Twelve Days of Christmas
Rion
Rating: T for Tea and Crumpets
Summary: It's is December 15th and a flight for Xion leads to her heart taking off with the plane.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...
A petite girl of about twenty-three, ran up the hill and stopped. She turned her head out to the snow-laden landscape. She was wrapped in a black coat, fur around the hood, black combat boots, and gray beanie that pulled her short black hair close to her face. In her hands she carried two large black suitcases. Her breath was visible as she stared into the bright blue winter sky. The phone in one of her many pockets vibrated and, after finding it, she pulled it out to discover her favorite cousin Roxas was the one calling her.
"Hello?"
"Hey Xion? You're on your way to town right?" he was referring to his cousin's trek around the world to various countries, right now she was in France.
"Oui, I am on my way to the airport right now!"
"Great, see you in a few hours. Have a great flight!" she chuckled lightly before hanging up her phone and picking up her bags to continue on her way to the large airport just down the street.
She walked up to the large building and looked up as a large plane flew overhead. Xion dragged her two bags into customs and went through much security before boarding the flight that would land in Radiant Gardens in three hours. She remembered she was to take a taxi from the airport straight to Sora and Roxas's home. She had her iPod touch playing soft jazz as she comfortably nestled into her seat. Once she got settled, other passengers had begun to pile on behind her. Crossing her fingers, she hoped that there was not single person sitting in her row. Much to her disappointment, a silver haired muscular man began to place a bag into the compartment above her seat.
"May I squeeze past you miss?" his voice deep, smooth, sexy and she complied with little problem. She nodded quickly before changing the song to try to distract her from the gorgeous man sitting beside her. He then tapped her on the shoulder:
"You trying to go deaf?"
"Oh, is it that loud?" the raven-haired girl ripped out the ear-buds playing to see the outside volume.
"Just a wee bit," he chuckled lightly and she couldn't help but feel warmth in his giggle.
"So..." she left the ear-buds in her lap giving up on all attempts on avoiding her thoughts of the guy.
"What are you going to Radiant Gardens" he turned to her, flipping silver strands of hair from his stark blue eyes.
"Just some adventure really," she smiled and his smirk back gave her more confidence, "... And I'm going to visit my cousins for the holidays."
"Oh that's interesting," he coolly said before physically pulling his hair from his eyes.
"Yep," she sheepishly said turning her gaze past him, out the window.
"I love the winter French sky, don't you?" this was going good for Xion so for the rest of the plane ride she was determined to get him to smirk every so often. It was playful yet so... mischievous. She wanted to get to know this complete stranger sitting next to her, like it was some sort of compulsion she developed when she laid eyes on him. Him and his obviously gorgeous body underneath his tight maroon turtleneck, after he had taken off his leather jacket. Mr. Gorgeous turned out to have a real name, going by Riku. His family was in Radiant Gardens as were most of his friends as he had grown up there.
"I grew up just outside of Radiant Gardens." she smiled as she pulled a strand of hair from her face.
"I grew up in Radiant Gardens all my life," he stared out the window nostalgically.
"Why were you in France then?"
"Oh just to get away ya know. Sometimes spending time alone kinda soothes the soul," he turned to her seeing her totally focused on him, "I've been there my whole life... I needed a few months to just live outside the box."
"Wow," she smiled, "That's really nice."
"Hello ma'am, sir?" a tall, leggy blonde flight attendant greeted us, "Might I interest you in anything to eat? We have three special chicken dinners this evening- Chicken la Maison, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and Chicken Françoise," they both shook their heads and turned to each other once again.
"So... are you visiting anyone besides your cousins?" he may have been implying something but she missed it.
"I think my aunt and uncle, and my cousins are sorta dating two of my old best friends."
"So... are you dating anyone?" he still had his cool aura about him, even though the direct question startled the raven-haired girl.
"Oh... ummm I'm not really... dating anyone... no," Xion's face began to blush dark pink.
"I'm surprised. Someone as cute and funny as you, single?" he chuckled lightly making her blush even more then her already dark face had.
"I just guess I'm just not some guys type," she docilely said allowing her short hair fall between them as her own curtain from her embarrassment.
"That I don't get," he reached over and pulled the hair from its place to see her eyes, "You're one of the prettiest girls I've met... and I think you are pretty smart from the, what, three hours I've known you," she smiled but her blushing seemed to leave her somewhat speechless. Before she could say anything, over the intercom the attendant spoke:
"Please get back into your seats and buckle up, we shall be landing in about ten minutes."
"...I guess our time has come to an end..." he lifted her face to look straight into her eyes, "I just spent three of the best hours on a plane with this great girl," Xion could feel her voice shut down, never had she met a guy that was so willing to be this open with her, "I know I sound crazy but... you have just made me believe in love at first sight."
"Oh... wow..."
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the gorgeous Radiant Gardens. Thank you for flying Destiny Air and Happy Holidays!" the perky flight attendant waved and people began packing up whatever they had on them.
"Well I guess this is good bye Xion," he stood and pushed passed her and waft of sweet paopu scented air lifted to her nose.
"Wait... that's it? So you want my number or something?" she looked frantically at him he smirked and suddenly in a blink several anxious men and women were pushing him down the aisle.
"Merry Christmas my raven-haired sweetheart! I'll wait for you!" he frantically attempted to push back but he couldn't surpass the hundred exiting.
"Merry Christmas to you too, my mystery-sky guy," the black haired girl muttered sadly under her breath and propelled herself to follow the people down the aisle hoping he would wait for her outside the gates. The moment she stepped out, she searched the crowds of people incoming Radiant Garden Airport to leave here or go there. The raven-haired girl whipped around as she heard someone screaming her name.
"XION?" her navy blue eyes brightened as she searched for a silver headed male in the crowd. Much to her disappointment, she did not see him. Instead she was bombarded by her cousin Roxas and his spiky dirty blonde hair.
"Hi little cuz'!" she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Hey Xion, how was the flight?" he began walking with her to baggage claim.
"It was... something else," she smiled lost in thought.
"What happened?" he looked at her sceptically, knowing that something, or someone, was behind this.
"Nothing."
"I grew up with you Xion, and now you think you've learned the art of lying?"
"I guess not," she frowned before pulling at his spikes, "You need to get a hair cut. One day, your hair is going to give up on up on this defying gravity act and it'll be because it can't handle the weight of this excess hair."
"Ouch," he batted her hand away and she reached down picking up her suitcases, "Don't do that!"
"Do what?"
"Change subjects or pull my hair!" the blonde threw his head to move the bangs from his face, "Now who was he?"
"Who was who?" she followed him as he led her to the lot just outside the entrance.
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. The guy that's got you all loopy-headed."
"I have no idea what you are talking about hey," she stopped at the car, "Where's Sora?"
"He said he had some stuff to do today and he's going to catch up with you when he gets back later," he said, "Hey! I said don't do that!"
"Do what?" she batted her eyes coyly.
"That," he pointed to her mouth, "Subject switcher, Tell me who this guy was."
"I will... after we catch up. Now... tell me how everyone's been..." and thus the drive home was focused on forgetting the mysterious Riku.
Upon entering the house, Xion smiled in delight at the light smell of delicious cooking wafting from the kitchen. She hadn't actually been to the house since Sora and Roxas moved in but it was still warm and homey to her. Roxas took her bags to the apparent spare room and she began to search around the house for something to occupy her brain. It would be her luck to find the man of her dreams on a plane just to have him swept away from her as if it never happened. She plopped onto the large couch in the living room and couldn't help but let her mind think about that amazing guy.
"You went to Radiant Garden High?" Riku smirked and she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Yeah, well... that is after I transferred from Traverse Town High."
"That's... pretty cool," he smiled, "I went to Traverse Town High too, but for all four years."
"Oh, my cousins went there too. I transferred out because Radiant Garden High has a special language program that my parents really wanted me to take."
"Oh so how well do you speak French then?" his eyes seemed to be growing in curiosity.
"Pretty much fluently," she smiled, proud of this fact.
"Oh wow."
"Yeah I speak a little Spanish and German too..."
"That's really cool..."
Xion sat up blinking. Wait... if he went to Traverse Town High then... She rocketed off the couch and around the corner straight into Roxas.
"Whoa, slow down horsey! Where's the fire?"
"Do you have your Traverse Town High yearbooks?" she took a slow breath in as to not pass out from breathing too quickly.
"Yeah they're in my room. Why?"
"Just bring me one at least and I could probably explain," he nodded and she followed the blond into his room. It wasn't in completely terrible condition. Actually, Xion was surprised as to the cleanliness of her younger cousin. Sora always seemed like he would have been the clean one.
"Here," he handed her his sophomore year yearbook, "Now will you explain?"
"Hold on," she held up her finger and flipped to the athletics. He said something about playing volleyball in high school, right? She stopped at the boys volleyball photo. Not even a moment passed before she saw a younger Riku on the varsity team. Even back then he looked buff and muscular and just plain gorgeous. Her pale fingers ran down the list of names and found his: Riku Ito.
"Riku Ito? How do you know him?" Roxas followed her finger on the list.
"He's... he's..." she did get to finish because Sora came bursting through the door.
"Hi Xion!" he picked her up and swung her around the room.
"Hi Sora!"
"How was the flight?"
"It was..."
"Something else?" Roxas finished for her, raising a brow.
"Wait what do you mean?"
"Nothing I just met this amazing-," she stopped when she saw someone else standing at the doorway of Roxas' room.
"Sora where am I stay-" he stopped too. Both blue eyes stopped at each other and everything paused for a moment between them.
"R-Riku?" she choked out.
"Xion?"
"Wait you two know each other?" Roxas and Sora sang in unison.
"This is..." she began.
"The one I told you about Sora..." they still didn't move. Xion, mainly because she was still processing this whole moment. Riku, because he was just stunned.
"Oh well... now I guess you did get to see her again."
"Yeah I guess I did."
"That's the guy Xion?" Roxas inquired of the raven haired girl.
"Yeah."
"Well. What a small, small world."
"Yeah."
"Are you two going to stand there or what?" Sora asked switching his view between the two of us.
"Let's just leave them for a second," Roxas said dragging his cousin by the abnormally spiky hair. They stood there in silence for a moment before Riku practically stumbled to her and caught her in a tight hug.
"This is the best day of my life," he whispered into her hair.
"Ditto to that," she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Xion, where the hell did you go?"
"You didn't wait so I left."
"I did too," he pulled back slightly offended, "I waited with Sora for like twenty minutes!"
"I looked for you before Roku dragged me away," he chuckled at the nickname.
"Roku? No one's called him that since we were in high school," he smiled and brushed his finger beneath her chin to lift her head to him, "The point is... I want you. I mean... I want- I-I want to be with you," she was surprised at his sudden childlike behavior.
"Riku Ito are you nervous?" he seemed startled slightly at her courageous attitude.
"Only when I meet beautiful raven-haired girls who are so amazing that I can't think straight," he changed back to his cool tone, though it was still shaky.
"Riku...?"
"Yes Xion?"
"I think I love you."
"I think I love you too," he smiled.
"Good," she took what was left of her courage and she lifted herself to his lips. At first contact, they both seemed timid. Then, they were both overcome with love and joy that they began to move with each other. Parting lips and dancing tongues, they fell deeper into the kiss as his hands moved down her back and her's tighter around his neck.
"Well isn't that just the best Christmas present?" Roxas chuckled, and the two pulled apart slowly staring into each others' eyes before turning to the brothers.
"Are you saying my turtle gift wasn't awesome? She loved it!" Sora sounded appalled.
"You didn't even realize the significance of it until after I told you what it meant."
"Ugh well your twelve days of gifts idea doesn't exactly make this look bad either."
"Okay well," Riku took his hands from his black haired love, "Well now that we've established this gift was..." he looked at Xion, "Amazing... Let's get the girls and we'll go out for dinner to celebrate our homecoming."
"Okay I'll go get Kairi."
"Wait where is she?"
"Ummm... playing with Fuzzy Wuzzy and Clyde."
"Who?" Xion and Riku both turned to Sora.
"Ummm they're two turtle doves..."
"I thought you said they were turtles?" Xion said.
"Well they are but it's... like.. oh never mind, I'll explain over dinner," he rubbed his head.
"Ha ha let's get going guy," Roxas said as they began to exit his room, Xion and Riku stopped at the door.
"So I guess this means the next few weeks we shall be getting to know each other."
"That's..."
"Something else?" he smiled bringing her in for another deep kiss before leaving Roxas' room.
...Three French Hens
Hi chibixbabe here and wow this took me a while to write but I thought it was really cute and romantic and ugh so amazing. Alrighty, hope you like it review.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!