It had been months since Kido had seen anyone from those summer days so long ago. The last to leave had been the one that hurt the most but she wouldn't let herself cry over it anymore. She sat at her small kitchen table, watching as the snow fell silently outside. All motivation had been absent since the deceiver had disappeared. She stared blankly at the white flecks swirling past the cold panes of glass. The coffee she had made wasn't warm in the slightest and the frigid temperature of the room only cooled it off more. Glancing from the window, she noted indifferently that a small, green, tree shaped sticker marked the day and in sloppy handwriting—not belonging to her—the words 'Christmas Day' were squished into the calendar's small square.

Was that really what day it was? She marveled over this for a few moments before slowly pushing her chair back and standing. Her feet felt like ice cubes as she stumbled her way over to the sink and poured the icy coffee down the drain. She mentally scolded herself for being so wasteful lately—this was probably the fifth cup this week that she hadn't finished and coffee wasn't exactly something she had extra money to splurge on.

Her fingers wrapped around the basin of the sink, feeling numb and useless. She sighed, rubbing at her tired eyes, and turned the water on warm. Patiently waiting for the heater to kick on, she looked around at her pitiful kitchen. It was cramped, messy, and the wallpaper was peeling off in more than a few places along the yellowed walls. However, this apartment was the best she could find that provided any sort of shelter from the weather. As steam began to rise from the flow of water, she focused her attention back on the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. She shouldn't have let it get this bad.

Loading the dishes into the dishwasher to dry them, she made sure to quickly wipe the moisture off of her hands before the skin began to crack. Again she sighed, making her way to the bathroom. Perhaps a nice, hot shower would help her relax. She started the water and when it reached the temperature she liked, she undressed and slipped in. The water beat harshly against her worn out shoulders and soaked her jade colored hair thoroughly. Her thoughts wandered, playing through stupid fantasies that would surely never happen. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead against the wall, continuing to let the rush of water surround her.

As she lost herself in hopeful day-dreams, the phone rang—a piercing sound that echoed loudly against the tiled walls of the bathroom. It made her head hurt and her mood sour. Shutting off the water, she stepped out, shivering, and grabbed her thread-barren robe. As she wrapped it tightly around her thin frame, the ringing stopped. She cursed under her breath and grabbed at the device, flicking the screen on, it alerted her that someone had left a voicemail. She left the steamy air and walked down the hallway to what may've been considered a living room at some point but now was cluttered and abandoned. Curled up comfortably on the old sofa, wrapped in multiple thick blankets, she pressed the button and entered her pin, holding her phone to her ear so she could hear the message.

"Mewy Chrimas, Auntie 'Bomi!" a young child called, followed by a giggle and then the sounds of the phone being handed over. Kido buried her face in her free hand, smiling softly as the next voice took over.

"Merry Christmas, Tsubomi…" the familiar voice was deep and rumbled slightly even over the recording, the image her raven haired brother only made her smile widen. "I'm sorry that we weren't able to talk this year but I hope you'll call back when you can…" Another voice, Marry's voice, called out from—presumably—behind him.

"Merry Christmas, Danchou!" Then, there was a crash as the phone was dropped, the barking of one of their dogs, and then the recording was over.

Kido laughed softly, filling the room with a rare sound. She then lay back, resting her head on the arm of the couch and studied the room. Boxes, books, and discarded clothing littered the floor, DVDs, CDs, games, and remote controllers sat in semi-organized piles. The sight almost made her laugh again, to think that she could even stand to let things get this chaotic would've seemed like a joke to her younger self. She silently wondered what had happened to make her so uninterested in being tidy.

However, as she continued to wonder, her smile faded and the good feeling that had flooded in quickly drained away. To say she wasn't always tired would be a lie worthy to be of the deceiver's ranks. Taking a last look at the depressing room she had found herself in, she rolled onto her side, facing the high and black back of the couch. Sleep tugged at her, as it typically did, and she reasoned that afternoon naps did no harm. As her eyes drooped closed and she drifted off, there was a rough knock on the door and the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Kido sat up straight, all hints of drowsiness gone from her. The lock clicked open and there was a grunt as whoever was there pushed against the door. As it squeaked noisily open, the green haired girl stood, the blankets falling to the floor, ready to chase the burglar off. Instead, her plans were thrown to the wayside as a red nosed, golden eyed boy with choppy, blonde hair looked up at her. She felt her knees lose some of their strength and her confident stance fell, eyes widening as her mind continued processing the scene before her.

"Man am I glad that you didn't bother changing the locks," he started, laughing good naturedly and smiling despite the frost that stuck the longer strands of his hair together. He watched her for a moment.

"Tsubomi…?" he asked; his voice was soft, "Aren't you glad to see me…?" The question was selfishly proposed but she couldn't deny that she had missed him. He smiled again, this time gently, and stepped farther into the room, closing the door behind him. She looked him up and down, not believing that he was, in fact, there at all. He looked like he'd lost some weight, his hair was sloppier looking that it had been the last time she'd seen him, and the backpack he had strapped to his back looked like it had seen better days. She opened her mouth to say something but as her voice failed her, she closed it again. He seemed to notice and removed the beanie from his head, shaking his hair slightly and looking back up at her.

"I'm sorry…" His shoulder sloped downward, his face solemn and his voice gentle. However, before he could say anything more, a small whimper came from the girl across him. She shook her head, burying her face in her hands.

"You're horrible…" she managed, her voice rough and shaky, "I hate you…" He nodded and made his way over to her, pulling her into a long overdue embrace.

"I know… you have every right to."

"…I hate you…"

"You said that," he chuckled.

She glared up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He leaned forward and wiped the small droplets before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"You haven't told me to leave yet… I'm surprised."

"If you ever leave again, I swear I'll make you regret it." He laughed, pulling her tighter against his chest.

"I promise I won't." He smiled and let the silence pass, the tense dying. "Merry Christmas, Tsubomi."

"Merry Christmas, Shuuya…"

~Extra~

Kano smiled at the girl now cuddled up to him on the couch. She wasn't asleep but she was as silent as though she was. He looked around the room, noting that it was much more cluttered than when he had left.

"You could clean once in a while you know," he mocked, quoting something she had told him shortly after they'd moved in together. She smacked him in the stomach, doing enough damage to make him buckle over slightly.

"Shut up, I can still kick you out."

Laughing he said, "Sorry, sorry…" As the comfortable moment resumed, he picked up a piece of her hair, twirling it playfully around his finger.

"I love you, Tsubomi."

"I hate you."