Words: 3209

See Chapter One for Standard Disclaimers/Warnings

A/N: Finally some interaction between the heroes of this little tale! My friend Monica was constantly amused by the different families I set up between the characters. Also, you finally see why I mentioned the Final Fantasies in my disclaimer. Anyway, enjoy!

On the Third Day....

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Friday, December 27th

...Or, all my ducks are in a row, where are your chickens?

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He was sitting on the low garden wall that technically belonged to the neighbor, but Roxas wasn't picky. A wall was a wall and all that really mattered was that it got him away from the mad house his already asylum level home had become. This day seemed to get worse and worse every year, as they all got more friends or more friends got significant others. It didn't matter why they came; just that they came every year on the Friday after Christmas to exchange gifts. He couldn't really remember when it started, just that at first it had been Sora's and his friends dropping by. Then it'd expanded to Demyx' friends, and Cloud's had followed. Over the years more and more people had joined their little circle, and it had just become some sort of tradition. Somewhere along the line they'd proven that insanity was contagious.

So here he was sulking on the garden wall while laughter echoed from inside. It wasn't that he disliked their friends, in fact he was rather close to most of them... It was just that it was getting really crowded in there. Standing room only, crowded. Roxas had called a strategic retreat for a breather. Outside was really the only place that was currently more or less free of people. As it was he'd tried to retreat to his room only to find Sora in there with Olette, Kairi, Selphie, Namine, and Larxene. He'd backed out of the room before they'd even noticed him. He really, really didn't want to know.

The sound of footsteps clattering along the sidewalk had him looking up. The approaching group was made up of two brother and sister duos: The first being Tidus and Rikku, and the second being Paine and Squall "Leon" Leonhart. The final member of the group was Yuna, Paine and Rikku's best friend (and Tidus' girlfriend).

Rikku was the first to spot him, and gave a delighted squeal before running the rest of the way to attack him with a hug, "ROXIE! How's my favorite Strife?!"

"Suffocating to death!" He gasped. Rikku released him with a happy laugh and clapped him on the back making Roxas jerk forward, "Nice to see you too, Rikku."

Curling her arms around her Rikku shivered dramatically, "Brr! What are you doing out here, you idiot! Geeze, it's freezing!"

"Leave the poor kid alone, Rikku!" Tidus called, though he was grinning widely. It really ruined the effect of his command.

"Aw, you always ruin my fun." Rikku pouted, but bounced over to rejoin the others.

"No Lulu?" Roxas asked. The eldest sibling of the Leonhart trio's absence was quite noticeable as her presence was rather intense, if not quiet.

Squall shook his head, and Paine replied with a dry, "At the in-laws."

"Ah." Roxas nodded. Lulu had recently married Wakka, so it really wasn't all that surprising that she was spending the holidays with her new in-laws.

As they bustled inside Roxas caught the tail-end of Rikku's plaintive whine, "At least she's somewhere warm. They live in the Florida Keys!"

Quiet once more settled over the neighborhood, a serene breathing quiet that encompassed it from one end of the street to the other. The only sound was the occasional outburst from the house, or the distant crackle of tires over pavement. Then the door opened, and Roxas glanced up catching a glimpse of red and green. He immediately recognized the wild hair, with that particular coat combination. It was that Axel guy from the mall the other day. If he remembered correctly the red head had arrived along with Reno, Namine, Kairi, and Larxene. Roxas turned away, ignoring how his butt was getting numb from the unforgiving, cold wall he was straddling. Exhaling gustily the blond watched his own breath slowly evaporate in a cloud of white steam. The rhythmic crunch of snow underfoot announced the approach of the red headed man, though Roxas didn't bother looking away from his contemplation of the winter sky. A sky that was peppered with listless dull gray clouds.

"Some bouncy blond said you were hiding out here." the guy said conversationally.

Wrinkling his nose Roxas sighed, and turned to look at the red head, "Which one?" he inquired dryly.

"The top heavy one."

Roxas snorted, and gave a faint smile at that. At least the guy had some wit, "So how'd you end up with Collect Roxas Duty?"

Axel moved closer, and sat down on the wall in front of him, his long legs sprawled out into the middle of the sidewalk. If it had been summer he would have been in danger of having his ankles mangled by skateboards, joggers, and bikers, "I volunteered." He chirped. "I wanted to get out anyway, so I don't see why not."

"Glad I could help your escape."

Axel laughed and flashed Roxas an easy grin, "Hey, it helps you to. After all if I don't want to go back in yet, you don't have to get dragged back in for a while longer!"

They sat there for some time, enjoying the quiet of a the winter afternoon. The door was thrown open again, and this time Leon, Cloud, and Reno stumbled out. The three of them appeared to be arguing about something. Actually it was more like Cloud and Reno were arguing with each other while Leon stared at them with exasperation.

Roxas sighed at the sight, "Cloud wants to drive, but Reno doesn't have a death wish."

Axel glanced over at the short blond, "How can you tell?"

"It's the same thing they always argue about."

"Your brother that bad?" Axel asked, truly curious. He knew Reno wasn't exactly what one would call a 'safe' driver, so if Cloud made Reno uneasy, then he had to be something else.

"Not bad, per se, Just... crazy?" Roxas hazarded. Cloud was a good driver, it was just his driving was generally more appropriate for speedways and stunt driving.

Axel hummed, obviously understanding him on some level. Meanwhile the arguing duo had stopped at the end of the sidewalk. Cloud was holding the keys out away from his body in an attempt to prevent Reno getting a hold of them. He appeared to be making some sort of point if the sharp gestures he was making with his free hand were anything to go by. The largely ignored Leon took the chance to snatch the keys from Cloud's hand, and walk to the car while the other two looked after him in surprise.

Roxas shook his head, "Idiots."

Axel gave a sharp laugh, "They do that every year?"

"Yeah, and Leon always drives." Axel laughed again, drawing the attention of their elder brothers. Deciding to cut Cloud off at the pass Roxas called, "No, Cloud."

Cloud shrugged and sighed, "How about you, Axel?"

"Huh?"

"They want to know if you want to go with them to get the food." Roxas clarified. This, to, happened every year. Though usually he was out here alone.

"Oh. Nah, you guys go on."

"Suit yourself!" Reno hollered back, waving over his shoulder as he and Cloud went to join the waiting Leon. A few minutes later after Reno had piled into the back seat, and Cloud the front passenger seat the trio pulled out and disappeared down the road.

"So, what d'you usually do once they're gone?" Axel asked. "After all, the holidays are about keeping with tradition."

Roxas looked thoughtful for a few minutes, "Usually I'd wait out here until they either got back, someone dragged me in, or I got bored enough to go in on my own."

"Bor-ring." Axel declared. "What do you do for fun around here?"

"Knock over snowmen."

"What?"

"Or light-up plastic Santa Clauses."

"Really? Geeze, you're such a scrooge!"

"It's fun!"

"It's degrading."

"Santa's degrading!"

Axel looked positively flabbergasted by this, "How can Santa be degrading? The mans a hero! He brings joy, and happiness! Dreams and, imagination to the youths of the world! Commit that to memory, Mr. Grinch."

"Santa sounds like a pedophile." Roxas countered blandly.

"What?! Please tell me you didn't just insult a jolly, well loved, decades old symbol of good will and holiday cheer?" Axel yelped. "How can you say that?"

"Well, think about it! He sneaks into your house to leave presents for children, and he somehow knows the presents they want the most! He sounds like some sort of creepy stalker."

Axel shook his head, his face an odd mixture of expressions. The red head looked torn between horrified amusement, and exasperation. Roxas decided he looked faintly constipated in an amused sort of way. He also decided not to tell Axel this. It was much more amusing just to keep his deadpan expression, and laugh mentally at the guy.

"Right!" Axel declared after several minutes of indecision. "I've decided this conversation never happened, so rewind."

"Rewind to when?" Roxas asked, nonplussed. "I don't think Cloud would like it if we phoned him, and made them come back to do all that over again."

Axel stared at Roxas for several seconds, trying to decide of the blond was being obtuse on purpose or not, he decided it was the former and gave another sharp laugh, "Nah, lets just go back to the debasing of plastic lawn ornaments and snow sculptures."

"Right." Roxas agreed amiably. Then straightening up slightly he declared, "It's fun!"

Axel's lips twisted into a ferocious grin at the fact that the blond was actually playing along. Instead of going down that slick slope again he shot back, "Prove it."

Roxas hummed in acknowledgment and stood up, shaking his legs to get feeling back into them, "Come on."

Axel unfolded himself into a standing position, wincing as he did, "Man, my ass is numb. I can't imagine how you feel."

With that the duo set off, meandering slowly down the side walk with Roxas casing the decorations on either side.

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"I'm surprised Axel didn't come with us." Cloud muttered, though it was a bit hard to understand him. The blond was resting his chin in the palm of his hand, with his elbow resting on the thin ledge provided with the closed window. His breath faintly misted the glass with every exhale.

Reno leaned forward and draped his forearms over the shoulders of the front seats, "I'm not." He leered cheerfully.

Cloud turned his head sending him a questioning look, "But what about his little holiday plan?"

Reno rubbed his hands together, "We've got this one covered, already man. Just do what I told you, and everything will go fine."

The silent driver pulled them into a drive through window and began to rattle off their order in a clipped monotone voice while Cloud dug out the cash everyone had pooled together for the food.

Reno gave a low whistle as a feminine voice rattled off their list for confirmation, "She sounds hot."

"Reno." Cloud growled. The red head just grinned at him in the rear view mirror as irrepressible as always.

They pulled up to the window, and a smiling dark haired girl greeted them with a smile, "Hi Squall!"

Leon blinked at her, "Rinoa, I didn't know you worked here."

"You know her? Hi babe, I'm Reno!" Reno called as he leaned forward, and nearly fell into the dash board.

Cloud forcefully grabbed Reno's head and shoved him back into his seat with a growl, "Knock it off, idiot."

Rinoa laughed, unmoved by the little show, and chose to respond to Leon instead, "It's just for now."

Leon nodded understandingly, "Still trying to prove something to your father?"

Rinoa grinned sweetly at him as if to say 'Who? Me? I'm never that cunning,' and began to hand over the mass amounts of bags and containers with their orders, "I sure hope this isn't all for you three..."

Leon shook his head in the negative, "It's for the gift exchange."

Rinoa made a sound of disappoint, "Ooh, Selphie mentioned that. Tell everyone 'hi' for me will you, Squall?"

"Of course."

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Roxas finally came to a stop in front of the second to last house on the next block over. It was a quaint thing, and decorated a bit gaudily. It as though it was trying too hard to be flashy, noticeable, and better than every other display. After standing there staring up at the house for several seconds Roxas finally said, "This one."

Axel glanced at the other houses around them, "Why this one?"

"The guy who lives here is a jackass." Roxas muttered bitterly as he walked into the yard, leaving deep foot prints in the mostly untouched snow.

"Oh yeah?" Axel asked, following with a little more ease as he used the shorter man's foot prints.

"Seifer." Roxas clarified crankily, stopping in the middle of the yard. Lifting one leg he planted his shoe right in Santa's face. The poor plastic thing tipped over and fell into the snow with a quiet, hollow sound.

Axel stared mournfully at the downed Santa Claus from over Roxas' head, "Sounds familiar. Who is he?"

"Rikku and Tidus' cousin a few times removed, or something. Supposedly him and Leon are sorta kinda friendly enemies, or rivals... or something. I don't know, but he used to like picking on me and a few of my friends."

"Ah, so this is revenge?"

"I prefer to call it continual retribution." Roxas slogged his way toward a display of gaudy reindeer. "I always make sure to get this place once a year. Shame he doesn't make snowmen anymore."

Axel had to stifle a fit of laughter at the mental image of a (even more) pint sized Roxas slaughtering the neighborhood bullies snowmen. Soon, and despite himself, Axel found himself enjoying the little jaunt into ruining someones Christmas display, even if he didn't really participate insomuch as watch Roxas.

Roxas finished up by stomping a jaunty Ho! Ho! Ho! into an undisturbed patch of snow before standing on the sidewalk to observe his handy work. After a few seconds he turned to look at Axel, quirking a brow at the red heads amused smile.

"All right, I'll admit it, that was kinda fun for the debasing of tradition and all." Axel said amiably.

"You're an idiot."

"Why thank you!"

Together they shuffled back up the block and resumed their seats on the low wall, this time side by side facing west across the road. The cloud cover was starting to pull together into a drab blanket, but was still thin enough toward the far horizon to afford a view of the setting sun between the neat rows of houses and bare limbed trees. The sky was a myriad of warm colors despite the chill in the air: Maroons, and dark pinks edged with purples that faded into orange and butter gold, with splashes of vibrant yellow. The sun was a deep burnished color as it slowly sank beneath the roofs across from them, and the first stars were beginning to peek out only to be hidden away as the clouds continued to swamp the sky.

The grumble of a car engine, and the flicker of dim headlights alerted them to the return of the 'scavengers.' Cloud was the first one out with his arms full of brown paper bags, and red and white boxes. He did a double take at the sight of them still sitting on the wall, "Did you two even go in?"

"Nope!" Roxas was sure that Cloud rolled his eyes at Axel's chipper reply even if he couldn't make out his brothers expression.

"You can come help carry the food in then!" Reno called, and you could hear the grin in his voice.

Axel sighed and pushed himself up, slouching over to accept an armful of buckets and bags from his brother, "But I'm suddenly realizing how cold I am!"

Roxas snorted grabbing a few containers that Leon silently offered, "Then you'd better hurry up."

"So mean!"

Between them they managed to get all the food in with one trip.

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They'd handed off their burdens once inside to Sora and his friends who whisked them away to the kitchen. Roxas spent a good several minutes struggling out of his jacket and boots with fingers that were stiff from the cold. Axel seemed somewhat immune to it, the bastard, and had quickly disappeared into the milling crowd with the others. Grumbling to himself he shoved his way toward the kitchen, intent on getting something hot to eat. However, he was quickly derailed by a thick knot of people in the doorway, "Hey!" He barked.

"Roxas?" a Sora's voice called from the other side. "Hey c'mere!"

"I would if I could, Sora, but there's a bunch of people in the way."

He heard a laugh, a distinctive sharp laugh, and a moment later Axel had waded through the people. The redhead grabbed his wrist and tugged him through, "There you go, shorty."

Roxas elbowed him for that comment, though he said, "Thanks Axel."

Axel blinked, then grinned, "Hey, you remembered my name that time!"

Sora grinned at Roxas as his twin joined him, "You're secret admirer has struck again."

"What?" Roxas followed Sora's pointing finger to one of the red and white buckets, emblazoned with the General's head and the rest of the KFC logo. Sure enough, sitting pretty as you please on it was a bright red envelope.

Roxas snatched it up, and tore it open. The card was the same as the others, and he flipped it open to read the messages inside:

French? Perhaps not

I feared that if I tried

They'd all rot

So instead, something fried

A three-in-one meal

With coupons, it was a steal

Your Secret Santa

Throwing his head back, Roxas couldn't help the laughter that overtook him at that one. It was completely pointless, and silly, and vaguely idiotic... but at the same time oddly endearing. Sora leaned over his shoulder to read it as well, and began to snicker. Roxas didn't even mind as their friends pushed forward in a bid to see what was so funny.

When it was checked, the bucket in question was indeed revealed to be one of those Three-in-one deals.

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Later that evening after everyone had eaten, and gifts had been passed around Roxas was sitting on the window seat in the living room. Most of their friends had already gone home, and the ones who had lingered were departing now. A reflection darkened the glass, and the blond turned his head to meet Axel's green eyed stare.

Axel gave him a crooked grin, "Thought I'd say goodbye."

Roxas nodded and automatically said, "Thanks for coming."

Axel stood there quietly for a moment, looking out the window as a few stray snowflakes drifted by. Then, his gaze snapped back to Roxas, and suddenly he offered, "I had fun today, we should hang out sometime."

Roxas smiled faintly, "I think I'd like that, Axel."

Axel touched his pointer and index fingers to his head, in a little salute before turning and heading off. Roxas watched him jog down the walkway to join Reno, Namine, Larxene, and Kairi through the window and the spiraling snow.