete silence in the car, staring moodily out the window. I didn't want to go back. The past three days had gone so quickly in contrast to the weeks leading up to them.

Just like my mother had promised, it had been a wonderful holiday. She had found present after present to put under the tree, even if most of them were small things. I didn't care; I was surprised enough that she had even given me anything at all. Most of it was things that I knew I couldn't take back to the hospital with me, but she had been thoughtful enough to find things that I could. In return I had cooked dinner on both Christmas Eve and Christmas night, refusing to let her help or cook anything. We spent most of the day after Christmas watching old movies and catching up, mainly on what was going on in her life, there wasn't much exciting going on in mine. I didn't tell her about what had happened with Demyx, but I did tell her about everyone in the Organization. She found all the stories about them amusing, and their mannerisms just as entertaining as I had.

She pulled into a parking space out front, quickly getting out. I followed suit robotically, pulling open the door and retrieving my bag from the floor, bigger than when I had left. I would have to have everything in it inspected before I was allowed to go to my room. And I would have to change back into the sweat pants and baggy shirts.

I sighed heavily as my mom pulled me into a hug in the lobby, the giant Christmas tree no longer providing us a movie scene backdrop. She rested her chin on top of my head for a minute, before pulling back to look at me.

"I'll see you soon sweetheart, I promise." She smiled reassuringly, running her fingers through my hair. "I love you."

"I love you too." We hugged again before we broke apart. She gave me one last smile and wave as she was half-way out of the door, and then she disappeared around the corner, the door sliding slowly shut behind her.

I sighed and turned my back on the front and walked slowly back to hell.