It's late! It's late! This chapter's out of date! No time to explain, oh dear, oh my, it's late, it's late, it's late!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Please enjoy and happy reading!


"You have such a nice voice, Roxas."

The blonde had been decorating the Christmas tree, hanging different colored bobbles from the branches when he heard Demyx speak. With a blue bulb in hand, he turned and looked back over his shoulder to find Demyx approaching him.

"I wouldn't say that," Roxas said modestly. He could feel the blush invading his cheeks. He thought he was alone but he had forgotten that, despite Axel being at work, Demyx was still in the house on his day off. Roxas forgot the other blond had been upstairs taking a nap as he sang Christmas carols to the (supposed) empty house.

"Aw, don't say that. You've had to have noticed at some point that you have a really nice singing voice. And I don't mean to stroke my ego, but as someone who has been studying music and sounds all his life, I can judge a beautiful voice from a normal good sounding voice any day." With his arms stretching above his head, Demyx yawned, then smiled endearingly at Roxas. The younger blond's blush seemed to intensify, more from being caught singing out loud than anything else. The complements did help the blush along, though.

"Sora's told me the same thing. I've just never thought much of it." Returning to his work, Roxas continued to hang bobbles on the fairly large tree. He took one from the box of decorations and stepped up onto the step ladder he had pulled from the garage. "Our mother used to sing us lullabies every night. She stopped when we were around thirteen, but whenever he or I were sick she'd always bundle us in a blanket and sing to us." He smiled fondly at the memory. Beside him, Demyx opened a package of candy canes they had bought to hang on the tree.

"She had the most amazing voice. I guess I get it from her." It was heart wrenching to think of never hearing his mother sing to him again, but he knew that he would have to keep the memory of her voice strong. He felt the hard weight pressing in his chest, just as it was when he had sung the lullaby in the middle of the night and Axel had heard it.

"She must have been an amazing woman," Demyx said and started to hang the candy canes.

'She was,' Roxas thought to himself. His stomach clenched and he couldn't find it within himself to say anything. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth he might let out a sob, or some other embarrassing sound.

Moments flew by and Demyx seemed to have sensed Roxas' discomfort. "Rudolf the red nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose…" he began to sing, swinging his body in a sort of stationary dance. Roxas could help but smile and he took a deep breath and joined in.

"And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows…"

"Like a light bulb!"


"Someone got their Christmas present early."

Zexion glanced nervously at the hot cocoa in Demyx's hands that wobbled due to his laughter. He put a hand over the top of the mug, feeling the slight burn as the liquid sloshed and hit his palm. 'Better my hand than all over his lap,' he thought. He then looked up to see what Demyx's words meant and raised his brows.

Sora, sitting on the couch and looked confused, opened his mouth to ask what Demyx was talking about. His brow wrinkled and he frowned, now looking too solemn in his perky Happy Holidays! pajama pants. At that moment, the blond laughing at him lightly stroked the side of his own neck to signal what he was talking about.

In an instant, Sora's confusion changed to realization, then quickly morphed into annoyance. He turned sharply to his boyfriend beside him and smacked him on the chest. Riku, who had his mug to his lips, jerked, sending hot chocolate dribbling down his chin and onto his shirt. He glared at the brunet. Sora matched his look.

"You said there weren't any marks! You lied to me!"

Riku shrugged nonchalantly and licked the side of his mug to rid it of the spilt drink that was sliding down the side. "I may have. It's nice to see my mark clearly displayed." He closed his eyes, wanting to try taking another sip but was afraid of the repeated action of being smacked. He couldn't open his eyes either, knowing full and well that Sora was pouting cutely (unintentionally, he was trying to look fierce and feral) right now and Riku would like to remain defiant and stony and not apologize for marking what he believed was his.

"I say presents," Roxas announced as he and Axel entered the living area. His words overshadowed Sora's annoyed mutterings and had actually stopped them all together. Sora could never stay mad with the prospect of gifts coming his way.

The presents were passed around and the room soon became filled with torn green and red wrapping paper, with trees missing pieces and snowmen with their heads torn apart. Roxas sat between Axel's legs by the tree, being the official gift navigator and delivering each person's gifts. At the moment he was tearing at his own from Axel, his face set in a deep frown. "I'm going to kill you," he said when the paper was pulled away.

"What?" Axel asked, kissing the top of the boy's head. He rested his chin on the blond's shoulder. "It's only a mini laptop. I could have gone all out and gotten you some really expensive Macbook or something."

"I said I didn't want anything expensive," Roxas argued. Still, he couldn't help but feel delighted with his gift. He was just displeased that Axel had gotten it for him. He'd rather have gotten it for himself.

"And it wasn't expensive," Axel retorted and smiled. He nuzzled Roxas' ear before saying, "It's small, easily portable, and can be whipped out the moment inspiration strikes you to write something. Say what you want, I know you love it. I even got your favorite color."

It was red. Roxas' favorite color. Axel was such a bastard. "A pen and a notebook would have sufficed."

"The day they come out with a self writing pen and a notebook that can do your calculus homework for you is the day we can take this nice little piece of technology back to the store and get you those instead. Babe, you deserve this. I've read you're writing on my computer and you need your own workstation for that brilliant mind."

Roxas only sighed and leaned back against Axel. "Thank you," he whispered. Right then, a very non-manly screech came from the couch. Startled, four pairs of eyes turned to stare at Sora who truly brought the spirit of Christmas with his childish look of pure bliss. He hugged the Wii to his chest. Riku shook his head but smiled at Sora's mirth.

"Heh, he obviously loves Dem's and Zex's gift. How do you think he'll react to our gift, hm?" Axel chuckled in Roxas' ear lightly.

"It's not hard to imagine his reaction," Roxas whispered back. "But I still can't wait to see it in person rather than in my head." He grabbed the gift that had been chosen for Riku and Sora laughing in his head as he slid it over the coffee table to his brother who seemed highly reluctant to put down his video game system. He did though, setting it on the couch beside him and looked curiously at the wrapped gift his brother had sent over. He didn't pick it up at first, instead staring at Roxas and getting a feel for his twin's mood. Roxas smiled innocently and turned to snuggle into Axel's neck. He made sure he was able to get a clear view of the brunet.

Sora tore into the paper. It didn't take him long to get it off. He just stared, jaw dropping to the floor. Riku, who been looking over the card and the gift card that Demyx and Zexion included with Wii in order to pay for some games, noticed his small boyfriend wasn't bouncing in his seat any longer or making any exclamation or anything. He glanced over, seeing the boy bug eyed and pale as though he were in shock. 'What could it be?' he though, glancing over Sora's shoulder. He saw what was sitting in the boy's lap and wasn't able to completely muffle the chuckle that left his lips. He picked the book up, smirking since he was quite amused, and sent a sly look over to Roxas and Axel, both of which had identical looks of satisfaction.

"The Gay Man's Kama Sutra. Well now, what are you two expecting?"

Axel shrugged and shifted Roxas in his lap slightly. "We figured it would come in handy when the time was right. Beside, I was thinking of borrowing it. Book porn is a turn on." Roxas stiffened slightly, unnoticeable to the eyes but Axel could feel his body. That made his heart ache, the thought of Roxas being afraid of having sex. "But really, I'm sure you two will put it to good use."

Demyx was chuckling from his seat, curled around Zexion who hid his entertained smile behind his shiny new iTouch he received from Demyx.

Sora was still baffled and looked at his brother as though he'd been betrayed. He wasn't hurt, or angry for that matter. Just…he hadn't been expecting a gift like that.

"Got room for another?" Roxas asked and handed his thin, square gift back to the redhead. Axel took it and began to open the small present.

"Now what could this be, dear?"


"You really wrote this song?"

"I did," Demyx said. He played with different features on his computer, things that Roxas could only watch and not really understand. All he knew was that Demyx was making music, putting together the song they had been recording.

They had taken one day to work together when Axel was working and they had gotten Roxas' part of the song down, taking quite a few tries and plenty of time out of their afternoon. Finally satisfied with the results, Demyx had been working on bringing all the different components of the song together, having to make sure everything fit together perfectly and it sounded unflawed. Roxas had an ear for music, something he had inherited from his mother, and by the sounds of it, Demyx was a musical genius.

"I think I've got it now."

"It's done?" Roxas questioned, standing up from Demyx's bed. Demyx let out a long sigh and smiled while closing his eyes. "That was a bit of a hassle to make."

It certainly was a hassle to make. Arranging a time where they could work together without Axel finding out was difficult. Demyx had been able to do a lot of the work on his own, since he was the one supplying the instrumentals. Roxas was only offering his voice. So as Demyx worked on doing the instrument wok, Roxas waited around and went about his daily schedule, acting as though he didn't have a secret to keep from Axel. He was nervous about Axel finding out, but it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It would only be a ruined surprise, not an apocalypse.

"I don't know how many times he heard me playing the same thing over and over. And since he's familiar with the tune, I knew he was wondering what the heck I was doing." Demyx chuckled. "Do you want to hear it?"

Roxas was excited. He'd never heard his own voice recorded before, and he was sure that someone with Demyx's skills was able to make the song completely mind blowing with his guitar and piano added in.

Demyx hit the play button.

The intro was only piano, soft simple notes that led into the melody as the guitar was added in quietly to accentuate the hum of the piano. Then he heard his own voice and it was as though he were listening to this with someone else's ears.

Rest now my love

Your fears will soon be gone

Clear your clouded mind

And wait for the dawn

Was that really him singing? It was astounding. He'd never known, never taken that much notice to just how nice his voice sounded. Either his voice really was just nice, or Demyx was a mastermind.

Go ahead, let yourself go

Fall down into my awaiting arms

Your wings are broken, but do not fear

Let go, let go, fall into me

"I'll burn the CD and it'll be all ready for you to give to him." Demyx smiled at his computer screen before opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a blank, unmarked CD case. He took the CD out and inserted it into the computer.

"It'll be from both of us," Roxas said. Demyx made it sound as though this was Roxas' gift alone to give, but the musician deserved too much credit to not be included. There wouldn't even be a CD being made if it weren't for Demyx.

"It's coming from just you, Rox."

Roxas shook his head. "But it's your song. You wrote it. I only sang it. If anything, your name should be on it too."

Demyx tapped his fingers against the keyboard. "Look, Roxas. This song is really precious to both me and Axel. It's been the only thing that really gives him comfort. I've been singing it to him for years."

"All the more reason for you to take credit!" Roxas argued. Demyx ignored him.

"Roxas, I love Axel. To death, I'd do anything for him. But I'm not his boyfriend anymore. That's your role now, and I don't think he could have chosen a better person." Roxas smiled back at Demyx. "This song is his security blanket and I've sung it to him for many years. But I have someone else to comfort and be with. So it's your turn to sing for him now."


"Rox, this…"

Cheeks burning, Roxas spoke quickly, "It was Demyx's idea. So he deserves some credit as well." Roxas ignored Demyx shaking his head when hearing this.

The front of the CD read Axel's Lullaby in very neat, cursive hand writing. Axel's face was bright and he enveloped Roxas in a tight hug, kissing the boy's cheek. "Best gift ever," he said. Roxas' face flushed further and his belly felt as though it were filled with the warming effect of alcohol. The feeling was so soothing and comforting and he relaxed and melting into Axel's embrace and held back just as tightly.

"Merry Christmas!" Sora shouted, having broken out of his dazed spell from his new book. Demyx cheered right after him and burst into a round of "Deck the Halls" which everyone eventually joined.

It was their first Christmas without their parents, and the twins were feeling as though they had all the family in the world at the moment.


Axel and Roxas and Demyx had decided that they wouldn't inform Riku, Sora, and Zexion on what they were in for. Roxas had been grateful for the heads up about Mariana when he was coming to the manor for the first time. They had agreed, and Demyx as well, that it would be much more fun to see what would happen to the person who was glomped first. They had taken bets and agreed that Sora would most likely be the first to be hugged by the energetic woman.

Sora practically had his face glued to the window as the gate opened and Axel drove up the long driveway. Roxas was sure he was in as much wonder as he'd been when he was first brought here, and Riku even looked very impressed. Axel glanced back in the rear view mirror to see their expressions and found two faces that he had anticipated. The grounds around the mansion truly were an impressive sight to see.

They pulled up in front of the house, Demyx parking right behind them. The front doors burst open before any of them had time to get out of the car. Mariana, dressed festively in nice black slacks, a v-neck green sweater and a red undershirt, ran forward and clung to the first unsuspecting victim. The red Santa hat she was wearing barely held onto her head as she flung her arms around the nearest person, who happened to be Riku.

He looked confused, baffled, surprised. And after just a few moments, his face was turning blue from the woman's famous 'bone-crushing' hugs.

"Mom, let him breathe," Axel said as he stepped from around the car.

Mariana let Riku go, placing her hands on his shoulders and smiling sweetly. "I didn't mean to scare you, dear." Her hands moved down over his biceps and she gave them a squeeze. "Now, now, lookie here. Baby, you brought me a strong, good looking man for Christmas? You shouldn't have! Oh, but I'll accept your gift, don't worry."

Roxas choked out a laugh. Riku looked uncomfortable and Sora stepped up to take one of those well endowed arms to curl his own around.

"You're Riku," she said, her amethyst eyes sparkling with delight. "And Sora, oh now, aren't you adorable like your brother? I must say Riku, you and my son certainly struck gold with these little bits of cuteness." She laughed soundly and hugged Axel tight. "Poor things don't even know they're jailbait, do they?" She said this in a semi-quiet tone. Her attempts of secretive comments were ineffective and both Roxas and Sora looked startled. "Oh, me and my big mouth."

Mariana turned and hugged Roxas close. "How's my newest baby? You've been treated like a Queen in that house, right? Because if not, I'll just have to take you away from my boys and you'll come live here with me." She pinched his cheek before kissing it. Roxas grinned sincerely. He wasn't sure how people would perceive Mariana. She could easily come across as obnoxious, but Roxas highly doubted anyone had ever thought her in that light before. She was just too sweet and exuded the most comforting and fun aura.

She turned to Sora, squeezing him tightly to her, rocking their bodies back and forth. "And if your brother is welcome here anytime, you are to. Both you and Riku." Sora hugged her back, feeling so at ease with her. Roxas guessed that Sora felt the same when hugging Mariana: there was a safety in her hugs, just for the fact that she was such a caring mother.

The blond woman stood back and adjusted her hat, grinning like a child. Her eyes seemed to grow brighter with every second. "Sora, it's so nice to meet you. I've heard all about you and Riku from Roxas. And aren't you two the cutest little pair ever!" She held him at arms length, looking him over. She frowned at his black turtle neck (it was fairly large on him since he had taken it from Riku. He didn't like turtle necks, but Riku had left him with no choice but to cover his neck). "Oh, honey," she said, clucking her tongue. She pulled the neck of the shirt down, exposing the hickies. "As I thought. You don't seem like the turtle neck kind. Though it is nice on you. I'm assuming this is your's," she turned to Riku who averted his eyes. Sora stood silent, blushing furiously.

The woman must have been waiting for this day for weeks, if not months coming. Her enthusiasm was impossible to miss, and her spirit was wild as ever. When Demyx walked up to her, she literally screamed and threw her arms around him. "My baby!" Demyx had to pry her off of him. "Mom, this is-"

"Zexion! It's so great, finally!" Demyx watched her hug his boyfriend and his gut told him that something was going to happen. Just by that 'finally' that she attached to the end of her sentence. Demyx's mother then grasped either side of Zexion's face, pushed his long bangs out of the way, and her mouth screwed up in scrutiny. "Oh dear, you've picked a good one. They'll be beautiful!"

"W-what?" Zexion was confused. He looked to Demyx for answers.

"Mom, really, please don't say things li-"

"You're the one that's going to give me grandbabies!"

"Mom!"

"Alright, come now, your father is inside waiting. Nari is starting breakfast right now and it won't take too long, so we need to help set the table." Mariana ushered her guests into her house, not allowing them to stop and take in the new surroundings. She shooed them all into the kitchen.

Sora came up beside Roxas, still clinging to Riku's arm. "Is that normal with her?" he asked. Roxas nodded with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah. She loves meeting people." Axel nodded his agreement.

"Hm," Sora mused. "I like her."

Already at the table was Arion, dressed very casual for a businessman. In simple dress pants and a red button up shirt that was untucked. He was such a simplistic man, just as his wife and two sons were. He knew when it was time to be a professional and when it was alright to just be himself and carefree.

He turned to the large group, his eyes crinkling with his smile. Roxas had met Arion once before when he and Mariana made an unscheduled trip to their home for dinner one night. He'd freaked out since he hadn't planned what he was making for dinner and he didn't think he'd have enough time to whip something good up. Arion proved how much of a down to earth guy he was when he told Roxas not to worry, that they would order pizza. He was pleasant to talk to, didn't have an air of superiority to him like some business people could, and he was overall extremely friendly. On top of it all, he absolutely adored his wife.

"It looks like we've got plenty of help to set up now. Everyone grab some utensils!"


"Roxas, your's and Sora's birthday is next week, right?"

Roxas looked up, chewing his waffle quickly and getting ready to answer when his brother beat him to it.

"Yup." Sora declared proudly. "Actually, my birthday is next week. Roxas' birthday isn't until next year."

"Next year?" Arion asked, his hand curled around his coffee mug.

"Mmhm." Sora swallowed his mouthful of food and continued. "I was born at eleven fifty-six on New Year's Eve. Roxas here, was born nine minutes after me at twelve oh five."

"Oh! Now isn't that peculiar. That's so strange, you were born just minutes apart on different years! That is so amazing!" Mariana, unable to contain herself, swung her fork around with broad hand gestures, flinging syrup onto Demyx's face. "Oh, sorry dear."

Demyx raised one hand up. "It's fine mom."

"You boys have any plans?" she continued on. "That is a mighty special birthday."

"We usually go to a New Year's party at someone's house. We celebrate our birthday on New Year's Day after we've both turned a year older," Roxas explained.

Mariana entered into a babble that had everyone's attention. Roxas half listened and looked around the table. He was reminded of when they had breakfast at their grandparent's house every Christmas back at Destiny Islands. They'd always have breakfast sandwiches and their grandmother's homemade danish. And every year their grandfather would complain about the lack of snow and that Christmas wasn't Christmas without the white stuff.

Roxas was at ease, being surrounded by chatter. Just hearing people talking and laughing with each other was such a relief. He had dreaded having a Christmas this year with silence and mourning what he didn't have anymore. Being here, surrounded by the people he knew, the people who were becoming another part of his family, cemented the fact that, though things had changed drastically for him since the summer, the world was still spinning and not about to crash. Everything that felt so wrong before was slowly becoming better.

Axel's arm around his shoulders pulled him close and his stomach fluttered when a kiss was placed on top of his head. He grinned and laughed along as Mariana gushed to Demyx and Zexion that she would love a little baby girl from some foreign country to take care of, to both boys' discomfort.


"Your mom's not going to demand grandchildren from us, are they?"

Zexion, who was driving Demyx's Audi, glanced over briefly before shaking his head. "Definitely not," he said, turning onto his street. Demyx had his hands in front of the car heater, attempting to warm up his frozen fingers.

"I'm sorry if my mom made you uncomfortable. She was somewhat tame today, if you can imagine. At least she didn't stroke either of our stomachs and start baby talking like she did to Marluxia once. He told her he was pregnant and she, well, had a field day." Demyx bowed his head. His mother was a lunatic but he loved her to death. She was one unique woman, that was for sure.

Zexion had pulled into his driveway. He assumed his parents' cars were parked in the garage since they weren't in the driveway. And if they needed to cancel plans, then one of them would have called him. He turned to Demyx as he shut the car off. "It's alright, Demyx. She's quite the character and, though strange, it was amusing. She really wants grandkids, doesn't she?"

Demyx shook his head while inhaling, then exhaling deeply. "She must," he said. "Crazy woman. I'm guessing your parents are normal?"

With a quiet chuckle, Zexion said, "They aren't as boisterous as your mother, that's for sure." Demyx looked up at the very nice house nervously. Zexion's parents obviously made plenty of money. He slapped himself mentally. Duh, of course they did. They were both doctors. He knew doctors made a good deal of change.

"Ready?"

Demyx looked pale.

"No. I'm not good with meeting new people. I'm so clumsy at it."

Zexion squeezed his hand. "You'll be fine."

They got out of the car, the winter chill hitting them both. Demyx wrapped his blue scarf tighter around his neck and walked up to the front door with Zexion. Well, there wasn't any half deranged women coming out to assault them with hugs. That was always a good sign.

They walked right in through the front door. Demyx would have thought it be courteous to knock when he remembered this was Zexion's house and he didn't need to knock in order to enter his own home. Still nervous, he stuck close behind his boyfriend and resisted the urge to throw up. He really wasn't good with meeting people, especially his boyfriend's parents who were most likely smarty pants' who used big words. Didn't doctors do that?

"Mom? Dad, we're here."

Demyx looked around. The house wasn't as big as his own, and for that he was grateful. He loved his house, but being in a smaller place, like his own or Zexion's, felt more like home. Like being surrounded by a blanket. That didn't mean it wasn't big, which it was. It was very nice, lavish, but not like his own home, and very warm. From the front door there was an archway on the right that gave way to a sitting area where a cozy fire was burning away happily. A man was kneeling down, having just placed a new log on the fire. He straightened up and turned around. Demyx gulped.

The man was tall. Very tall. With oval framed glasses on his face, short black hair that was neatly swept back. A sleeveless olive green sweater covered a long sleeved white shirt. Demyx noted that the house slippers he was wearing looked very comfortable.

"Dad, this is Demyx. Demyx, this is my father, Damien." Demyx accepted the offered handshake and smiled, feeling a little more relaxed. Damien seemed really nice, not intimidating. His smile wasn't scary at least, it was more welcoming.

"Nice to meet you," Demyx spurted out, shy and quiet.

"Nice to meet you as well, Demyx. Zexion, your mother is in the kitchen if you'd like to see her. I have to make a quick phone call and I'll be in there soon. I believe dinner is almost ready." Damien pulled a pager out of his pocket and glanced at it before pulling out his cell phone. Zexion led Demyx back to where the front door was and they both took off their coats and outdoor wear, hanging it all on the coat rack by the door.

"Slip your shoes off. Mom prefers no shoes in the house." Demyx nodded, doing as he was told and placing his sneakers besides Zexion's on a floor mat. He followed the slate-haired teen down a hallway, passing a few closed doors until the hall gave way to a very nice and open kitchen and dining room. It was much like the kitchen at his house, except it was smaller. The cushiony tan carpet stopped abruptly , becoming a dark, rich wooden floor.

"Mom?" Zexion spoke. A short, thin woman stood in front of the stove, apron tied around her back. She turned and smiled at the two boys warmly. She seemed so nice and mom-like to Demyx, it was a wonder that this woman was hardly around to perform her motherly duties. Her hair was shoulder length and a more vibrant blue than Zexion's. Her eyes though, were identical to her son's and very serene.

"Well, there you are. I thought I heard voices." Unlike his own mother's loud voice, this woman's voice was meek and very pleasant.

"We met dad. He's making a phone call right now. Anyway, this Demyx. Demyx, my mother, Eileen." Demyx approached the woman, shaking her hand and both of them saying their greetings.

"Dinner is almost ready if you'd like to take a seat. I'm just going to plate everything and bring it over to the table. I just hope your father doesn't take too long." She turned back to stirring something (gravy? Demyx wasn't sure).

"Do you need help with anything?" Zexion asked.

"No, no. You two just get some drinks and I'll have everything set. It's not very often I make dinner like this. It's actually very enjoyable. I feel like a regular old housewife." She giggled lightly, her small fist pressed against her mouth. She sounded so fragile and docile. She and Mariana were polar opposites, Demyx thought. "Zexion, there should be tea bags in the pantry. I'll put a kettle on the stove if you'd like to get the tea."

Zexion told Demyx to sit at the table and left for a moment, returning quickly with four tea bags. He dropped then by the placement for the chair next to Demyx, then fetched mugs from the cupboard for them to use. As Zexion set the mugs, his father walked into the room, putting his cell phone in his pocket.

"Everything alright, dear?" Eileen asked as she stared bringing their dinner to the table. Platters of vegetables, roast chicken, gravy. It smelled wonderful and Demyx felt his mouth begin to water.

"Everything's fine. There was some confusion with the medication one of my patients was to receive. I wanted to try something different with them and some of the other doctors didn't know if they should change it just yet or wait until I arrive there later." The kettle on the stove began to whistle just as the last platter was set down. Eileen shut the stovetop off and brought the boiling water to the table, filling each mug with the steaming liquid. Demyx dropped his teabag in his mug, enjoying the aroma of fresh chamomile.

"Well now, it can't be brain surgery trying to figure out the medicine chart," Eileen said, laughing at her own pun. Damien joined in and Zexion shook his head. Demyx sat clueless for a moment before it clicked. "Oh! I get it, cause you're a neurologist." He could only laugh weakly, embarrassed by his sudden outburst. Way to sound like an idiot. Not the impression he wanted the two parents to gather of him.

They both looked at Demyx who fell shy under their gazes. "Yes," Eileen said. "I am a neurologist. Zexion must have informed you. Not that I like to be overly prideful or egotistical, but it isn't an easy job. Neither is my husband's, but it's nice to be able to help people. And we're sure Zexion's researching someday will help plenty of people." Eileen looked at her son with pride, erasing some of her sincerity she had originally gave off. Zexion had said that his parents were obsessed with his work and him being successful and he wasn't kidding.

"What do you plan on doing, Demyx? What are you studying in school?"

Demyx looked up at Damien, freezing as he had started to put some broccoli on his plate. At that very moment, he felt extremely inferior. These scientific medical professionals would certainly look down on his urge to make it into the music industry.

But what else could he say to them?

"Uh, music. I do music studies. And teaching. I'm studying to be a teacher." He couldn't look at either parent. He felt things turning awkward already(it wasn't just him, right?). This was everything he had wanted to avoid at all costs. Why couldn't they ask him the easy stuff, like about his parents or where he grew up or what his favorite food was? Instead they went right for the jugular. He couldn't stand up next to their son, the genetics engineer.

"That's interesting," Eileen said. "You know, there is actually many opportunities for someone who starts out with a music degree. There are plenty of things that could be expanded on from that, like music psychology studies. How wonderful would it be to study the effects of audio on the human brain, how we listen and gather information or develop just from listening to beats and sounds."

So that wasn't what he was going for, but he would just roll with it. If she wanted to believe that his music degree would inspire him to take on a human science degree, then he would let her and not argue. Zexion, however, had other plans.

"Mom he's a musician, not a scientist or a psychologist. He plays instruments, he doesn't use them for scientific study on the brain like you might. Not everyone is a scientist." Demyx didn't like the annoyance in Zexion's voice. This must have been what he meant when he said his parents could be difficult. It seemed as though they took something someone would talk about and correspond it to themselves or something they would do. That would get annoying after a while.

"Still, I agree with your mother, it would be fascinating to understand in more depth the effect music has on the brain. But working in the music industry is a very formidable choice as well. It's a highly respected business, aside from the drug addict rock stars and all those rappers and their gang wars. I'm sure you'll do very well Demyx."

It wasn't comforting when he used 'drug addict' and 'gang wars' and 'you'll do very well' in the same breath. "Thanks," he said sheepishly. This wasn't go all that well.

"Now, what about your parents? What do they do for a living?" Damien asked, cutting his chicken up into smaller pieces. Eileen looked very interested and sipped at her tea.

Demyx pushed his peas around his plate. "My mother owns her own boutique in town. It's actually just as a hobby and something to do. My father is the owner of an international car trading dealership." It sounded impressive enough. He hoped it was impressive enough. He needed some way to win points with the folks.

"Really now. That must be quite the job. Have you ever traveled places with him? Foreign countries?"

Demyx washed down his potatoes with some tea. "I went to Italy with him once when I was younger. He was going to a car show in Rome and wanted me to go with him."

"Italy! My, I've always wanted to go there," Eileen gushed. "I've never had enough time off of work to go."

"It's a beautiful place. Our pilot flew us over Venice which was amazing." Demyx grinned, feeling as though he redeemed himself somewhat.

"That must have been quite a sight," Damien agreed.

Demyx looked over at Zexion who nodded approvingly. He seemed to have noticed that Demyx might have the ability to butter up his parents if he played his cards right.

The questions came and soon enough Demyx was feeling better about having dinner with Zexion's parents tonight. The questioned turned to what it was like at his home, and Demyx answered honestly, saying that it was quiet and normal (that might have been a fib) but that it was very nice and a easy place to get schoolwork done (he thought that might buy them over). They asked about Axel and Roxas, to which Demyx said they were great people and Zexion had backed him up on that.

"It'll just be different without you here, Zexion," Damien said.

"You and mom aren't home all that much anyways, so I don't think it will be all that different. And I'm an adult now, I have the right to move out whenever I want." Zexion looked hopeful, giving them both an earnest look, trying to relay his desperation without appearing too urgent for their approval. He thought he'd seal the deal. "I'll keep you updated on my school work and my grades."

Both of his parents looked to be in thought just then. They glanced at each other, and both nodded. "Your mother and I have discussed the matter," Damien said. "We agree that the conditioning is alright. Keep us updated, and we'll let you move out. You are an adult, you have your own rights and responsibilities now, and we no longer have say in what you do."

Zexion let out a breath that he'd been holding. "Thank you."


Hayner sat in the living room, curled on the couch as he clicked through the channels in hopes that he'd find something not related to Christmas. The closest he could come to were reality TV shows, which had never really interested him. Olette and Roxas always went crazy over that kind of stuff.

He was thinking of something to do until he was tired enough to try and sleep. He would probably end up shutting the television off and returning to his new PS3 he'd gotten from his parents that morning. He still felt like he couldn't thank them enough, especially since he specifically told them not to get him anything special this year. He knew they wouldn't listen to him.

There was a knock at the front door, a very strange thing at nine at night. His parents had already gone to their room and he supposed other people would as well. He did, however, have a strong inkling as to who was outside that door.

No matter how much he denied wanting to open the door and rush to hug Seifer, he was still seriously pissed about the night before and wanted to let him stand out there and freeze to death. His love won out, the stupid emotion, and he ended up opening the front door. He scowled as best as he could when he found Seifer standing there, looking equally grumpy.

"What?" Hayner asked, uncaring about his attitude. He was mad, dammit, and he was going to show it.

"Is that anyway to greet your boyfriend? Your mother would be so disappointed." Seifer decided to show himself in, taking off his boots and his trench coat, reducing himself to only his pajama sweatpants and long sleeve shirt. Apparently he thought he was going to stay here tonight.

"Don't get comfy. No one invited you to stay." Hayner would do everything in his power to be defiant and not allow Seifer the pleasure of staying with him tonight, not after him being such an asshole unnecessarily.

Seifer completely ignored Hayner's words and swooped down, kissing the sandy blond hard. Hayner attempted to protest and pull back, but Seifer's hand on the back of his head held him in place. He had no choice but to submit.

With a hint of his tongue running over Hayner's firmly shut lips, the older man broke the kiss and wrapped his arms around Hayner's waist. "I think we should go to your room and get comfortable-"

"Don't think I'll submit that easy! Don't assume you can waltz in and get sex!"

"-and talk." Seifer finished. "We're just going to talk and set things straight." He refused to wait for Hayner's answer or protests and he dragged the boy by the hand to his bedroom. He shut the door and shoved Hayner onto the bed before crawling on top of him. Unable to resist, Seifer began attacking his neck with kisses.

"W-wait, what about talking? I don't want this, so cut it out Seifer!"

Seifer bit Hayner's shoulder hard, sucking at the same time as though he were hoping to pop a blood vessel and skin and taste the red liquid. He let go when hearing Hayner's gasp of pain. He smirked, knowing there would be a mark there. "I missed you. And I want you."

Hayner scoffed and pushed at Seifer's chest. "It's only been like, two days. Besides, you were the idiot going out and being a complete jackass last night, so it's your own damn fault."

"Oh, come off it. Like you weren't out drinking yourself."

"Not like you were! You can't tell me you weren't completely wasted last night. You probably passed out, didn't you?" Hayner seethed. With a hard push, he shoved Seifer off him. He didn't have the energy at the moment to kick him out of his house, so he knew he would have to suffer with the idiot for one night. He crawled under his blankets and turned, his back to the older blond.

"Maybe I was. I haven't been with a lot of my friends in a while. I'm usually with Rai and Fuu, but since they have their own issue to work out now, I don't really get to do that kind of stuff with them." Seifer sounded frustrated but Hayner didn't care.

"I don't see why you have to do that stuff anyway. A few drinks on Christmas Eve, yeah, I can understand that. But it's something you do all the time, not to mention the drugs. It'd be so much easier if you just didn't do any of that stuff."

Seifer clenched his fists. He tore the blanket back angrily and got beneath it, turning away from Hayner. He frowned, glaring hard at the wall. "Yeah, well what would I get in return? You have to give something to get something, sweet cheeks. That's how it works in a relationship."

"What relationship?" Hayner snorted. "Can you really say we have one? We can't even tell anyone aside from our parents, Seifer! What the hell kind of relationship is worth having if you have to keep it a secret! Had you not gotten messed up in all that gang shit, then perhaps something could have really happened between us. But no, you ended up turning into the worlds biggest jerk off and I got left loosing my best friend and hating myself for yearning for someone I should hate and despise. Newsflash! I can't hate you and I hate it!"

Seifer didn't like it when Hayner raised his voice and got upset. He always hated how he would provoke Hayner into yelling at him. He'd always done it just for the attention Hayner gave him, but it was the wrong kind of attention. He hated hearing it now and he knew he deserved it. But his habits weren't something that couldn't be magically cured in one night. Still, he wasn't going to give up on Hayner. He wasn't going to let him go. He screwed up once, he wasn't going to do it again.

Seifer turned over. He inched closer to Hayner, grabbing him around the waist and forcefully pulling him back against his chest.

"I'm a screw up. I'm a jack ass. I'm not good for you and I know all I do is frustrate you. I made it impossible for letting our relationship be known. But christ Hayner, I should be the one mad at you for what you do. I can pretend, but I can't be big bad Seifer when you're around. You idiot, you've made me go soft. And don't you think I want to give up my lifestyle just for you? I'm a selfish bastard, but for once in my life since we stopped being friends, I want to do something for someone else other than Fuu and Rai. So give me time and let's see how well I can straighten things out."

Hayner refused to speak. He did, however, take Seifer's words to heart and he knew he was being the selfish one, asking such difficult things from Seifer. He'd have to be patient and let things work themselves out. And why should it matter if anyone else knew of their relationship? If they had each other, it was worth it, right?

He didn't say anything. He wanted to be mad. He didn't want to agree with Seifer. But something had to give, and he knew it would be him.

Still frowning, he crossed his arm over the one Seifer held him with and covered Seifer's hand with his own.

Stupid bastard.


"Are any of these positions even possible?" Sora asked as he spun the Kama Sutra book around in his hands. His nose wrinkled and he turned the page. His face was bright red. Riku wasn't paying attention, instead playing Solitaire on Sora's new laptop that he had gotten him.

"If you're flexible, they're possible," Riku said sounding blank in order to hide his amusement. He was shocked that Sora even had the courage to pick the book up.

Sora gulped. He knew he was flexible. He could bend over backwards and do impressive flips and such. Could he actually be able to bend like that though?

"You're flexible, aren't you Sora? You can do a split, so I'm sure you won't have any problems getting into those positions. I'll help."

Sora, flustered, shut his laptop down hard over Riku's fingers. Riku hissed and glared. Serves him right, Sora thought. He turned the page, again spinning the book around. His hand lost some of the pages and they fluttered. A folded white piece of paper fell from the book and onto his lap. "What this?" he asked aloud. Riku looked up.

"It's a note," Sora said. He unfolded it and read:

You may think we're cruel for this Christmas gift, but please, it's only for your best interest. Hopefully one of you has the courage to open the book and find this before it's too late. The book wasn't really your gift (though you can think of it as a gift). Instead, it was a humorous way for us to deliver your real gift.

Sora notice a folded piece of blue paper sat in his lap as well. He opened it up, finding a check written out for one thousand dollars. He gaped at it, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, unable to believe what he was holding. Riku pulled Sora to him and his eyes widened at the check.

Let us know when you find a nice, new apartment you want to get. We'll be happy to help you move into your newlywed home. Haha, you know we love you guys and don't yell at us for being over generous. It's nothing, really.

So, best of luck to you both. And really, put that book to good use!

Love,

Roxas and Axel


Yes, it took me a whole day to write the entire chapter. Yes, it was a pain in the butt. Yes, I am stressed and freaking out about school because of these stupid senior exhibitions that no other school in the world besides mine does.

But please, I beg of you all to have mercy and please please please excuse my tardiness!

The story is almost over! Two to three chapters left! Then be on the lookout for a new story that I will be posting soon after I'm done! I have a prologue and five chapters done and the sixth chapter is being worked on. It will be set in the normal Kingdom Hearts setting with some minor and major twists that I think everyone will enjoy! I'll make an announcement when I post it, so look out for the new story by yours truly!

Thank you everyone for your continuing support! I couldn't do it without you!