Wait Under the Mistletoe

Wait Under the Mistletoe
A One-Shot by Ellipsis the Great
Summary: A short, sappy one-shot in the spirit of the holidays. Seiner.
DISCLAIMER: Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. However, the song ‘Wait Under the Mistletoe’ is mine. NO STEALING!
Rated: K+
Theme: 33. Holiday

“Why are we going to a jazz club for Christmas?” Hayner asked bitterly, hands tucked under his arms for warmth. He hated cold. Hated it with a burning passion. Or, well, a freezing passion, since it was so damn cold he was losing feeling in his extremities. Damn cold.
“It’s a café, Hayner, and a friend of mine asked me to invite you.” Naminé giggled.
“Who?” Hayner demanded, giving her a suspicious glare.
“Just someone.” Naminé said with a Mona Lisa smile.
Hayner shivered and cursed under his breath. “Next year, we’re going to Destiny Islands for Christmas like Sora and Riku and Kairi. Fucking Twilight Town and its goddamn cold winter.”
“Hayner, quit whining and go.” Olette sighed irritably.
“I’ll get you a giant cup of hot cocoa when we get there, Hayner.” Naminé said. “That’ll warm you right up.”
“He’ll Struggle ‘till he has a heat stroke, but bitches like this when it’s cold?” Axel murmured to Roxas, his boyfriend.
“He hates the cold. No one knows why.” Roxas replied softly.
“There isn’t a reason, I just do.” Hayner snapped. “Stupid winter.”
“There it is!” Naminé said, pointing.
“Twilight Café?” Pence asked, seeing the crooked, blinking sign. “Original, aren’t they?”
“It’s a great little café. You guys will have fun, I promise.” Naminé said. “Come on!”
She led them into the café, which despite its slightly beaten up sign was a cozy, almost homey place. It was a bit small, with a handful or two of tables set up in front of a small stage that had an upright piano, and a little bar with a few stools near the doorway. But it was obviously ready for holiday business, with tinsel and lights strewn just about everywhere and a medium-sized tree beside the stage that had a couple presents under it, most likely just for decoration. And, surprisingly, there were already quite a few customers sitting at various tables, chatting amiably amongst themselves and even to people at other tables.
“Welcome to the Twilight Café!” A gangly man with an odd mohawk-mullet hybrid haircut greeted from behind the bar, waving cheerfully. “Hi, Naminé! Merry Christmas!”
“Hi, Demyx!” Naminé said, smiling at the man. “Am I late?”
“No, there are still a few acts before you’re up. Just go back to the green room to get ready.” The man, Demyx, said.
“Okay, thanks. Would you bring these guys a round of hot chocolate on me?”
“Sure thing, Nami!”
“Come on, guys, you can sit over here.” She said.
“You’re going to do something?” Roxas asked, eyebrows shooting upward at the thought of shy little Naminé singing in front of a crowd.
“I’m helping that friend I told you about.” She said with a mischievous wink as she motioned at them to sit down. “And I need to get dressed and stuff, so I’ll see you in a few!”
“See you.” They said as she wandered off, watching after her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
“So…Naminé can sing? Or play an instrument?” Axel asked.
“I don’t think she plays anything…she might be able to sing, though.” Roxas said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “She’s just so quiet…”
“Oh, I hope she knows what she’s doing.” Olette said, worrying her bottom lip. “I’d hate for her to freeze up or something!”
“Who, Naminé?” They jumped a little as Demyx appeared beside them, a tray of cocoa balance in either hand. “Nah, she’ll be fine. She’s done it before, y’know.”
“Has she really?” Axel asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“Mhm, a few times.” Demyx blushed a little. “She’s actually really good.”
“Mm.” Hayner grunted, sighing contentedly as he took a sip of hot chocolate.
“Are you Hayner?” Demyx asked.
“Who wants to know?” Hayner asked, eyeing the man suspiciously.
“Just me!” Demyx laughed. “It’s nice to finally be able to catch a name with a face, though.”
“Naminé talks about me a lot?” He asked, blinking.
“No more than she talks about anyone else.” Demyx shrugged. “It’s just…well, I’ll give it away if I tell you, but let’s just say you’re in for a big surprise. Almost makes me jealous!”
Hayner glared at him for a moment, but soon gave it up as a lost cause and huffed into his cocoa.
“You’ll have to excuse him; the cold makes him grumpy.” Olette said.
“Not a problem!” Demyx said. “You’re Olette, right?”
“We haven’t introduced ourselves, have we?” Olette said. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m Olette. This is Pence, and those two are Roxas and Axel.”
“And I’m Demyx, if you didn’t already know.” He said, saluting them a little. “I’ve gotta get back to the bar. Bye!”
“Bye.” Everyone except Hayner called after him. Hayner just grunted again.
“You could try not to be such an ass, Hayner.” Olette scolded.
“Yeah, I could.” He agreed, grinning at her.
She threw up her hands and turned away from him, instead turning her attention to the stage. Everyone else did, as well, soon clapping along with everyone else at the good (and not-so-good) acts, which were (predictably) mostly just people singing different versions of classic Christmas songs. Finally, though, Naminé walked on stage.
“Hi, everyone.” She said as she walked up to the microphone, smiling that gentle smile of hers.
“Whoo, Naminé!” Axel cat-called, earning himself a sharp elbow to the gut compliments of Roxas.
“Hi, Axel.” She said, a few laughs rippling through the crowd. “Our next act is going to break away from the traditional Christmas songs we’ve heard for the past few days leading up to tonight. The song they’re going to perform was written by their lead singer and pianist, our very own Seifer Almasy. Give it up for the Disciplinary Committee!”
Hayner and the other people at his table were blown away by the uproarious applause following her announcement, enthusiastically heralding in Seifer, Fuu, Rai, and Vivi. Seifer immediately sat down at the piano, Fuu making a beeline for the drums with no pomp and circumstance while Rai and Vivi waved at the audience and picked up their trumpet and saxophone, respectively. Naminé moved the microphone next to the piano, and Seifer adjusted it so he could sing into it. Then she brought out a violin from behind the piano (which caused the group at Hayner’s table to exchange a doubtful glance) and looked at Seifer.
“Hey, everybody.” Seifer said. There was more cheering, sprinkled with wolf whistles and cat calls that brought the bully’s trademark smirk to his face. “You ready to rock?”
“Yes!” The crowd whooped.
“Well too damn bad, because this one’s a slow song.” He said, causing the audience to laugh. “ I know, I know, you expected a song I wrote to be all angry and shit, but it’s not. It was actually written for someone who should be in the audience tonight…?” He gave Naminé a curious look.
“He’s here; I told you I’d bring him.” Naminé said huffily.
“Good. Alright.” Seifer said with a nearly audible gulp. “So in any case, the person it’s dedicated to is in the audience to night and should—hopefully—be able to figure out who he is or I’ll fucking punch him.” A few more laughs. “The song’s called ‘Wait Under the Mistletoe,’ and I’m going to start singing now before I talk myself out of it or…I dunno, vomit or something. Here goes nothing.”
He started playing softly, keeping his eyes on his fingers as they moved across the keys of the piano. Then his eyes fluttered close as he began to sing, his voice surprisingly deep and smooth and full of more emotions than they had ever guessed he felt.

Won’t you wait under the mistletoe for me?
Though all we do is fight…usually.
You know I just cant help but tease you,
now I want to know how to please you, darling,
won’t you wait under the mistletoe for me?

His eyes opened again as the rest of the band started playing along with him, so quietly that they almost couldn’t be heard over the piano.

I see the puzzled way you’re wrinkling your nose;
it’s cute, I suppose,
but just so you know:
when we fight it feels just like a dance—
a heated romance—
come on give me a chance, oh darling,
won’t you wait under the mistletoe for me?

The music picked up, then, the sounds of the trumpet and sax finally overtaking the piano.

It’s not really the season for love…
at least not the kind…I’m thinking of…
It’s more the season for giving,
so please tell me: won’t you give me
everything that I have ever dreamed?
Yes, darling, won’t you wait under the mistletoe for me?

The music sped up again into an interlude, the sax and trumpet taking charge as the others played behind and around them.

Oh, won’t you wait under the mistletoe for me?
Though all we do is fight, usually.
You know I just can’t help but tease you,
honey, now I just want to please you,
so won’t you wait under the mistletoe for me?

The other instruments cut out abruptly so that, once again, the piano was the only thing playing.

Oh, darling, won’t you wait under the mistletoe…for…me?

The entire audience went wild as the final notes faded away and the band got up to bow.
“Dude…” Axel began, he and everyone else at the table turning to Hayner with wide eyes.
Hayner himself was staring at Seifer, his eyes even wider than everyone else’s. Then, before the applause had completely died down, he suddenly scowled furiously and shot out of his seat, causing people to give him an alarmed look.
“Fuck waiting.” The people nearest heard him snarl as he jumped up and snatched a bunch of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Then he stormed up to the stage and threw the mistletoe at Seifer, grabbing the older man’s collar and yanking him down into a brutal kiss. The audience went crazy again, so only a few people heard what Hayner said when he finally pulled away again.
“If you ever,” Hayner gasped, “call me ‘darling’ in public again, you mushy fucktard, we’ll see who’s punching who.”
“Yeah, okay.” Seifer said, his smirk twisting into a surprisingly sweet smile.
“‘Wait under the mistletoe.’ Honestly!” Hayner rolled his eyes. “Damn romantic asshole.”
“Shut the fuck up, chickenwuss.” Seifer said.
“Why don’t you make me?”
The audience laughed as Seifer made him.

The End