Words: 2220

See Chapter One for Standard Disclaimers/Warnings

A/N: With this chapter we're halfway through the Twelve days. Six more chapters and an epilogue to go. This also marks the beginning of the slippery slope to Fluff Overdose. On a side note, the bad joke in here that Axel spews? I couldn't help myself, really!

On the Sixth Day....

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Monday, December 30th

...Or, it was like a wild west showdown, and we lost.

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Cloud woke Roxas bright and early that morning as he was heading out to work. The oldest of the four brothers was an intern of sorts at the same company Reno worked for, and had the dubious pleasures of working in the mail room. Roxas thought it was hilarious. Still he'd learned not to laugh in his face after Cloud had attempt to shove his pillow down his throat.

"Get up." Cloud growled. "Selphie just called. She'll be here in an hour, after she picks up the last of her things."

Roxas moaned at the agony of dealing with Selphie within the first couple of hours after waking. He could fully understand why Cloud sounded like someone had run over his puppy, and Cloud had never owned a puppy. Cloud stood over him for several moments longer until he was sure he was going to get up, then left. Roxas sat up sluggishly, whimpering sadly at the loss of warmth. It was going to be a long day.

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Selphie was there within the hour just as Cloud had said, and she was as bouncy as ever. In fact she and Sora did some annoying, squealing morning person thing that made Roxas want to drown them both. The car ride was full of Selphie's happy chatter, and bouncy pop songs. When they reached their destination and Roxas stumbled out of the car he was ready to dig his ear drums out with whatever was handy. The ink pen on the dash had been looking awful friendly.

Upon carrying the first of the boxes into the house from the back of Selphie's cherry red jeep he found Axel already there. He was sitting at the kitchen table talking animatedly to Irvine as the brunette nursed a cup of coffee. Axel grinned brightly at the sight of him and shoved a bottle of Mountain Dew toward him across the table. Roxas really needed to kill Demyx for being so open about his quirks. Still the blond mumbled a thank you, before he followed after Selphie to drop off the box in his arms.

Once back in the kitchen he cradled the bottle of soda like it was a newborn baby and glared resentfully at a smirking Irvine, and a snickering Selphie, "You're both morning people. I hate morning people."

"Irvy's been up for awhile already." Selphie yipped. "But, yes, morning people!" She did a happy little jig then grabbed his arm and towed him back out of the door. "C'mon Roxie! Red there gets to help Irvine!"

Roxas wanted to cry.

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The hours progressed like that, with Roxas helping Selphie haul in boxes, and then to unpack the boxes and help her arrange the odds and ends inside. He saw Axel occasionally, the red head appeared to be learning more about cows than he'd ever wanted to know. Though, to be fair, cows weren't the only animals on the farm. There were a few horses, and a flock of geese mixed in with a bunch of chickens.

Roxas and the rooster didn't get along. The one time he'd drifted close to the hen yard to get a look at the milling birds picking through the dirt, bird poop, and slush he'd nearly had a hole pecked through his jeans. Selphie had nearly laughed herself silly.

One she had herself under control the bouncy brunette said, "I guess he thinks you're competition."

Roxas scoffed, "You'd think he'd go after Axel then." The blond carefully skirted the edges of flock, keeping an eye on the rooster. He could swear it was giving him the evil eye.

"Nah, he's got the hair for it... but he's way to tall to be a chicken!"

"Hey!"

Roxas did find one ally though, in the form of Selphie's big mastiff mix, Cerberus. He was about as vicious as a fluffy baby bunny toward Roxas, and seemed to enjoy following the blond around. Unfortunately he also liked to lean on Roxas' legs. Needless to say Roxas spent a lot of time picking himself up out of the dirt. The first time he'd taken a spill thanks to the mass of wrinkles and fur he'd been immediately pounced upon and given a nice licking in greeting. Every time after that the big lug had just sat there, and tilted his head at him as though wondering what kind of idiot Roxas was.

Around noon Roxas was sitting at the kitchen table helping Selphie throw together a few sandwiches. Cerberus had slipped in and was hiding under the table with his head on Roxas' knees. The blond was occasionally slipping the massive dog tidbits, and Selphie was pretending not to notice.

Irvine wandered in and gave his fiancée a peck on the cheek before winking at Roxas, "I see you met the 'guard dog.'" he drawled.

Roxas grinned sheepishly and tugged the dogs sagging jowls, "He introduced himself rather forcefully."

"Yeah, Cerb's good at that."

The massive dog grunted as though in agreement. Roxas personally thought he just wanted more ham; so, he fed him another bite, "Where's Axel?"

"Last I saw 'em he was out by the geese."

"Irvy!" Selphie yelped and smacked the man's shoulder.

Irvine lifted his hands in a placating gesture, "Now what'd I do, darlin'?"

"You'll ruin everything." She hissed.

"What're you talkin' about?" Irvine looked truly baffled.

Roxas just snorted, "Don't worry, Selphie, I figured it out already." He did wonder, though, just how many people were in on this whole thing. He'd realized last night after the fifth one that Axel was the apparent ring leader, but considering the other ones... He'd come to the conclusion that the conspiracy ran rather deep.

Standing, Roxas headed for the door, but Selphie intercepted him handing over a thermos of hot chocolate, two mugs, and a paper bag with a couple of sandwiches, "Have fun!" she chirped, and shoved him out the door. Cerberus whined, staring mournfully after his new friend. Selphie absently patted the dogs head, standing on her tip toes and craning her head to look after the short blond. Once he was out of sight she turned and pouted at Irvine, "Why don't you do something like this for me?" She whined.

"You're the better planner, darlin'... Tell you what, why don't you plan a twelve days of Christmas party next year?" Irvine suggested. The look that came over Selphie's face was both joyful, and terrifying. He was sure their friends would hate him for it, but hey... if it made Selphie happy. "And, hey, there's a buncha other holidays comin' up, y'never know."

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Roxas found Axel standing at the edge of a flock of geese, and judging from the red heads stance he was a bit wary of approaching the birds. The geese appeared to be having a minor world war with the chickens over the remains of the feeder corn spread out on the ground. After watching for a few more moments he spoke up, "So, true love huh?"

Axel immediately stiffened then glanced back over his shoulder at him, grinning crookedly, "I had a feeling you'd figure it out after that last one."

Roxas wandered over to stand beside him, staring at the milling fowl, "It was kind of obvious."

Axel laughed, "I wasn't trying too hard to conceal it."

"Who all is in on this?"

"Now that would be telling." Axel gave a sudden yelp and whipped around to stare dumbfounded at the goose standing behind him. While the two had been talking the geese had waddled closer, intent on the bag Roxas was holding. "It bit me!" Axel said, sounding shocked.

"I think the correct term is 'pecked. Ow!" Roxas swatted the beak of the offending goose away from his legs, scowling at it.

"More like pinched! Hey, hey, watch the knees!"

"Maybe we should go somewhere else." Roxas was having mental images of that evil rooster. It apparently had the Goose Mafia on it's side as well.

"Yeah lets get.. Ouch! Geese are evil!" Axel whined, wading through the large birds quickly. Roxas was a bit ahead of him having begun his retreat a little faster. When Roxas yelped Axel glanced up and started laughing, "Did that goose just goose you?"

"Shut up!" A blushing Roxas shot back, picking up his pace.

Axel just laughed harder, "Oh that was priceless!"

"Asshole!"

"I guess geese aren't all bad."

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They'd eventually lost the persistent birds and found a rather random bit of old wooden fencing that didn't seem to do anything more than prop up a decades old copper and wood wheel that was slowly turning to dust and fungus food. Roxas figured someone had probably placed it there for decoration or something at one point, and promptly forgotten about it. Old dried weeds clung to it and the fence posts like brown reminders of seasons past. Roxas tested the fence warily, then decided it was sturdy enough, and hopped up to perch on it. Axel leaned against it, not wanting to test the decaying thing.

Roxas unscrewed the thermos cap, and sighed happily at the smell of hot chocolate. It was a perfect contrast to the nippy chill of the day. He poured some into the two mugs he then cradled his in his hands. There was silence for a few moments as the two ate their lunch and enjoyed the hot drink.

"Oh yeah!" Axel laughed and reached into a pocket to pull out a bright red envelope which he offered to Roxas. "Your card for the day."

Roxas cracked a tiny smile and took the offered envelope. Today's poem read:

Once upon a white Christmas

A golden goose laid a golden egg

Can't say these geese are of like mind

For they seem neither charitable nor kind!

Your Secret Santa

Laughing Roxas said, "Not very secret anymore."

Axel grinned cheekily, "Well, I wasn't sure how to sign it since I was confident you'd figure it out, but you never know!"

"Do you have all these planned out?"

"Only some of them, I've been winging it for a few though. Like this one. Got the idea while we were here yesterday and ran it by Selphie."

"Figures."

More silence ensued, and far off Roxas could see a few cows huddled together in the lee of a small stand of trees as they used the bare brush and each other to take most of the bite out of the breeze. Several starlings were pecking about in the dry, brittle grass where it stuck through the snow.

"So," he ventured. "Guess I shouldn't look forward to my card tomorrow?"

Axel laughed, "No way! We're only half way done, Roxas! You're getting the entire Twelve Days treatment." Had Roxas looked at Axel he would have found the red head to be practically beaming at his admission. Triumphant in the fact that his plan was at least succeeding in making Roxas enjoy something about the holidays Axel straightened up. "Well, come on. We've still got the rest of the day before freedom."

Roxas groaned, "Do I have to?"

"Do you want to chance a worse punishment from your brother?"

"Good point..." Roxas conceded.

Axel gave an exaggerated yawn and stretch before sauntering back toward the house. It was only when he was halfway several feet away that he noticed Roxas wasn't with him. Turning back he found the blond still sitting where he'd left him, "Hey, buddy?"

Roxas shook his head as if coming out of a day dream, then hopped down from his perch and walked over to join the red head. The look on the blond's face was serious when he asked, "Why are you doing this anyway?"

Axel figured he could frivolously reply that he'd been drafted into slavery just as Roxas had, but he knew that wasn't what the blond wanted to know about. So, instead, Axel put a fond smile on his face and said, "You looked so... detached that day in the mall. So upset, and angry. I want to teach you to enjoy Christmas, and most important look passed the pretty package modern day puts it in." He tapped the blond's temple lightly, laughing at the way Roxas' nose scrunched up at him. "Commit that to memory." As the red head turned and began to walk away again he called back, "That, and maybe I just wanted you to notice me!"

Roxas stared after him, face twisted into an expression of confusion, "What does that mean?!" He hollered, jogging to catch up with the taller man.

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That evening Axel offered to take Roxas home, and the two of them stopped at Edea's House on the way. That sat at the same table: Roxas with a burger and a side of fries, while Axel got a basket of chicken fingers and a side of curly fries.

"So should I be afraid of tomorrow?" Roxas asked.

"Nah, I don't think so."

"What is tomorrow anyway?"

"Day Seven. The theme's Seven swans a-swimming."

"Oh god... more birds."

Axel laughed at him, "I was planning to out myself today or tomorrow if you hadn't figured it out."

"Oh yeah?"

"These two were going to get tricky, it just makes things easier this way."

"Ah."

"Anyway, I'll be along to kidnap you tomorrow afternoon sometime for your seventh day surprise."