Santa is a lanky redhead
The box was light blue with classy silver snowflakes in different patterns. Three holes were poked in the side, unobstructed by the thin red ribbon that stretched across all sides and culminated in an overly large bow at the top. This was his crowning achievement: the surprise to end all surprises. Of course the tree in the living room was littered with other trinkets, but this one… Well, suffice to say it wouldn’t exactly last long in the box.
He opened the door quietly and snuck in without turning on the light. It was still too early for anything more than a whisper of sunrise to peek in through the sliver between the curtains, but it was definitely late enough to open presents. “Roxas.” Axel was practically beaming as he sat down at his boyfriend’s side on the bed and rest his free hand on the blond’s arm. “Babe. Wake up. It’s Christmas!”
His voice held a lilt like that of a child excited, and Axel set the pretty box on Roxas’ lap the second he saw blue eyes crack open.
Roxas stirred at Axel’s call, inhaling the chilled air from the cracked window that he talked Axel into letting him open the night before. He stretched his arms to the other side of the bed to pat the redhead to signal him five minutes more, but became confused by the other’s absence and cold sheets. Roxas retrieved his arms with a yawn and pushed up the long sleeves of his borrowed shirt (Roxas considered Axel’s shirts the warmest and best for Winter, so the blond would often hide some of Axel’s shirts from the owner so he himself could wear them). He turned onto his back, pausing at the low temperature of the new area of sheets before he squinted up to his lover.
There was barely enough light on the horizon to light the room in a pleasant glow so it made it easier for Roxas’s eyes to open and adjust while Axel placed a present on his stomach. Roxas shifted the box to his lap, too sleepy to note any shuffling from inside the present before he pushed himself up to sit against the pillow shoved against the wall and captured Axel’s lips in a chaste kiss. “Merry Christmas.” He murmured, lips cracking into a sleepy smile while he gave the redhead another peck. The blond pulled away to rest against the wall and redirect his attention to the present, the pads of his fingers scratching against the glittery decorative snowflakes scattered on the box. “I love you, but I thought we weren’t going to do the ass crack of dawn presents. I’m going to make you take a nap with me later and you’re going to be my pillow.” Roxas jokingly threatened, but he found the redhead’s excited demeanor endearing. He sucked in a yawn through his noise, too stubborn to open his mouth for this yawn to try and triumph against his tired self.
The sound of ribbon shifting against rough glitter and the smooth box filled the air as Roxas finally began to unwrap the present. He wrestled with the non-stretch ribbon for a moment before he freed the box and lifted the lid. Roxas wiggled a few degrees towards the window so that the beginning rays of sunshine could slip through the blinds and illuminate the present. His mouth dropped open, hand gripping the lid of the box as he only focused on the little ball of fur in the box. He quickly placed the lid on the covers and picked up the golden retriever puppy. Roxas sobbed as he brought the puppy up to his face and rubbed his forehead against the tiny creature’s side. “It’s so cute, Axel.” He cradled the puppy in his arms as he cried. “I saw people reacting this way online,” he started, pausing to cough lightly and wipe his eyes even though he was still crying. “But I never thought I’d respond this way!” He bawled, patting the little body in his arms.
