Chapter 6 - Final Part

Leon, personally, had been rather thankful to go to bed, as he had a killer headache and was
quite thankful for the blissful near unconscious-ness.
Of course, that didn't last long.
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Kei screeched, bounding through the halls and pounding on
doors. "It's CHRISTMAS! GET UP!"
Koji's bedroom door flung open. "YAY!" she cheered, bouncing into the hall, "Christmas!"
But, in Tori's room, all you heard was a ruffle of blankets and a mumbled "Five more
minutes...".
Kei pulled open Tori's door. "NO FIVE MORE MINUTES! IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY!"
Aerith popped her head out of the door of her room, looking tired. "Kei...it's six in the
morning..."
Kei nodded. "I know! It's so late, we should have been up at four!"
Koji nodded excitedly. "Or maybe three! C'mon!"
Leon groaned as he came out, clad only in black sweatpants and a t-shirt. "...But we
went to bed at three..." He muttered.
Kei frowned. "We shouldn't have gone to bed then."
Koji shrugged and grabbed Leon's arm before dragging him downstairs. "We're wasting
time!"
It was then that Tori emerged. "Three hours of sleep is not enough. How about one
more?" She pushed a lock of hair out of her face and sighed. "Or two?"
Kei gave her a flabbergasted look. "You really want to wait TWO MORE HOURS to open
presents!?"
Tori nodded. "Yeah, or maybe three."
Kei stared at her for a moment. "Heathen!" She hissed accusingly, and then ran
downstairs.
Cloud groaned as Aerith led him past Tori. The flower girl smiled back at the brunette.
"Come on Tori, you know it's no use."
"True," Tori agreed, grabbing a sweater before plodding out into the hall and down the
stairs.
"Okay...um...this one's from me to Koji!" Kei said brightly, shoving a brightly wrapped box
into Koji's hands.
Koji blinked and carefully began pulling each taped down corner off before shrugging and
ripping off the rest. Her emerald eyes lit up as she held out a Leon plushie. "I love it! Don't
you?" she asked, turning to her boyfriend.
Leon stared at it for a moment before nodding slightly. "It's.... different."
Koji grinned. "I know it is. Just think, now I'll never be alone."
Leon rolled his eyes.
Kei grinned, handing another box to Tori. "This one's for Tori!!"
Tori took the small box and unwrapped it, revealing a chain necklace resembling Kei's
only smaller, with a violet colored gem mounted in the center of the crown. "Thank you." Tori
smiled and fastened the necklace around her neck. "It looks very nice."
Kei nodded. "You're welcome! Okay...um...next I got somethin' for Squall..." she said,
handing Leon a large box.
He opened it to reveal a shirt with a stick figure on it. The stick figure looked rather mad
and was shaking it's fist in the air, a speech bubble coming from its mouth. The speech bubble
said: "I am Squall but you'd better call me Leon or I'll kill you! I'm good at sword fighting and
super serious and rant rant blah blah!" Leon smirked at it, then looked at Kei. "Very funny." He
said dryly.
Koji grinned. "Funny but true," she admitted.
Kei giggled. "I thought so." She then picked up another present. "Here ya go, Yuffie!"
Yuffie blinked, then opened the box. "Materia! SQUEE!" She cried, holding up the green
ultima orb. "How'd you get it!!!!?"
"Um...Internet." Kei said brightly, grabbing two more boxes and handing them to Aerith
and Cloud.
Aerith giggled at the Cloud plushie in the box, holding it up for all to see, and Cloud
looked at the Aerith plushie with a smile.
Kei nodded happily. "Yay! Everyone liked their presents!" She said, sitting down. "Okay,
I'm done, who goes next?"
"I'll go next," Tori said, getting up from her spot on the couch and sitting on the floor. She
grabbed a present and handed it to Kei.
Kei opened the box, and her eyes lit up. She let out a squeal of delight, holding up the
silver bracelet, the feather pendants dangling from it. She immediately put it on. "Oh, thank
you so much!"
Tori smiled. "You're welcome." Next, she handed a box to Cloud.
Cloud, after setting the Aerith plushie aside, tore open the box. He blinked at it. "...Azzaro
Chrome?"
"Oh, it's cologne!" Aerith said brightly. "See, you do stink after training, Tori agrees!"
Cloud gave her a mock glare.
Tori laughed. "Not exactly but it suits it's purpose." With that, Tori pulled out another
small present and handed it to Aerith.
Aerith smiled as she opened the gift. "Wow!" She said, her eyes lighting up. "White
Diamond perfume!?" She sprayed a bit on her wrist and sniffed it. "Hmm...smells wonderful!
But isn't this a bit expensive?"
Tori just shrugged and pulled out a large gift bag. "It's Christmas and munny doesn't
matter. Here you go, Koji."
Koji took the gift bag and began pulling out the tissue paper before holding out a puffy,
light blue, down coat. "Tori! It's... it's wonderful!" Koji pulled on the coat and zipped it up
before squirming in warmth. "I love it! Thank you!"
"You're welcome. I heard you mention that you'd like one so I got one for you," Tori said
before handing Yuffie her gift.
Yuffie opened the present, then gave a shout of glee, pulling the Conformer from the box
and waving it above her head, nearly decapitating Aerith.
Tori grinned. "Glad you like it. Here you go, Leon," she said handing him a envelope."
Leon opened the envelope and took out a white piece of paper, which read, "I'll give you
yours later, Aerith wouldn't approve." With this, Leon glanced around the room and simply
said, "Gift certificate."
Tori stood. "That's it for me. Who wants to go next?"
Brunette
"My turn," Koji announced as Tori went back to her spot on the couch. The brunette sat
down on the floor and handed Aerith her present.
Aerith opened the present, smiling as she did so. "Hmmm, I could definitely use this! 'The
Big Cookbook of Un-caffeinated Food."
Kei gasped, shooting Koji a wounded look. "No caffeine! The horror! That's like... the
eighth deadly sin or something!"
Koji grinned. "It'll keep you away from your coincidences." Next, she gave Tori her gift."
Unwrapping it, Tori revealed a dark purple dragon plushie with wings the shade of
metallic silver. "It's cute!" she squealed, hugging her present. "Thank you, Koji."
"No problem." Koji pulled out another present. "Here you go, Kei."
Kei, after shaking the present, tore open the wrapping paper. "SQUEE!! A UTADA
HIKARU CD AND AYUMI HAMASAKI! THANK YOU KOJI!" She cried at the top of her lungs.
Cloud took the gift and opened it, far more neatly then Kei did. It was a small jewelry box.
He opened the box and his eyes widened. "Whoa!" He said, holding up the pair of earring.
Aerith smiled. "Wow! Those are really nice! I'm sure they'll look great on you, Cloud.
Cloud nodded, as he was taking out his regular silver studs and putting in the crystal
ones Koji gave him. Kei stared at them.
"Oooohhh, shiny..."
"Not for you, Kei," Koji laughed, selecting another present and handing it to Leon.
Leon opened the small box revealing a chain necklace, the pendant in the shape of Koji's
symbol: a heart with two swords coming out on opposite sides. "Thank you, Koji. It's very
nice." He smiled as he removed his original chain necklace and slipped his new one on.
"Koji and Squall-san sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N- OW!" Kei's chanting was interrupted by
Aerith whacking her upside the head.
Koji glared at Kei before nodding at Aerith. "Thank you. Now, last but not least, Yuffie,"
Koji said, grinning as she handed the ninja her present.
Yuffie tore open the wrapping paper Kei-style (throwing the paper everywhere) to reveal
a jewelry box. And inside the jewelry box was a shurikan necklace!
"Awesome!" She cried, thrusting the necklace into the air for all to see. She immediately
put it on. "Thanks Koji, I love it!"
"You're welcome, Yuffie." Koji stood up. "All done. Who's next?" she asked, walking
over to the couch and plopping down next to Leon.
Cloud smiled. "I will." He said, pulling a small box from behind him and handing it to
Aerith. "Merry Christmas, Aerith."
Aerith gracefully opened the box, then gasped. "Oh...Cloud..." She whispered. Placed in
the box was a thin-chained silver necklace, the pedant shaped like a flower and made entirely
of diamond. "It's beautiful..."
Cloud's smile widened as he wrapped an arm around her. "Not as pretty as you are." He
said.
Aerith giggled, putting on the necklace. "Oh Cloud...you're too much." She said softly
before kissing him on the lips.
Kei frowned. "I still don't get it!" She whispered to Koji. "Why do they keep trying to eat
each other!?"
"Because they love each other," Koji smiled. "Like I've said the other million times you've
asked."
Kei blinked. "Really? So does that mean you have to eat Squall-san then?"
Koji's smiled vanish and color flooded her cheeks. "Um.... no."
Kei frowned. "...So...love is eating people then?"
"You don't have to if you don't want to. You can still love each other and not have to
kiss."
Kei blinked again. "Really? So does that mean you don't want to kiss Squall-san?"
Koji began to say something but stopped, seeming to try and think of something to say.
"Um......"
Leon interrupted the rather awkward conversation by coughing loudly. "I...um...got this for
you..." He said, thrusting a small wrapped box into Koji's hands.
"Oh?" Koji pulled off the wrapping paper and opened a velvet covered jewelry box to
reveal a silver ring on a chain, Leon's symbol engraved in the silver. "It's gorgeous," Koji
whispered, slipping the chain around her neck before holding up the ring and admiring it. She
turned to Leon. "Thank you very much," she said, smiling.
Leon gave a rare, real smile back.
A cough from Yuffie turned their attention towards her. "Hey guys, look where you're
standing..." The ninja said, pointing up at the ceiling.
Leon looked up to spot a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. His eyes widened.
Koji looked too and blinked. "How did that get there?" she stammered. "Kei?"
Kei smiled innocently and shrugged.
Yuffie smirked. "No trying to get out of it guys! It's a tradition!"
"Oh, c'mon, Yuffie! Just this once?" Koji begged.
Aerith giggled, shaking her head. "No such luck, Koji!"
Koji turned to Leon. "You're the man of the house. Do something!"
Leon stared at her. "No I'm not! This is Cid's house, he's the one who bought it!"
The pilot entered from the kitchen, carrying some egg nogg. "Ah, just get going, would
you!?" He snapped.
Koji blinked again. "Uh... sure, but only because you said so." The brunette turned to
Leon and smiled sheepishly. "Might as well get this over with."
Aeris and Cloud hugged each other and watched, Cid lifted his egg nogg glass high,
Yuffie whipped out a camera, and Kei began chanting once more. "Koji and Leon sitting in a
tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-OW! Stop hitting me like that Aerith!"
Leon nodded, stepping closer to Koji, a half-smile forming on his face. "...Right."
Koji smiled and their lips pressed together in an affectionate kiss before releasing. Koji
blushes and turns towards the others. "There. How's that?" she manages.
Yuffie grinned. "I got pictures!" She cheered as Aerith and Cloud nodded in improvement.
Kei bounced up and down. "Awww, that was so cute! See Koji, you like Squall-san enough to
eat him!"
Koji just shrugged. "I guess so. Now, no more mistletoe. If you treasure your life, you'll
desist," Koji warned, grinning.
Kei giggled. "Okay, no more mistletoe."
The rest of Christmas day was wonderful. Presents were given, much sugar was eaten
(much to Kei's delight and everyone else's dismay) a wonderful Christmas dinner was made by
Aerith that everyone enjoyed, and the entire day was a day full of laughter, fun, and happiness.
Well, in the words of Kei, it really was the best Christmas ever. Until all the sugar Kei consumed
went into effect.

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