My Christmas present to my Zexion. But of course it had to be Zemyx cause she's gonna marry our Demyx someday. If you don't get the note at the end, remember I'm Axel. :D Characters are not mine...how I wish they were...

A Night For Decisions

He knew this place. He knew it very well. It was, in fact, his bedroom. Zexion was not quite sure whether he was dreaming or if he had actually awoken. He was prone to extremely realistic dreams, and often experienced this dilemma.

He decided he would go poke about the Castle and try to find out which it was. Upon entering the hall- dark and just as familiar- the answer was no more evident. Even the dim light flickering slightly from around the corner was just as he remembered seeing it before going to bed.

In the complete silence, he heard the noise very well. It wasn't a particular noise of anything, rather it was one of those random sounds emitted by chairs when the people sitting in them shift position. At least that proved that there was someone else here with him no matter where he actually was, so Zexion quietly made his way up the corridor.

As he came closer to the corner the light was behind, he heard a sigh, one that clearly broadcast the feeling of "I'm going to be late if I stay here much longer so hurry up". Zexion felt an instant curiosity to know the identity of the person sighing and what was causing them to sigh so exasperatedly.

Cautiously, he leaned his head around the edge of the wall, and his baby-blue eyes immediately fell upon the image of Axel sitting, arms crossed against his chest, halfway in shadow due to a blazing fireplace on the far side of the room. From the way the redhead sat up and uncrossed his arms, it was clear he'd been spotted. Zexion froze, wondering if he was wanted here.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up," Axel said, laughter eternally dancing in his voice. "Well, come in," he added sarcastically, but not in a cruel way.

Zexion was more than happy to oblige, darting into the little room to sit on Axel's lap and curl up against him. Even if this was a dream- and he still wasn't sure- Axel was welcome wherever he wanted to be as far as Zexion was concerned.

"I just knew you'd be up early on Christmas," Axel went on, absentmindedly running a hand through Zexions's feathery hair. Zexion snuggled closer, trying not to let Axel see the blush that spread across his face.

Axel laughed, noticing anyway. "Glad to know I'm loved, Zexy. Would you believe I got you a present?"

"You- you did?" Zexion asked quietly, surprised. "Why? It's not like we Nobodies have anything to celebrate on Christmas anyway. And I... I didn't get you anything." He ducked his head down again, supremely embarrassed.

"You didn't have to, Zexion," Axel said, with a note in his voice that made his words mean much, much more. "You're all I want for Christmas- and every other day of the year. Anyway, you wanna know what it is?"

"Not really anymore," Zexion replied, and reached up to brush his lips over Axel's. As he'd expected, Axel leaned in for more, and Zexion eagerly embraced the fire.

They sprang apart dizzyingly fast when a door Zexion hadn't noticed before suddenly slammed. Before he'd really had a chance to register the loss of Axel's kiss, Demyx had stormed into the room with death on his face, and stopped in his tracks as he noticed the pair.

"You too, Zexion?" Demyx demanded furiously, eyes flashing uncharacteristically. "So you've betrayed me too?"

"No!" Zexion cried, a wound seeming to open itself inside him at the sight of Demyx's tortured face. "No, I would never-" But he was cut off as Axel wrapped his arms protectively around him, keeping him close.

Demyx gave a veritable snarl of hatred. Zexion tried to struggle free without success.

"Demyx, wait, no- Axel let me go," he muttered.

But Axel didn't. "My Christmas present to you is me, forever," he whispered just loud for Demyx to hear. Demyx gave them a pained, scornful glare and turned away.

The next second, Zexion found himself unceremonially thrown to the ground, and through his now-blurry vision saw Axel dash across the room to whirl an unidentifiable person into a deep kiss. As his eyes refocused, he discerned that it was Roxas. A sudden flash of abandonment shot through him, but it swiftly disappeared as a heavy numbness set in over top of it.

Zexion pushed himself to his feet and lurched to Demyx's side, head still spinning a little from the abrupt crash into the wood floor. They both sort of watched Axel and Roxas for a moment, but then Demyx seemed to remember what was going on and pointedly avoided Zexion's eyes.

"Demyx," Zexion started, then realized he had no idea what he wanted to say. What could possibly be said? He knew Demyx was angry over an absolutely correct assumption, and there was no way he could deny it. But, glancing back at Axel (whose world currently appeared to consist of only himself and Roxas), Zexion wished so much for there to be some way for Demyx to be wrong.

"Don't try to convince me," Demyx said in a condescending sort of way. "I'm never going to believe you."

"I wasn't going to," Zexion mumbled, staring down at his feet because he wasn't exactly sure where to be looking. "In fact, I'm fairly sure I know what you're feeling."

The dirty blonde boy turned back to gaze at Zexion a bit quizzically, and the majority of his aloof anger seemed to disappear. Zexion clearly saw the glittering pain residing in his eyes. "Maybe you just can," Demyx admitted slowly. "What are you going to do?"

"I..." Zexion didn't think he had an answer, but then he realized that the defensive numbness was wearing away and his suddenly broken- well, not heart, but something close to it- wanted to take control of this situation and actually accomplish something.

Demyx waited, his blue eyes flicking over to Axel and Roxas for a second and then back.

Zexion knew what he had to say, and he opened his mouth with newfound resolve. "I'm going to tell you that I am always going to want Axel and that that's not a thing I'm ever going to be able to help. But then I'm going to tell you that there is a big difference between lust and love, and that given a choice I'd rather have love. And then I'm going to tell you I love you."

The last remaining shreds of animosity slipped off of Demyx's face as he stood in silent comprehension. After several seconds, he said softly, "I was sort of hoping you'd say something along those lines."

As he leaned down, Zexion caught a brief flash of movement in the corner of his eye, and found Axel and Roxas staring at him with terrible ruby eyes, and thought that that might not be quite right, but Demyx's lips met his and he became wonderfully oblivious to the world...

"Zexion!" came a low hiss in his ear. "Zexy!"

"Wha-" he began, disoriented to find himself in his own bed instead of in Demyx's arms.

"Ssh," said the horribly familiar voice from beside him.

"Axel?" he asked vaguely, as he began to realize he was awake. "What do you want?"

"Nothing vitally important," came Axel's reply. "I just wanted to tell you it's one in the morning on Christmas and do you want to be on top?"

Zexion shook his head, closing his eyes again. The dream- for that was what it had been- was still too vivid for him to want to take Axel up on his rare and tempting offer. Kissing Demyx, even if it hadn't been real, had brought more peace than Axel and his flames ever had.

He knew what he wanted.

"And it isn't you," he whispered to himself as he slid out of bed and zipped his trenchcoat up around him.

"Zexy?" Axel asked with confusion, and Zexion had enough night vision by now to make out his green, feline eyes shining in the darkness. "Where're you going?"

"Somewhere you don't have to pretend for me anymore," he answered, not without derision but not with much. He preferred to believe that this was inevitable, it would hurt less that way.

Axel made no move to defend himself, and in those eyes Zexion could see the truth.

"Bye." There was nothing else to tell him. Zexion let himself out and headed up the hallway to where a fire roared in a little room with a chair, and, he noticed now, a Christmas tree in one corner. He sat down in the chair, crossed his arms and legs in his usual position, and waited.

He didn't wait long. The door on the opposite wall opened, and Demyx stood in the space it left behind. His expression was serious, in a way resigned, as though he knew he was only going to get bad news but hoped for the best anyway.

Zexion crossed the room and drew Demyx to him, knowing with a rush of perfect clarity that this was the completely right thing. "This is a night for decisions," he said, as Demyx stared at him in shock, unblinking, "and I've made mine."

Demyx leaned down and breathed, "I love you, Zexion."

Zexion smiled. "I was sort of hoping you'd say something like that."

As the world dissolved around him and he knew that blissful peace again, Zexion decided that this was going to be the best Christmas he'd ever have.

THE END

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Zexion! =)

Hope You Don't Mind That An Enormous Jerk Wrote This For You!