A Nobody's Christmas

Summary: Demyx and Zexion didn't see the mistletoe until it was too late. And of course, Axel seemed to think it was absolutely hilarious. Zemyx.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts nor am I making any money by writing this. I write solely for entertainment.

A/N: This got posted way later than I would have liked, but I went right from finishing (and winning) NaNoWriMo to getting ready for finals, which, of course, was very busy, to finals. I'll have plenty of free time (at least I hope so) after finals are over. I apologize right now if the spacing is weird. The blame goes to Microsoft Word, which is really retarded.

Beware the Mistletoe

It was Christmastime at the Castle That Never Was. Ever since the newer members (those who had not been apprentices to Ansem the Wise, beginning with Saïx and Axel) had joined the Organization, they had started celebrating the holiday. No one was quite sure how it got started, but it was now a tradition. Most of the members were enthusiastic about celebrating it, and those who weren't, quietly tolerated it.

The first of December marked the beginning of the festivities when Christmas music would begin to play and the Nobodies would start hanging the decorations. And that included mistletoe. The younger members were the ones who pushed to have it put up. They argued that it was a legitimate Christmas tradition and Xemnas relented.

Not one, but several bunches of mistletoe were hung. That made it harder for the older Nobodies, such as Zexion, to avoid it. He didn't hate Christmas. He just wasn't enthusiastic about some of the traditions. Like the mistletoe. It was the bane of his non-existence.

He spent most of his time and energy avoiding the balls of misery and he was always watching his step to make sure if he had to go anywhere near them, he did not get stuck underneath them. He refused to share the fate of those stuck under the mistletoe with another.

The fourteen Nobodies of the Castle That Never Was lounged in the commons area after dinner. It was a habit they had become accustomed to. All of them were there, which was rare—Vexen was usually hiding in his lab and Zexion was usually hiding in the library or wherever else he hid; no one really knew for sure. And wherever Zexion was, Lexaeus was with him. Yet all of them were there. Not to mention Xemnas, who rarely graced them with his presence besides at meetings and meals.

He and Saïx sat in a corner with Xaldin and Vexen, discussing something or other. Zexion was reading an extremely thick book on the couch, Lexaeus next to him, just sitting there with his eyes closed. Demyx sat on the couch across from them, strumming his sitar softly. Luxord, Axel, Xigbar, Marluxia, Roxas, and Xion were playing a low-key game of cards. The atmosphere was relaxed and sleepy.

At about ten, the groups started dispersing. Zexion was the first to retire to his bedroom, Lexaeus following him like a faithful guard dog. Demyx left second, and others soon followed. Soon, the only ones left of the card players were Luxord, Axel, Roxas, and Xigbar.

As soon as they were sure Xemnas and the others had gone to bed, the alcohol was brought out, courtesy of Luxord. Drinking was not forbidden in the Organization, but it was still frowned upon. So it was easier to avoid any…complications if they drank after everyone had gone to bed, and kept it down.

Drinks were passed around and cards were dealt. The game was poker, Luxord's favorite. The first few hands were played quietly, with each player concentrating on his cards and the game at hand. As the game progressed, and more alcohol was consumed, the players became more at ease and began talking.

"You know, I'm glad Xemnas finally caved on the mistletoe thing," Axel said.

"Yeah, I totally agree," Xigbar replied. "Christmas just isn't Christmas without mistletoe."

"It also wouldn't be Christmas without a pair getting stuck together under the mistletoe, and being forced to kiss," Axel continued, a grin crossing his face. "In front of everyone."

"Yeah," Roxas agreed.

"The only way this is gonna happen is if we force it to happen," Axel said.

"I think we should first decide who we're gonna trap under the mistletoe," Roxas said.

"It has to be good," Luxord said.

The others were silent for a while, deep in thought. When no one came up with anything, Luxord got up.

"I'm going to acquire more drinks," he explained. "The liquor will help us concentrate." He vanished through a portal and came back with several bottles of beer. He passed them around and they started brainstorming.

Several hours and many beers later, they had come up with nothing. Ideas rejected included Xion and Marluxia (too creepy), Larxene and Xemnas (both parties would be inclined to inflict bodily harm on them), Lexaeus and Saïx (fear of bodily harm), and Xaldin and Vexen (fear of being turned into an ice sculpture). Other possibilities included Xion and Demyx, Demyx and Marluxia, and Xion and Larxene. Roxas, however, came up with the apparent winner: Demyx and Zexion.

"How mad would Zexion be?" Axel asked worriedly at the suggestion.

"He'd probably be mad for a while, but he'd get over it," Xigbar answered.

"No bodily harm?" Axel asked.

"Naw." Xigbar shook his head. "He'll sulk for a while, but he won't do any physical damage."

"Let's hope so," Axel muttered.

"Just make sure he's not in a bad mood," Xigbar warned. "He might be inclined to tolerate it more if he's in a good mood."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Axel demanded.

Xigbar grinned crookedly. "He won't inflict any bodily harm, but you forget what he's capable of. He can make you think you're a dog named Fluffy if you cross him on a bad day. He's not afraid to do it."

Axel's face paled at the thought. "How do we tell if he's in a bad mood or not?"

"Just watch him for a couple days. You'll be able to tell." Xigbar grinned.

"All right. We won't do it for a while," Axel said. "I'll watch Zexion for a couple days and figure out when is a good time to put our plan into action."

"So you're in charge?" Roxas asked.

"Yeah," Axel answered. "Got a problem with that?"

"No." Roxas shook his head.

"Good." Axel smiled. "If there's trouble, I'll be the one to deal with it. When do you guys think would be the best time to do this?"

"The morning, for sure," Xigbar replied. "Zexion is not really awake in the morning. It takes him a couple cups of tea before he's really awake and paying attention to his surroundings."

"All right," Axel said. "Morning it is." The others agreed. They went to bed.

Over the next several days, Axel watched Zexion closely. It wasn't easy—he needed to do it without bringing it to Zexion's attention and that was no easy task. Finally, however, Axel was able to figure out a sort of system that would allow him to observe the Cloaked Schemer without being noticed.

Xigbar was right: it wasn't hard for him to figure out when Zexion was in a bad mood, if one knew what to look for. Axel waited and waited until he was absolutely sure the time was right. He and Xigbar did further planning to make sure Zexion and Demyx were caught under the mistletoe. They agreed on a signal that Axel would give when it was time and Xigbar would create a diversion.

The opportune moment came at breakfast one day. Zexion seemed in a pleasant enough mood and Demyx was more spaced out than usual. Even better, they got up at the same time and headed for the kitchen to get rid of their dishes. Hanging above the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room was a small bunch of mistletoe. Axel held his breath as the two of them headed for the doorway. He gave Xigbar the signal. As planned, Zexion's silverware slipped off his plate right under the doorway.

He bent down to retrieve the fallen pieces of cutlery. Demyx was not paying attention to where he was going and promptly smacked into Zexion, sending his silverware flying over Zexion's head. There was a sound of shattering porcelain as two plates fell.

All attention turned to them as they straightened up. Zexion's back was sticky with syrup from Demyx's plate that had collided with his back before falling. His posture was rigid.

"I'm so sorry!" Demyx squeaked.

A miraculous thing happened. Zexion's posture relaxed. His expression was soft as he turned to Demyx. "It's okay."

"Hey guys, look where you're standing," Axel said, pointing up.

Two sets of eyes looked up. Demyx gave another, louder squeak. Zexion went tense again.

"Come on, guys, it's just one kiss," Axel goaded. Zexion growled softly. "It's not gonna hurt anything."

"Just kiss and be done with it while we're still young," Larxene snapped. "Or else." Her eyes flashed angrily.

"Better not tempt her," Demyx muttered. "She's in a really bad mood this morning."

Zexion knew he was right. He sighed quietly and turned to Demyx. They stared at each other for a few moments, before slowly moving closer to each other.

Their lips gently touched. Then, one of them, it wasn't clear who, deepened it. They parted for a moment to catch their breath and then their lips came together again. Their breaths were audible in the dead silent kitchen. Then, they broke away. Zexion turned away, but not fast enough for Axel to see something slip down his face.

A single tear.

End

A/N: Aw, why did it turn out sad? It was totally intended to be humorous. And there is so a story behind Zexion's tear. I might end up writing more about it sometime.

12/15/10: Formatting and other minor problems have been corrected, including the correct spelling of Saïx's name. And the typos I've found have been corrected as well.