Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Happy Holidays! I had SO MUCH FUN writing my Kingdom Hearts Halloween fic, so I thought I'd turn it into a series of holiday-centered fics with my favorite ships! I did Aqua/Terra last time, but now it is time for the sweet, tender RokuShi, AKA Roxas/Xion! I adore these two so much and think they are absolutely cute together. Like the Halloween one, this will be in two chapters and completed before Christmas :) I tried to get into Roxas' head, and I hope I did a good enough job keeping him and everyone else in character. I hope you all enjoy it! please leave reviews and comments!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Last time, it had been Aqua's idea. This time it was Sora's, and Roxas was going to strangle him for it.

Ever since Halloween, the rather large group of friends had gotten together more often. It was the holiday season, after all. After everyone had left the Land of Departure the day after Halloween, they came back a few weeks later for a big meal. Terra, having done some research on other holidays in other worlds, found out about a holiday called "Thanksgiving," where families/friends gathered together to give thanks for what they had and eat until they were sick (Terra thought it was a great idea, and so did Ven, but it took Aqua a bit of convincing). Everyone helped contribute to the feast, and all was well.

It was while they were eating pie that Sora blurted out, "Guys! We should all do Secret Santa gift exchanges for Christmas!"

Upon seeing everyone's confused/blank stares, Sora explained the concept: draw a name from a hat, and get a thoughtful gift for the person whose name you pick. Ven, Kairi and Namine were immediately on board. Riku, Terra and Xion kept asking questions about how to know what to get someone, especially if they drew a name they didn't know well. Lea simply wanted to know how much it was going to cost. But in the end, all agreed on both the idea and a limit on how much each could spend.

Roxas had gone over the scene in his head at least ten times, but it always brought him excitement. He let out a happy sigh, his breath swirling in the winter air. Tightening the scarf around his neck, he called into the house, "Are you guys ready, or am I gonna have to wait all day?"

"You've only been ready for the past hour," Lea's voice called back from the hallway. Roxas could practically hear the smile on his face. "I'm surprised you didn't go on ahead of us. And either wait outside or shut the door; it's freezing."

Roxas reluctantly shut the door behind him. "I'm ready right on time. It's you two who are slow."

Lea came around a corner, holding a pair of winter boots. "I prefer the term fashionably late." He sat down on the couch and began to pull each boot on. "Xion, you about ready?" he called.

"One second!" came their female friend's voice. After a moment a bedroom door shut, and Xion came scurrying down the hallway. She was currently tugging a hat on top of her head. "Ready!" she said brightly.

"Aren't you gonna go get Isa?" Roxas asked as he opened the front door and stepped outside.

"He said he'd meet us there," Lea replied, crinkling his face as a snowflake landed on his nose.

Xion let out a small giggle. "Is he still mad at you about Halloween?"

Lea shrugged. "He was at first. He kept saying he would've been a better help than Demyx was. I had to grovel at his feet for a while. But he said it was fine as long as he brought me along for this Christmas thing. And Sora said it was okay."

The three of them walked side by side through the snowy streets in comfortable silence. Twilight Town was always beautiful with its multi color sunsets and cozy atmosphere, but wintertime only added more ambience. Snow topped houses and shops sat side by side, their chimneys emitting sweet-smelling smoke as residents baked various treats. Tree branches were delicately painted with snow; no artists hand could capture their beauty. Streetlamps came on at earlier times, and one could see the flurries of snowflakes in the light. The air was crisp, ringing with voices singing various songs of the season.

Roxas loved every second of it. Since winter had begun, a new warmth had entered him. He wasn't quite sure how to explain it, even to himself. Was it because he was finally his own person now? Was it the feeling that nothing would separate him from his friends ever again? Was it the sheer joy and feeling of being alive, being real? He really didn't know. It was often these thoughts that kept him up late at night.

But he knew one thing for sure: Xion was a big contributor to it.

Lea was, and always would be, Roxas' close friend. Of that, he was certain. But there was something different with Xion (and Roxas felt that it wasn't just because she was a girl). Lea had experienced many things before they did: snowfall, friendships, what it felt like to laugh and cry and feel. Roxas and Xion had not. Even now they were constantly bombarding Lea with questions, just as they had in the Organization. But slowly the two of them had been learning together. They would show each other small wonders: a new flower they'd never seen, how the stars made patterns in the sky, the snowflakes steady, gentle fall.

Roxas didn't feel so alone with someone just as inexperienced next to him.

Roxas took a sideways glance at Xion. She was looking up at the sky as they walked, her eyes wide and a big smile on her face. Snowflakes stuck to her thick black hair, looking at first glance like tiny gems woven into each strand. The lamplight illuminating the streets only accented her sharp cheekbones and jawline. The look of wonder and awe, so apparent on her face, only made the warmth in Roxas' heart grow.

Roxas quickly looked away, his face feeling warm.

"It's at the Bistro, right?" Lea asked, breaking Roxas' thoughts.

"Uh, yeah," Roxas said, clearing his throat. "Yeah, it is." Lea cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of this," Xion said absently, still looking up at the sky.

"I already am," Lea muttered, rubbing his arms. "it's freezing out here."

"I don't think I will either," Roxas replied to her comment. Xion looked at him and gave him a smile. Roxas smiled back, his face feeling warmer by the second. He caught Lea looking at him, a sly grin on his face. Roxas immediately looked ahead, determined to find something to change the subject.

"Looks like everyone's there already," he said as they approached the Bistro. A bunch of crowded silhouettes surrounded the windows, and the voices inside grew louder as the three of them approached. Lea pushed open the door, holding it open for his two friends. Roxas and Xion walked inside. The warmth of the shop hit Roxas like a solid wall of heat, and he quickly took off his scarf.

"Xion!"

Roxas barely had time to get out of the way before Kairi came barreling through, throwing her arms around her friend. Xion laughed, hugging her back just as tightly. Roxas heard a polite, "excuse me," from behind him, and he stepped aside to let Namine through. Namine, her eyes sparkling with happiness, gave Xion a tender hug. A tall woman a bit older than the three walked towards them, a gentle smile on her face. Aqua bent down slightly to hug Xion, asking her how she was. They all began to talk animatedly to each other. It was as if they hadn't seen one another in years, when they only saw each other a few weeks ago.

"Hey, Roxas!"

Roxas turned to see Sora standing there, a wide smile on his face. "Glad you could make it!"

Roxas shrugged, but smiled back at him. "I do only live right down the street."

"All the better!" Sora said cheerfully. He opened his arms in a hesitant hug, and Roxas indulged him in a quick embrace. He wasn't much for hugs, but for Sora he would.

"Hey, Roxas!" an even more cheery voice said behind him. Roxas turned, only to feel like he was looking into a mirror. With the exception of Ventus' hair being slightly lighter, the two of them were exactly alike in appearance.

"What's up, Ven?" Roxas asked, giving him a fistbump.

"Not much, but I'm excited for this!" Ven said excitedly. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"When you two are in the same room with your backs turned, I can't tell who's who." Roxas looked to his left to see Terra, tall and muscular, standing there. Terra shook his head with a slight smile. "The two of you may need name tags. It's nice to see you, Roxas." he added, and Roxas said likewise.

"We've lived together for how long, and you can't tell the difference?!" Ven exclaimed. Everyone laughed.

Riku made his way through the crowd, eventually making his way to Roxas. "Hey," he said simply, with a small smile. He extended a hand, and Roxas shook it.

"Who's the blue-haired dude next to Lea?" Ven asked, noticing the redhead in the corner for the first time.

"That's Saix – I mean, Isa," Sora corrected after Roxas gave him a slight glare. "he's a friend of Lea's. I said he could tag along."

"Weird, seeing him without a cloak," Riku said privately to Roxas. Roxas laughed a little, nodding in agreement.

"Is everyone here?" Sora asked, looking around.

"I think so," Terra said, also looking around the Bistro. He did a silent headcount, then nodded. "Yep, we're all here."

"Awesome!" Sora stood up on one of the chairs, cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Okay, everyone! Listen up!" Once the voices quieted down, Sora smiled and lowered his hands. "Glad you all could make it! Tonight we're just gonna go over the rules and draw names, okay?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Sora held up some small pieces of paper in his right hand. "On each of the tables, you will find some small strips of paper," he held up his left hand, which was clenching a few pencils. "along with some pencils. Write your name on the paper, and make sure you write it neatly because we've got some old folks here." He gave Terra a playful grin, and Terra rolled his eyes, smiling. Roxas could hear Aqua laughing in the distance.

"Then we're all going to put the pieces of paper with the names into this hat," Sora gestured to a small top hat by his feet. "and I'm going to mix it up a little. Once that's done, I'll pass the hat around and everyone will pick a slip of paper out of the hat and read it. Do not let anyone else read it! That's part of the fun. If you get your own name, put it back and get a different piece of paper. Is that clear enough for everyone?" he asked the crowded room. Everyone murmured back a yes. "Then go ahead and write your name and put it in the hat!" Sora said brightly, hopping off of the chair and nearly knocking Riku over. Roxas laughed along with everyone else as Riku headlocked Sora for a brief moment.

Roxas walked to the table closest to him and picked up a piece of paper. However, someone else thought to come to the same table, and their fingers touched briefly. Roxas looked up to see Xion's wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

"S-Sorry, Roxas!" she squeaked, immediately withdrawing her hand as if she touched a hot stove. Before Roxas could say anything, she turned and scampered away.

Roxas stared after her, his fingers still hovering over the slip of paper. They felt like they had been electrified by her touch. Something was pounding in his ears – was that his heart? Why was it going so fast? He shakily took a piece of paper and a pencil, writing his name on it. He walked to where Sora was and put his name in the hat. Roxas then sat down in a nearby chair, thinking hard.

On one hand, he was thrilled that their fingers touched. In all honesty, he felt like leaping up from his chair and doing some sort of giddy dance. If he was alone in his room, maybe he would; but definitely not with people around (especially Lea – he would never let Roxas hear the end of it). Laughter – weird, hysterical, giddy laughter – bubbled in his throat. Roxas smiled into his jacket, and found himself unable to stop. It only grew wider and wider, until he felt like his cheeks were going to break apart.

On the other hand, a strange sense of impending doom was hovering over him. It reminded him of a giant Heartless, its greedy hands grabbing at Roxas and squeezing him till he couldn't breathe. And no Keyblade was in sight: how do you fight something so large that is inside your own head? Roxas felt his hands shake slightly, and he shoved them into his pockets. Despite the warmth of the Bistro, he suddenly felt very cold. Why did she run away? Why did she look so scared? The two of them were best friends. They had nothing to hide from one another.

Maybe…?

A vague memory slid into focus in Roxas' mind: chilly air, a starry sky, a large blazing fire in front of him. Xion was next to him, and at some moment he felt her fingers gently wrap around his own. He had nearly dropped the marshmallow he was roasting. Roxas looked at her in some confusion, but she simply stared straight ahead, a determined look on her face. In the firelight he could see the rosiness of her cheeks. Her hand was warm and soft, but calloused. She didn't let go, and neither did he.

That's right, Roxas thought suddenly. How could he have forgotten that? It had only happened on Halloween, which wasn't too long ago. He also remembered feeling that warmth; that tender, sweet feeling that only Xion could bring, for the first time. Seeing her face in the firelight, Roxas only then seemed to realize how pretty – no, how beautiful – Xion was.

He didn't sleep at all that night, despite being exhausted from Trick-or-Treating. His mind was in full overdrive: what did it mean? Did holding someone's hand have some kind of special connotation that he didn't know about? He thought of asking Lea, but quickly decided against it. Not because he didn't trust Lea – far from it – but because he felt this was more...private somehow.

That experience somehow made the two awkward around one another for a while. It meant something, surely. She had never been awkward around him before, and he never felt weirdly embarrassed, either. What was all of this?

"Is everyone's name in?" Sora called out to the group. Everyone answered back affirmatively. "Great! Just give me a second." He gently ran his fingers through the many slips of paper, tossing some of them in the air before catching them in the hat. After a few moments, Sora began walking around. He first stopped at Isa, who reached in and gingerly pulled out a piece of paper. He opened it, read the name, and nodded at Sora. Sora smiled at him before moving on to the next person.

Roxas watched carefully as Sora held out the hat in front of Xion a few turns later. Xion gently stuck her hand in and pulled out a name. As she read it, her face broke into a wide smile.

She probably got Kairi, Namine or Aqua, Roxas thought to himself. Why else would she be so excited?

It seemed like an age before Sora finally reached Roxas. He held out the hat, still smiling brightly. Roxas gave a wary smile back before reaching into the hat. Grabbing the first piece of paper his fingers touched, he took it. He opened it on the table.

For a few seconds, Roxas thought he was dreaming. He blinked a few times, then shook his head to see if it really was the name he was reading. But the small, precise, slightly cursive handwriting did not change:

Xion.

The exhilarating, joyful feeling slammed back into Roxas with all the force of a wave. Along with it came the odd sense of fear and embarrassment. How could he possibly handle this, when he wasn't even sure what it was he was feeling?

He heard a small snort behind him, and whipped his head back around. He had forgotten that Sora was still standing there. And from the devilish grin on his friend's face, Roxas immediately knew that Sora had somehow seen or known who's name was on the piece of paper. Giving Roxas a sly and very obvious wink, Sora walked away. Roxas saw Riku and Ven's faces close to him, looking confused at Sora's sudden behavior.

Another wave of realization hit him hard: had Sora made sure Roxas got Xion's name on purpose?

That grin on Sora's face said it all.

I'm gonna kill him. Roxas thought to himself, clenching his fist. The tiny slip of paper folded and crushed in his hand.