It's not...whatever day I said you'd get two updates on. Um, this would have been up on Sunday, but my net at home was down for some reason and I had to wait to get back to school to update. So, here it is. I'm sorry.

WARNINGS: touchy Axel, assertive Xion, LARXENE, spazzy Sora, college, and Christmas presents

They were all sitting around the table at lunch. It was now December 3, and Roxas decided it was time to ask an important question.

"What do you guys want for Christmas?"

"Nothing." Axel was the first to reply, without any hesitation.

Roxas blinked. "What do you mean, nothing? It's Christmas. You're getting something."

"Nothing means nothing."

"Tough luck."

"I will never speak to you again."

Roxas gave Axel a funny look. "Why does it matter that much?"

"Because Christmas is a highly commercialized holiday now, and I really hate commercial holidays." It was only a half lie, so Axel could get away with it.

"That's bullshit."

"It's not."

"Yeah, it is."

"Prove it."

"How am I supposed to prove that?"

"You can't and that's the point."

"You're getting something for Christmas, and that's the point."

"Fine, but don't expect anything in return." Now Axel was just being a liar.

"That's fine with me." Roxas really didn't care. He liked buying presents for his friends for Christmas. He was good at it. He didn't care so much if they gave him gifts back.

"I hate you sometimes."

"Why?"

"Because you're so goddamn ridiculous."

"How is it ridiculous that I want to give my friends Christmas presents? That's not 'goddamn ridiculous' at all."

"I say it is. And I'm supreme ruler of everything."

Roxas was annoyed. "Well, supreme ruler of everything, you're getting a fucking Christmas present, so get used to it."

"You can't say fucking and Christmas in the same sentence. That just sounds wrong," Demyx piped up out of nowhere.

"Demyx, I would advise staying out of this one," Zexion whispered.

"I was just sharing my opinion..."

"In your opinion you said Christmas and the f bomb in the same sentence," Zexion pointed out helpfully.

"Well, crap." Demyx pouted.

Roxas debated asking the rest of the table what they wanted, since Axel was the only one who answered, but he decided against it. It would be more fun surprising them, anyway.

However, his question had set something in place. Usually, it was a mad scramble the week before Christmas to get everyone gifts, but now it was on everyone's minds.

"Axellll," Larxene trilled shrilly, walking up to him in Art History. Axel was sitting by himself, and she thought he could do with some company. "What are you getting me for Christmas?"

Axel looked at her. "A muzzle."

"Ooh, kinky."

"Wait, never mind." He should have guessed she'd take that the completely wrong way.

Larxene frowned, looking angry. "Why do you always do that, Axel?"

"Do what?"

"You always act repulsed by the idea of sex. Trust me, I know your history, and I'm not a fool. You like it quite a bit."

"Just not with you."

A wicked grin lit up Larxene's face. "Oh really?"

"Don't."

"Don't what, Axel?" The grin was still there, eerie and ominous.

"You know what!"

"I do?" Larxene was playing dumb.

"Yes, you do."

"But, Axel. You would enjoy it just as much as I would... and I don't know. I'm afraid that I might let something slip otherwise. You've been so distant lately. It's like we're not even dating." Larxene wore a pout, but her eyes gleamed sadistically.

"Whatever."

"We're having sex, or your secret is out."

"We're not having sex."

"I'll give you a month to change your mind." For the first time in the conversation, Larxene looked deadly serious. "Otherwise, you will regret it, and that's a promise."

Axel just shrugged nonchalantly.

Larxene sensed that her threats weren't as effective anymore. She would have to find new leverage... meanwhile, she decided she would press her advantage while she still had it. She slid onto his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist. Putting one hand on the small of his back and one hand behind his head, she leaned in and kissed him. He didn't put much effort into the kiss, but he didn't resist her, either.

He couldn't resist her. It wasn't an option.

After all, she had all the power.

"Demyx," Zexion said, "You know I am just going to give people books. I do every year." Demyx was giving Zexion the inquisition about presents. It seemed to be on everyone's minds, and Zex didn't particularly care.

"Can you maybe not give me a book this year?"

Zex grinned. "You'll get a book. You really, really should read this one, though." Zexion already had his present for Demyx picked out. It made him nervous and excited and there was the potential that Demyx could completely miss it.

"But I don't like books."

"You'll like this one. Trust me."

Demyx looked at him strangely. "If you say so..."

"I do."

"Fine."

"What are you planning on doing for people?"

"I don't know."

"Are you planning on working something out last-minute like always?"

"Probably. When have I ever planned ahead?"

"That reminds me," Zexion said, changing the topic a bit. "What's your plan for next year?"

Demyx shrugged. "Don't have one."

"College?"

"Nope."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Don't want to go."

"You really should."

"No."

"Please, Dem?"

"No, Zex."

Zex looked visibly upset.

Demyx frowned.

"But... I am going off to college, and I want... I want you to be there with me. Long-distance sounds miserable."

After a moment of silence, Demyx said, "I'll think about it."

Zexion smiled. "Thank you."

"You really don't have to thank me for that."

"The fact that you're considering it makes me happy." Zexion knew that actually getting Demyx to follow through would be difficult, but it was a step in the right direction.

"I like it when you're happy."

"Me too."

Having gotten what he wanted from the conversation, Zexion set the matter aside for the time being. However, he fully intended to pursue it later, to get a concrete yes.

"Roxas, Roxas, Roxas!" Sora nearly tackled the blond boy in his haste to get to him. "Help!"

"With what?"

"It's like two weeks before Christmas and I don't have a present for Riku yet and I've been thinking about it for weeks and I can't think of anything and you're good at presents and stuff so I thought maybe you could help." Sora stopped and took a deep breath since he had been speaking very rapidly without taking breaks to breathe. "Please?"

"Sure. Do you have anything in mind?" Roxas was amused that Sora came to ask him. He WAS good at presents, though.

"No..."

"Hmmmm... what do you think Riku would like?"

"He likes lots of things. I just... You guys are graduating next semester and going to college in the fall and I want it to be spec-" Sora started to rant again before Roxas cut him off.

"You like Riku, don't you, Sor?"

"W-what gives you that idea?"

"Sor, come on. I know you better than that."

"That doesn't answer my question..."

"I can tell. You look at him differently than other people."

Sora was quiet.

"It's okay, Sora."

"Hm?"

"You like Riku. It's all good."

"It's all good?"

"It's all good."

"Okay..."

"So. Present."

"Right."

Roxas thought for a second. "Is there something important to you that he would appreciate?"

"But...doing something like that would totally tell him that I like him and I..."

"And? Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because."

"Because why? I seriously doubt he'll have an issue with it."

"Maybe I don't want him to know."

"Why not?"

"I seriously doubt anything would come from him knowing, so what difference would it make if he knows or doesn't know? Besides him knowing."

"You don't know that for a fact."

"I've known him longer than you have."

"So? That doesn't mean anything."

"Says who?"

"Says me. Larxene has known Axel for way longer than me, but I feel like she doesn't know a thing about him, comparatively."

"You just compared yourself to Larxene..."

"Only pointing out that I am better."

"You still compared yourself to her."

Roxas frowned. "Your point is?"

"She's...icky."

"Yeah. I agree. However, my point still stands."

"That you're better than her?"

"No. That knowing a person for a long time doesn't mean you know everything about them. You don't know that Riku doesn't like you back, or that he might if you told him you like him."

"But...he's like the straightest guy ever."

"Sometimes people surprise you. I never would have guessed that Zexion wasn't straight."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

"This isn't helping you at all with your Christmas present, is it?"

"Not really, but it is interesting."

"Interesting how?"

"It just...is. I don't know how to explain it. Did I surprise you?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Not really."

"That's sort of disappointing."

Roxas laughed. "Sor, I hate to break it to you, but you aren't discreet."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?"

"Remember on Halloween when you told me I have an attractive chest? You are always making comments like that. Usually geared towards Riku, but often towards guys in general. You never say those things about girls."

"I think that's because I don't have much of a filter between my brain and my mouth."

"Probably. We're off-topic again." Conversations with Sora were always off-topic.

"Being off-topic is fun. But, you're right."

"So. Presents..." Roxas tried to be helpful. "I still think you could handle it two ways. Give him something you know he would really, really like, or give him something that he knows is important to you that you are willing to part with. He knows you well. He'll know it means something." Roxas knew it probably sounded like weird advice, but he didn't really care. He knew Riku and he knew Sora, and that was his best suggestion.

"Yeah, maybe..." Sora scrunched up his nose like he always did when he was thinking really hard about something.

"It's something to think about," Roxas said, shrugging.

"I think I know what to do now."

Roxas smiled. "I'm glad. Now, I've got homework I need to procrastinate."

"Procrastination is bad, Rox."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. You know I always pull off As."

"Barely."

"Barely an A is still an A."

"Mine are better."

"But our GPAs are the same."

"You have a year more of school than me."

"You're in a lot of advanced classes anyway, just like I was."

"So?"

"So I need to get work done." Roxas looked at his watch. "I have to go in an hour, and I have to write half of a paper." Roxas felt bad essentially hustling Sora out of his room, but he did need to actually buckle down and do work.

Sora sighed. "If you didn't procrastinate..."

"Then I'd be you, and the world would turn upside down. I love you, kid. Good luck with Riku."

"There's nothing wrong with being me. And I'm not a kid!"

"Yeah, yeah. Work time. We'll talk later, okay?"

"You're such a jerk sometimes, Roxas. But, okay."

"I don't mean to be, I promise."

"I know."

"Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Maybe."

Roxas grinned. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, then."

"I didn't say yes!"

"Bye, Sor."

"Screw you, Rox."

"Nope. Save that for Riku. I'm still straight."

"Riku says he doesn't screw kids or something like that."

Roxas cracked up. "I forgot you're still not legal."

"I sort of will be in April."

"You aren't yet. Either way, work." Roxas and Sora always had issues saying goodbye. They were both too easily distracted.

"Work is for losers who put it off til the last minute."

"And griping about it is for losers who did it months ago and get the exact same grade. Goodbye, Sora."

"Don't really make me leave..."

"If you stay you can't talk."

"I can do homework."

Roxas sighed. He knew that there was no point in trying to get Sora to leave. Rox himself didn't really want Sora gone, he just wanted to have some quiet to work. "Then you can stay."

"Yay!"

The pair worked together until it was time for Roxas to go to soccer.

The next day, Xion was sitting by herself in the cafeteria. The others hadn't gotten there quite yet, so she was saving a table. Meanwhile, as she waited, she was reading. She liked books. Books were nice. They made her happy, especially on days when she should be very stressed. Exams were coming within a few weeks, and she was a bit worried. However, she knew she would be fine. She had always been fine in the past, and whenever she got too scared, Zexion or Demyx or one of the others would reassure her that she would do just fine.

Next to show up was Axel. For once, he was free of Larxene clinging to him. "Hey, Xion," he said as he sat down at the table. The two of them didn't really talk much, but they were still sort of friends after all.

"Hello, Axel!" Xion smiled.

"What's up?"

"The sky! And the clouds and the birds and the sun! I like the sun."

Axel laughed. "I didn't mean literally."

"Oh, right." Xion frowned for a second, like she was thinking hard. "Nothing. What's up for you?"

"Just lots of thinking."

Xion set her book down. "What kind of thinking?"

"About the holidays."

"What kind of thinking about the holidays?" The only kind of thinking Xion did about the holidays was the excited kind.

"The dreading kind."

Xion frowned. "Why dreading? That is sad. Christmas is supposed to be happy!"

Axel shrugged.

Xion hugged Axel. "I'm here if you want to talk."

"Thanks, Xion. But, I'd just end up sounding whiny..."

"That's okay. I don't mind."

"No, really."

"I don't mind," Xion said, sounding surprisingly firm.

"I'm serious. I don't want to talk about it."

Xion gave Axel the best puppy dog eyes she could muster up.

"Stop that..."

Xion did not stop.

"Xion."

"Axel."

"Please?"

"You seem really sad, and I just want to help. The others aren't around, and no one ever tells me what's going on." Xion looked sad, making her puppy dog eyes practically tragic.

"You LOOK sad." Axel sighed. "It's really not important, and I'm honestly not that upset or sad or whatever."

"Not that upset or sad still means slightly upset or sad," Xion insisted.

"You know, I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much."

"I don't usually have much to say. You guys are more interesting to listen to." Xion thought for a second before her eyes narrowed. The suspicious look seemed completely foreign to her face. "You're trying to change the subject, aren't you?"

"I'm not. And you should really talk more. It'd probably be more interesting than just listening."

"You are," Xion said stubbornly. "And I... just don't really like talking. You guys are smart and funny and nice and I am glad we are friends, and I never have much to contribute to conversations, anyway. I'm happier not talking."

"It'd be nice if you talked, I think."

"Why?"

"Just do."

Xion frowned. "Bossypants." Axel telling her to talk more didn't mean she actually would.

"What even..."

"You're being a bossypants."

"I am not."

Xion pouted. She would concede to that one if she was able to work in her next point.

Axel grinned.

"You're still avoiding the topic. I'm happy you are smiling again, but you never answered my question. What's wrong, Axe?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Okay. Then why did you look unhappy earlier?"

"I didn't."

"Axel, you're being a lying liar."

"You're like a small child sometimes..."

"You're dodging again."

"I am not."

"Axel. I may not talk much, but I am not an idiot, I promise." That gave Xion an idea. "Speaking of which, I've decided I'm not talking again until you tell me what's bothering you." It wasn't a very Xion-like tactic, but Xion wasn't acting like she usually did around her friends. This was the longest conversation she had had with anyone outside her family in a long time.

"That's not a highly effective threat..."

Xion didn't say a word.

Axel was also quiet.

The silence didn't abate. People started showing up at the table. Xion didn't say a word throughout lunch. Although she was generally quiet, she at least chimed in every once in a while, usually. The others seemed unnerved by her complete silence.

Axel was strangely quiet as well, which only added to the discomfort at the table.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Roxas finally asked.

"Nothing."

"Xion appears to have gone mute and you have said a total of ten words all lunch. That's not nothing," Zexion pointed out.

"Yes, it fucking is."

Xion merely shrugged.

Zexion didn't believe for a second that nothing was up, but he knew Axel well enough by that point. If Axel didn't want to talk about it, it wouldn't be discussed.

Silence fell again, and Demyx was in the music room, so he wasn't around to fill it.

The bell rang soon after, and everyone went off to class vaguely unsettled.

Last period ended, and Xion had not said a word since lunch. She had only seen Axel in the hallways, but every time they saw each other, he was met by a blank face and complete silence. It was very hard for Xion to not be happy-usually, even if she didn't say anything to him in the hallway, she would at least wave and smile.

Xion was walking towards her locker (she seemed to be one of the only people that used her locker consistently) when she saw Axel out of the corner of her eye. She grimaced-she wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. She liked Axel.

Axel walked over to Xion. "If I can convince you that it doesn't matter, will you freaking talk?"

Xion considered it for a second and nodded.

"It really doesn't matter, you know. I just sort of don't have as much Christmas spirit as usual...I blame Larxene."

Xion frowned, but still didn't say anything. She was unconvinced that it didn't matter.

Axel looked at her with a look that was asking her to just accept what he'd said and let it go. "Talk."

Xion shook her head. He was going to have to explain more.

"Xion, please?"

Xion looked carefully at Axel. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you not have as much Christmas spirit as usual, and what does Larxene have to do with anything?"

"I just...don't. I don't know. And Larxene just...Ugh."

"Use your words, Axel."

"I don't have any."

"Larxene first. I get this funny feeling that she's not the only reason you're unhappy. But... why are you unhappy with her?" Xion didn't have a problem with Larxene. Larxene had always just ignored Xion, and Xion was okay with that. Axel, though, Larxene's own boyfriend, did not seem happy around her, and it baffled Xion.

"Because she's clingy and very sexually-driven and I can only say no so many times before I snap."

Xion frowned. She wanted to give Axel another hug. "That doesn't have anything to do with Christmas spirit."

"No, but it does knock my mood down a lot usually, and bad moods don't really go with Christmas so." Axel just shrugged.

"So what's the other part of it?"

"What other part?"

"The other part of why you don't have as much Christmas spirit. I know there's a reason. You look guilty."

"Guilty?"

Xion nodded. "Every time you try to tell me there's nothing else going on, you get this expression on your face that looks guilty." Xion was used to this expression. People often felt bad lying to her. It was like lying to a five-year-old... except she was much smarter than a five-year-old, regardless of what people sometimes thought.

"That's ridiculous."

"You have the guilty face again, lying liar." Xion pouted.

"I do not."

"I'll stop talking again."

"Ugh." Axel let his head fall against the nearby lockers...hard.

Xion wanted to ask if Axel was okay, but she knew that would be a mistake. He would use it to change the subject. She waited for some sort of explanation. Unfortunately, Axel wasn't offering one.

Xion shrugged and started packing up her books. It looked like it would be another day of not talking to Axel, she thought to herself. It made her sad.

Axel just looked miserable.

Xion gave Axel a quick hug and turned to walk down the hall. She was going to have to put her foot down, and if it meant not talking to Axel, she would have to just deal with it.

Roxas stared at the computer screen unhappily. His parents had started making threats, and it was time for him to finally get to work.

He had two and a half weeks to fill out his college applications.

It didn't make sense to Rox to work for two and a half weeks on stupid applications. He should be able to fill out about a third of the common app in one sitting-it was mostly plugging in numbers and names. Nothing tricky. The most time consuming things on there were the essays and the list of extracurriculars and all. There were the supplements, but how long could those be?

His parents insisted that he start now, but that was stupid. The applications weren't due until January first.

He was applying to five schools. If he had his way, he would only apply to one and be done with it, but his parents were lobbying threats over his head. Sometimes, it was best to just go along with it. He'd probably get into most of the schools. His grades were good and his extracurriculars were solid. His parents had money and power.

The only thing working against him was the tricky little matter of his disciplinary record. However, that shouldn't be an issue, right?

Enough money could even make an expulsion a nonissue. It wasn't really Roxas' fault, after all...

Roxas sighed and closed out of the window. The future was scary. He would deal with it tomorrow.

[TBC]

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