Warnings: Language, Sexual situations, Yaoi (M/M)
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney, not me.
"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since there's no place to go, let it sn-"
"Would you please stop singing?"
Roxas stopped mid song, and glanced over his shoulder to see a disgruntled Cloud starring at the table, his eyes slightly glazed over.
"Uh, you okay Cloud?" Roxas asked, discarding the cookies he was placing in a Christmas decorated tin, and leaned up against the counter, facing Cloud head on.
Cloud ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I haven't thought of what to get Zack for Christmas."
"Oh...that's bad." Roxas shrugged and pushed himself up so he was now sitting upon the counter. "Have any general ideas?"
Cloud simply shook his head from side to side. "Nothing seems right. I want to get him something special."
"Ha, you sound like such a girl-" Cloud shot Roxas a glare but Roxas didn't pay attention "-just get him something he really wants, like a CD or something... heeey, you could make him a mixed CD! You know, put some songs he likes on it, and some songs that you think he would like."
Cloud put his head down on the table and sighed. "That's kinda lame... I bet Zack is having an easier time of this."
Roxas just hopped down from the counter and went back to putting the sugar cookies away.
Zack skipped down the street, humming a jaunty tune and waving at random people on his way to his destination. He got a few- well actually, a lot- of confused and possibly scared looks from random passersby, but Zack paid them no attention. He was a man on a mission, and a very happy one at that!
Zack turned a corner, and stopped suddenly in front of a store, and his grin became even bigger.
"Three weeks of waiting, and it's finally ready!" Zack exclaimed, reaching for the door handle.
Unfortunately someone grabbed out for Zack's hand and prevented him from opening the door. Zack glanced up and glared at the person who had so rudely stopped him from his 'very important mission' only to see a grinning Reno standing beside him, a firm grip on his hand.
"Just the person I was looking for!"
Zack pulled his hand away and looked at Reno quizzically. "I know you love me Reno, but you gotta stop stalking me."
Reno rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around Zack's shoulder guiding him away from the store. "I have the best thing to show you."
Zack tried to get away from Reno's grip, groaning in frustration. "Can't it wait? I have to go get Cloud's Christmas present!"
Reno simply shook his head and kept walking with Zack under firm control. "Trust me, this will be so worth it!"
Reno led them far away from the store and through a few back alleys, until they arrived behind a small convenient store.
"Go up to the wall and lean against it and make sure you can't see anything behind you." Reno instructed pushing Zack towards the wall.
Zack slowly walked over to the wall, not sure if he really wanted to do what Reno was telling him to do. "Again I say: I know you love me, but having sex with me against a convenient store's back alley wall isn't going keep me with you for long. It is kinda kinky though." Zack waggled his ass slightly, and leaned up against the wall, just hoping Reno wasn't really going to do what he thought he was.
"Don't flatter yourself." Reno shot back, walking away for a moment.
Zack could hear some scrapping on pavement, a few curse words, and what sounded like empty milk jugs.
"This had better be worth it! If I don't get Cloud's gift today, I can't give it to him until after Christmas, which totally defeats the purpose of a Christmas gift!"
Zack heard footsteps come towards him and felt Reno press himself up against his back. "You can turn around now." Reno whispered into Zack's ear whilst running a hand down Zack's chest to linger at his belt clasp. Reno stayed there for a moment before laughing and pulling away from Zack, smacking his ass in the process.
Zack whipped around quickly. "If Cloud finds out what you jus- Holy crap."
There, in a large pile, were garbage bags full of creepy Santa Clause decorations in multiple sizes and all with equally creepy expressions on there faces.
"They're gonna eat me...aren't they?" Was all Zack could say.
"How about... a gift card? That way he can get what he wants and you don't have to guess."
Cloud stuffed his face into his pillow and mumbled into the phone. "You know that won't work Tifa...I said I wanted something that would mean something..."
He could hear Tifa mutter something about how he was being difficult right now, but Cloud chose to ignore it.
"Why not just do what Roxas suggested and make him a mixed CD! I think that's a cute idea!"
"More like a lame idea!" Cloud said, lifting his head from his pillow.
"My god, is someone being a right bitch today. How about you think of something on your own then!"
Cloud was about to apologize when he heard Tifa slam the phone down on the receiver.
"...Fuck..."
"This is going to be so awesome! He hates Santa ever since he learnt he comes into your home while you sleep! Thought it was a complete invasion of privacy." Zack was helping Reno stuff the garbage bagged Santa's into the back of Reno's car, grinning from ear to ear. " Hey...wait."
Zack stopped pushing in one of the bags and looked at Reno. It had just occurred to him that Reno hadn't told him where he got all of these decorations.
"What?" Reno grunted out, trying to close the trunk.
"Where the hell did you get all these Santa's?"
Reno finally got the trunk closed and turned to Zack. "My Dad took me on a drive in his new car and we went out of the city and passed a crazy guys house. He was having a garage sale and was selling all his Santa's...it was kinda weird."
Zack nodded in agreement. "So we gonna wait till it's dark to do this, right? That way we know he will be home, but he most likely won't be looking outside until he has to go for self defense lessons."
"Right-o! Man, he is gonna flip when he sees this! He hates it when things stare at him."
Zack chuckled slightly, thinking about what the reaction to the prank would be like. "Well I gotta go pick up that present, but I will see you at your place at eight!"
Zack started towards the main street, leaving Reno to figure out how he was going to drive in a car overflowing with plastic chubby men in red suits.
Zack was making good speed, and wasn't going to let anything prevent him from getting the gift now. He had it specially made, and was really excited to see how it turned out. He just hoped Cloud liked it.
He quickly made it to the store and was, again, going to open the door when his vision was shrouded by white, red, and green.
"HO HO HO! What's this young man doing today? Shopping for his girlfriend?"
Zack backed away slightly to get a better view, only to see an aging man in a Santa suit with a disgruntled fourteen year old dressed as an elf, holding a sack full of small, broken candy canes.
"Wow, Santa, you gave me quiet the fright! As a matter of fact I am shopping and have somewhere to go-"
Apparently Santa was hard of hearing because he didn't seem to pay attention to anything Zack was saying except for the word 'shopping'.
"Shopping you say?! Well then, how about I give you this!" The man dug around in his own, smaller pack and pulled out coupon with a cheesy happy couple on it. " One free couples massage! Take your girlfriend with you, and enjoy all the wonder's these special massage therapists have to offer. "
Zack tried not to look slightly disgusted when the man winked at him. The man thrust the coupon and a candy cane into Zack's hand, and pat him on the back a few times. "You enjoy that now, yah hear?"
Zack nodded and stuffed the contents into his pockets. "Yeah I'm sure my boyfriend and I will really enjoy it, but personally I prefer the massages he gives. Now if you happened to have a coupon for some body oil, then I might consider it using it!"
The look he got from that comment was worth the whole conversation before and then some. The Santa's eyes bugged slightly and he turned a shade of red Zack had only thought came in a can at a paint store, meanwhile the fourteen year old blushed and started to giggle.
"Happy Holidays!" Zack yelled behind his shoulder as he walked toward the entrance...
And proceeded to slam his face into the door.
"...you have got to be kidding me." The store was closed.
Cloud sat on his mom's bed, his legs crossed and a bored expression on his face as his mother went on about one Christmas she had that she would never forget. To bad Cloud had already forgotten most of it.
"- And then the turkey came back into the house, and started to eat the stuffing we had made before hand! That's the last time my Dad bought 'fresh' turkey." His mother chuckled slightly and continued to fold the launder.
"So what did you come in here to ask again?"
Cloud took this as his cue to talk. "I haven't decided what to get Zack, and I was wondering if you can help me think of something."
"What?! Christmas is only three days away! This is the last shopping day you have and you aren't out there shopping like crazy?"
Cloud glared slightly at his mother. "Don't think I haven't been counting down the minutes until this day is over."
"Huh...well I remember one year- this was before your father turned into an ass by the way- your father made me my gift! He got a collection of songs he liked and made me a mixed tape."
Cloud was incredibly close to exploding right then and there. Instead he shrugged it off as best he could and kept his voice under control. "Why does everyone keep telling me to make a mixed CD?"
His mother stopped putting the launder away and came and sat down on the bed beside Cloud, grabbing one of his hands and holding it in her smaller one. "First, I suggested a mixed tape, and secondly, music is a beautiful way of evoking emotion in people. It can make us sad, happy, angry, excited, it can make us want to dance or it can make us sleep. It has the power to remind us of the important things in life. Haven't you ever heard a song, and thought of a certain thing, or a certain person while listening to it? You can convey a lot of what you're feeling just through a single song."
Cloud scrunched his face up slightly. It was odd when his mother got all serious and philosophical. But what she had to say did make sense to him.
"It's either that or you could do what I did one year. I dressed up as a sexy Christmas elf and-"
"MOM! NO!" Cloud shot up from the bed and pointed at her in an accusing matter. " Just-no-to much information!"
And with that Cloud stormed out of the room, leaving his mother who had laughed herself to tears at that point.
Zack was screwed.
S-C-R-E-W-E-D.
"With a capital 'S'" Zack whispered, leaning up against the glass door. "Stupid Santa, with his stupid coupon and his stupid candy- wait...I have a candy cane!"
Zack dug into his pocket and pulled out the candy cane. "Oh sugary goodness that might be tampered with, what should I do?"
Zack probably thought he looked like a complete idiot, leaning against a store door whilst talking to a candy cane. He was going to open the wrapper and eat the possibly drug injected candy cane when his hand slipped off the wrapper causing Zack to drop the candy.
"Son of a-" Zack muttered, kneeling down to pick up the candy cane. As he was doing so he looked into the store, and noticed a very pretty girl walking towards the door. She was holding a wash cloth in one hand and a window cleaner in the other, with a confused look on her face.
Zack shot upwards and hit the door a few times, a big grin on his face.
The girl slowly walked towards the door, and opened it slightly with a weary look on her face. "Can I help you?"
"YES! Oh my god, you are like a special Christmas angel come down from the north pole to help me in my quest- Hey wait don't close the door!"
The girl had started to close the door right after Zack had started his speech, fear in her eyes.
"I didn't meant to scare you, it's just I came here to pick up a really important gift for someone, but I came to late! See, I got here fairly early but then I was dragged away and almost raped! But then I got out of that, only to be confronted by a Santa that really wanted to eat me and one that really wanted me to get a massage! Anyways, I just really need to pick up something ...do you think you can help me?" Zack sent her his best puppy dog look, hoping she would take the bait.
"Uh... I don't know, my Dad runs the store I only work here to help him out, so I don't really have full authority on this."
"I already paid for it though, I just need to pick it up! My name should be in the database! It's Zack Fair, look it up if you don't believe me!"
The girl stuck her finger up to signal 'one second' and shut the door in Zack's face. He watched her go to the computer on the desk and punch in a few numbers and codes. Her eyes scanned the computer screen and occasionally shot up to look at Zack.
She soon came back to the door, a small smile on her face. "So your the one that ordered that." She spoke, sending Zack a warm smile. She opened the door more and let Zack in. Zack could have kissed the girl.
"It's in the back, I will go and get it."
Zack wandered around the main room and looked at all the display cases, admiring certain pieces until the girl scuttled back into the room, a small box in her hands. She opened the case and let Zack look at it.
Zack smiled and nodded. "It's perfect."
"Whomever you got this for must be pretty special if you went through all this trouble to get it." The girl said, digging around in the stack of papers and pulling out a sheet for Zack to sign.
"He means the world to me." Zack replied, signing the paper, and taking the small bag the girl handed to him."Thank you so much."
"It's no problem. Just don't hang around stores talking to candy canes and creepy Santa's anymore, okay?"
"Be over here at Seph's in five minutes!" Zack spoke into the phone.
"I'll try..." Cloud replied, sounding a little confused. "What's this all about anyways?"
"You'll see, now come on!" Zack hung up then, and scuttled over to Reno, crouching down beside him. "He's coming."
"Awesome."
Reno was playing around with some wires, a determined look on his face. "So if all goes according to plan, if I connect these two wires, we should have ourselves light!"
"Where did you learn how to wire things like that?" Zack asked.
"Rude taught me, and don't ask where he learnt it because I couldn't tell you."
They waited in the dark for a few moments longer until Zack saw a familiar person heading up the street, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets a suspicious look on his face.
"What are you-" Cloud began to shout down the street but quickly shut up when he saw the frantic hand movements Zack and Reno were making. Zack hurriedly signaled for Cloud to come towards them.
Cloud walked up, glancing at Sephiroth's front lawn ever once in a while. "What's going on?" He asked when he was close enough.
"You'll see." Reno said, never taking his eyes off Sephiroth's front door.
"He's opening the door!" Zack almost shouted, excitement evident in his voice.
Reno quickly placed the two wires together as Sephiroth opened the door. The entire front lawn was suddenly showered in a bright white light, and small buzzing sounds could be heard.
Every single creepy Santa was placed so they were starring right at Sephiroth as he left his house. Some waved back and forth, other's did what was once a dance and had turned into a jerk of plastic and wires, while other's warbled out ' Ho Ho Ho's' and ' Merry Christmas'.
Cloud only saw the back's of all the Santa's and it creeped him out, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be facing all of them.
Sephiroth seemed unable to move for a moment, his eyes wide as his one hand seemed to move like he was reaching for an invisible sword on his side.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Reno and Zack yelled at the same time, jumping out of the shadows and into view.
Sephiroth looked up at them and glared slightly. He slowly made his way through the Santa's never taking his eyes off the two boys.
"You know I hate Santa." Sephiroth stated, standing in front of the two.
"Uh... It wasn't my idea." Zack said shoving Reno towards Sephiroth and taking off towards Cloud. "Sorry mate, but that's what you get for feeling me up in an alleyway!"
Zack grabbed Cloud's hand and headed towards a tree nearby, climbing up the trunk and onto a branch, and waited for Cloud to follow.
"Do you think a tree will stop Sephiroth from getting to you?" Cloud asked, as he seated himself beside Zack and looked down on Sephiroth's glowing lawn. Seems like Reno wasn't going to go down without a fight. Well if you call running away fighting.
"If we go to far we won't get to see all the action!" Zack stated. There was a slight pause in the conversation as Zack shuffled around and Reno was finally caught and put into a choke hold.
Zack made a frustrated sound and quickly pulled something out of his coat pocket. "Here." Zack said pushing the small case and a piece of paper into Cloud's hand. "I know it isn't Christmas, but I couldn't wait to give it to you."
"... a free massage?" Cloud asked, looking at the piece of paper.
Zack quickly grabbed for it, a grin on his face. "Uh, that wasn't suppose to be there."
Cloud gave Zack a look and continued to open the small case.
Inside was a small necklace pendant of a ankh. It was made of silver, and at the base of the ankh lay a small blue stone.
"The stone is Agate, and the ankh itself is just silver. In ancient Egypt the Ankh represents life...and the stone I had them add reminds me of the sky, and how, when I'm with you I feel like I can fly if I wanted to," When Cloud didn't say anything Zack continued. "You know if you don't like it I can always return it, and get you somethin-"
"No." Cloud said, tentatively touching the stone. "It's amazing...I love it."
Zack breathed a sigh of relief.
Cloud shut the case, and put it safely into his pocket. He then turned slightly to Zack and closed the distance between them. When they pulled apart Cloud held onto Zack and pulled him into a hug, burying his face into his shoulder.
"That's the nicest thing someone has ever gotten me. It even beats the N64 I got when I was little from my Grandma."
Zack chuckled slightly, and kept his hold on Cloud. In the background Reno's cried of 'Uncle' went unheard.
"I got you something too, and I have it with me." Cloud said as he pulled away from Zack's embrace to reach into his pocket. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand."
Zack did was he was told and soon felt a slight weight in his hands. " Okay you can open them" he heard Cloud whisper. Zack opened his eyes and his gaze fell on a small MP3 player.
"I hope you don't mind that it's open, but I wanted to fill it up with songs that I thought you would like, as well as songs that remind me of us."
Zack broke out into a huge grin and kissed Cloud's forehead. "That's to cute! I love it, and I can't wait to listen to it!"
Cloud beamed and grabbed Zack's empty hand squeezing it slightly. He gazed down at the decorated lawn, kicking his feet slightly. "Merry Christmas Zack."
"Merry Christmas Cloud."
Authors Note: Okay, so this probably is one of my favorite chapters. I think it's because we follow Zack around, plus the fact that it's filled with random-ness. Also, it's Christmas based and I love Christmas! I didn't get as many reviews as I usually do on my last chapter and that made me a little sad... but I don't really like to ask for reviews so I wont ask now... but I will hint! But just so you guys know, I really appreciate them and they make my day when you guys give me feedback! But thanks for all those who read the story, favorite it, watch it, and for those who review! I love you all!