Author's Note: No real plot that I can discern. It's just a little X-massy themed fluff, all for the cute little Roxas/Naminé scene. Please don't ask me where I got the idea that Demyx might be able to cook Acadian style, I really don't know. ;
Warning: Unhealthy levels of sucrose here people. Also, very, very light Axel/Demyx at the end, and a probably very OOC Marluxia.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Heart in this or any reality.
All I want for Christmas…
"…and CRACK he'll take the lead!
Oh jingle bells…"
"Demyx only total dweeb like you knows all the verses to "Jingle Bells," Axel grumbled at the Melodious Nocturne.
Demyx made a face and kept singing.
"Do the one about Snoopy next," Roxas begged.
Axel shook his head. He'd never seen his little buddy so excited before. Something about Christmas just seemed to get to Roxas.
At the boy's insistence, they had commandeered the kitchen for a day to make Christmas cookies. He and Demyx had been nibling at cookie dough the all day and it was starting to show.
In Demyx's case it was resulting in an unending string of Christmas carols, and Roxas kept making requests.
Thank god Demyx could carry a tune.
Roxas was all but bouncing off the walls at this point. Axel was almost positive he'd devoured the entire first pan of cookies they'd made. And he'd sampled everything else they'd made. Sugar cookies, spiced cookies, nut cookie, meringues, chocolate cookies, baklava, peppermint pinwheels, pumpkin pinwheels, maple cookies, and cookie bars out the wahzoo.
They'd even made cayenne pepper cookies for Axel. There were a lot of sweets in that kitchen.
And they still had to make dinner. That had been the condition. If they used the kitchen all day, then they had to make dinner. Which was what Demyx was doing now. Despite having shown surprising aptitude so far, Axel still had some doubts.
The Nocturne didn't appear to be paying attention to what he was doing. He was chatting with Roxas in between carols, barely looking at what he was cooking. At yet it was starting to smell rather good.
Axel set to the monumental task of putting away all the cookies (someone had to make a start or else all three of them would end up with at lance through them). He'd deal with his two hyper friends later.
"So Roxas, what do you want for Christmas?" Demyx asked as he stirred the brown goo. "A new game?"
"Nah," said the boy, "I've got lots of those. I want something I've never gotten before."
"Like what?"
Roxas blushed. "I can't tell you!"
"Why not?"
"I haven't told anyone. Not even Axel."
"Aww come on. Please?" Demyx begged.
Roxas paused. He glanced over at Axel to make sure his friend wasn't paying attention. Then he whispered something in Demyx's ear. The Nocturne's face split into a grin.
"Why can't you tell Axel about that?"
"It's just…embarrassing is all."
"It's not embarrassing."
"Yes it is!" Roxas' face got red. "Feh, what do you know?" he grumbled. He turned his attention to the pot Demyx seemed to throwing things into at random. He had started it sometime ago and Roxas still couldn't tell what it was supposed to be.
"What is that?" he asked. "Primordial soup?"
"It's gumbo. You're going to eat it and you're going to like it."
Roxas stared dubiously at the pot. "Looks like primordial soup to me."
He wandered off to go help Axel.
Demyx grinned to himself. A little Christmas magic seemed to be in order.
888
The next day Demyx wandered into the greenhouse. He came upon sight not witnessed by most of the other members.
Marluxia, in a tatty shirt and stained green overalls with his strawberry brunette hair (that was his phrase, everyone else just said pink) tucked under a cap.
"Hey Flower Power!"
Number XI looked up. He had streaks of potting soil on his face.
"Demyx, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" the Assassin smirked.
"I need some mistletoe."
"What do you want a poisonous parasite for?"
"Christmas decorations, duh."
"What's in it for me?"
Demyx shrugged
"How about you take over cooking from now on?"
Demyx's eye went wide.
"Wha—Why?"
"Because that was the best meal we had in ages. Even Roxas ate it."
The Nocturne allowed himself smug smile. "And this from someone who claims to only like French haute cuisine. But you know that'll only happen over my dead body."
"Why?"
"I if tried to do that I'll be killed of course."
"Oh."
Marluxia thought for a moment. "I know!" he snapped his fingers. "Since you won't let me use yours, built another water garden for me."
Sea green eyes narrowed. "You want me to build another pond?"
"Yes," said Marluxia with a dreamy smile. "For water lilies."
"How big?"
"Like yours."
Demyx frowned. "That's a lot to ask."
"Think of it as a Christmas present."
The Nocturne thought for a bit. "If I do this, will you promise to keep you and your miracle grow away from my koi."
"I don't need" he grimaced as if word was slimy, "miracle grow. Besides, what do I want with Axel?"
"I mean my fish you psycho!" Demyx yelled his face getting hot. Why did Marluxia always say things like that? He and Axel had become friendly only about a month ago.
Marluxia laughed. When he got flustered, Demyx always reminded the Assassin of an angry hamster. Which was why he teased the Nocturne up to the point that drowning became a very real possibility.
"Do we have a deal?"
Demyx sighed. "I guess so."
Marluxia beamed. "Fantastic. How much do you need?"
"Just a little bit," Demyx said relieved that the Assassin was finally starting to be serious.
Marluxia gave him a sly grin. "Planning to catch the Flurry of Dancing Flames unawares?"
Okay maybe not.
"It's not for Axel! I'm not planning anything with Axel. Just stop it already!"
Demyx was just too cute when he was just one breath away from dealing out watery death.
The Assassin chuckled and with a flick of the wrist was holding a small green and white sprig. He held it over the water wielder's head.
"Wanna see if it works?" he teased.
Demyx's eye began to twitch.
A few minutes later, Demyx strolled out of the green house clutching his prize and happily whistling, "Deck the Halls".
Inside the green house, Marluxia hauled himself out of what used to be the soil bin. Now it was more of a bog. He spat out a mouthful of peat moss. Oh well, he supposed he had deserved it, and thinking of the look that had been on the Nocturne's face was still making him laugh. And he was getting his very own lily pond out of the deal so he guessed it had been worth it.
He smiled to himself as he went to find a garden hose.
888
Roxas held the box behind his back. Demyx had told him that some of the cookies they had made would be the perfect gift for Naminé. He'd spent ages picking out the prettiest ones and placed them carefully in a silver colored box with a red bow and some kind of plant decoration that Demyx seemed to think was important.
Roxas didn't know what it was but it looked nice on the box so he'd left it. Now he was trying to pluck up the courage to actually give the thing to Naminé. She was sitting by a picture window, and as usual, she was sketching.
"Um… Naminé?" he called out. She jumped a bit, startled by the interruption but she smiled when she saw who it was.
"Hi Roxas," said cheerfully.
He walked up to her stiffly, his face growing hot.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"Wrong? No nothing. It's just, um…erm… well…"
She cocked her head to one side in concern. Two pairs of sapphire eyes met briefly before Roxas turned away, flushing even darker.
"These are for you," he blurted out thrusting the box towards her. "It's not much, just some cookies I made the other day, but Demyx said they were your favorite so I …" he trailed off; nearly his whole face was red now.
Naminé removed the bow and open the box. Nestled inside a piece of parchment was a flurry of delicate, paper-thin snowflakes that sparkled with sanding sugar. The aroma of lemon wafted up to her nose.
She looked up. Roxas was staring intently at his shoes. She wondered what she could give him in return. Her eyes fell on the bit of greenery that still decorated the bow.
Hmmm…
"Roxas…"
The boy looked up and was startled to find that Naminé was barely an inch away from him.
"Yes?"
"Those really are my favorite cookies. I wish I had something to give you."
"Th-that's okay."
"But there might be something I can give you," she smiled shyly.
"Oh…um…what?"
Naminé lifted her arm above their heads. Roxas looked up. She was holding the bit of green decoration over them.
"Uh…what's that for?"
"It's mistletoe."
"Er…"
Naminé giggled. "At Christmas time when two people are under the mistletoe they have to kiss."
Roxas went red all the way to the tips of his ears.
"Th-they d-do?" he stuttered.
"It's traditional."
Roxas swallowed hard. "O-o-okay."
Naminé giggled again. She lightly placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder to steady herself and placed a soft kiss on his lips and pulled away.
Roxas sighed. It was nice but he wished it had lasted longer. He looked at Naminé who appeared to be thinking very hard about something.
"Roxas, how many cookies are in the box?" she asked.
The boy shrugged. "I dunno. A bunch."
"Guess."
"Like thirty maybe." What was she going on about?
"It doesn't seem fair, you know? Just one kiss for all those cookies."
She smiled at him. "I think maybe I should give you a kiss for each cookie. It's only fair after all.
"I-if you really want to," he began to twiddle his fingers. "I-I wouldn't m-mind."
A kiss for every cookie? He should have put more in the box!
"Okay then." She put both hands on his shoulders this time and he found his arms automatically wrapping around her waist.
'This makes two," she giggled and pressed her lips to his again. It lasted longer this time and Roxas sighed again as his insides went all warm and gooey. He wondered if he could make her forget to count. He hoped so.
888
Roxas was so preoccupied with kissing Naminé he didn't notice the audience peeking around the corner.
"Aww isn't that cute?" giggled the blonde musician.
"Way to go Roxas!" the red head snickered into his hand.
Demyx sighed. "Maybe we should leave them be."
"Aww why?"
"Well I don't know about you, but I don't want a Keyblade print on my forehead for Christmas."
"Meh, good point," Axel conceded.
The two walked back down the hall away from their younger friends.
"So Demyx, what do you want for Christmas?" Axel asked.
"Oh, I don't know. Haven't really thought about it to be honest. How about you?"
"I know exactly what I want. I think about all the time."
Demyx's brow wrinkled. "What do you want so badly, I mean besides the obvious?"
A faint blush dusted the pyro's cheeks. "I thought you'd never ask."
Axel pulled a bit of green from his pocket and held it up. He hung back a bit, suddenly shy.
Demyx's eyes went wide with sudden realization. Tis the season, indeed! Stupid Marluxia. Instead of all that teasing he could have just told me. Oh well…
"Merry Christmas, Axel," he whispered.
It was after all a tradition.
Fin.
Cute, ne? I thikg Axel was a little OOC at the end, but oh well. It was done in the name of fluffy goodness.
Oh, and incase anyone is wondering, yes I do know all the verses to "Jingle Bells" .
Merry Christmas minna-san!