A/N: It's time for some more Holiday fun in the Castle. Now I don't know about many other people, but one of my favorite activities to do is gift wrapping. My mother would pull all of my presents from the ones that had been purchased and let me sit and wrap everyone else's! I like to do pretty little bows and fold the paper in fun designs. I always tell my friends that around the holiday's I should try to find a job somewhere that they need someone to wrap all the gifts, because I love it!
Also, I love the idea of these three hanging out together; they are some of my favorite Kingdom Hearts characters.
I don't own the rights to any of the characters or products mentioned in this chapter. Hope you enjoy 3
Chapter 9: All Wrapped Up
Namine, Roxas & Xion
As Saix walked through the Castle, he noticed that it seemed to be quite empty. He moved through the halls that felt a little too quiet as his head peeked into the few open doors along the corridor. As he walked down the stairs he looked into the entryway for a sign maybe that everyone was out of the Castle. But alas, there were several pairs of boots in the large shoe rack and many cloaks hanging snugly on the hooks along the wall. He rounded the corner and noticed the large spruce tree that was now sitting off to one the far walls of the main living room. The fireplace held a few orange embers, but it was evident that it had not been stoked in a while.
He made his way through the kitchen, surprised it was empty but then thought he heard someone shouting. He turned his body and headed towards the voice. When he walked in the room, he was a little shocked at the sight before him.
"It was Colonel Mustard, with the Rope, in the Kitchen!" was shouted as he stepped into the room.
"Xem?!" Saix watched as Xemnas turned and looked at him, his Clue sheet still held in his hand.
"Oh, hey Saix" he waved with a smile. Everyone looked up from their current game they were playing and greeted Saix as he walked towards Xemnas.
"We were wondering when you were gonna show up" Xion smiled from where she sat at another table with Demyx, Luxord and Lexeaus "Uno!" she yelled placing her card on top of the pile.
Saix glanced around the room and noticed that the answer to where everyone seemed to be was right here. He looked over at another table and saw that there was a board covered in little wooden letters with random words spelled across it. Larxene, Xigbar, Vexen, Marluxia and Namine all sat around the table with a small tray in front of them holding more of the wooden letters.
"There" Marluxia said triumphantly as he placed a few more letters onto the board. "R.O.S.E.B.U.D. Rosebud"
"Do you really have to keep spelling things related to flowers?" Namine asked from across the table as she reached into the small velvet bag and pulled a few more letters out.
"What?" Marluxia shrugged. "It's my thing. I happen to love flowers, thank you very much!" he grinned as he put a few more squares unto his tray.
"We know you do, sweetie" Vexen smiled as he leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
Saix looked back to the table that Xemnas was seated at. He saw that Roxas, Axel, Xaldin and Zexion all held a small clipboard similar to the one that Xemnas had.
"We shall see" Zexion said with a smile as he reached forward and pulled the small 'Evidence' envelope from the center of the board. "And it was" they all watched as he pulled the cards out and placed them face up on the table. "Colonel Mustard….with the Rope….in the Kitchen"
"I knew it!" Xemnas shouted as everyone else sighed.
"You cheated!" Axel pointed his finger at Xemnas and watched as he shook his head.
"Oh, don't be a sore loser Axel" Xemnas rolled his eyes.
"Wanna play again?" Zexion asked collecting everyone's cards and shuffling them.
"Do you wanna play?" Xemnas turned and asked Saix who was standing with a smile behind him. "Oh, sorry. I was gonna ask you beforehand, but you were reading when I walked by and I didn't want to interrupt you."
"That's alright. Actually, I was looking for Roxas to ask him something" Saix said as he directed his attention towards Roxas.
"Yeah?" Roxas asked as he handed his cards to Zexion. He saw Saix motion for him to follow him away from the table and stood, pushing his chair back to the table as he stepped away.
Saix stopped in front of the entrance of the room and waited for Roxas to join him.
"What's up Saix?" Roxas asked as he stopped and crossed his arms in front of him.
"Can I ask you to do me a favor?" Saix asked quietly.
"Sure, but why are we whispering?" Roxas asked leaning closer to Saix.
"I'm not really sure" Saix said a little louder and watched Roxas smile. "Um anyways, I was wondering if you could wrap the gifts for everyone for me? I'm really lousy at trying to do it."
He watched as Roxas smiled wider at him and nodded a few times. "Xemnas suggested that I should ask you" Saix said.
"Can I have someone help me?" Roxas asked as he turned his head towards the group behind him.
"Uh, sure. Just let me know who so I can pull your gifts from the rest. It would just be weird to have you wrap your own presents and then act surprised when you open them." Saix said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, that makes sense" Roxas laughed. "Hey Xion, Nam!" he called over his shoulder. He watched as both of them looked up from their games and he gestured for them to come over.
Xion placed her cards face down on the table and pushed her chair out as Namine stepped behind her. They walked over to where Roxas and Saix were standing.
"What's going on guys?" Xion asked as Namine watched for the answer.
"You guys wanna help me wrap some Christmas presents?" Roxas asked both the girls.
"Ooo, sure!" Xion squealed and clapped her hands.
"Sounds like fun" Namine nodded with a smile.
"Great" Saix clapped his hands once. "Let me go and sort your gifts from the rest" he turned to walk from the room. "Where do you want me to leave them?"
"Oh, we should wrap them by the tree in front of the fireplace" Xion said with a smile.
"As long as no one comes into the room" Namine said.
"I think everyone is preoccupied in here" Roxas said with a smile as they looked around at everyone laughing while they played the games they were sitting at.
"Right, let me just finish my hand real quick" Xion said and dashed back over to the table.
"I'll let them know that I'm done" Namine said and turned to walk back to the Scrabble table.
Axel looked up from where he sat as Zexion held the cards in front of Xemnas for him to pull a card for the envelope out. "You playing Rox?" he called over to where Roxas was standing.
"No, Saix is gonna sit in for me" Roxas said as he pointed over his shoulder to where Saix had left through the room.
"What're you guys up to?" Axel asked as Roxas stepped back up next to him.
"Secret Christmas things" Roxas said with a smile as he leaned forward towards Axel. He kissed him light on the lips and watched as a smile spread across his face when he stood back up.
"Ready to go" Xion said with a smile running over and standing next to Roxas.
"Same here" Namine waved her hand as she stepped around the table and stood with the other two.
As the three turned, Roxas heard Zexion ask him something.
"What was that Zex?" Roxas turned his head and asked.
"I said, any guesses?" Zexion asked with a grin.
"Um,.." Roxas placed his hand on his chin as he thought.
"Mrs. Peacock… with the Candlestick… in the Billiard Room!" Xion and Namine shouted back and forth with a smile.
"Yeah, we'll go with that" Roxas laughed and gave a thumbs up as he heard Xion and Namine giggle.
They all waved over their shoulders as they exited the room and heard as everyone said goodbye before going back to playing their games. They were talking amongst themselves as they walked through the Castle and towards the main living room. When they entered the room, Saix was dragging a few large bags behind him as he panted and walked towards the center of the room.
"Here, let me help you with that!" Xion said and rushed forward to grab one of the bags from Saix.
"Thanks" Saix said as he handed the bag to Xion. "All the wrappings should be in that closet" he pointed to one of the closets on the other side of the room.
"I'll grab them" Namine said as she turned and headed for the closet.
Roxas walked over and placed a few more logs into the fireplace and grabbed the poker. He pushed the logs further into the hearth and watched as they easily caught flame. Xion and Saix set down the large tote bags filled to the brim with everyone's gifts.
"Wow" Namine gasped, walking over and placing several rolls of festive wrapping paper and a large bag of shiny bows on the sofa. She tossed a few rolls of clear tape next to the paper and began to walk towards Xion. "You and Xemnas went all out this year" she glanced into one of the bags with a smile.
"This is gonna be fun!" Xion clapped her hands and began to pull the gifts from one of the bags.
"Okay, now I've placed a sticky note with names of the recipient on their gift or just labeled them in a bag of their own" Saix said as Roxas walked over and started to rummage through one of the bags.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm gonna see if Xem can wrap the gifts we bought for you guys, and I've already taken care of his"
"I think we got it covered Si" Namine said with a smile as she placed another one of Demyx's gifts in his pile. "Now, go have some fun"
"Thanks a lot guys" Saix waved with a smile as he walked out of the room.
As they sorted through the totes of presents, Xion began to hum 'Jingle Bells' and smile cheerfully. She looked up to see Roxas smiling at her and couldn't help but smile back. Namine placed another gift on a pile and turned to walk towards the corner of the room. She flipped a switch on the radio sitting on a shelf and the familiar sounds of well-known Christmas songs began to fill the room.
"No offence Xion," Namine said as she walked back towards the center of the room. "But I'd like a little more variety"
"Yeah, me too" Xion said with a smile and started to sing 'Frosty the Snowman' along with the radio.
"Okay" Roxas stood and looked around at all the piles that were placed around them. "How should we do this?" he asked.
"Can I wrap the stuff for Demyx and Zexion?" Xion asked as she held up the 'Maximum Ride' book series in her hands.
"Sure" Roxas nodded.
"Here" Namine pushed the pile of gifts for Axel towards Roxas. "It only makes sense that you wrap your boyfriend's gifts" she said with a smile.
"Right" Roxas nodded as he smiled and let Namine place Axel's gifts in his arms.
"Here Nami" Xion pointed towards a few piles by her. "These are for Xaldin, Larxene and Marluxia" she looked at the pretty red plant that sat in a decorated pot. "I'm not sure how to wrap a plant, and you're the crafty one" she held up the poinsettia.
Namine reached over and grabbed the plant from Xion and said with a laugh "No guessing who this is for!"
They all said the name in unison "Marluxia" and started to laugh.
"Oh, here Xion" Roxas handed her a large white box. "This is for Xigbar. It's already in a box, but I think it needs some decorative paper on it"
"Alright" Xion nodded as she took the box from Roxas. "Do you wanna wrap the gifts for Vexen and Lexaeus?" she handed him two small bags filled with gifts.
"And Luxord?" Namine handed him another bag.
"Okay, no problem" Roxas nodded and took the bags from them.
"So is everyone covered?" Namine asked looking around.
"Not yet" Xion giggled "But they will be!" she smiled and grabbed a roll of blue paper covered in snowmen.
Namine rolled her eyes and smiled towards Xion. "Not what I meant"
"I think we got them all" Roxas said as he reached towards the couch for a roll of paper that was decked out in trees and reindeer.
"Let's get to work then" Namine smiled as she picked up a custom apron made for Xaldin and began to fold it.
The radio played merry tunes that Roxas, Xion and Namine all sang to as they cut paper, wrapped ribbon, and placed clear tape on the many different gifts. Every once in a while, one of them would make a comment about how happy someone was going to be when they opened their present on Christmas morning. Roxas made the comment that you would be able to tell what he had wrapped, because his penmanship wasn't as pretty as Xion or Namine's.
"I don't think anyone will really mind Rox" Xion said while she placed the last gift for Demyx back into the tote. She had made sure to make the ribbons around it have pretty curls before placing it in the bag.
"I'm out of tape" Namine said while she held her finger over one of the folded corners of the gift she was wrapping for Marluxia.
"Here Nami" Xion tossed her one the rolls by sitting by her. "I'm done with mine"
"Thanks Xion" Namine said as she caught the tape.
"I'm done too" Roxas said, placing the last of Luxord's gifts back into the tote.
"And finished" Namine said with a smile as she placed the label onto the gift. "Let's see where Saix wants us to put these" she said as she placed the gift in a tote.
"I can take care of them for you"
They all turned their heads to see Xemnas walking into the living room.
"I need to put the paper and tape away anyways, that way I can finish wrapping the remaining gifts" he said as he stopped in the room and looked around.
"You mean ours?" Xion asked with a smile as she stood up from the spot she had been sitting while wrapping gifts.
Xemnas nodded with a smile. "I have to wrap my gift for Saix as well" he said as Roxas picked up a bag and handed it to him. "Thank you guys so much for doing all this"
"No problem" Roxas said as he stood up.
"Want some help?" Namine asked him as she lifted another tote from the floor.
"No peeking" Xemnas pointed at her with a smile.
Namine crossed her finger over her chest and held her hand up. "Promise"
Xion handed Xemnas her bag of gifts as Namine began to collect a few of the rolls of wrapping paper and tape.
"I can't believe Christmas is only a few days away!" Xion squealed with a smile as she jumped up and down.
"Me either" Roxas said as he stepped over and turned the radio off. "C'mon Xion, let's go see what everyone else is playing" Roxas reached out and grabbed Xion's hand and pulled her through the living room quickly as they headed towards the back of the Castle.
Namine and Xemnas looked at each other with a smile before they turned and started walking up the stairs.
