Musebox

[heartismyown]

 I need to practice with Roxas! Please drop me a line.


Roxas finished smashing the computer, the one that ruined his life. He swung around angrily and stalked off into an unknown room where he found Sora, fast asleep.

DiZ appeared before him. His eyes narrowed, his hand clenched tightly around the keyblade as he swung it back and forth wildly, attempting to attack him. He was familiar. He was the one who did this to him. It was all about that Sora!

"My heart is my own!" Roxas cried, spinning around. Everything has gone white.

When Roxas awakened, he found himself face to face with....

Comments

[by_heart]

[It seems like Lea never has a moment of rest these days. Though everything has been quiet lately, they still don't know how safe things truly are, so his time has been filled with reconnaissance, working towards his Mark of Mastery and, well, Roxas duty.

That part takes up a lot of time.

Especially because things like this keep happening.]

Whoa, hey, slow down, Roxas! What's got you all worked up?

[heartismyown]

[Away from the Organization, and being his own person, Roxas only got more and more curious about things around him. He might not have a heart, in fact, he didn't know, but all the same he wanted to know everything about this new place.]

I found it, it was hanging on a wall. I've seen it before, but only when it's winter time.

[Roxas holds out his hands with a little piece of mistletoe within them.]

[by_heart]

[Lea most certainly has a heart and one of these days, Roxas is going to give him a heart attack. Possibly today. Of all the things to steal (Sora has a tendency of opening every box he sees and pocketing the contents, so there's the prime suspect for where THAT bit of delinquent behavior came from.), he had to go and bring home mistletoe.

Lea rubs his hand over his face, as if hoping that when he removes it, all of this will disappear and he's not going to figure out how to explain this. Except when he peeks through his fingers, Roxas is still looking at him with that eager puppy look of his.

Great.]

Okay, first thing: stealing is bad. Second...that's called mistletoe. People put it up as a decoration around this time of year.

[And he hopes Roxas will let him leave it at that. He doesn't think it will happen, but a guy can hope.]

[heartismyown]

I didn't steal it, it was outside!

[Yep, this is logic. Outside means it's fair game. After all, it's a plant right?]

Why do they use it for decoration? Is it a heart thing again?

[by_heart]

I guess so. I don't really know how it got started, but you're supposed to keep it hanging in your house and make sure it doesn't touch the ground. If someone ends up standing under it, you're supposed to kiss them or something, I don't know. [He waves his hand dismissively.]

[heartismyown]

Kiss them? Why? What is that?

[Roxas is trying to think if he's seen anyone kiss before. The word sounds familiar, so he must have heard it before, but it was one of those things he just didn't ask about.]

[by_heart]

[Lea shrugs.]

Tradition, I guess? It's supposed to be good luck if you do and bad luck if you don't. You're supposed to take a berry off every time someone gets kissed and it's done when they're all gone. I'm sure it was really important once but now it's kind of a silly thing people do during the holidays.

[There really aren't that many decorations in his house, though the season is still getting started and he fully expects an ambush decorating visit from Santa Sora any day now. Honestly, he's surprised Roxas hasn't started pestering him about it yet.]

[heartismyown]

Ohh, I see, I think. It's just a plant though. Tell me more about the holidays.

[Well that could be because Santa Sora hasn't gotten to Roxas yet, but it's only a matter of time Lea. Only a matter of time.]

[by_heart]

You should ask Sora. He'll tell you how he saved Christmas and everything. I hear there was even a robot in there somewhere.

[Though he knows Roxas isn't just going to take that for an answer. He figures he might as well settle in for this one, so he flops down on his couch and tries to run through what he knows so they're not here all night talking about the Meaning of Christmas. It's not that he's not a fan or anything, but he hasn't really done any celebrating since he was a kid. It's kind of scary how long ago that was.]

It's mostly a time to get together with your friends and your family, have parties, give each other presents, that sort of thing.

[heartismyown]

He saved Christmas? Really?

[Roxas' eyes widen a bit, he is suitably impressed with Sora's awesomeness. When Lea goes to sit down, he follows, sitting on the end of the couch, leaning forward eagerly.]

But we 'get together' all the time because I'm here. Are you having a party? Presents...[He pauses. Not remembering Xion means he doesn't remember the shells.]

What's that?

[by_heart]

I'm not going to have a party, but I'm sure someone will and we'll go. On Christmas, though, that might just be you and me.

[He hasn't even thought about what to get him as a present. He knows Roxas will be thrilled with whatever he gets, but that's actually not as comforting as it sounds. Roxas needs to learn what he likes and doesn't like for himself and not rely on him so much. It's a little flattering, yeah, always has been, but at the same time, he can't help but feel a little guilty about it.]

I guess we'll exchange presents then. I'll find something to get you that I think you'll like and you do the same for me and then we wrap them up in wrapping paper and give them to each other. You should probably get presents for all your friends. They'll probably have some for you.

[heartismyown]

Maybe Sora will have a party. I think he would. I want to go to a party.

[Roxas nods definitively. He hasn't really been to one, but it sounds like fun, and he likes fun. There is one thing he learned in the program, and not from Axel, that he really likes skateboarding.

But now he's faced with a problem. What does Lea want as a present? Or his other friends, Sora, Riku, Kairi...that's a lot of presents.]

They will? Then I'd better find them something good. I don't know what they want though.

[by_heart]

[Lea chuckles and stretches his arms along the back of the couch.]

That's Christmas shopping for you! You just kinda have to think about what they like and hope for the best.

[heartismyown]

[Roxas looks like he's thinking pretty hard.]

I don't even know what you want.

[He leans over, putting his hands on Axel's leg.]

Will you give me a hint?

[by_heart]

[There are a lot of hints he feels like he should be passing along right about now. A lot. Instead, he's avoiding eye contact at all costs.]

That's cheating. You figure it out.

[heartismyown]

[That's a strange reaction. Maybe Lea really wants him to figure it out. He leans back and sighs a bit. What could Lea want...?]

Okay. I'll think of something great. I know it.

[That sounds confident, right?]

[by_heart]

[That does get a bit of a smile.]

You better.

[Lea swats at him affectionately. This kid...]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas grins back and looks up at him again.]

How come people have parties at Christmas? We never had a party in the Organization. What if I don't have a heart? Can I still go?

[by_heart]

[Lea lifts his hand from the back of the couch again and grabs on to Roxas' head, shaking him back and forth a little.]

When are you gonna run out of questions? Why do you keep asking me every single one of them? Are you ever gonna give me a break?

[He mimics Roxas' tone perfectly.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas pouts a little bit.]

Axel! [Is that whining? A little bit.]

Fine, I won't ask any more questions.

[But he's going to think about them. A lot.]

[by_heart]

Good. And get my name right while you're at it.

[He smacks him again for good measure. To be honest, Roxas is better at remembering to call him Lea than Sora is. It's not going to stop him from giving him a hard time about it, though.]

[heartismyown]

I did get it right, it's Axel.

[Roxas does the mature thing and sticks his tongue out at Lea. This time he did it on purpose.]

I have to go shopping then!

[by_heart]

[Starting a fight, huh? So that's how it's gonna be.]

Yeah? Make sure you pay for stuff this time instead of just stealing it off someone's house! Thief.

[heartismyown]

[Well Lea swatted him, it's only fair. He gets up and stretches.]

It was outside! How am I supposed to know I can't take an outside plant?

[by_heart]

It was on someone's house! Some guy probably put it up there as an excuse to get all kissyface with his girlfriend or something. Go put it back while you're out.